Posted on 10/29/2016 3:23:42 PM PDT by Maudeen
The number of professing Christians is declining in America. And it’s not just because of the media, the public schools or even activism by atheists. It’s because Christians themselves are genuinely ignorant about the tenets of their faith, according to a new study. . . . .
(Excerpt) Read more at wnd.com ...
This is sad.
Emphasis on “professing”.
I’ll play the “Devil’s Advocate” (heh) here and ask what about the millions that lived and died before Christ was even born or who otherwise never had the opportunity to reject Jesus?
Ping.
Like the tribes in the Amazon.
One thing that makes me sad is that I respect some atheists and hedonists more than some Christians.
Some Christians get raised by the right family, have the right educators, etc — they believe in Jesus and go to heaven. Others lose out on that. Great people, but they are supposed to go to hell.
I have a wonderful relative. He wanted to be a priest. Went to seminary and changed — now an agnostic, but a wonderful humanitarian.
He goes to hell.
But suppose the Clintons repent on their death beds and go to heaven.
My relative goes to hell and they don’t?
“Like the tribes in the Amazon.”
==
Or Australia or Oceania, so on & so on..
“what about the millions that lived and died before Christ was even born or who otherwise never had the opportunity to reject Jesus?”
A common answer is “we don’t know, but we do know about those, you for example, who have had that opportunity.”
Many of the amazonian tribes have very different ideas about sex.
If they dont know it’s a sin, is it?
Because that which may be known of God is manifest in them; for God hath shewed it unto them. For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse.
~Romans 1:19-20
But wait. There's more.
Because that, when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened.
Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools,
And changed the glory of the uncorruptible God into an image made like to corruptible man, and to birds, and fourfooted beasts, and creeping things.
Wherefore God also gave them up to uncleanness through the lusts of their own hearts, to dishonour their own bodies between themselves:
Who changed the truth of God into a lie, and worshipped and served the creature more than the Creator, who is blessed for ever. Amen ~Romans 1:21-25
And then ...
For this cause God gave them up unto vile affections: for even their women did change the natural use into that which is against nature:
And likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust one toward another; men with men working that which is unseemly, and receiving in themselves that recompence of their error which was meet.
And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a reprobate mind, to do those things which are not convenient;
Being filled with all unrighteousness, fornication, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder, debate, deceit, malignity; whisperers,
Backbiters, haters of God, despiteful, proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents,
Without understanding, covenantbreakers, without natural affection, implacable, unmerciful:
Who knowing the judgment of God, that they which commit such things are worthy of death, not only do the same, but have pleasure in them that do them.
~Romans 1:26-32
Sound familiar? That's in the NEW Testament, by the way.
You cannot profess to be a Christian, and simultaneously believe there is another way to heaven apart from Jesus. And this, logically, also means Hell is real, and the result of NOT believing in Christ.
To believe otherwise is to NOT be a Christian. Period. Things like The Rapture and timing are very debatable. The basic tenet of Christianity is not.
Then I guess there will be lots and lots of Asians burning forever.
You aren’t born knowing about the Jewish/Christian God.
It’s not genetic.
And not every single person that doesn’t believe in the Jewish/Christian God is going to hell.
Bookmarked
Yeah, too bad. Some of them I know are really nice.
> Then I guess there will be lots and lots of Asians burning forever.
There will be lots and lots of every ancestry burning forever.
We are without excuse.
God is clear.
Seek Him and you will find Him.
Seek Him not, and you will find Hell.
As one pastor once said to me, we will be surprised when we see the people who are in Heaven, and we will also be surprised about the ones we do not see there.
My understanding based on my biblical studies is that the default position after death for a human is hell - separation from God. It is only through God’s grace anyone is saved. If you think of Heaven as analogous to God’s home why should he let anyone in His house if they don’t even accept that He exists.
But what about tribes and those who never knew about Jesus? I have no idea. It is in God’s hands not mine.
This might offer some light on the subject. There are other references on this site as well. https://gotquestions.org/Old-Testament-salvation.html
Like Jewish ancestry?
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