This essentially covers it however the pre-Christian Jews who believed in a coming Messiah are also (imo) saved) because they could not believe in the person of Jesus before Jesus was alive on Earth.
Secondly, there will be a lot of “Christians” who will be disappointed when the souls of Christ’s followers are called up to be with him and *they* were left out. The Good Shepherd knows His sheep and His sheep hear His voice. IMO, if a person has not developed a personal relationship with Christ where He is Lord of their life but merely went through the motions of “playing church” or “trying to be good”, I could not guarantee their salvation no matter how generous or saintly their behavior seems to the outside world.
Many of those will be the ones claiming Christ is too narrow-minded or bigoted. Yet even applying those terms to the Holy and perfect God displays a mindset that thinks their own value system is superior to God’s. We are to be trusting as children before God as He knows what we don’t and our ways are not His ways. It is a sin of pride to think we know better.
Thanks for your comments.
“Many of those will be the ones claiming Christ is too narrow-minded or bigoted. Yet even applying those terms to the Holy and perfect God displays a mindset that thinks their own value system is superior to God’s. We are to be trusting as children before God as He knows what we don’t and our ways are not His ways. It is a sin of pride to think we know better.”
Our pastor was preaching on Revelation (again, doing a long series) - and this was on the wrath of God.
He made the comment that Jesus only came down hard on the religous leaders. Their self-rightousness, holier than thou attitudes, etc. (I wonder though - were the money changers in the temple religous leaders? He also drove out the merchants, who I would imagine were just regular merchants.)
I might need to review his actual verbiage (on-line recording) and send him an email! But - his point was, Jesus had a lot more mercy on the ordinary people and sinners of the day than he did the corrupt religious leaders.
He didn’t discuss it - but in the chapter that he was preaching about it talks about the 12,000 from each of the 12 tribes of Israel, along with the Christians. (Note - our church, as do I, view the 12,000 as just a number representive completeness, or whole (or something like that, I forget the term). But the numbers 12, 10, 144 (12x12), 7, etc. are just symbolic, and are symbolic all through the Bible.