What Happens to the “Boy on the Island” who dies without hearing the Gospel?

Imagine a boy grew up on a deserted island without any contact with the outside world. He lived his entire life without hearing the Gospel, seeing a Bible, or even hearing the name “Jesus”. What is going to happen to this boy after he dies?

The Bible teaches that everyone who dies in their sins will not enter heaven (1 John 5:12). There is only one hope for eternal life: “Believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved” (Acts 16:31). Jesus died to pay for the sins of all who believe in Him. And He is the only way to the Father (John 14:6). 

So, what happens to those who die without ever having heard the Gospel? 

Can a person avoid judgement on the basis of ignorance?

Consider these points:

First, Man is without excuse because of creation

The Bible tells us that God has built pointers to Himself into creation. Psalm 19:1-2 says

“The heavens declare the glory of God, and the sky above proclaims his handiwork. Day to day pours out speech, and night to night reveals knowledge.” (Psalm 19:1-2).

This means that even the person who has never been told about God can observe creation, and have a sufficient enough awareness of Him that he cannot claim ignorance on the day of Judgment. The book of Romans says,

“For what can be known about God is plain to them, because God has shown it to them. For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse.” (Romans 1:19-20)

Regardless of where or when someone lives, God has revealed that He exists through the natural world. 

Second, man has the law written on his heart

Someone might object, saying “just because a person knows God exists doesn’t mean that they know about Jesus! How can they be judged for not believing in Jesus if they never even knew His name?”

The person who has never heard about Jesus is in the same position as the one who has heard, and rejected Him. They will be judged by their works (Revelation 20:11-15).

“But how do those who’ve never heard of the Bible even know what’s right and wrong? How can they be judged for their works if they never knew what they needed to do?”

The Bible says:

“For when Gentiles, who do not have the law, by nature do what the law requires, they are a law to themselves, even though they do not have the law. They show that the work of the law is written on their hearts, while their conscience also bears witness, and their conflicting thoughts accuse or even excuse them on that day when, according to my gospel, God judges the secrets of men by Christ Jesus.”  (Romans 2:14-16)

Even those who don’t have the Law show that the law is “written on their hearts.” This means that everyone knows in their heart that they’re guilty of wrongdoing. Consequently, this is why you’ll never find a civilization in history that did not have some type of law.

Though laws differ from civilization to civilization, every human instinctively knows that there is good and evil, and that good deserves reward, and evil deserves punishment. Paul tells us that “no one does good…not even one!” (Romans 3:10-12). “All have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God!” (Romans 3:23). So not only is every human guilty of sin, but we instinctively know that we’re guilty!

This means that regardless of whether or not a person has read the written Word of God, he is still morally accountable for sin.

So where does this leave this “boy on the island”? 

1. He knows God exists through creation, and yet has rejected Him as God
2. He also knows that there is a law, and has broken it.

In other words, this boy is not ignorant.

The Bible plainly teaches that “the wages of sin is death” (Romans 3:23), and That everyone who sins against God is deserving of His just wrath (John 3:36).

Therefore, if this boy dies apart from Jesus, he will stand condemned before God—not because of what he didn’t know, but because of what he did know.

This is what compels Christian evangelism! Even Christian ministries like God Loves Mormons! We want all people everywhere to hear the truth, that they may believe and be saved! Without the message of the Gospel being offered and received, no one will go to heaven.

The Bible says,

“everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.” How then will they call on him in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in him of whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without someone preaching? And how are they to preach unless they are sent? As it is written, “How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the good news!” (Romans 10:13-15)