I was raised a Protestant, and this was something that always bothered me as well. It seems to violate God's justice, doesn't it?
That's because it DOES violate God's justice. For that reason, it CAN'T be true. First, that would mean that people are lost because God requires them to know what they cannot know, and they cannot know it because God didnt allow them to know it. That would violate Gods perfect justice. Second, it would mean that one can only be saved through the attainment of information which is hidden to all but a select few, which is the core of the gnostic heresy.
If one has to have heard of Jesus in order to be saved, then never having had the opportunity to hear of him is a really good excuse for never having heard of him. The fact that scripture says that even those who have never heard the gospel have no excuse would reasonably be taken to indicate that God must make some sort of provision for those people. And in fact Jesus said that He has other sheep who are not of this fold.
And it turns out that the idea that one must have heard of Jesus in order to be saved is not universal among Christians. For good reason.
All Christians agree that Scripture says that salvation is due to the grace of God and the merits of Christ alone. And scripture says that everyone has some idea of God. And everyone does, even if that idea is nothing more than being able to distinguish between oneself and others and having some concept of right and wrong. Romans 1:18-21 says "The wrath of God is indeed being revealed from heaven against every impiety and wickedness of those who suppress the truth by their wickedness. For what can be known about God is evident to them, because God made it evident to them. Ever since the creation of the world, his invisible attributes of eternal power and divinity have been able to be understood and perceived in what he has made. As a result, they have no excuse; for although they knew God they did not accord him glory as God or give him thanks. Instead, they became vain in their reasoning, and their senseless minds were darkened."
So here scripture explicitly says that one can know God by natural revelation, right? Someone who does evil cant legitimately claim that he never knew about God, because God made sure through creation that everyone knows him. The passage doesnt say that theyre wicked because they dont know God, what it says is that theyre wicked because
they know God well enough and they reject him anyway!
The Catholic Church teaches that those who, through no fault of their own, do not know the Gospel of Christ or his Church, but who nevertheless seek God with a sincere heart, and, moved by grace, try in their actions to do his will as they know it through the dictates of their consciencethose too may achieve eternal salvation. Even these people may be saved (not that they
will be saved, but only that they
may be saved) through the merits of Christ, by means of which we do not know.
God gives
everyone the grace and ability to make a freewill decision for or against him, at some time in their lives. Anyone who gets in to heaven will get there solely because of the merits of Jesus, even if he didn't realize it was Jesus before he gets there.
I like the way C. S. Lewis said it in Chapter 15 of
The Last Battle. In it, Emeth tells of his meeting with Aslan:
Then I fell at his feet and thought, Surely this is the hour of death, for the Lion (who is worthy of all honor) will know that I have served Tash all my days and not him. Nevertheless, it is better to see the Lion and die than to be Tisroc of the world and live and not to have seen him. But the Glorious One bent down his golden head and touched my forehead with his tongue and said, "Son, thou art welcome." But I said, "Alas, Lord, I am no son of thine but the servant of Tash." He answered, "Child, all the service thou hast done to Tash, I account as service done to me." Then by reason of my great desire for wisdom and understanding, I overcame my fear and questioned the Glorious One and said "Lord, is it then true, as the Ape said, that thou and Tash are one"" The Lion growled so that the earth shook (but his wrath was not against me) and said, "It is false. Not because he and I are one, but because we are opposites - I take to me the services which thou hast done to him. For he and I are of such different kinds that no service which is vile can be done to me, and none which is not vile can be done to him. Therefore, if any man swear by Tash and keep his oath for the oath's sake, it is by me that he has truly sworn, though he know it not, and it is I who reward him. And if any man do cruelty in my name, then, though he says the name Aslan, it is Tash whom he serves and by Tash his deed is accepted. Dost thou understand, Child?" I said "Lord, thou knowest how much I understand." But I said also (for the truth constrained me), "Yet I have been seeking Tash all my days." "Beloved," said the Glorious One, "unless thy desire had been for me thou wouldst not have sought so long and so truly. For all find what they truly seek."
Anyone who is saved, is saved through Christ.
Scripture says that everyone has some idea of God. It's undeniable that these people are seeking God - they may have false ideas about Him but they're seeking Him nonetheless, and NO ONE can seek God except on God's initiative. The fact that they're seeking God, however imperfectly, shows that He is working in their lives.
Jesus said that He has other sheep who are not of this fold, and it's not for me to decree that God has no way that they might be brought home, merely because I've been blessed by the knowledge of the best and surest road and they haven't. But be certain: whatever road He provides, will be due only and entirely because of the grace of Christ.
