In this bulletin series we’ve been looking at the common objections to Christianity. This last week I want to look at the objection that Christianity cannot be true because there are so many people who have never heard of the Christian God. And surely they cannot go to hell, that would be unjust!

This objection fails to understand that all people everywhere know the truth about God. Creation itself speaks about the existence of God: ‘The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands. Day after day they pour forth speech; night after night they display knowledge. There is no speech or language where their voice is not heard. Their voice goes out into all the earth, their words to the ends of the world (Psalm 19:1-4)’. Creation speaks about God’s existence in a way that defies all language and geographical boundaries.

So because everyone knows about God, no one is without excuse for refusing to worship him. Paul tells us this quite clearly: ‘For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities–his eternal power and divine nature–have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse. For although they knew God, they neither glorified him as God nor gave thanks to him, but their thinking became futile and their foolish hearts were darkened (Romans 1:20-21)’. So it is right and just of God to send all people everywhere to hell for not worshipping him. They know he exists, but they suppress the truth about him and refuse to worship him.

So why do Christians tell people about God if all creation speaks about him. Because the general revelation about God in creation is not sufficient to save anyone. People will consistently reject God if only exposed to knowledge about him from creation. But if they hear about God and salvation from sin through Jesus Christ’s death on the cross, then they can be saved. This is what Paul means when he says: ‘How, then, can they call on the one they have not believed in? And how can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them?’ (Romans 10:14). If anyone is to be saved from being justly sent to hell, they need someone to tell them the good news contained in the Bible, which is God’s special revelation.

Have you believed in God because you have heard God’s voice in creation but also in the Bible?

Joel Radford.