After Jesus died and rose again there were many Jews who had never heard of Him but faithfully believed in God according to the OT Scriptures by which they had been saved. They were the elect. They were not suddenly lost.
It was only after they had heard of the Messiah that they could become Christians. Thus when they heard of the Messiah they responded,
Naaman became a believer with very little teaching because God had spoken to his heart. He went back to his land as a worshipper of a God about Whom he knew little. He had a little slave girl to teach him.
The men of Nineveh repented at the preaching of Jonah and were accepted by God with very basic knowledge and with no one to teach them after Jonah left but God..
In Romans 2.14-i6 Paul speaks of men who had never heard of Christ who have the law written in their hearts and are obedient to Him.
These instances suggest that some few seemingly come to know God unusually without having heard of Jesus Christ.
Missionaries on the mission field tell of a few who had been led to know God before they arrived and when they heard the Gospel for the first time immediately responded heartily saying 'this is the God we now know'.
The story of Mimosa by Amy Carmichael tells of one such. She believed on Jesus with very limited knowledge, and remarkably continued on alone for many years.
All this suggests that God does reach out to a few hearts in an unusual way even when they have not heard the Gospel of Jesus. Who among us dare to tell God He is wrong? But when they hear of Jesus they know immediately that He is the One they worship.
He chooses whom He will, when He will, and He does things in His own way. Who are we to say He cannot when the Scripture is silent about such people apart from what I have given above. .
But the test is always that when they do learn of Jesus Christ they immediately recognise Him.
I suspect these were the kinds of people that Billy Graham had in mind, although I don't know much about him. I only know he has been unusually used of God.
It was only after they had heard of the Messiah that they could become Christians. Thus when they heard of the Messiah they responded,
Naaman became a believer with very little teaching because God had spoken to his heart. He went back to his land as a worshipper of a God about Whom he knew little. He had a little slave girl to teach him.
The men of Nineveh repented at the preaching of Jonah and were accepted by God with very basic knowledge and with no one to teach them after Jonah left but God..
In Romans 2.14-i6 Paul speaks of men who had never heard of Christ who have the law written in their hearts and are obedient to Him.
These instances suggest that some few seemingly come to know God unusually without having heard of Jesus Christ.
Missionaries on the mission field tell of a few who had been led to know God before they arrived and when they heard the Gospel for the first time immediately responded heartily saying 'this is the God we now know'.
The story of Mimosa by Amy Carmichael tells of one such. She believed on Jesus with very limited knowledge, and remarkably continued on alone for many years.
All this suggests that God does reach out to a few hearts in an unusual way even when they have not heard the Gospel of Jesus. Who among us dare to tell God He is wrong? But when they hear of Jesus they know immediately that He is the One they worship.
He chooses whom He will, when He will, and He does things in His own way. Who are we to say He cannot when the Scripture is silent about such people apart from what I have given above. .
But the test is always that when they do learn of Jesus Christ they immediately recognise Him.
I suspect these were the kinds of people that Billy Graham had in mind, although I don't know much about him. I only know he has been unusually used of God.