What happens to people who die having never heard the Gospel? This is a common question from both Christians and unbelievers alike. The answer is intellectually easy, though emotionally hard. No man comes to the Father except through Jesus, therefore if you haven't even heard of Jesus, you stand condemned.
But does this seem fair? You go to Hell just because you haven't heard? This question stems from a poor theology. Belief is required for salvation, but salvation from what? Just as a disease precedes a doctor, so also does condemnation precede the Gospel.
The Gospel isn't "if you don't believe in Jesus, you go to Hell", but rather, it is if you do believe in Jesus, you don't go to Hell. Hell is the final destination for all sinners, and all human beings are sinners. Every single one of us has rebelled against our Creator, the penalty for which is death.
But of course, these people still haven't even heard of God, so is it really fair to judge them for this? For this, we need to consider the second kind of revelation God has given to mankind. The scriptures are often called "special revelations". These are things God has specifically revealed to us through Prophets and Apostles. But there is also the general revelation; nature itself. Romans 1:19-20 tells us that this general revelation is so clear that men are "without excuse".
When you look at a skyscraper, you know instinctively that someone built it. The very existence of a skyscraper testifies of an architect. You've really got no excuse for believing there is no architect. In the same way, the world in which we live testifies to the existence of God. We have no excuse for saying "there is no God", and we even have a tendency to ask "why are we here?" This argument alone has actually lead many people to Christ. I remember hearing of one particularly stubborn atheist who wouldn't believe, but then one day, he was out in a boat, looked up at the stars, and understood that only God could have made this.
Furthermore, science consistently shows that, contrary to the atheist narrative, children start off as Creationists. One particular study done by researchers at Oxford University shows that Japanese children instinctively recognise design in nature. This is significant, as Japan is not an especially hospitable culture for Creationism. In Japan, there are two dominant religions: Shinto and, to a lesser extent, Buddhism, neither of which teach God as a creator.
So, people automatically know there is some kind of god out there. This is actually why atheism, historically, has been such a minority position. Put simply, atheism is deliberate. I don't subscribe to the idea that "God does not believe in atheists", as the Bible does say that fools say in their hearts "there is no God", and that God will actually give people over to strong delusions if they refuse to retain knowledge of Him. So, I firmly believe it is possible to hang on to the delusion that there is no God. But this delusion is unnatural. One must either be taught to reject God, or reject Him by sheer force of will, until finally, God decides to let you.
But just knowing there is a god isn't the same as knowing the God. Deism, for example, still acknowledges a designer, but doesn't teach a specific morality. Rather, if there is a god, deism teaches that it is completely indifferent to the matters of this universe. Similarly, pantheism teaches that the universe itself is a god. So there are many theistic positions that don't necessarily require a moral standard.
But there is a moral standard, and just as every human being knows there is a god, every human being, barring some form of mental deficiency, also knows that we must obey Him. And just as those who have not yet received His special revelations have a diminished understanding of who God is, they also have a diminished understanding of what His laws are.
And so this is where Romans 2 comes in. Specifically, Romans 2:14-15 tell us that even though gentiles (anyone who isn't a Jew) were not given the law, they naturally act according to it anyway, which betrays the existence of a conscience. The conscience exists in every man. It is the thing that not only separates us from the animals, but makes us understand that such a distinction exists. It is our sense of justice. The thing that tells us that there is a standard of right and wrong and, more importantly, that we do not conform to it perfectly.
So, on Judgement Day, no one will have an excuse. "I didn't know you existed" will be met with all the evidence you were shown during your life that not only should have convinced you God exists, but actually did convince you, in your youth, that He does. "I didn't know sin was a thing" will be met with your own conscience. Every time you judged yourself to be doing something you shouldn't be doing is enough for God to say that even by your own understanding, you were doing wrong. Put simply, on Judgement Day, those who did not know Jesus will judge themselves.
Ultimately, God is a just judge. He must deal with sin, and unfortunately there are only two ways to do that. Either the sinner must die, or a worthy sacrifice must die in the sinner's stead. As Christians, we are not special. We aren't going to Heaven because we're somehow better than others. In fact, in 1 Timothy 1:15, Paul tells us that he is the chief of sinners. Put simply, Heaven is a gift that no one deserves. It was bought for us at a price we could literally never pay.
Thankfully, though it still gives us little comfort, those who did not hear will at least have less to pay. Luke 12:47-48 tells us that those who do not know God's will, yet nevertheless deserve punishment, will receive less punishment. But a punishment they will receive nonetheless. Let us therefore be motivated to get the Gospel out there. Let's make sure that no one can even try to make that excuse. As Christians, we know the truth that can save the entire world if they accept it. So, let's get out there and preach it.
Recommended song: Lecrae - Beautiful Feet