Christianity is not prominent in several countries, and there are millions of people who never even got the chance to hear about the gospel. Because of this, will God still welcome them in heaven?
Pastor Greg Laurie from Harvest Christian Fellowship tries to answer that question in a Facebook video he created. "What about the person who has never heard the Gospel? Will God Send them to Hell?" Laurie repeats the question asked by a concerned Christian.
Answering his own question, Laurie says God won't punish those who never received the blessing of His Word during their lifetimes. "You're going to be held accountable for what you know, not what you don't know," he says.
"But to the point: the testimony of God is everywhere. It's in nature, it's all around us, the handiwork of God. Then there's the human conscience that tells us what right and wrong really are. God will judge you accordingly," Laurie says.
The pastor adds that this information should make Christians "redouble our efforts to get the Gospel out [to people] so they can respond to the essential Gospel message."
However, Pastor J.D. Greear of The Summit Church does not share Laurie's view, saying in a sermon back in 2014 that all people have heard about God one way or another.
Greear quoted Romans 1:19, where Paul said that the knowledge of God has been made clear to all people, and there are two ways people can determine His existence — through creation and conscience.
Sadly, Greear said people have rejected the glory of God. Even those who know about Him reject His truth and seek their own glory and pleasure.
"Our hearts naturally hate God and reject His rule, a rejection that culminated in the murder of God's Son. We hate God so badly that we put Him on a cross and say, 'Go to hell, God.' Because of this, is it any surprise that we deserve His wrath?" he said.
