Katzpur said:
Yes, this is what the Bible says. Do you know of anywhere in the Bible where God also says He will not condemn those who, due to circumstances beyond their control, never heard Christ's gospel? You did, as I recall, make this statement awhile back. Is this a conclusion you have drawn on your own or is it found somewhere in the Bible? If it is not found somewhere in the Bible, does this imply that the Bible actually doesn't contain everything of importance that God wants us to know?
Hi, well, the first 5 chapters of Romans covers it quite nicely. Not that I understand perfectly, and its been a while since I have studied that particular question. But, it states that man knows there is a God due to his conscience and the creation, so we are without excuse. It talks about the gentile that does what is right without having heard the law, and the Jew that has the law but disobeys it. And it concludes us ALL under sin, we all fall short. One more thing, Jesus told the religious leaders that since they said they could see, yet rejected him, they would be held accountable. So, what I get out of it, and as I said, its been awhile, is that man will be judged according to the light given him. If a person, due to his conscience and the creation, has
faith in God, and hopes in his mercy and forgiveness and tries to live righteously, even though they have not heard of Jesus, I believe their
faith will save them. But many, who deep down, their conscience and the creation reveal to them that there is a God, will reject him and live wickedly, and will be damned, having never had faith nor any inclination to try to be righteous. But those who have heard the gospel of Jesus and have been convicted by the Holy Spirit that it is true, and turn from it again and again, and die, or trust in their own righteousness and not God's, they will be damned. There's goats and there's sheep. Now, as I said, this is a rough answer, but, I do believe the Bible has everything we need to teach us about what God wants us to know. One way I look at it is, the Jews, before the Messiah came, were looking forward in faith, to the cross, and we as the church, are looking back to the cross. And those who have never had the opportunity to hear the gospel, but DO know there is a God and ask his forgiveness, are in a way looking forward to the cross. Jesus' death paid for all the sins of all the world for all time, and those who have faith in God, are saved, and those who reject God are not. But make no mistake, those who hear the gospel of Christ and reject it are damned. And Christians bought by Christs' blood who sin (we all will),will suffer loss of rewards, perhaps sickness, premature death, and the natural consequeces of their sins, and be out of fellowship (not relationship) with the Father, yet be saved as by fire(or the skin of their teeth). I know Jesus commands us to tell the world the gospel, and that he will not return until it has been preached to all the world. Like I say, there are good christian theologians and books that answer this far better than I, and probably far more accurately. But, yes the Bible is all I believe, I do not accept any other books as divinely inspired of God. I do not believe that because someone feels they have a more 'humane', or detailed description of how God deals with these things means they have the truth. I trust God, he is just and will deal with each of us just right. I believe Heaven wont be the same for everyone, at least as far as rewards and postion, nor will Hell, that there will be different degrees of Hell, but that God will be fair and just with each of us. I simply trust in the blood of Christ to save me, and I'll probably be one of the least in the kingdom of God, maybe I'll be the janitor or something, lol. Oh, and just, don't believe that we 'Bible-only' Christians do not have answers to everything, we have studied these things too, and the Bible is not completely silent on it, but it does reveal all we need to know. I know you don't like me saying this, but every group be it Jehovah Witnesses, Seventh Day Adventists, Christian Scientists, or any other group that holds other writings on the same level as the Bible, contain errors and big differences between the groups in doctrine. I cannot hold Mary Baker Eddie's or Ellen G. White's, or Charles Russell's writings on the same par with the prophets and apostles.
Sincerely,
Joeboonda