Question: “Considering that we are all God’s children, that we all experience love, sorrow, and a desire for unity with God on some spiritual or logical/existentialist level, what will we believe of the futures of our Muslim, Jewish, Buddhist, Hindu, Mormon, and indigenous pagan religion brethren? Shall they be lost? Shall they enjoy a second chance at salvation by being reincarnated and thus be inducted perhaps into a culture that embraces Christianity? Will Jesus have died for the sins of those who do not know personally whether the Gospel is actually true and real in their lives?”

Answer: Though the doctrine of the universal Fatherhood of God is often taught, resulting in the concept that we are all children of God by virtue of birth into the human race, such is not taught in Holy Scripture. Jews seldom thought of God as Father, for that would be presumptuous. Scripture teaches that “to all who received him, to those who believe in his name, he gave the right to become children of God – children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband’s will, but born of God” (John 1:12-13). The right to be a child of God is given only to those who receive Christ, to those who believe in his name, to those who are born of God.

As to whether non-Christian peoples who adhere to another religion shall be lost or not, that decision belongs to God. He can create faith in Christ in them while they are in their false religions and then lead them out of it. We cannot be judges as to the destiny of any human, but we are told by Jesus “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me” (John 14:6), and “salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved” (Acts 4:12).

As far as second chances and reincarnation are concerned, there is no Biblical testimony to support such eventualities. Jesus did not even respond to the disciples’ report of people’s surmising that he might be a reincarnation of John or one of the prophets (Matt. 16:14-15).

Finally, Jesus indeed died for the sins of people who had no idea about the Gospel. However, Scripture indicates that these people shall come to faith in Christ in the course of their lives (John 10:16, John 6:37). It is possible that Jesus died for some who shall never personally know the Gospel, but such is not indicated in Scripture and it would be purely speculative to make a doctrine on this point.