Had a fascinating SOT lesson with Bobby one day, talking about the “Resurrection of the Dead”. That lesson illicited many questions from the students, which is of course understandable. We had a really enlightening Q & A session with him after class.

I asked regarding how God will judge those who have never heard the gospel. And his answer is this: by their conscience.

Romans 2:12 (Amplified Bible)
All who have sinned without the Law will also perish without [regard to] the Law, and all who have sinned under the Law will be judged and condemned by the Law.

Here we see how the Law doesn’t apply to everybody. For those under the Law they will be judged by the Law. For those outside of it and yet sin they will still perish. Therefore for the Gentiles of the past, they are not under the Law as it only applied to the Israelites. So by what are the other races judged by?

Romans 2:15 (Amplified Bible)
They show that the essential requirements of the Law are written in their hearts and are operating there, with which their consciences (sense of right and wrong) also bear witness; and their [moral] [e]decisions (their arguments of reason, their condemning or approving [f]thoughts) will accuse or perhaps defend and excuse [them]

From here we see that in every human being there is this guiding mechanism called the conscience. It is the Law written in our hearts, programmed into every man who has ever been created. Therefore for those who have never heard the gospel and are not under the law (i.e. the Ancient Chinese, obscure tribes living in the jungles of the Amazon), they will be judged according to their moral decisions, which will either deem them righteous or condemned.

Romans 2:16 (Amplified Bible)
On that day when, as my Gospel proclaims, God by Jesus Christ will judge men in regard to [g]the things which they conceal (their hidden thoughts).

There are two main guiding principles when it comes to Jesus Christ’s final judgement on mankind: 1) the acceptance of Christ’s salvation followed by genuine repentance, and 2) the motives of our heart. God does not look at the outward, but the inward. Compare a hypocritical Christian with a honourable man who has never heard the gospel, God will definitely choose the latter.

One final question remains: what of those who may be in an oppressed society of today (some of which are too sensitive to mention), where the gospel is available to the world but not to them? And what of those who may be in a deviant form of Christianity and may never get a chance to listen to the real gospel? Let us look at one final verse:

Romans 2:11 (Amplified Bible)
For God shows no partiality [[d]undue favor or unfairness; with Him one man is not different from another].

God is always fair. Even though salvation may be available to the world at this point of time, he extends grace to those who will never get to hear the gospel. Yes, even though Jesus is the only way, the truth, and the life, God is flexible enough to accomodate those who are less privileged.

God’s grace extends beyond what we can fathom.

I realize that this little insight will create more questions than answers: about the nature of God, about everything. But don’t worry, I’ll come to that :-)