Expert: Pastor Don Carpenter - 4/3/2009

Question
The Bible is very clear that Jesus is the only way to heaven. The Bible is very clear when it says that you must accept Jesus’ sacrifice to be cleansed of your sin. To my understanding, God cannot let a person into his kingdom if they have not come through his Son.

Now that confuses me a little bit, because throughout the course of history and even today, there have been many people on the earth that have never heard the name of Jesus. There are so many nations around the world today in which Christianity falls below 10%.
I dont even know if I would be a christian, had I been born in Pakistan.
How get everyone get a fair distribution of hearing the truth. Not to mention tribal communities that don’t even know about the gospel.

I asked my pastor what about those people, I got him to admit that there have been people and still are, that have never heard of the gospel, Christianity, and Jesus. I said to him how is that fair in Judgment? How do these people get to heaven?  When asking questions like these I am often pointed to Romans chapter 1:20.

“For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse”

Now this may be true that people realize there is a God. Even Tribes realize there is a God and make up their own religion by which they worship that God. But how are they supposed to find Jesus?
My pastor said God is a fair Judge, and that if people are ignorant to the Word of God, they would not be punished for that.

In my mind, that compromises the gospel message which says that Jesus is the only way to heaven. This means that God can bring someone to heaven, even if they have not come through his son.

This also has to deal with babies that die young, children that die, mentally handicapped. Many of these people have not accepted Christ, but I and many other people would say that they go to heaven anyway. If God has the power to override and bring these people to heaven, then why can’t he let everyone into heaven?  

Answer
Hi Michael,

Thanks for this great question. This is a difficult subject to understand, but I think that I can give you a few points to consider.

1.  God is infinite, and we are finite.  We cannot dare to evaluate whether or not He is fair based upon our finite understanding.  It is unwise to try to make God conform to our understanding =of what fair is.  We simply need to understand that He is perfect and Just.

Isaiah 55:7-11
7 Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts: and let him return unto the LORD, and he will have mercy upon him; and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon.   8 For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the LORD. 9 For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts. 10 For as the rain cometh down, and the snow from heaven, and returneth not thither, but watereth the earth, and maketh it bring forth and bud, that it may give seed to the sower, and bread to the eater: 11 So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it.
The King James Version, (Cambridge: Cambridge) 1769.

2.  It is this knowledge that must drive us to an aggressive approach to missions and soul winning.

2 Corinthians 5:11
11 Knowing therefore the terror of the Lord, we persuade men; but we are made manifest unto God...
The King James Version, (Cambridge: Cambridge) 1769.

Mark 16:15
15 And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature.
The King James Version, (Cambridge: Cambridge) 1769.

Acts 1:8
8 But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.  
The King James Version, (Cambridge: Cambridge) 1769.

3.  What is unfair is that ANYONE should get to heaven!  We are all sinners condemned by our own actions.  The fact that Jesus became our sin is what is unfair... but He did it for us.

2 Corinthians 5:21
21 For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.

The King James Version, (Cambridge: Cambridge) 1769.

I hope that this helps you.

In Christ
Pastor Don