The Unevangelized and Hell

THE DESTINY OF THE UNEVANGELIZED
The question of what happens to those who have never heard the Gospel is one that has plagued many Christians over the centuries. It is true that in Romans 10:17 we are told, “So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ.” The next logical question of course would be, “If faith comes through hearing the word of Christ, then are those who never hear that word incapable of saving faith?” To answer this question, we can review such Scripture verses as Psalm 19:1-6, Isaiah 40:5, and Psalm 98:2-3 which tells us, “The Lord has made known His salvation; He has revealed His righteousness in the sight of the nations. He has remembered His steadfast love and faithfulness to the house of Israel. All the ends of the earth have seen the salvation of our God.” These verses demonstrate that all, either through general or special revelation, are aware in some capacity or another of God and His salvation. In fact, Isaiah 65:1 adds that those who have no desire to seek after God are made able through His revelation to them by stating, “I was ready to be sought by those who did not ask for Me; I was ready to be found by those who did not seek Me. I said, ‘Here am I, here am I,’ to a nation that was not called by My name.” Scripture attests to the fact that God’s salvation is made known to all men, however, our sin and the works of Satan act as blinders keeping us from the Truth. If it were not for the work of God, we would be unable to turn to Him, “as it is written: ‘None is righteous, no, not one; no one understands; no one seeks for God.’” The problem here is that modern evangelism is man-centered, based solely upon man’s choice rather than upon God’s (see Romans 9:22-33 for a correct understanding of this in relation to salvation). If we believe that man is capable of effecting his own salvation, it necessarily follows that if he has not been evangelized nor given the opportunity to effect said salvation, we can then blame God for His judgment of the individual to Hell because He has not provided an opportunity for him to hear the Gospel. This conclusion does two things: First, it refuses the fact that all men are sinners by choice and by nature. God is never unjust in punishing a sinner eternally in Hell. In fact, this is the end we all deserve and God’s love never undermines His own justice. Second, this denies the work of the Holy Spirit in salvation. Scripture attests that God the Holy Spirit convicts of sin, draws individuals to the Father, regenerates by the Spiritual Baptism of being born-again, justifies by gifting faith in Christ, etc. While human responsibility is based upon our own sinfulness which must justly be punished, God demonstrates His love through punishing that sin on the Cross in the Person of Christ. This is why Scripture teaches us in John 14:6 that, “Jesus said to him, ‘I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.’” While Scripture demonstrates this a number of ways, such as recognition of the Angel of the Lord (the preincarnate Jesus Christ) as God, looking forward by faith in the promises of God through Messiah, or recognizing the divinity of Christ in the New Testament, all come to saving faith in Christ alone. Those who do not are judged in Hell for eternity on the basis of their sin, as we all deserve. Therefore, there is no such thing as someone who has never heard (at least in some way or another in the providence of God), and those who do not come to Christ do so in active rebellion against God.


THE NATURE OF HELL
Looking to Scripture which defines the doctrine of Hell, there are certain points we must consider when interpreting the text. First, we can understand that Sheol in the Old Testament was used to mean the place of the dead. This is true for both the righteous and the wicked as we can understand from verses such as Genesis 37:35 (Jacob), Psalm 16:10 (David/Christ), Proverb 5:5 (Immoral Woman), Isaiah 38:10 (Hezekiah), and Hosea 13:14 (Unrepentant Israel/Ephraim/Samaria). Second, we must understand that in Christ’s argument with the Sadducees over the resurrection (Matthew 22:23-33), He proved His point by the tense of a single verb (eiÎmið, the first person singular present indicative; a prolonged form of a primary and defective verb). Because we understand through this passage that there is life after death, and because we understand that up to this point both the righteous and the wicked were sent to Sheol (Hades in the New Testament; see Acts 2:25-28 and the cross-reference of Psalm 16:8-11), this supports the fact that both the righteous and the wicked endure after death, as opposed to the annihilation of the wicked. Christ’s illustration of the rich man and Lazarus also support this conclusion in Luke 16:19-31 by demonstrating the division in Sheol/Hades up to this point between the enduring righteous and enduring wicked. Reconciling the place of Lazarus (Abraham’s Bosom) with such verses as Ephesians 4:8-9 and Luke 23:43, we find that Abraham’s Bosom is synonymous with Paradise. Additionally, the final destination of the wicked (to include Satan, his angels/demons, the Antichrist/Beast, the False Prophet, Hades, and Death) is an everlasting (both ultimate AND enduring) Gehenna (Hell). We see this truth in verses such as Revelation 19:20, 20:10, and 20:12-15. There are several additional points we can consider to further support the enduring consciousness and punishment of the wicked in Hell. First, non-temporal terms such as eternal, unquenching, everlasting, etc. all must be consistently redefined to refer to temporal activities alone in refutation of this doctrine. Second, the popular Jewish mindset and representation of the doctrine of Hell in the Old Testament is weak as Jews do not regard Jesus Christ as their Messiah, nor do they accept the completion of revelation in the New Testament as authoritative. Thirdly, the acceptance of the doctrine of Heaven as something a “nice” God would do while refusing the doctrine of Hell as something a just God would do honors neither God’s perfectly just perfectly loving nature, nor His inspired revelation of Scripture and the teaching found within. Fourthly, a non-enduring, ultimate (as opposed to eternal) view of Hell is consistent with many cults today such as the Jehovah’s Witnesses. Finally, an annihilationist conclusion is an attack against the justice of God (e.g. No matter how horrendous a death Hitler could have experienced, his one-time annihilation could never justly reconcile the extermination of 6 million Jews during the Holocaust), but it is also an extreme detriment to evangelism, as many secular humanists and postmoderns today already believe that there is no life after death, hence, no eternal punishment for their sin.

