Prior Book | Prior Chapter | Prior Verse | Next Verse | Next Chapter | Next Book | Viewing NASB and Amplified 2015 | |
NASB | John 3:16 ¶ "For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life. |
AMPLIFIED 2015 | John 3:16 ¶ "For God so [greatly] loved and dearly prized the world, that He [even] gave His [One and] only begotten Son, so that whoever believes and trusts in Him [as Savior] shall not perish, but have eternal life. |
Bible Question: If someone has never heard the gospel or been told about God and therefore did not believe, would they go to hell? And what is the scripture to back up your answer? |
Bible Answer: Dear akeffer82: Greetings! Your question is one many people ask, I being one of them until I really started to study the Scriptures. I would suggest reading the opening chapters of Paul's Epistle to the Romans. Specifically chapters 1 through 3, but reading the whole letter would help since Paul's argument develops over the course of the letter. The key argument to grasp is that first and foremost we are ALL sinners, as Romans 3:10-11 says there is none righteous, not one. So, that puts every human alive under the righteous and just condemnation of God, as Paul points out in Romans 1. What this means is that there is not one person who has ever lived who in any way, shape or form deserves to go to heaven. If there were a person who deserved heaven in some way, then grace would cease to be grace since grace is unmerited favor (Rom. 11:5-6). We all deserve hell, not heaven, because we all like sheep have gone astray (Is. 53:6). As Romans 3:22-23 says “there is no difference, for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God…”. The point of all of this is that we need to be saved because we are dead in our sins (Eph 2:1; Col 2:13), and Christ is the One who saves, our Savior, the one who paid the penalty for the sins of all who believe in His name (John 1:12; 1 John 3:23; 5:13). I would really stress you stick with what the Scriptures say, and not what the human heart says (Proverbs 14:12; Jer. 17:9). We as creatures have a tendency to think God owes us something when in reality we are simply clay in the hands of the Potter (Rom. 9:20-22). Again, read the letter to the Romans, I think many of your questions will be answered. Stay in prayer and seek the council of other godly Christians who may be able to help as well. May the Spirit guide you into all truth my friend!! Hidden in Christ, Joe |