Do lots of people know about Christianity even if they don't believe it?

I think this question is probably asking what happens to people who don't hear about Jesus at all?  Does God expect people to believe something they've never even heard of?

The Bible says...

Romans 10:13-14 

'Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.'

How, then, can they call on the one they have not believed in? And how can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them? 

People need to hear about Jesus in order to ask him to save them from their sin.  This is why Christians from the beginning have worked hard to share the great good news about Jesus with everyone they can.  That's why the Bible goes on to say...

Romans 10:15

And how can anyone preach unless they are sent? As it is written: ‘How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news!’ 

If Jesus really is God and really can make us friends again with God, then telling others about him is a privilege and a joy for every Christian.

Christians want to make sure everyone has had the chance to hear, understand and respond to the good news (or gospel) of Jesus so that they too can have forgiveness and friendship with God. That's why Christians and churches are busy all over the world telling people about Jesus.

 

But there are still places today where this hasn't yet happened.  They're sometimes called "Unreached People Groups".  According to a Christian organisation called Global Frontier Missions... 

"It is estimated that of the 7.75 billion people alive in the world today, 3.23 billion of them live in unreached people groups with little or no access to the Gospel of Jesus Christ."

"Global Frontier Missions (GFM) is a movement of Christ-centered communities dedicated to mobilizing, training, and multiplying disciples and churches to meet the physical and spiritual needs of the least reached people groups of the earth."
 

Brilliant!  I'm so glad there are so many Jesus-followers, churches and organisations who are on a mission every day trying to share their faith in Jesus with everyone who needs to know him.


There's still the question though: What does God do about people who never hear?  

My short answer: THE RIGHT THING.

I believe we can trust God to do the most just and the most merciful thing by everyone who dies having never heard about Jesus.  Abraham asked the rhetorical question:
 
Genesis 18:25
Will not the Judge of all the earth do right?’
 
The implication is clear: OF COURSE HE WILL!!
 
Last week we learned that EVERYONE gets CREATION to know there's a God (Romans 1:20) and EVERYONE gets a CONSCIENCE to know that they've sinned (Romans 2:15).  So I don't think there's any excuses for most people not to be asking God for forgiveness and hoping that they answer is YES.  But at the end of the day, God is the one who is in the unique position to judge justly.  And I trust him.
 
If you're not yet trusting and following Jesus, what have you heard and understood about him so far?  What questions do you still have?  Who could you ask to help you?  I hope this blog helps you on your journey a little bit!
 
If you ARE trusting and following Jesus, are you also serving and sharing him every day?  Who do you know who needs to know Jesus?  How can you help them to hear and understand the good news?  How beautiful are your feet???
 

Romans 10:15

... As it is written: ‘How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news!’