Meeting Felt Needs or Eternal Needs?

When we preach the Gospel, should we do it in such a fashion as to meet felt needs? It sounds great on the surface, and Jesus definitely did meet those needs from time to time in Scripture, but the real question is what is my motivation? If I am an unbeliever and I come to Christ expecting Him to meet my felt needs, what happens when He doesn't? What happens if that is not God's plan? Sadly, what often happens is backsliding or falling away. Maybe a better way to refer to these conditions is by calling them what they are: The unavoidable results of false conversion. If our presentation of the Gospel is based upon meeting the felt needs of unbelievers, when that promise is not fulfilled, the motivation for "conversion" is lost and the new "Christian" loses his faith. If we come to Christ with a proper motivation based upon a proper presentation of the Gospel (i.e. Sin, Hell, The Cross, Repentance, Faith, Redemption, etc.), when trials/temptations come, we will cling to the cross of our Savior for direction and deliverance. This is some food for thought that may be hard to swallow for many contemporary preachers, but it is the Truth as presented by the power of the Holy Spirit which leads to conversion, not the finesse of the preacher. So there is no confusion on the matter, I am not saying to avoid meeting peoples needs, because that is something that our Christian faith motivates us to do. What I am saying is that it is an inappropriate motivation to be dished out to unbelievers in order to attempt to secure a conversion.

Are we sharing enough Truth?

In a given witness encounter that includes an individual who just does not agree, we can explain things until we are blue in the face, but if someone does not want to accept the Truth as Truth, there is not much more we can do. A good example of this is the parable of The Rich Man and Lazarus in Luke 16:19-31 which says the following:

19 "Now there was a rich man, and he habitually dressed in purple and fine linen, joyously living in splendor every day. 20 "And a poor man named Lazarus was laid at his gate, covered with sores, 21 and longing to be fed with the {crumbs} which were falling from the rich man's table; besides, even the dogs were coming and licking his sores. 22 "Now the poor man died and was carried away by the angels to Abraham's bosom; and the rich man also died and was buried. 23 "In Hades he lifted up his eyes, being in torment, and *saw Abraham far away and Lazarus in his bosom. 24 "And he cried out and said, 'Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus so that he may dip the tip of his finger in water and cool off my tongue, for I am in agony in this flame.' 25 "But Abraham said, 'Child, remember that during your life you received your good things, and likewise Lazarus bad things; but now he is being comforted here, and you are in agony. 26 'And besides all this, between us and you there is a great chasm fixed, so that those who wish to come over from here to you will not be able, and {that} none may cross over from there to us.' 27 "And he said, 'Then I beg you, father, that you send him to my father's house-- 28 for I have five brothers--in order that he may warn them, so that they will not also come to this place of torment.' 29 "But Abraham *said, 'They have Moses and the Prophets; let them hear them.' 30 "But he said, 'No, father Abraham, but if someone goes to them from the dead, they will repent!' 31 "But he said to him, 'If they do not listen to Moses and the Prophets, they will not be persuaded even if someone rises from the dead.' "

I always considered this to be a great example to those who do not believe the Truth and even have the audacity to say they will believe if only given a sign from God. Scripture tells us that even then they will not believe because they have not believed already the Word of God. What an incredible truth! This is why it is so important to continually pray for the lost. Otherwise, how should we expect them to hear the Truth with hearts of stone unprepared for the Word?

Fear of Evangelism

Fear of rejection is perhaps one of the greatest killers of evangelism in today's Church. It has been said that evangelism is something that both Christians and unbelievers alike hate. Two verses of Scripture, however, come to mind when dealing with this unhealthy type of fear. The first is Acts 1:8, which tells us, "but you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be My witnesses..." This verse reminds me that as a believer in Christ, I have been given the authority and strength necessary from the Holy Spirit in order to preach the Gospel to unbelievers. The second verse is Luke 12:5 which tells us, "But I will warn you whom to fear: fear the One who, after He has killed, has authority to cast into hell; yes, I tell you, fear Him!" This verse redirects my perspective to what healthy fear is...fearing the One (God) Who judges righteously for salvation or for condemnation. Answering the question, "What is the worst that can happen?", we know that evil men can kill our bodies. As mere men, however, they (to include Satan) cannot kill the soul. If God is sovereign (and He is), my fear should rest in awe of Him alone. If God has given me both the power and authority to witness Christ and His Gospel, my only response can be obedience. As a sidenote, we are blessed to live in America, a country who has yet to prefer methods of physical persecution as many other nations in the world do. If this is the case, it only shows how much more unreasonable an unhealthy fear of rejection can be, both to obedience and to reason.

