What happens to those who have never heard the gospel? The fate of those who have never heard the gospel has long been a concern in our theology of human destiny. Yet, a theology that maintains prevenient grace possesses an opportunity and explanation that offers hope and clarification to this perennial difficulty.
Since the doctrine of prevenient grace maintains a divine enabling of human ability through various means for corporate and individual soteriological potential, eventually discussion leads to its role in the phenomenon known as “natural revelation.” This is the divine testimony through nature seen in Psalm 19: “The heavens are telling the glory of God; and the firmament proclaims his handiwork. Day to day pours forth speech, and night to night declares knowledge” (vv. 1-2 RSV). The Gentiles in Romans 1 had access to this knowledge but ignored it: “Ever since the creation of the world his invisible nature, namely, his eternal power and deity, has been clearly perceived in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse” (vv. 18-19 RSV).
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