Brother Michael's Devotional

"And other sheep I have, which are not of this fold: them also I must bring, and they shall hear my voice; and there shall be one fold, and one shepherd." John 10:16

Most likely the first thing that comes to mind when reading this verse is the church and how our Lord was going to call out one living "fold" out of the Jews and Gentiles. But there is something else I would like you to notice. Jesus does not speak any further about the "other sheep." All He let the Jews know is that there were others and it was His business what He did with them.

This brings us to the question of what happens to those around the world that have never had the privilege of hearing the gospel. Do they go to heaven or to hell? There are only a few hints that the Bible gives us as to the answer to this question. We find in the book of Ephesians chapter 2 that "ye being in time past Gentiles in the flesh, who are called Uncircumcision by that which is called the Circumcision in the flesh made by hands; That at that time ye were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope, and without God in the world." This paints a rather grim picture for those without the Word of God. But then we read in Mark 4:24 "Take heed what ye hear: with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you: and unto you that hear shall more be given." and John 3:19 "And this is condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil." Here we learn that men are not saved by the amount of light they have but will be judged by it. So we know that the gentile nations had no hope without God but that the more light of the Word of God a people have the greater their condemnation.

Now all of this brings us to the original question, what happens to those who die having never heard the Word of God? There can only be one answer to this question, it is none of our business or God would have told us. We read in Deuteronomy 29:29 that "the secret things belong unto the LORD our God: but those things which are revealed belong unto us and to our children for ever, that we may do all the words of this law." Friend, you and I are responsible for the revealed Word of God, but what He has chosen not to reveal to us is none of our business.

But for those things that we must take by faith, we can rest assured that the Judge of the universe will do right.

"Shall not the Judge of all the earth do right?" Genesis 18:25