There’s probably no more divisive subject in comparative religious debates than the question of salvation. Christian triumphalists like to think that they hold the trump card, but does a closer inspection of the Scriptures prove them wrong? Some would argue that it’s not as crystal clear as some literalists would like us to believe, and after a careful reading of several key scriptures on the subject, I’d have to agree. The triumphalists always point to John 14:6, when Christ announces, “I am the way, the truth and the life. None come to the Father except through me.” I don’t have the slightest doubt that this is absolutely true...I believe that Christ was God incarnate, and because He came in the flesh and lived as a man, only He is uniquely qualified to judge the hearts of mankind. But is Christ merely declaring that He’s the intercessor and judge, or that we must specifically know Him by name, and confess in His name within our physical lifetime, to find salvation?I've always loved the story about the missionary who meets a native in the jungle, and shares the Gospel with him.
The native listens carefully, and then asks, "So if I know this, and don't act on it, I'll burn in a fiery Hell?"
"Um, uhh... yes," says the missionary.
"Then why'd you tell me?" wailed the distraught native.
This little story illustrates the oft-quoted (and quite clichéd) case of natives living far from civilization who have no contact with the outside world. “What of them?” the critics ask. “What sort of God would condemn them to a life of separation from Him simply for being in the wrong place at the wrong time?” And what about all mankind who lived before the life of Christ? Is the entire population of the ancient world going to Hell except for a tiny handful mentioned in the Old Testament whom God found to be “righteous?” If Christ died a substitutionary death for all mankind, past, present and future, how do we reconcile this with some people’s insistence that they must call on Christ by name? To insist on this point is to deny salvation to anyone who came before Christ, including the entire Hebrew and Ishmaelite nations.
These are legitimate questions that any believer or non-believer has a right to ask. Unfortunately, most Christians don’t know how to answer this question, and those who think they do often pull out that tired old trump card by stating that if you don’t call upon Christ by name, you’re going to Hell...period. Rather than reaching out with an understanding hand as a Christian should, they immediately build a fence ... a very un-Christlike act. But the truth of the matter isn’t quite as clear as some would like to think.
Let’s start by reading Paul in Romans 2:1–16, and pay particular notice to verses 13 through 16. Here we find Paul addressing issues that appear to be in conflict with the generally-accepted literal meaning of John 14:6. Paul, speaking about non-Jews, states “...for it is not the hearers of the Law who are just before God, but the doers of the Law will be justified. For when Gentiles who do not have the Law do instinctively the things of the Law, these, not having the Law, are a law to themselves, in that they show the work of the Law written in their hearts, their conscience bearing witness and their thoughts alternately accusing or else defending them, on the day when, according to my gospel, God will judge the secrets of men through Christ Jesus.”
It’s important to note the line “...but the doers of the Law will be justified...” and then in the very next sentence we read that when Gentiles without the Law instinctively follow the Law which God has written in their hearts, they are “justified.” This statement appears to address the issue of those who don’t know Christ, but who instinctively follow the moral code impressed upon their hearts. But is being “justified” the same as our current understanding of being “saved?” I don’t claim to have an absolute answer to that, but as we continue, it might appear to be so. We also know that prior to the arrival of Christ, men could find their salvation through faith without specifically knowing Christ. Noah and Abraham are prime examples. God found Abraham righteous because Abraham believed in Him, humbled himself and committed his life to serving his God. Yet if you accept a tight literal reading of John 14:6 as some insist, Abraham is in for a big surprise come Judgement Day. Noah, too, unless God made some special concession for the two of them, which is highly unlikely since the Bible explicitly states that God is impartial and doesn't play favorites.
So how do we reconcile this issue of salvation through Christ alone? Remember, Jesus clearly states that He's the gatekeeper, the final judge of a man's heart, and I believe this to be absolutely true. However, I also believe we might be trying to force this idea into a very tight definition, and here's why...
