Dr. Couch, how should we respond to those who ask, "What about those who have never heard the gospel of Jesus Christ?"
We should answer scripturally. Before the lost person one is witnessing
to, the issue is "Have you trusted Christ as your personal Savior?"
Believe in the Lord Jesus Christ and you shall be saved. It is our
responsibility to present the gospel; it is the work of the Holy Spirit
to bring whom He pleases to saving faith! This is His world and His
work. He is in charge!
Now deeper spiritual truth from Scripture will tell us why men do not
accept the gospel, and why God has not sent the message to the entire
world, which He has not! The world is in denial of God even by the
evidence in nature (Rom. 1:18-32). Men are depraved (v. 28), never ever
seeking after God (3:9-17), are children of wrath by nature (Eph. 2:3),
followers of Satan (v. 2) and dead in their trespasses (vv. 1, 5). Dead
men cannot get up and walk! And besides, the sin of Adam has been
imputed to his entire race (Rom. 5:12-19).
Thus the lost who have never heard the name of Jesus will not be judged
on the basis of their rejection or acceptance of Christ, but on the fact
that they suppressed the truth (1:18), denied the evidence of Him (v.
19), and are now without excuse for their lostness (v. 20). They refuse
to honor God (v. 21) and have become fools (v. 22). They refuse "to
acknowledge God any longer" (v. 28). They practice the sins they see and
"give hearty approval to those who practice" such sins (v. 32).
Remember what I just wrote above, your eyes may not wish to accept
because you may be into humanism (wimpy sentimentality) and not strong
virile hard truth that comes from the rock of Scripture!
You need my book Fundamentals for the 21st Century that has chapters on depravity.
Thanks for asking.
Dr. Mal Couch
