Hostages made their own trouble

I stand by my statement, because none of the instances that you cited made reference to turning away from their current practices. Also, when the Centurion came to have his servant healed, Jesus didn’t heal with any conditions. He didn’t at anytime attempt to convert the Centurion. This is only one example.

You said:
“...when the Centurion came to have his servant healed, Jesus didn’t heal with any conditions. He didn’t at anytime attempt to convert the Centurion...”

There were many instances when Christ performed physical healings. Do not+ mistake these with the spiritual healing from sin that is necessary for one to be a true follower of Christ and which leads to everlasting life in heaven. The once-captive Israelites were witnesses of God’s miraculous deliverance and recipients of His wonders, but they died in the wilderness because of their unbelief—they had not been converted in their minds or their hearts.

Again, you said:/
...”none of the instances that you cited made reference to turning away from their current practices...”

Don’t know how to help you understand then. The scriptures could not be any clearer. “God wishes that none should perish, but that all should come to repentance.”
[repentance here is the Greek word metanoia, which by implication means a reversal from one’s decision, i.e. reversal from one’s sin.]

I even wonder about the notion of Jesus never healing with conditions. On several instances He says, “According to thy faith...,” and in another place it is remarked how, “Jesus could not do many works there because of their unbelief.” These words are recorded in the Scriptures. Your responses and mine have to reconcile these scriptures or else we are substituting our thoughts for God’s thoughts.

I stand by my statements that I see as based in scripture, and don’t feel the need to reinerate except to say that, Jesus never said that the healing would take place if the petitioner or the sick turned away from their current religion and followed Him.

I still believe that the poor Korean hostages should not have placed themselves in that position in the first place for a number of reasons. Please see my previous posts.

Perhaps a battle zone is not the best place to exercise one’s call to missionary work. That being said, many, many missionaries find themselves in the middle of things in different lands. I don’t think it is right for the Christian missionary to seek/expect help from his home government when things become dicey.

As to Jesus’ call to turn away from a current religion...

“I am the way, the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except by me.”

Jesus’ exclusive claim to be the one and only means to Heaven (through faith in His atoning death on the cross) is the central claim of biblical Christianity. Since the Bible elsewhere says, “There is none that seek after Him,. They have all gone out of the way...,” the implication is that each and every individual must turn in order to receive the free gift of eternal life found in Christ. This is what the scriptures say. Anything less, anything different is simply not biblical.

We are in agreement of battle zone missionary work. Although I wouldn't discount calling upon the homeland to intervene on their behalf. My scriptural point is, once again, that Jesus didn't say, 'I'll heal that person if they turn away from their current religion.' He never told the Centurion that He wouldn't heal his servant unless he followed Jesus. Not one instance. I firmly believe in a God that is merciful.

God is indeed merciful. And just. As I stated earlier, He did indeed perform physical healings with no strings attached. But, the more important healing (spiritual healing/regeneration/being born again) He cannot do unless a person comes to Him by faith, acknowledges their sin and TURNS from living a sinful/sin-filled lifestyle. The sinner who comes to Christ believing that there is forgiveness found in His finished work on the cross (where Christ became the sin-bearer) receives God’s mercy and grace. He does so because God’s justice, His hatred and judgement for sin was poured out on His own dear Son.
Make no mistake, sin has an eternal penalty. Happily, God in Christ paid the penalty Himself.

Fine, but that is not what this is about. This is about these people putting themselves in harm’s way when there is plenty of work right in their neighborhood.

The stress and fear that they have created not only for themselves, but for their families, friends, and fellow Koreans was unneeded. Perhaps they don’t know it, but it was very selfish nonetheless.

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