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Rather than speculate as to whether any who have never heard the gospel can actually be saved, we should let our love for others, even our own opponents, become added motivation to respond to the urgent demand of our Lord—that his disciples would go into all the world and proclaim the Good News.

Yes, God offers grace and forgiveness to those who "do not know what they are doing." (We were all in that position at one time.) But, ultimately, we must all come to a recognition of that offer and then, by faith, put our trust in the work and person of humanity's Savior, Jesus Christ.

Richard Besancon is professor emeritus of philosophy at Judson College in Elgin, Illinois.

Ask a Question, Get a Gift Send your questions to Good Question, Christianity Today, 465 Gundersen Drive, Carol Stream, IL 60188, or to cteditor@christianitytoday.com. If we use your question, you will receive a free copy of The Story of Christianity: 2,000 Years of Faith, a beautifully illustrated history of the church.

Visit Judson College's homepage.

Be sure to read Christianity Today's January 2000 cover story "The Forgiveness Factor."

Earlier Good Question columns include:

• Is the Stock Market Good Stewardship?
• Is Satan Omnipresent?
• Is Suicide Unforgivable?
• Was Slavery God's Will?
• A Little Wine for the Soul?
• Should We All Speak in Tongues?
• Did Jesus Really Descend to Hell?
• Take, Eat—But How Often?
• Is Christmas Pagan?
• Are Christians Required to Tithe?
• Is Revelation Prophecy or History?
• You're Divorced—Can You Remarry?
• If Grace Is Irresistible, Why Evangelize?
• If I'm an Evangelical, What Am I?
• A Cracked Code
• Committing the Unforgivable Sin
• What Bible Version Did Jesus Read?
• Did God Die on the Cross?
• You Must Be Born Again—But at What Age?
• Was the Revolutionary War Justified?
• Can the Dead Be Converted?
• Cloaked in Mystery
• Is Hell Forever?
• Denominations: Divided We Stand
• Did Paul Baptize for the Dead?
• Do Demons Have Zip Codes?
• Doubting Thomas's Gospel

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January 8 2001, Vol. 45, No. 1