The Sinner’s Prayer: Biblical or Practical?

One of the greatest tools in modern evangelism is referred to as the Sinner's Prayer. This prayer is essentially viewed as the official mark or moment of salvation. So the question I pose is this, "Is the Sinner's Prayer supported by evidence of use in Scripture and is leading another in this prayer necessary for their actual salvation?" One problem with the concern over the Sinner's Prayer is that it causes zealous Christians who mean well to offer salvation to those who are not ready to receive it. The promise for joy and a better life sounds like a good trade just to admit that God exists and to "ask Jesus into your heart." Sadly for these new "converts," Christ tells us that there are two problems with this idea. First, just saying that you believe in God doesn't make you a Christian (Matthew 7:21, "Not everyone who says to Me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father who is in heaven will enter."). Second, there are four types of responses to the preaching of the Gospel. In the parable of the sower (Matthew 13:1-23), Christ explains seed (the Word of God) being sown (preached) and what happens to that seed. First, some seed fell beside the road, and the birds came and ate it (the response of those not understanding the Word of the Kingdom of God and the devil coming to snatch away what has been sown into the heart). Second, some seed fell among the rocky places where it immediately sprang up due to lack of depth of soil and when the sun came out scorched the plant causing it to wither away (the response of those who hear the Word and respond with joy, but upon persecution or affliction for the Word's sake they immediately fall away from the faith). Third, some seed fell among thorns and the thorns came up and choked them out (the response of those who hear the Word, but the concerns of the world choke it away to unfruitfulness). Finally, some seed fell on good soil that yielded varying multitudes of crops (the response of those who hear the Word, understand it, and bear fruit in response). All but this final response are inauthentic and do not produce true conversion to Christianity. So, if there are different responses to the preaching of the Gospel, how can we know if we are effectively producing true converts? This issue raises an argument between human responsibility (free will) and the sovereignty of God (divine election). If we can influence people to just say the Sinner's Prayer, they will be saved, right? Romans 8:29-30 tells us, "For those whom He foreknew, He also predestined to become conformed to the image of His Son, so that He would be the firstborn among many brethren; and these whom He predestined, He also called; and these whom He called, He also justified; and these whom He justified, He also glorified." So if God's part of the deal is to choose who to save (predestine/elect), justify those whom He saves, and ultimately glorify those whom He saves, what is our job? Matthew 28:18-20 tells us, "And Jesus came up and spoke to them, saying, 'All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age." Our job is to preach the Word of God in order to make new disciples, baptize those new disciples in obedience to Christ, and teach them His commands. So if our responsibility is to preach and teach the Gospel, and God's responsibility is in effecting salvation, where does free will come into play? Romans 3:10-12 gives us some insight: "as it is written, 'There is none righteous, not even one; there is none who understands, there is none who seeks for God; all have turned aside, together they have become useless; there is none who does good, there is not even one." Here we see that our free will is to never follow God, but rather our own sinful desires. While the human capacity is freedom of choice, human depravity never chooses God. Because of this, God in His sovereignty chooses some for Himself, adding desire to their hearts that they may follow Him. We freely choose the God who has sovereignly elected us. Although the limits of the human mind find this as well as other Scriptural doctrines (e.g. the Trinity) hard to comprehend, human responsibility and God's sovereignty are both fully true and fully inseparable. So, if we know that we are individually responsible to God for not following Him, yet He has elected unto Himself some for salvation, is it truly necessary to get a person to repeat after you in order for them to be saved? Lastly, is there any Scriptural example where Christ, the Apostles, or other disciples ever instructed the necessity of praying a prayer to be saved? Granted, prayer is our means of communion with God, however, perhaps achieving another completion of the Sinner's Prayer by one to whom we are witnessing is for our comfort in winning a numbers game rather than in their best interest as to not provide a false sense of security to those who have not been converted, thus hardening their hearts against further evangelism? Just some food for thought…is God sovereign or isn't He? Has Christ lost any whom God has appointed unto Him for salvation (see John 6:37-39)? Is the Sinner’s Prayer a Biblical mandate or a mere evangelistic tradition? As an afterthought, the Biblical emphasis upon baptism confuses some into believing that it is a necessary element of salvation. Dismissing this myth, perhaps this emphasis, rather, is related to a public display of faith which has been replaced in purpose and popularity by the Sinner’s Prayer in 21^st Century modern evangelism. After all, baptism is Biblically an act of obedience used by the new believer to identify with Christ.