Yes! They can be saved! The person and creation of a Christ they do not fully embrace redeems them. But, even those who have never listened to Jesus may be saved. Read full Can A Native In The Jungle Who Doesn’t Know The Bible Be Saved?
Can A Native In The Jungle Who Doesn’t Know The Bible Be Saved?
You’ve observed what is known as a cognitive disconnect. You have two concepts that appear to be at odds with one another. Because we are flawed, our natural tendency is to choose one over the other to end the argument.
We remark, “They can’t both be true; one has to be true or the other.” In some cases, figuring out which is true and which is untrue does not solve the cognitive mismatch. Instead, we are lacking some information that would show they can both be true. Here are your two suggestions in this situation:
- To enter paradise, we must accept the Gospel.
- Some people can pass away without hearing the Gospel and still get to heaven.
Although the language may differ, the essential notion is the same. In this instance, a better understanding of how God has structured His plan for us helps to resolve the apparent contradiction. The instruction we require to solve the problem is found in two pertinent scriptures:
“For Christ also once suffered for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, that he might bring us to God, becoming pronounced dead in the flesh, but quickened by the Spirit: By which also he went and lectured to the spirits in prison,” the Bible says. (1 Peter 3:18-19)
Because of this, the gospel was also preached to the dead, so that men in the flesh could judge them but lived by the Spirit of God. (1 Peter 4:6)
These passages impart two crucial lessons. First, it is evident that Jesus Christ visited the souls of the dead (or “those in prison”) and preached the Gospel to them. The second thing we learn is that He did this so that even though they were dead and without their physical bodies (they were “in the spirit” rather than “in the body”), they could still “live according to God” and thus be judged equally to those who were “in the flesh.”
That eliminates the cognitive disconnect! Those who miss out on the chance to hear the gospel in this life still have an opportunity to do so in the next! They can even receive the ordinance of baptism by proxy thanks to the efforts of those who are still alive, as Paul hinted elsewhere (1 Cor. 15:29).
Indeed, they have access to the entirety of the Gospel. God is a just being who has no regard for people. Before the Resurrection and the Final Judgment, He provides everyone an equal opportunity to accept everything He has to offer. I believe these are some of the most exquisite doctrines I’ve ever discovered through the Bible.
The Justice Of God
When someone makes this argument, they usually mean one of two things: either that there must be other religions that are legitimate paths to God or that a whole gospel implies some major injustice in the final judgment. God is portrayed as stating, “You didn’t embrace Jesus so that you can go to hell!” Thousands of unhappy people respond, “Who?” This person is new to us. That must not be done!
The God of the Bible is a God of fairness, not a whimsy who arbitrarily tosses people into hell based on how he is feeling that particular day. According to Isaiah (Isaiah 30:18), “the Lord is a God of justice.” See also Isaiah 61:8; Psalms 9:16; and 103:6.
Additionally, according to Exodus 34:6, he is “the compassionate and gracious God, slow to wrath, abounding in love and faithfulness.” Additionally, see 2 Corinthians 13:11, Jeremiah 33:11, and Psalms 36:5.
Even if we might not fully comprehend all of his ideas, there is little doubt that what he does on that last day will be. We can firmly ask, “Won’t the Judge of all the earth do right?” as Abraham did in front of Sodom. (18:25 in Genesis).
General Revelation
None of us are completely ignorant of him, even though many people do not know the whole revelation of the gospel. Because of God’s immeasurable attributes his omnipotence and divine nature have long since been made manifest via creation, leaving people with no defense, the Bible says (Romans 1:20).
It took disobedient humans thousands of years to develop the neo-Darwinian synthesis, which offers a flimsy justification for how things may have developed without any intelligent designer. The created cosmos speaks so loudly of a Creator.
We really have to be very blinded by naturalist theory before we can take a walk in the countryside or look up at the night sky and not see something of God’s creative flair mirrored there, as the poet cries, “the heavens shout the glory of God” (Psalms 19:1).
The witness of our consciences is another. Even if they have been corrupted since the fall, they continue to work and provide us with a sense of morality, which we generally believe to be correct, even though we frequently fail to uphold it. “Gentiles, who do not have the law…show that the needs of the law are written on their hearts, their consciences also bearing evidence,” says Paul when discussing God’s just judgment (Romans 2:14–15).
Therefore, no one is completely in the dark about God. We shall all be assessed based on the knowledge we have of him. According to Romans 2:6, God “will give to each individual according to what he has done,” not according to what he had no chance to do.
The Old Testament Heroes
The Old Testament’s chapters provide examples of this idea in action. We are aware that among the “huge crowd that no one could number, from every nation, tribe, race, and language” will be thousands of Jews and Gentiles who lived before the time of Jesus (Revelation 7:9). In Matthew 8:11, Jesus said that Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob were feasting in the kingdom of heaven and that heaven itself was by Abraham’s side (Luke 16:23).
Although there are a few compelling verses that suggest they may have understood more than is officially stated in Scripture, it is apparent that they were not familiar with the entirety of the gospel message.
According to Hebrews 11:26, Moses deemed shame for Christ’s sake more valuable than Egypt’s treasures. Likewise, see John 8:56. How precisely did he see the Messiah coming, and how well did he comprehend what he would do? We are unsure.
The atoning end of Christ on the cross seems to have retroactively affected them hundreds of years afterward (Romans 3:25; Hebrews 9:15). We shouldn’t find this unusual because God is not bound by time and would have no trouble anticipating what Jesus would subsequently accomplish on their behalf.
