The Real Question

(Proverbs 24:12 KJV)  If thou sayest, Behold, we knew it not; doth not he that pondereth the heart consider it? and he that keepeth thy soul, doth not he know it? and shall not he render to every man according to his works?

Today I find hope in this verse.  Not for me but for those down through history that have never heard the gospel.  One of the big questions that comes up is, “How can someone be held accountable if they have never heard the gospel?”  I don’t have an answer.  We need to be careful when we try to come up with answers.  The Bible is clear.  In the words of Jesus,

(John 14:6 KJV)  Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.

There is no compromise on this.

Yet there are places like this that offer up hope.  God does not “consider” (995) just our words.  He “pondereth” (weighs NASB) (8505) our “hearts” (3820).  I can’t go beyond that without risking false hopes and even heresy, but God is aware the stakes are eternal.

But the real question is not, “What about those who have never heard?”  The real question is, “What about you, and me.  We have heard.  Have we responded?”  You see, we don’t have any excuse.

So?  Make sure that you have joined the family of God.  Then you can worry about those who have not heard.