What if they don’t know?

When I think about the character of God, it is humbling to realize how merciful He is to me. His mercy extends to the whole world.

Every person can get caught up in the question of good and evil or does God exist? Why does He allow things to happen? There is also the question of how can God judge if some people never knew He existed?

If you look at this question and wonder, are there people in the world that do not know that God exists?

Yes, I know that where are most likely languages that do not have a translation of the Bible in their language or a remote tribe of people in a faraway place.

Yet, God makes provisions for everyone to know that He exists.

God reveals Himself through creation and our conscience. This we know through His Word.

Psalms 19:1-4 states,

“The heavens proclaim the glory of God.
The skies display his craftsmanship.
Day after day they continue to speak;
night after night they make him known.
They speak without a sound or word;
their voice is never heard.
Yet their message has gone throughout the earth,
and their words to all the world.” (NLT)

Take a moment to look at a sky full of stars. When was the last time you went to the zoo and saw all of the unique animals? All of them behave and look different. Think about the earth in its relationship to the sun. If the earth were not at the proper distance from the sun, we would be “toast”! Better yet, think about how the earth rotates around the sun precisely at the appropriate distance and how it has maintained this position from the beginning of time. It would be logical to think that there is a creator.

As we see in Psalms, David tells us it is God. He is the Creator. Not to mention in Genesis 1-2, God tells us what happened.

Paul tells us again in Romans,
“But God shows his anger from heaven against all sinful, wicked people who suppress the truth by their wickedness. They know the truth about God because he has made it obvious to them. For ever since the world was created, people have seen the earth and sky. Through everything God made, they can clearly see his invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature. So they have no excuse for not knowing God.” (Romans 1:18-20 NLT)

We can see the beauty of His creation, so there is no excuse.

You might ask, what if a person cannot see? Even though they can feel God’s creation (the wind, rain, heat from the sun), God has given us a conscience.

Within our hearts, God has made Himself known to every people in the entire world.

It’s a choice. Do you listen to the calling of God, or do you ignore it?

In Romans 1:18-19, we just saw how people who have decided to turn from God “suppress” what they know to be true.

Look again, “But God shows his anger from heaven against all sinful, wicked people who suppress the truth by their wickedness They know the truth about God because he has made it obvious to them.”

Romans 2: 5-16 talks about God’s judgment on everyone. Believers and nonbelievers.

“But because you are stubborn and refuse to turn from your sin, you are storing up terrible punishment for yourself. For a day of anger is coming, when God’s righteous judgment will be revealed. He will judge everyone according to what they have done. He will give eternal life to those who keep on doing good, seeking after the glory and honor and immortality that God offers. But he will pour out his anger and wrath on those who live for themselves, who refuse to obey the truth and instead live lives of wickedness. 9 There will be trouble and calamity for everyone who keeps on doing what is evil—for the Jew first and also for the Gentile. But there will be glory and honor and peace from God for all who do good—for the Jew first and also for the Gentile. For God does not show favoritism.
When the Gentiles sin, they will be destroyed, even though they never had God’s written law. And the Jews, who do have God’s law, will be judged by that law when they fail to obey it. For merely listening to the law doesn’t make us right with God. It is obeying the law that makes us right in his sight. Even Gentiles, who do not have God’s written law, show that they know his law when they instinctively obey it, even without having heard it. They demonstrate that God’s law is written in their hearts, for their own conscience and thoughts either accuse them or tell them they are doing right. And this is the message I proclaim—that the day is coming when God, through Christ Jesus, will judge everyone’s secret life.” (NLT)

Paul reminds us that God does not show favoritism. He compares the Gentile and the Jew. Both are judged by the law. And while the Gentiles don’t have the written law, their conscience tells them what is right because God has written good and evil on their hearts.

Within our conscience, God has placed right and wrong. Good and bad. Yet, we choose to seek out what is right, or do we ignore it?

What is right is the Good News of Jesus Christ, by which we place our faith and give our lives in obedience to Him.

This is what Paul tells the Romans,
“For I am not ashamed of this Good News about Christ. It is the power of God at work, saving everyone who believes—the Jew first and also the Gentile. 17 This Good News tells us how God makes us right in his sight. This is accomplished from start to finish by faith. As the Scriptures say, “It is through faith that a righteous person has life.” (Roman 1:16- 17 NLT)

Let’s not forget the heart of our great God. Who is patient, longsuffering, and merciful.

“But you must not forget this one thing, dear friends: A day is like a thousand years to the Lord, and a thousand years is like a day. 9 The Lord isn’t really being slow about his promise, as some people think. No, he is being patient for your sake. He does not want anyone to be destroyed but wants everyone to repent. 10 But the day of the Lord will come as unexpectedly as a thief. Then the heavens will pass away with a terrible noise, and the very elements themselves will disappear in fire, and the earth and everything on it will be found to deserve judgment.”
(2 Peter 3:8-10 NLT)


When the day of judgment comes, we have no excuses for how we responded to the saving grace of Jesus Christ. As a sinner, before a holy God, did we repent of our sins? As a follower of Christ, did we live daily taking up our cross and following His commands?