How does God judge people raised in non-Christian cultures?

WHAT DOES THE BIBLE SAY?

The Bible teaches that God is perfectly just and will judge each person according to the truth they have received (Romans 2:6, 12). Those raised in non-Christian cultures are not judged for failing to believe something they never heard; they are judged for rejecting the light they do have. That “light” is creation (Psalm 19:1; Romans 1:20) and conscience (Romans 2:14-15). When people suppress the truth they have and worship idols or live in sin, they are without excuse.

At the same time, salvation comes only through Christ (John 14:6; Acts 4:12). This is why it is imperative that the church engage in evangelism (Matthew 28:19)–not to change cultures but to bring hope of salvation to those who currently only know God’s wrath (Romans 1:18).

God is not limited by geography or culture. He has always been drawing people from every tribe, language, and nation (Revelation 7:9). The gospel is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes (Romans 1:16), and He is merciful bringing His message throughout the world.

FROM THE OLD TESTAMENT

• People in all cultures are made in God’s image (Genesis 1:27). Thus, we have an innate knowledge of our Creator.
• The psalmist writes, “The heavens declare the glory of God, and the sky above proclaims his handiwork” (Psalm 19:1). Everyone, everywhere, knows our Creator because He has revealed Himself in creation. Because we are sinful, we rebel against what we know, but that doesn’t make us less accountable.
• In Deuteronomy 4:29, Moses told the Israelites that even if they were scattered among the nations, “you will seek the LORD your God, and you will find Him if you search for Him with all your heart and with all your soul.” God’s mercy and self-revelation are not restricted to one place or people group; they are universal.
• Amos 1–2 shows that God held surrounding nations accountable for their cruelty, violence, and injustice even though they were not “His people.” His moral standards apply to all humanity, and He judges every nation justly.
• Jonah’s mission to Nineveh demonstrates that God extends judgment and compassion beyond Israel. He sent a prophet to a violent, pagan city, and when they repented, He relented from judgment. This shows God’s willingness to save even those far removed from the “believing culture” of Israel.

FROM THE NEW TESTAMENT

• All cultures are under condemnation (Romans 3:9). In Romans 1:18, Paul wrote, “both Jews and Greeks are all under sin” (Romans 3:9). The Greeks (Gentiles) referred to the pagan cultures. He then quoted a series of Old Testament passages, showing that all people were under God’s condemnation (Romans 1:10–18).
• Paul explains that everyone is under God’s judgement: “For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who by their unrighteousness suppress the truth. For what can be known about God is plain to them, because God has shown it to them. For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world,[a] in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse” ” (Romans 1:18–20). Creation reveals the wrath of God against rebellious humanity. We know God because He, personally, reveals Himself within us.
• In Romans 2:12-16, Paul explains that those without the law will perish without the law because they violated their conscience. To be “without the law” means they are of a different culture than the Jews who were given the Mosaic Law. God has universally written His law on everyone’s hearts. Each person knows good and evil instinctively, and God will judge them according to that inner witness.
• God is merciful, offering a way of escape to people of all cultures. Acts 10 tells of how God sent Peter to preach Christ to Cornelius, a Roman centurion who feared God and acted in righteousness before he had heard the gospel Cornelius wasn’t saved by his own works, but his sincerity and fear of God were met with the full message of salvation.
• Acts 17 relates how Paul, speaking to the men of Athens, preached that God “made from one man (Adam) every nation” (Acts 17:26a). That is, all cultures are united under Him though He “is not far from each one of us” (Acts 17:27b). God desires all people to seek Him. Though they live in darkness, God is actively calling everyone to the truth.
• Second Thessalonians 1:8 warns that judgment will fall on “those who do not know God and to those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus.” Ignorance is not innocence. All sin must be judged—even the sin of people in non-Christian cultures. Yet God is patient, desiring all to come to repentance (2 Peter 3:9).

IMPLICATIONS FOR TODAY

The question of how God judges those in non-Christian cultures misunderstands the universal problem of sin, and the universal knowledge that God exists and is bringing judgement. Scripture affirms that God is just and merciful. He never condemns someone unfairly. At the same time, He never excuses sin or accepts false worship, and one’s cultural background is not a factor in His judgement.

Because some cultures suppress the knowledge of God and Jesus so much that they do not know the one way of escape, the church must urgently seek to bring them the good news. Evangelism is not cultural imperialism—it’s obedience to the God who loves every nation and who calls us to bring the message of salvation to the ends of the earth.

But Scripture never teaches that people can earn salvation by trying hard or living morally. That is often the danger with Christian cultures: They are Christian in name only. Perhaps their laws mimic ideas in Scripture and perhaps information about Jesus is more readily available. However, being in a Christian culture doesn’t make one a Christian. For those of us living in such a culture, we must examine ourselves to make sure we are truly saved (2 Corinthians 13:5). We must also be willing to challenge our family, friends, and neighbors to make sure they also rightly understand the escape God has provided through Jesus.

In short, unrepentant people in Christian cultures are under the same wrath as those in non-Christian ones. All need to hear about Jesus–not to change their culture, but for the opportunity to be saved from the coming wrath (Romans 5:9).

UNDERSTAND

• God is the perfect Judge, righteously judging people according to the light they have received.
• All have sinned, so all need Christ for redemption from sin.
• God draws people from all cultures and backgrounds.

REFLECT

• How does knowing that all people will face judgment impact your desire to witness about Christ?
• In the culture you’re a part of, what are some challenges to people receiving the gospel message?
• How has God made Himself known to you in your daily Christian walk?

ENGAGE

• What are some challenges of witnessing to those in cultures other than our own?
• What challenges to sharing the gospel are present in “Christian cultures”?
• What are some arguments for the truth about God that all cultures might respond to?