"Whoever enters through me will be saved" Exclusive or Inclusive?

[Raban]

So many times in the New Testament, Jesus says something along the lines of "Through me you will be saved". However do you think that this being saved 'happens' for just those who acknowledge the divinity of Christ, the Messianic stature of Christ, or uphold a righteous state of living even if they are not Christian. (or any other related faith)? So in other words do you think that this statement excludes or includes peoples who are not necessarily Christian?

 

[Shiranui117]

So many times in the New Testament, Jesus says something along the lines of "Through me you will be saved". However do you think that this being saved 'happens' for just those who acknowledge the divinity of Christ, the Messianic stature of Christ, or uphold a righteous state of living even if they are not Christian. (or any other related faith)? So in other words do you think that this statement excludes or includes peoples who are not necessarily Christian?

We know where the Holy Spirit is, but we do not know where He is not. We can certainly be more sure of your salvation if you believe and practice the True Faith. One way or another, everyone who is saved IS saved through Christ. If any are saved who are not visibly part of the Church in this life, then they'll be visibly so after the Resurrection.

 

[Gaura Priya]

So many times in the New Testament, Jesus says something along the lines of "Through me you will be saved". However do you think that this being saved 'happens' for just those who acknowledge the divinity of Christ, the Messianic stature of Christ, or uphold a righteous state of living even if they are not Christian. (or any other related faith)? So in other words do you think that this statement excludes or includes peoples who are not necessarily Christian?

"And I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all people to myself." -- John 12:32

My view of salvation is a minority one, lol. I believe that Christ's Life, Death, and Resurrection are absolutely spiritual, and that through Christ, we are all saved.

Salvation to me, means being reconciled to God, and Christ did this on the Cross as an example of ultimate love. Thus those who follow his commandment (love God in complete and utter totality, and love all beings as one does with one's self), are thus following Christ, even if they do not believe in him or God. The Gospel of Christ, which is a life of forgiveness, humility, and love, is the power of God unto salvation to those who live in this manner.

"For as all die in Adam, so all will be made alive in Christ... then the Son himself [Jesus Christ] will also be subjected to the one [God] who put all things in subjection under him, so that God may be all in all." -- 1 Corinthians 15:22,28

To love Christ means to embody Love. To know Christ means to embody Wisdom. And to hope in Christ means to be that Blessed Hope for others. To have faith in Christ means to have Faith in humanity. To worship Christ is to embody all virtue and give worth to them. To put on the mind of Christ means to think of others in concern. And to commune with Christ means to be in union with God and His entire creation.

When Christ says, "I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life;" I see this to be the way, the truth, and the life to all beings; to guide those who seek a better life; to embody truth and honesty in all we do; and to be the life-force, the staff upon which all living things may hope in. By these things, we come to Jehovah.

"Through [Christ,] God was pleased to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, by making peace through the blood of his cross." -- Colossians 1:20

Christ's example gives us the inspiration to become children of a loving Father, Jehovah. And God so loved the world and saw so much beauty in His creation, that He sent us Christ - so that we who find inspiration in him may be like him, and grant that life of goodness and beauty to others.

"Therefore just as one man’s trespass led to condemnation for all, so one man’s act of righteousness leads to justification and life for all." -- Romans 5:18

PS: I firmly believe in universal reconciliation. Please don't stone me! :angel2:

 

[Pegg]

So many times in the New Testament, Jesus says something along the lines of "Through me you will be saved". However do you think that this being saved 'happens' for just those who acknowledge the divinity of Christ, the Messianic stature of Christ, or uphold a righteous state of living even if they are not Christian. (or any other related faith)? So in other words do you think that this statement excludes or includes peoples who are not necessarily Christian?

Christ has been installed as the king of all the earth. It will be through his help that mankind (all of mankind) will be restored to perfect life. But if any reject Jesus as their king, or if they reject the way perfection is being restored, then they will not gain the salvation being offered.

Jesus comes half the way, and we must individually meet him halfway and put some effort into it by heeding his instructions. Obviously not everyone is going to heed his instructions for life. Some will reject him outright, others will cling to their own beliefs/religions.... but if God has installed Jesus as the means for salvation for all people, then there can only be one way to salvation. And that is why Jesus said only those who enter through him will be saved.

 

[Vouthon]

I don't view it exclusively.

Jesus is the Way. He is the Logos.

The Logos is present to the conscience of every person as the Uncreated Reason of God.

There is nothing here that says, "You must believe in me to get to the Father". Rather he says that without Him no one may come into the presence of the Father.

Therefore everyone who has faith, whether explicitly in Him or implicitly through a pure heart, enters through Him to salvation.

Belief and faith are not the same.

Even atheists can have "implicit faith" in God. Faith is a revelation of God to the individual conscience. If the person adheres to their conscience to the best of their abilities, then they have implicit faith.

"...Nor does Divine Providence deny the helps necessary for salvation to those who, without blame on their part, have not yet arrived at an explicit knowledge of God and with His grace strive to live a good life..."

- Vatican II [Lumen Gentium 16]

"...ince Christ died for all men, and since the ultimate vocation of man is in fact one, and divine, we ought to believe that the Holy Spirit in a manner known only to God offers to every man the possibility of being associated with this paschal mystery...The unique mediation of the Redeemer does not exclude, but rather gives rise to a manifold cooperation which is but a participation in this one source..."

- Vatican II [Gaudium et Spes 22]

So "belief" does not always equate to "faith" and "non-belief" does not always equate too "lack of faith".

JPII explained that this gift of faith is the positive response to a revelation of God to the individual non-Christian in a manner unknown to us but accommodated to that person's situation:

"...The universality of salvation means that it is granted not only to those who explicitly believe in Christ and have entered the Church. Since salvation is offered to all, it must be made concretely available to all. But it is clear that today, as in the past, many people do not have an opportunity to come to know or accept the gospel revelation or to enter the Church. The social and cultural conditions in which they live do not permit this, and frequently they have been brought up in other religious traditions. For such people salvation in Christ is accessible by virtue of a grace which, while having a mysterious relationship to the Church, does not make them formally part of the Church but enlightens them in a way which is accommodated to their spiritual and material situation. This grace comes from Christ; it is the result of his Sacrifice and is communicated by the Holy Spirit. It enables each person to attain salvation through his or her free cooperation..."

- Blessed Pope John Paul II, Redemptoris Missio (1990)

"...The Holy Spirit is not only present in other religions through authentic expressions of prayer. “The Spirit’s presence and activity”, as I wrote in the Encyclical Letter Redemptoris missio, “affect not only individuals but also society and history, peoples, cultures and religions” (n. 28).

Normally, “it will be in the sincere practice of what is good in their own religious traditions and by following the dictates of their own conscience that the members of other religions respond positively to God’s invitation and receive salvation in Jesus Christ, even while they do not recognize or acknowledge him as their Saviour (cf. Ad gentes, nn. 3, 9, 11)...”

- Blessed John Paul II, Address 1998

Clearly according to JPII's logic above, belief and faith cannot be synonymous.

Neither is this a new teaching:

"...Faith is so innate a good thing, it can be found even in those who have not yet learned to believe in God..."

- Evagrius Ponticus (345–399 AD), Early Desert Father, The Praktikos

Different translation:

"...Now faith is an interior good, one which is to be found even in those who do not yet believe in God..."

- Evagrius Ponticus (345–399 AD), Early Desert Father, The Praktikos

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