There is a prevailing mindset in contemporary Christianity that those in remote places of the Earth, with no knowledge of Jesus, and no chance of believing can be saved apart from Jesus. I wouldn't label them Universalists, because most of those who make this mistake do believe in judgment and hell for those who reject the Gospel. While saying this, it is the same mistake that all Universalist make, namely that all gods are a way to the true God, or that its the same God just called by different names.
The main arguments for those who believe this would be something along these lines, perhaps:
1) They don't have a chance to accept or reject, so it is like an infant (assuming all infants are saved), and they cannot be codemned if they never had a chance.
2) I think God has enough mercy to save these people, or give them a chance when they die to have faith in Christ. They don't have a chance to accept or reject, so it is like an infant (assuming all infants are saved), and they cannot be codemned if they never had a chance.
3) (Like point 1) It would just be unjust of God to not even allow them the oppurtunity.
And while the arguments look good and they seem noble, when brought against scripture and pure logic, they just don't hold any water. Perhaps I may propose a few thoughts as to why this should be considered an unbiblical view of salvation (these will not be exhaustive):
I. "It cuts a nerve of urgency for evangelism and missions."
This is a point brought up by John Piper in his book, "Let the Nations be Glad!" (1993, Baker Academic), and I think it is a very good point. We are commanded by Jesus like this, "Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit." Most would not deny the importance of missions, and why is it important? Because we understand the sin that all are under, the punishment for that sin, as well as the glory that it brings to Christ Jesus when more and more are brought into His kingdom.
If all can be saved apart from Jesus anyway, then why evangelize them? Why risk the chance of them denying the Gospel when they were already saved? Are we spreading a Gospel of death? This is a logical conclusion, but what do the scriptures teach us about this subject?
II. Jesus Christ is the only name!
"And there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved" -Acts 4:12. Here is another logical example, while at the same time applying scripture. Why is only Christ Jesus able to save? Because He did something none of us could do, He kept the law perfectly, and His righteousness is imputed to us through faith in His name! "For our sake [God] made [Jesus] to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God" -2 Cor 5:21. Only faith in Jesus is able to save, because only through that faith is the righteousness of Jesus Christ imputed to us by the Holy Spirit. This is why all other religions are rejected such as Hinduism, Buddhism and even Muslims, because their religions do not accept Christ Jesus as Lord and Savior.
III. No knowledge of Jesus means no knowledge of the Father.
Obviously this is still keeping with point II. Going back to why all other religions are not accepted is because of this very point, which is expressly laid out in scripture, such as:
Luke 10:22..."All things have been handed over to Me by My Father, and no one knows who the Son is except the Father, or who the Father is except the Son and anyone to whom the Son chooses to reveal Him."
1 John 5:12..."Whoever has the Son has life; whoever does not have the Son of God does not have life."
IV. Jesus has died in vain.
If people can be saved apart from Him alone, then what was the purpose of His death? Was He not to be glorified? "Father, the hour has come; glorify your Son that the Son may glorify you,
since you have given him authority over all flesh, to give eternal life to all whom you have given him. And this is eternal life, that they know you the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent. I glorified you on earth, having accomplished the work that you gave me to do. And now, Father, glorify me in your own presence with the glory that I had with you before the world existed" -John 17:1-5
"And they sang a new song, saying, 'Worthy are you to take the scroll and to open its seals, for you were slain, and by your blood you ransomed people for God from every tribe and language and people and nation, and you have made them a kingdom and priests to our God, and they shall reign on the earth'" -Rev 5:9,10.
It takes away all the honor, the glory and grace of Christ's death upon the cross.
V. It flies in the face of scripture
The plain truth is this:
"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, in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse"-Romans 1:19.
All has been revealed in God's general revelation, yet the truth of his power and his existence has been suppressed in unrighteousness by the carnal and depraved minds of man.
"None is righteous, no, not one; no one understands; no one seeks for God. All have turned aside; together they have become worthless; no one does good, not even one" -Romans 3:10,11.
And the simple fact is that no one seeks God, though He has made Himself known they refuse to know Him. And as Calvin once said it, "the human mind is an idol factory." Man will never know the true God unless it is through the Holy Spirit opening their eyes to the work of Christ Jesus on the cross.
Like I said not exhaustive just a few quick thoughts about the whole matter.
Edit: Also in reference to the first objection above, concerning how they are like infants, is a fallacious argument, in that infants do not have the discerning capacity to discern evil from good. They are not at a point where they could even understand God's general, let alone His special revelation. Whether or not infants are all saved is another matter, that I won't touch here.
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