Will Non-Christians Go To Heaven?

As Christians, we believe that there is only one name given to man through which we may be saved. For "Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to mankind by which we must be saved" (Acts 4:12). As Christians we know this and we accept this. But that begs the question - what about all the other good people on earth who have never heard of that name? Do they get to go to heaven too? Or is it a case of heaven being private property and they're simply not invited? I believe the Bible holds the key to answering this question. Let's take a deeper dive into this topic.

A good place to start is with the owner of the heavenly property - God. If anyone is in a position to determine if God operates on an exclusive model or an inclusive model it would be God. After all, it's His house. So I think we should start by asking Him whom He had in mind when He first extended the invitation for us to hang out with Him for eternity.

Let's start with the Book of Genesis. During a conversation God was having with Abraham He said, "...and through your offspring, all nations on earth will be blessed because you have obeyed me." And He also said, "I will make your descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky and will give them all these lands, and through your offspring, all nations on earth will be blessed." Hmmm, I'm beginning to see a common theme developing here. Do you see it? Well, in any case, let's go on to ask another person in authority that can speak to this matter. Let's ask Jesus!

In the Book of Matthew, we read that Jesus told His disciples to, "Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit." In another place, in that same book, He is recorded as saying, "And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come."

Ok, based on what we have read so far we can at the very least determine one thing - God seems to favor the inclusive model. It seems the invitation to live with Him is extended to more than just one group of people. Well then, does that mean that everyone gets to go to heaven? Well, to answer this question we must dig a little deeper.

In the Gospel of John, there is a very familiar verse that says, "For God so loved the WORLD (emphasis added) that He gave His only begotten Son, that WHOSOEVER believes in Him will not perish but have everlasting life." You've probably seen where this text is found written on a sign at a sporting event near you. I have emphasized two words here because I want to stress these points. First, God loves the entire world, not just Christians. Second, whosoever means just that - anybody that accepts Jesus as their savior gets to live with Him for eternity. Ok, so then that means just the Christians, right? Well, not so fast!

You see, the Israelites of old as well as we modern Christians have tended to prefer the exclusive model. It's unfortunate, but some Christians feel that if we believe in Jesus it's up to all those others folks to come on board or face the consequences. Not all Christians feel this way but many seem to have grown comfortable with this situation. Many Christians believe that unless you confess the name of Jesus you can't be saved. But could it be that we have tended to define too narrowly what it means to confess the name of Jesus? Well, let's ask Jesus!

One time, in a conversation Jesus was having with some Pharisees, they challenged His authority. Jesus responded by telling them that, "I am the good shepherd; I know my sheep and my sheep know me - just as the Father knows me and I know the Father...I have other sheep that are not of this sheep pen. I must bring them also." As Christians, we like to believe (and rightly so) that we are a part of Jesus' sheep pen. But are we the only sheep He has? Well, Jesus is telling us that there are others that may not necessarily belong to our 'club'. These other sheep are living out their lives somewhere else. It's possible that they may not know His name but they know His voice! We know this because He said, "They too will listen to my voice." Is it possible that there are sheep out there that are not necessarily confessing the name of Jesus with their mouths but are doing it with their actions and with their lives? They may not be aware of the name of Jesus but they exemplify Jesus in their actions and in their love for their neighbors.

What about the Apostle Paul? Let's see what he thinks about the exclusive model. In talking about who was righteous in God's sight, Paul says something very interesting in the second chapter of Romans. In fact, what he said may come as a shock to many Christians. Paul says that there are Gentiles (think of them as modern non-Christians) who do not know about the Law of God, but they do by nature the things required by God's Law. In doing so, they prove to be a law unto themselves! This is despite the fact that they don't have the Law of God. The requirements of God's Law are written in their hearts! What??? So, it's possible there are good people out there who do not know God by name but live their lives as if they knew Him. Hmmm, I'm thinking that even some professed Christians fail to live their lives in this manner. Wow!

So, how do you see it? I have presented here some evidence to support my belief that when we Christians get to heaven we will be surprised to find non-Christians there. And based on how some of us Christians have lived, imagine their surprise when they see us there too! What do you think?

Until next time fellow pilgrims!