First, we must understand that God forgave sin and iniquity for all those ancients (pre-Christ mankind) who called upon Him in a manner consistent with the purpose of Christ’s atoning death on the Cross. Remember, in addition to their repentance and confession, an atoning sacrifice was also required. Christ tells us that all who seek Him in faith, repent of their sins and put their lives in His hands are saved. Christ is part of the eternal triune God, and therefore His judgment extends to all, not just those who lived after His earthly life two thousand years ago. His intercession on behalf of mankind truly does extend to all—past, present and future—who seek Him in a manner consistent with His will for us (a very critical point).
The clearest example of this is found in Psalm 32:1–5. David laments how keeping his sin to himself causes his separation from God, but through confession and repentance he is restored and his sin is wiped away. “How blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered! How blessed is the man to whom the LORD does not impute iniquity, and in whose spirit there is no deceit! When I kept silent about my sin, my body wasted away through my groaning all day long. For day and night Your hand was heavy upon me; my vitality was drained away as with the fever heat of summer. Selah. I acknowledged my sin to You, and my iniquity I did not hide; I said, "I will confess my transgressions to the LORD"; and You forgave the guilt of my sin.”
Sin is what separates us from God. Our salvation from sin, the restoring of our communion with God, is a gift delivered to us through repentance and confession, with an eternal Christ as our intercessor. It’s no coincidence that Jesus’ name in Hebrew—Yeshua—literally means “Salvation,“ a salvation which David receives through acknowledgment and confession of his sin. But here's the kicker that most people never think about: Jesus was his intercessor. David was justified by Jesus. David came to the Father through Jesus, part of the triune God, although not yet born in the flesh. The same was obviously true for Noah and Abraham. When Christ tells us in the New Testament that "...none come to the Father except by Me," it's a sweeping statment that covers all mankind, not something that starts from that point forward. He's the intercessor for all of us, even those who who lived long before the Incarnation. It's a startling thought for many people, yet the truth is borne out by Scripture, which speaks very clearly about people in the Old Testament being justified by faith alone.
Which brings us back to the question I posed earlier in this piece: Can a person find salvation and eternal life in Christ without specifically knowing about the Christian faith, or by calling on Christ by name? Based upon a clear reading of Scripture, without adding or taking anything from it, the answer appears to be "yes." According to Paul, mankind’s conscience has God’s will—here referred to as the ”law“—impressed upon it in such a way that a person without specific knowledge of Christ can still choose to follow it faithfully and be justified in God’s eyes. This law, of course, requires repentance and acknowledgment of a sinful nature, as well as this person humbly submitting themselves to God’s will, the same as Noah and Abraham did. When God accepted their repentance and confessions, they emptied themselves out to receive His salvation and do His will, and in receiving salvation, they came into communion with the complete triune God, which included Christ and the Holy Spirit.
If this thought troubles you, I would suggest you carefully read the noted passages again. By any honest reading, they appear to address the issue quite clearly without forcing any skewed interpretation onto them. Simple logic tells us that if ordinary men such as Noah and Abraham, who existed long before the Jewish nation came into existence, can find their way to God and receive salvation by following the ”law“ stamped upon their hearts and approaching Him in a particular manner, then this method must be equally valid for others who have no specific knowledge of Christ. To insist otherwise is to force God into a very small box by insisting that we know the limits of His mercy.
Additionally, we must consider the true meaning of the Scripture in the Gospel of John that speaks of Christ “descending to the dead” after His crucifixion. In the Anglican catechism, this is explained as the point when Christ offers salvation to all the souls who’ve lived and died before His time. In other words, all of God's children, past, present and future, can receive salvation through Christ, who died for all, not just those born after His earthly life. Some denominations claim this verse describes Jesus in Hell, but keep in mind that the Jews didn't believe in Hell, only a place called Sheol, which was an underworld for all the dead awaiting the final judgement, a judgment that's described throughout the Old Testament as restorative, not destructive. It's logical to assume that if Christ died for all mankind, then at some point He must offer salvation to all, regardless of when they lived.