We don’t have a problem with the fact that they didn’t fully comprehend the method. I use my computer and drive my car without fully understanding the complex mechanisms that enable them to function.
Is there any reason a person’s lack of understanding after this time should be an impenetrable barrier to salvation if their ignorance before Christ’s first arrival were not? Today’s non-evangelicals are comparable to those who lived before Christ in that they have never heard the gospel. Are they not capable of responding to the knowledge of God they possess in the same manner as those heroes did?
The Demand For Evangelism
Let’s clarify a few things we are not stating before any of you start screaming “heretic.” First, we must explain that we do not claim that “all routes lead to God.” According to Jesus’ words in John 14:6, “salvation is found in no one else,” and Peter’s sermon, “salvation is found in no one else,” respectively (Acts 4:12).
If anybody of a different faith or belief is saved, it is not as a result of their ideas but rather in spite of them. Although all other religions twist the truth, they do so to some extent. The fact that lies buried beneath do not support that fake religion as a whole, but rather the person who looks through that distorted lens catches a dim reflection of reality and responds accordingly.
For example, if a Muslim reads about ‘Isa (Jesus) in the Qur’an and discovers that he lived a sinless life (Surah 19:19) and that he is a spirit from God (Surah 4:171), he may realize that Jesus is more excellent than Muhammad, who needed God’s forgiveness for his sin. Muhammad was a sinner who needed Jesus to atone for his sin (Surah 48:2). The Holy Spirit can work in everyone, but this does not imply that Islam is a legitimate path to God.
The second key point is that this method of thinking does not reduce the urgency of evangelism or mission. It is not intended to imply that evangelism is unnecessary because everyone can be saved. The heroes of the Old Testament weren’t just regular individuals; they were the exceptions and shining examples of their period.
Many people disobeyed God even in Judaism, which had God’s authentic Scriptures and prophets and had seen his wonders. There is no one who does good, not even one, the psalmist lamented, “everyone has turned away, they have all grown corrupt” (Psalms 53:3). If there was such a poor reaction to God’s revelation at the time, there will be even fewer people who will discover God’s way amid counterfeit religions and ideologies.
It takes the gospel to explain and instruct. Although the Ninevites knew little about God, they were ready to react to him. It needed Jonah’s sermon for them to convert to faith and repentance (Jonah 3). Even though the Ethiopian eunuch was reading Isaiah’s prophecy, Philip had to clarify it to him before he realized it was actually pointing to Christ (Acts 8:26–39).
Many people nowadays are misled and perplexed by false beliefs about God. As Christians, we are responsible for delivering accurate teaching about God and how we might know him while holding up the light of the gospel. The gospel is God’s preferred method for awakening the complacent, convicting people of their sins, and attracting them to himself. Those who answer his call are in a much better position to ask God for pardon and mercy.
The Honest Seeker
Jesus asserts that people who actively seek God will ultimately discover him (Matthew 7:7). This implies that they will eventually hear about Jesus and his gospel in this life. But that wasn’t the case for the people in the Old Testament.
Therefore, it can imply that such people can live without any guarantee of forgiveness and nevertheless receive it from God through Jesus’ atoning death after pleading for his mercy. The gospel would then deliver such seekers assurance of being forgiven rather than actual forgiveness.
To Conclusion
This was a complete explanation of whether Can A Native In The Jungle Who Doesn’t Know The Bible Be Saved? On Judgment Day, only God knows how people will fare. These aren’t our concerns. Lord declares, “I will avenge” (Romans 12:19).
We have reason to believe God will do right. Everyone knows enough about God to seek him out, yet men don’t, despite their consciences. We must preach the gospel and encourage people to be reconciled to God. As Christ’s representatives, we beseech you to be reconciled to God (2 Corinthians 5:20).
Those who have heard the gospel but deny God’s offer of forgiveness are in grave danger: “If we deliberately keep on living in sin after we have accepted the knowledge of the truth, no sacrifice for sins is left, but only a frightening expectation of judgment and the raging fire that will ruin God’s enemies” (Hebrews 10:26–27).
“What about others who’ve never heard?” can’t comfort someone ignoring the gospel’s implications for themselves. These people will be judged differently from those who remain in darkness yet seek the truth, confess their faults, and seek God’s grace. We must ask for God’s guidance.
If the church had taken Jesus’ command to make disciples of all nations seriously through the ages and today, there would be far fewer groping in spiritual darkness. Suppose we grasp the implications of this issue.
In that case, we will be challenged more than ever to follow Paul’s example and ‘preach the gospel where Christ is not known (Romans 15:20). Through praying, donating, and going, we will be devoted to evangelism and world outreach so that “the earth will be sufficed with the knowledge of the glory of the Lord, as the rivers cover the sea” (Habakkuk 2:14).
Frequently Asked Questions
How does the Bible treat those who reject God?
The guy who denies the existence of God is corrupt, a liar, and never performs good, according to Psalms 14 and 53. Unsurprisingly, the Apostle Paul uses several of these psalms to support his claim that no one is righteous and no one seeks God (Rom 3:10–12).
Can animals enter heaven?
As Pope John Paul II stated in 1990, there is apparent agreement among the many Christian faiths that animals indeed have souls. However, they disagree on whether or not they will be allowed to enter heaven with humans.
