Consider everyone who came before Christ, all those people who never even had the opportunity to know of Christ. Are they automatically condemened? Automatically exempted from this requirement?
Note: whenever the scriptures speak of the judgement, that judgement is not based upon the doctrines one accepts. It is judgement of one's deeds. This is fair, and without favoritism.
If the Judgement is based upon holding the right doctrines, or even just belief in Christ, there is an unmistakable favoritism involved in such a Judgement - because all are not equally given the opportunity, calling, or environment to come to Christ. But there is no favoritism with God, for favoritism is a sin.
Very good question. Very good observation.
I totally agree that God is not partial.
Provided that we are going by the most ancient text of religious faiths, we can start at the fall of man... I hope we agree.
God right away made a provision of salvation, by means of one he would send - the Messiah - Jesus Christ.
The Messiah would be a seed of Abraham, to which God made a covenant. Genesis 22:18.
God also allowed people of the nations to benefit from that arrangement, by allowing them to join his people.
All the while, they were guarded by his law.
Galatians 3
23 However, before the faith arrived, we were being guarded under law, being handed over into custody, looking to the faith that was about to be revealed.
24 So the Law became our guardian leading to Christ, so that we might be declared righteous through faith.
25 But now that the faith has arrived, we are no longer under a guardian.
Long story short, the Messiah came through the line of Judah.
When the Messiah arrived, he came to the children of Israel, but later we saw that the gentiles were included.
Christ fulfilled his purpose on earth, persons continued to benefit from his sacrifice.
How is it that those before Christ could benefit from the sacrifice, even before it actually happened?
Romans 3:21-26
21 But now apart from law God’s righteousness has been revealed, as the Law and the Prophets bear witness, 22 yes, God’s righteousness through the faith in Jesus Christ, for all those having faith. For there is no distinction. 23 For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, 24 and it is as a free gift that they are being declared righteous by his undeserved kindness through the release by the ransom paid by Christ Jesus. 25 God presented him as an offering for propitiation through faith in his blood. This was to demonstrate his own righteousness, because God in his forbearance was forgiving the sins that occurred in the past. 26 This was to demonstrate his own righteousness in this present season, so that he might be righteous even when declaring righteous the man who has faith in Jesus.
God had already applied its benefits even before, because it was as good as done, in his eyes. He could do this because,... Isaiah 55:11
So my word that goes out of my mouth will be. It will not return to me without results, But it will certainly accomplish whatever is my delight, And it will have sure success in what I send it to do.
What ever he says is sure to be. Not a word of his, will fail.
So what of all that have died before Christ?
Because the ransom was as good a paid, God was able to forgive sins, from Abel down.
That is why Jesus said that all those in God's memory would be resurrected.
John 5:28, 29
28 Do not be amazed at this, for the hour is coming in which all those in the memorial tombs will hear his voice 29 and come out, those who did good things to a resurrection of life, and those who practiced vile things to a resurrection of judgment. Acts 24:15
