What happens to those who have never heard about Jesus?

All people are accountable to God whether or not they have "heard
about Him." The Bible tells us that God has clearly revealed Himself
in nature (Romans 1:20) and in the hearts of people (Ecclesiastes
3:11). The problem is that the human race is sinful; we all reject
this knowledge of God and rebel against Him (Romans 1:21-23). If it
were not for God's grace, we would be given over to the sinful desires
of our hearts, allowing us to discover how useless and miserable life
is apart from Him. He does this for those who continually reject Him
(Romans 1:24-32).

In reality, it is not that some people have not heard about God.
Rather, the problem is that they have rejected what they have heard
and what is readily seen in nature. Deuteronomy 4:29 proclaims, "But
if from there you seek the LORD your God, you will find him if you
look for him with all your heart and with all your soul." This verse
teaches an important principle—everyone who truly seeks after God will
find Him. If a person truly desires to know God, God will make Himself
known.

The problem is "there is no one who understands, no one who seeks God"
(Romans 3:11). People reject the knowledge of God that is present in
nature and in their own hearts, and instead decide to worship a "god"
of their own creation. It is foolish to debate the fairness of God
sending someone to hell who never had the opportunity to hear the
gospel of Christ. People are responsible to God for what God has
already revealed to them. The Bible says that people reject this
knowledge, and therefore God is just in condemning them to hell.

Instead of debating the fate of those who have never heard, we, as
Christians, should be doing our best to make sure they do hear. We are
called to spread the gospel throughout the nations (Matthew 28:19-20;
Acts 1:8). We know people reject the knowledge of God revealed in
nature, and that must motivate us to proclaim the good news of
salvation through Jesus Christ. Only by accepting God's grace through
the Lord Jesus Christ can people be saved from their sins and rescued
from an eternity apart from God.

If we assume that those who never hear the gospel are granted mercy
from God, we will run into a terrible problem. If people who never
hear the gospel are saved, it is logical that we should make sure no
one ever hears the gospel. The worst thing we could do would be to
share the gospel with a person and have him or her reject it. If that
were to happen, he or she would be condemned. People who do not hear
the gospel must be condemned, or else there is no motivation for
evangelism. Why run the risk of people possibly rejecting the gospel
and condemning themselves when they were previously saved because they
had never heard the gospel?