Salvation of people in "deepest, darkest Africa"

[Note: Biblical references available soon.]

Quick overview of the salvation defined in the Bible:

My concern for the salvation of people in deepest, darkest Africa, stems from passages that explicitly discuss belief in Christ, instead of those that discuss belief in God without the knowledge, or the availability of the knowledge, of Jesus Christ.  Whether someone can come to God when he/she has the information about Christ, is a different topic altogether. 

Brainstorming salvation for people in "deepest, darkest Africa":

The Parable of the Sower [Luke 8:4-8] talks about a farmer sowing seed.  Jesus explains this parable [Luke 8:11-15] by saying that the seed is the Word of God, and discusses what happens in the different scenarios after people have "heard" the message.  But it says nothing about the scenario without that word being shared.  In what form does this hearing process occur in deepest, darkest Africa?

As Romans 1:19-20 tells us, God makes himself known to us:

19. because that which is known about God is evident within them;
20. for God made it evident to them.  For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen, being understood through what has been made, so that they are without excuse.

This ability to understand God may not be as clear as it is to someone with extended information readily available in written form (ie, the Bible).  A feeling well articulated thru written words, helps annunciate what a person actually feels.  But without careful examination and reflection, it is hard to understand.  Look at all the words used with Psychology with respect to emotions.  Emotions aren't just white or black, good or bad, happy or sad.  There is a huge range of emotions.  Without using the appropriate word, the understanding of a certain feeling is lost in translation.  Consequently, children who do not yet understand their emotions or the large range of categories or descriptors are at times unable to properly relay how they feel.  I believe the same idea applies here.

Jeremiah 31:33 says "'But this is the covenant which I will make with the house of Israel after those days,' declares the Lord, 'I will put My law within them and on their heart I will write it; and I will be their God, and they shall be My people.".  The phrase "after those days", creates curiosity with respect to what happened before that specific time.

In John 14:6 when Jesus was talking to Thomas and said to him, "I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me."  Is this meant to be literal or metaphorical?  Acts 3:12 says "there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven that has been given among men by which we must be saved."

Hebrews 10:19-20 says "we have confidence to enter the holy place by the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way which He inaugurated for us through the veil, that is, His flesh."  The previous "holy place" was the inner earthly tabernacle previously constructed, according to instruction from God [Exudus 25-31].  With the old system, only the high priest could enter the inner sanctuary (holy of holy places) once a year and offer blood sacrifice for the sins of the people [Exudus 30:10, Hebrews 9:7].  But the blood sacrifice was only partial, and could not "make the worshiper perfect in conscience" [Hebrews 9:7-11].  With Christ replacing the old way as the new high priest [Hebrews 2:17, 4:14-16], our sin debt is completely paid for through His perfect sacrifice.  But what about the people that had neither the old or new ways for forgiveness/reconciliation to God - like people in deepest, darkest Africa?  Saying there is a better/more complete way of having that relationship with God is orthogonal to this issue.

In the Old Testament, sin was punished by swift death.  The Israelites, God's chosen people, were punished with death (example with the bronze serpent [Numbers 21:8-9] ) just as tribes who lived an abhorred lifestyle, like the Canaanites for the promised land or like with what God did thru Joshua and the Israelites to the armies of the Amorites at Gibeon [Joshua 10], where the people were fiercely wiped out.  All were treated similarly thru God's prevailing justice (the primary attribute of God shown in the Old Testament).  In the New Testament, there was a shift from prevailing justice to prevailing love.  Now instead of death, we are handed over to our degraded passions and depraved minds [Romans 1:21-32] to live in the deceit and consequences of sin that carry us well outside Spiritual comfort : love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control [Galatians 5:22].  But the question is whether or not the people of the Old Testament, fiercely wiped out before Jesus' time and the age of Grace, were able to go to God.  If they were unable to offer forgiveness according to the old law before dying, were they eternally separated from God because of sin?  They were obviously too early, chronologically speaking, for the age of grace brought thru Christ.  Chronology is a moot point, considering God brought everything into existence thru Christ, including time itself.  However, that would mean they would not have had the opportunity to know Christ and his grace.  The penalty of sin is death; they just received their penalty earlier than others.  If there were in fact any believers amongst the groups that were fiercely wiped out (which I would almost expect, within those killed from the Israelites), would they receive the grace from Christ's death?

The intent of the law is to bring us to the grace of God thru Jesus Christ, as mentioned in Galatians 3:21-25:

21. Is the Law then contrary to the promises of God?  May it never be!  For if a law had been given which was able to impart life, then righteousness would indeed have been based on law.
22. But the Scripture has shut up everyone under sin, so that the promise by faith in Jesus Christ might be given to those who believe.
23. But before faith came, we were kept in custody under the law, being shut up to the faith which was later to be revealed.
24. Therefore the Law has become our tutor to lead us to Christ, so that we may be justified by faith.
But now that faith has come, we are no longer under a tutor.

