M57 Q & A

What about those good pagans who have never heard of Christ? Can a person be saved through other means?

Even those who have not heard of the gospel are without excuse “because what may be known of God is manifest in them, for God has shown it to them” through His creation (Rom 1:18-23). Not only so, God’s law is written in their hearts, and God will judge the secrets of men on this basis (Rom 2:15, 16).

God rewards eternal life to those “who by patient continuance in doing good seek for glory, honor, and immortality” (Rom 2:6-11).

The Bible clearly states that Christ is the only Savior: “Nor is there salvation in any other, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved” (Acts 4:12); “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me” (Jn 14:6). We are saved by the atoning work of Christ, who brought God’s grace and reconciliation to the world.

Although we do not know exactly how God will judge those who never heard of the gospel, we do know that God’s judgment is always just. He demands from everyone according to what they have been given (Lk 12:48).

We do not need to know how God will judge the pagans. Each person will have to be accountable to God on an individual basis. Instead of speculating about the salvation of the pagans, we need to be sure that we respond to the gospel we have heard (Heb 2:1-4).

Aren’t we saved the moment we believe and confess Christ (Eph 1:13)? Why do we have to partake of the sacraments? They are only symbolic of salvation that we have already received and have no effect.

In Ephesians 1:13, Paul’s message to the church may seem to suggest that a person is already in Christ the moment he intellectually agrees with the gospel. “In Him you also trusted, after you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation; in whom also, having believed, you were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise” (Eph 1:13). It would be a mistake to interpret “heard” or “believed” as only intellectual agreement that occurred at a specific point in time. The hearing and believing must include accepting Christ, confessing of sin, repentance, receiving the sacraments, and entrusting one’s whole life to the gospel, all of which make up “the word of truth.” If Paul’s words referred to a moment in time, then he would be literally saying that a believer is included in Christ the second he hears a Christian message for the first time in his life (in this case, even before intellectual agreement). His confession of sin and repentance have no effect. They are only symbolic of the salvation he has received. Such interpretation is not only out of context, but also without biblical support.

Sacraments are not just symbols. God works through them to bring us salvation when we receive them with faith.

The saving effects of the sacraments are clearly stated by the Lord Himself. We cannot reduce them to mere symbols or even deny their necessity just because we do not understand how God’s saving effect can take place through some outward actions. If a person believes that God raised Christ from the dead but does not believe that he can receive a new life through baptism, he doesn’t qualify as a true believer. If a person confesses that Jesus is Lord but rejects footwashing, he would be like those who call “Lord, Lord” but do not do what He says (see Lk 6:46). True belief in the heart would encompass acceptance of the sacraments, and that is the belief that justifies. True confession would encompass receiving the sacraments in the name of the Lord Jesus, and that is the confession that saves.