Does a person who has never heard of God or Jesus go to hell or heaven?

Sincerely,
Curious

Dear Curious,

God is the only one who can judge where someone’s eternal destination will be.  The Scriptures give us an insight into how the Great Judge will decide our verdict.  Here are some Scriptures to consider:

1. Just because someone is ignorant, doesn’t mean they aren’t at fault.  God tells us that anyone who seeks the truth will find it (Matt 7:7-8).  The Bible is the most widely available book on the planet – just because someone hasn’t read it, doesn’t mean they didn’t have opportunity.
2. People go to hell because of their sins (Rom 6:23), not because of Jesus.  Jesus’ death on the cross is a cure for mankind’s self-inflicted spiritual death sentence.  It is the same as a disease outbreak – the disease kills people, not the lack of a cure.  If Jesus had never come, and none of us had ever heard of Jesus, we would all have been lost.
3. God tells us that everyone has been given enough information to seek Him.  Rom 1:20 says that the very beauty of the created universe speaks of God’s existence and leaves mankind without excuse.  God has provided an “all call” message anyone can hear through the wonder of His creation.
4. God doesn’t desire anyone to perish (2 Pet. 3:9).  God won’t make any mistakes on the Day of Judgment, and no one will accidentally end up in heaven or hell.

As we said, God is the final judge.  We will all face Him when we die (Heb 9:27).  The best thing we can do is make sure we are prepared for that day.

5 minutes a day
5 days a week
1 New Testament in a year

There are 261 weekdays in a year, and there are 260 chapters in the New Testament. By reading one chapter, Monday through Friday, you will read the whole New Testament by the end of the year. The Daily Cup series is to help with that goal.

Happy Studying!

"The LORD is my chosen portion and my cup." -- Psalm 16:5

Click here for a pdf of the study schedule - CLICK HERE

Why did God allow Noah to curse Canaan because Ham accidentally saw Noah naked?

Sincerely,
That Doesn’t Seem Fair

Dear That Doesn’t Seem Fair,

Noah cursed the descendants of Ham (specifically the descendants of Ham’s son, Canaan) after Ham treated his father in a very dishonorable way by joking about his father’s nakedness instead of preserving Noah’s dignity (Gen 9:22).  The problem wasn’t only that Ham saw his father naked, but he didn’t honor his father by treating him with respect.

Noah cursed Ham’s descendants for the same reason that parents will tell their children, “I hope you have children just like you!”  Ham’s sin had to do with the interaction between family and descendants.  Canaan would be a servant to his brethren because his father, Ham, was unwilling to show a servant’s heart to his family (Gen 9:25).  Since Ham didn’t care for his family’s reputation, his descendants would have a low reputation.  Since these things did come to pass, it shows that God agreed with Noah’s opinion.  Canaan’s children would be blessed to learn the lesson of service… a lesson Ham had never learned.

5 minutes a day
5 days a week
1 New Testament in a year

There are 261 weekdays in a year, and there are 260 chapters in the New Testament. By reading one chapter, Monday through Friday, you will read the whole New Testament by the end of the year. The Daily Cup series is to help with that goal.

Happy Studying!

"The LORD is my chosen portion and my cup." -- Psalm 16:5

Click here for a pdf of the study schedule - CLICK HERE

I am in the process of beating a sin.  However, though I try and pray for strength, forgiveness, guidance, and help each day, I keep having these wrong sinful thoughts.  I keep praying they will go away, but they never do completely.  Can you help me get rid of this evil?  Thank you for your words and wisdom; God bless, and God help.

Sincerely,
Mind Over Matter

Dear Mind Over Matter,

Thinking about sin isn’t the same as sinning.  It is only when we dwell upon sinful behavior and eventually act upon those ideas that we sin.  For example, Satan put the thought of betraying Christ into Judas’ mind, but Judas didn’t sin until he took that idea, dwelt upon it, and then acted (Jhn 13:2).  Jas 1:12-15 explains that sin occurs when we allow wicked ideas that pop into our heads to become wicked lusts, and then those lusts turn into wicked actions.  You will face temptations to sin and opportunities to sin your entire life; the key is to endure the temptation (Jas 1:12), look for the way of escape (1 Cor 10:13), and master sin (Gen 4:7).  Don’t let the thoughts of sin discourage you… just make sure to subdue those thoughts and turn your mind back to God.