What About The Heathen “WHAT ABOUT THE HEATHEN?”
“You say I’ve got to accept Jesus Christ as my Savior. Well, what about the heathen who’ve never heard?”
This is usually a smokescreen question thrown up by people who want to shift attention away from themselves. But here is a Scriptural answer to it:
God has given each human being a conscience, and has put us in a universe which testifies to His power and glory and wisdom and order.
The apostle Paul observed, “For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead, so that they are without excuse…” (Romans 1:20 NKJ).
Although neither conscience nor creation can inform of the redemption provided for believers in Christ, Paul makes the point in Romans 1 and 2 that “they are without excuse” for their SIN.
People will be judged and condemned for their SINS, whether they have ever heard the Good News about Jesus Christ or not. Certainly, it is a very serious sin to hear this “good news” and reject it, but this is just another sin, and “the wages of sin is death” (Romans 6:23).
The rest of the letter to the Romans explains that the Law of God was given to show the need of a Savior. Trying to follow conscience or trying to keep the Law will never save anybody. The point is that people who have Bibles of their own as well as people who have never heard of Jesus of Nazareth all need a Savior. Otherwise, we can only receive what we deserve: eternal DEATH in Hell for our sins.
If you are genuinely concerned about the “heathen who’ve never heard”, you should take Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior, and GO TELL THEM!
But if you have not yet received the Lord Jesus, we would ask, what about YOU? You HAVE heard. What about the “heathen” holding this paper?
[Clyde Price, Arrows24]