Another point that must be raised is salvation for the Jewish nation. Many Christian denominations adhere to the notion that the Jews are lost for rejecting Christ. The apostle Paul, using the entire 11th chapter of Romans, assures us that this is not true, that God has only hardened their hearts to allow the rest of the world to comprehend the fullness of Christ, and then all Israel will be saved (Romans 11:25-27). God is faithful, Paul says, and will keep His promise to the Jews, because “the gifts and the callings of God are irrevocable.” I’ve always felt that from a doctrinal standpoint, The Letter of Paul to the Romans covers all the major points about Christianity pretty thoroughly. If you’re a reader with doubts about salvation and who’s eligible, I’d highly advise you to read Romans from front to back, as well as the Old Testament book of Isaiah, which speaks often of God’s servant gathering the flocks from all parts of the world.
It’s important to note that for all of us who have been exposed to the Gospel of Christ, we are bound to recognize Jesus as the Incarnate God. There’s simply no ducking this issue. But for the righteous who lived prior to the birth of Christ, and for those anywhere who have never been exposed to the Gospel yet acknowledge a single sovereign Creator, trust the ”law“ written upon their hearts, and confess their sinful nature while putting themselves at His service, I have to believe that the loving Christ I believe in will provide for their salvation in much the same manner that He’s provided for mine, particularly since they’ve come to understand His purpose without actually knowing His name. When Christ tells us that none come to the Father except through Him, I believe it completely. He’s the judge, and only He knows the secrets in the hearts of Man, which is why I trust Him to judge them lovingly and fairly.
In a discussion I had with a cousin of mine on this very subject, he made a point with which I strongly agree. He pointed out that throughout the Old Testament scriptures, particularly in the Book of Isaiah, we read of a God with a very grand plan for all of mankind. It will include the Gentiles and descendants of Ishmael, as well as people from all the nations of the earth. In other words, my cousin said, God has something very big in store, and it far exceeds our understanding of the issue, an issue that we always tend to oversimplify. When you read the Bible in its entirety and pay attention to the issue of salvation for the world, it becomes very clear that something quite astonishing appears to be in the works, something far beyond our abilities to imagine it. This subject is revisited in the Gospel of John, when, in a subtle echo of the verses from Isaiah that speak of gathering the flocks, Jesus states:
“I am the good shepherd, and I know My own and My own know Me. I have other sheep, which are not of this fold; I must bring them also, and they will hear My voice; and they will become one flock with one shepherd.”
John 10:14,16
Let’s look at the key lines here. “I have other sheep which are not of this fold, I must bring them also...and they will become one flock, with one shepherd.” It’s a powerful statement, and carries a lot of hidden meaning. It hints of something quite big, some grand unifying act, to come in the future, and this statement alone should give us pause before we start insisting with certainty that anyone who doesn’t call on Christ by name is on the road to damnation.
Please read again carefully what Christ says: “I know my own and my own know me. I have other sheep which are not of this fold. I must bring them also.” What’s going on here? The only thing we know for certain is that He’s speaking of people outside of His current group of followers. Is Jesus referring to non-Christians, but people of faith who truly understand Grace and follow the distinct nature of the one true God? We can’t tell from this statement alone, but it hints at something beyond our comprehension. It is statements like this that should prompt Christians to refrain from making any final, triumphal announcements about who finds salvation and who doesn’t. We simply aren’t provided with enough information to make that final of a statement. Remember, we’re not called to be judges, but to serve, and the reason we’re not called to be judges is because we’re not even remotely qualified.
To wrap up my thoughts on this subject of salvation, here’s a very short and succinct point made by C.S. Lewis in his classic Mere Christianity. In the end, when all our secrets are stripped away and we are exposed for judgment, he says: "There will be surprises."
Of that, I have no doubt...
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