So far we've sought speculative answers to a speculative question.  But the Bible was written in a pragmatic worldview, and is more interested in relevance than rationalism.  If we could ask the Apostle Paul what happens to the "ignorant," here's his likely answer: go tell them.  If you know that someone has not heard the gospel, share it with them.  Don't speculate—evangelize.  We are clearly commissioned by Jesus to share our faith with the entire world, starting wherever "Jerusalem" is located on our personal maps.

But what happens to those who do not hear the gospel, despite our redoubled efforts?  Three biblical facts may help frame a scriptural approach to this difficult subject.  First, the Bible consistently teaches that the Son is the only way to the Father.  I know of no biblical text which allows us any hope for a person outside of faith in Christ as Savior and Lord.

Second, if the Church would multiply disciples through the method Jesus taught, the entire world could be reached, more quickly than you might imagine.  Jesus wanted disciples to make disciples, Christians to multiply through personal evangelism and ministry.  If you were the only believer on the planet today, but you won me to Christ, there would be two disciples.  If each of us could win someone to Christ tomorrow, there would be four Christians on the planet.  If each of the four could bring someone to Jesus the next day, eight believers would exist.  By this process, 16 Christians would be produced the next day, 32 the next, 64 the next, and so on.  By such multiplication, how long would you guess it would take for the entire world to be won to Christ?  34 days. 

As of this writing, the world's population is estimated to be 6,829,329,800.  By multiplication, if each Christian won another person to Christ per day, the total in 34 days would be 8,589,934,592.  But we can't all win one person a day, you say.  Could we win one per year?  In 34 years the entire planet would know Christ.  This kind of multiplying discipleship is how Jesus intended the Church to reach the world.  His plan still works.

One last fact: God is love (1 John 4:8).  He grieves the lost even more than we do.  We can trust the "ignorant" to his grace, all the while doing all we can do to share Christ with them.  We have no biblical support whatever for believing that anyone can be in heaven apart from faith in Jesus.  So we are called to solve the problem of the "ignorant" not with our theology but with our witness.  With whom will you begin today?

Tomorrow and Friday: How can I share my faith?  Why should I?

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