Tough Questions - The Unevangelized

Given the Fruits of the Spirit, it is not unreasonable for Christians to desire that even peoples we cannot reach through our evangelistic efforts would have a path to salvation. It would appear from Scripture that God allows for such a possibility. Romans 1:18-20 makes it clear that “The witness to God in nature is so clear and so constant that ignoring it is indefensible.”^[1] If we cannot claim ignorance in order to escape judgment, then it is reasonable to assume that a just God will provide for those who find Him in General Revelation. Numerous exclusivist passages in Scripture seem to lend themselves to the position that there is no Salvation apart from a personal relationship with Christ. It should be noted, however, that Old Testament Jews, while without a personal relationship with Christ, were certainly offered a path to Salvation through Christ, by looking forward to the promised redeemer (Rom 3:25). It is reasonable, then, to assume that since General Revelation leaves one without excuse, it must be possible for one to realize his own depravity (perhaps through an innate Moral Law and the promptings of the Holy Spirit), his need for repentance, and the nature of God in such a way that he would be capable of trusting in God’s provision of a savior, without immediate knowledge of the specific avenue of his Salvation (the Cross of Christ). This does not eliminate the need for evangelism. The Great Commission makes it clear that although it seems reasonable that the unevangelized have a path to salvation, God's primary means of revealing Himself to man is through specific revelation, and He chooses to use evangelism as a part of that revelation.

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^[1]John F. Walvoord, Roy B. Zuck and Dallas Theological Seminary, The Bible Knowledge Commentary : An Exposition of the Scriptures (Wheaton, IL: Victor Books, 1983-c1985), 2:442.