The New Living Translation version of verse 23 states: "Until faith in Christ was shown to us as the way of becoming right with God, we were guarded by the law. We were kept in protective custody, so to speak, until we could put our faith in the coming Savior."  I understand how verse 23 works with a person who becomes a Christian and accepts Christ later in their life, but how would verse 23 work with the secluded, unknowledgeable person from deepest, darkest Africa?  Jesus' sacrifice was to pay for the sins of the whole world [1 John 2:1-2] - past, present, and future.  So there is a way for people of the past and from deepest, darkest Africa to have their slate wiped clean and establish the bridged connection to God.  But regardless if Christ died before or after the death or our secluded person in deepest, darkest Africa, I can't see the connection to how they can experience this "faith" revealed later.  If not in their life, could it be at the time of judgment based on something else (e.g. character of heart and disposition thru their life)?

Galatians 4:1-7 may also be pivotal in understanding more about times before the age of grace thru Christ:

1. Now I say, as long as the heir is a child, he does not differ at all from a slave although he is owner of everything,
2. but he is under guardians and managers until the date set by the father.
3. So also we, while we were children, were held in bondage under the elemental things of the world.
4. But when the fullness of the time came, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the Law,
5. so that He might redeem those who were under the Law, that we might receive the adoption as sons.
6. Because you are sons, God has sent forth the Spirit of His Son into our hearts, crying, "Abba! Father!"
7. Therefore you are no longer a slave, but a son; and if a son, then an heir through God.

As verse 3 states: before God came, we were "held in bondage to the elemental things of the world", also translated as "slaves to the spiritual powers of this world".  My Bible reference mentions that this could mean being slaves to the systematic or basic elements of religion or spirituality.  I'm not sure if it applies only to the religions of the Jews or Gentiles, or if it was intended to extend beyond the known set.

"The word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart, that you may observe it." [Deuteronomy 30:14, Romans 10:8]  My reference mentions Moses is declaring that understanding, believing and obeying the covenant were not beyond them.  And Paul applies this to his context in Romans 10:8, where he is revealing the accessibility of the gospel.  Would this apply in the same manner to people who don't have the gospel?  Paul continues on in [Romans 10:8-15], giving reference to Joel 2:32 when he writes:

8. But what does it say? 'The word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart ' - that is, the word of faith which we are preaching,
9. that if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved;
10. for with the heart a person believes, resulting in righteousness, and with the mouthy he confesses, resulting in salvation.
11. For the Scripture says, 'Whoever believes in Him will not be disappointed. '
12. For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek; for the same Lord is Lord of all, abounding in riches for all who call on Him;
13. for 'Whoever will call on the name of the Lord will be saved. '
14. How then will they call on Him in whom they have not believed?  How will they believe in Him whom they have not heard?  And how will they hear without a preacher?
15. How will they preach unless they are sent?  Just as it is written, 'How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news of good things! '

So Paul explains how people have an opportunity to respond to the gospel, by four conditions:  1) a preacher/teacher sent from God, 2) proclamation of the message, 3) hearing the message, and 4) believing the message.  But again, that person in deepest, darkest Africa would not have the same conditions available.

Just as teachers are held to a higher standard [Luke 17:1-2], and are those entrusted with more (parable of the 3 talents [Matthew 24:14-30]), so I imagine are we with extensive knowledge about God... or at least availability to that knowledge of God through the Bible.  As such, I imagine we are held to a different standard than was an American Indian who did tribal dances to their god(s), or a person in deepest, darkest Africa trying to revere the god in which they believe.

I am not God, and as such I can only conjecture (based off truths in the Bible) about God's saving grace shown to a person in deepest, darkest Africa.  I know the following:  1) God gave us free will,  2) God gave us the ability to know Him, 3) God desires each of us to choose Him, and 4) Christ died for the sins of all people.  I think of Abraham before the age of grace; because of his belief in God and His words, it was credited to him as righteousness [Genesis 15:6, Romans 4:2-6].  This example gives hope, but I'm not sure how secluded Abraham was at first or how his belief started.  We first see his name at the end of Genesis 11, and at the start of Genesis 12 Abraham is already 75 years old and God is talking directly to him.  Abraham was also  special case because he was in the chosen lineage of Christ.

Wrapping up my thoughts...

It seems like Christians should be able to take an educated stance on this subject.  God "is unwavering and is the same yesterday, today, and forever" [Hebrews 13:8, 1 Peter 1:23-25, Isaiah 40:7-8].  And if the Bible is truly God's word, "inspired by God" or "God-breathed" [2 Timothy 3:16], then it cannot contradict itself.  In the New Testament, we see God's love for mankind and His desire for all to seek Him and be saved.  So it makes most sense that getting to God the Father thru God the Son (Jesus) [John 14:6], may be more an allowance (like a gatekeeper waving passage when certain requirements are met, such as belief in God and a genuine condition of the heart) than a literal requirement with someone in deepest, darkest Africa.

God holds the keys to heaven, and ultimately it is His choice.  I like what Paul says in Romans 11:33-36 regarding God's plan for the salvation of both Jews and Gentiles:

33. Oh, the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God!  How unsearchable are His judgments and unfathomable His ways!
34. For 'who has known the mind of the Lord, or who became His counselor?
35. Or who has first given to Him that it might be paid back to him again? '
36. For from Him and through Him and to Him are all things.  To Him be the glory forever.  Amen."

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