Posted on 07/08/2023 12:29:30 PM PDT by JAG 5000
Question: How is God good or just to abandon to Hell those who have never even heard the gospel?
JAG Writes:
Consider the following:
First, we Bible believing Christians start with the true proclamation that God always does that which is right.
This means that the God who always does what is right, world-wide and history-wide, is never going to abandon one of His elect to Gehenna, but will find a way to save them and give them the gift of eternal life as per John 3:16's "shall not perish but have eternal life."
Second, we Bible believing Christians MUST stay within the confines of doctrinal orthodoxy and so we hold solid and fast to John 14:6 that correctly teaches: no man can come to the Father except through believing in the Lord Jesus as his Savior.
Third, none of the above prevents us from considering the following:
Eternal Now. With regard to God's knowledge there is no past. present and future. God sees everything in the Eternal NOW. God's Omniscience demands this position. God now knows all that can be known, God does not learn new information and new truths.
So?
So the Eternal NOW knowledge is God's reality. And God's reality IS REALITY.
What YOU (we) can see is very limited and what YOU (we) can see IS NOT REALITY.
God has Middle Knowledge -- what that means is that God sees and knows fully what every human being would choose to do under all possible sets of different circumstances.
Let us take for an example a man named Akua Adisa, born in Africa in the year 1600 A.D.
Akua lived and died never knowing a single word of the gospel message.
God's Middle Knowledge knows precisely what Akua Adisa will choose to do in all possible sets of circumstances --
-- for example if Akua Adisa had been born in, say, South Carolina in the year 1990 A.D. and had traveled to hear Franklin Graham preach the gospel.
___________________________
HOW IS THIS ↓ CONCLUSION NOT COMPELLING?
If the Sovereign God knows that Akua Adisa would
have accepted the Lord Jesus as his Savior if he had been born in the year 1990 A.D.
in South Carolina when he heard Franklin Graham preach the gospel then in God's
reality Akua Adisa has accepted the Lord Jesus as his Savior and has therefore
fulfilled the requirements of John 14:6 no man can come to the Father except through faith in the Lord
Jesus.
ARE WE NOT COMPELLED TO REACH THIS ↑ CONCLUSION?
Thoughts?
__________________________
PS God's Omniscience demands we hold that God has what the philosophers call Middle Knowledge.
JAG
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The OP does not say what you assume it says.
I do not hold the position that you incorrectly assume I hold.
You either did not read the OP, or you are not interested in doing the mental work required to understand what the OP actually says.
Best
JAG
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The OP does not say what you assume it says.
I do not hold the position that you incorrectly assume I hold.
You either did not read the OP, or you are not interested in doing the mental work required to understand what the OP actually says.
Best
JAG
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Free Will.
Best
JAG
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(I’m not sure I get your point) ?
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All of God’s elect will be saved. By God’s methods which he already has in motion. He doesn’t have to figure anything out.
God is just and all knowing, so He knows if one who never heard the gospel would have believed and accepted if he had heard. One is cast into Hell because one refuses to accept the Lordship of Jesus over their life, so if that person wouldn’t have accepted Jesus, then he could justifiably be cast into Hell. We are all saved by God’s grace.
It sounds like there’s no way to really know, what happens with people who live in non-Christian lands who have never heard the gospel.
What about Muslims in Saudi Arabia, where it’s illegal to have a Bible or talk about Christianity?
What about people who are not raised with Christianity, but were raised in other faith traditions?
What about people who have heard of Christianity but just never explored the subject?
Is there any way for any of us to know how God views such people?
Paul said that no one has an excuse for not believing in God. Just look at the heavens. If anyone can look up at those heavens or see a butterfly or some other part of nature and has a *sincere* heart to know the God who created them, God will also send someone to tell them about Jesus, or I believe that Jesus will visit them, Himself.
Psalm 9: 7-10.....God will not forsake those who seek Him. The world is awash with the true Gospel...but other matters, excuses, hostility, pride, addictions to sin, prevent people from seeking God and the offer of forgiveness, repentance, and obedience to Gods’ laws(which are healthy for us).
my take from what little I know of the Bible, but God having brought me through much in life:
For people in any land that have not had a chance to hear the Gospel, God knows each person’s heart.
He knows whether or not they believe in Him (be it through nature or whatever that encourages them to believe in a Creator God of ALL.
The original poster doesn’t mention nor consider what about all who lived BEFORE Jesus and never had a chance to hear the Gospel, are they all doomed to hell? Moses, Abraham etc etc people we don’t know and never will know the names of...
Of course not.
Don’t we all (every single person ever created, aborted, miscarried, lived any length off time) face the Judgement?
I think those who never got the chance to hear the Gospel but believed in a Creator God of All will recognize Jesus as Savior when they see Him then.
I am assuming nothing about you. I am addressing the topic.
If we agree that God is good and does nothing wrong, and so conjecture that maybe those who never hear the gospel get saved anyway, then it begs the question, why share the gospel?
It has nothing to do with you, personally. I am participating in a forum.
And I did read the OP
If they bother you so much become a missionary and evangelize them
Romans:
19 Because that which may be known of God is manifest in them; for God hath shewed it unto them.
20 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:
To your primary question, the answer is, “We don’t know.”
I agree with you here. There are things we will not understand. Yet I will always believe God is merciful and can forgive those who love Him.
Yes. Romans 1.
He commands his followers to go into all the world
= = =
Where is ‘all the world’?
All over the Earth, or
all throughout worldly society?
32 posts before someone...that’d be you =o)...finally posts the correct answer.
Everyone knows and all are without excuse.
Good for you my brother...or brother-ette =o)
Romans 2: 12-16.
Paul show that even those who don’t know the revealed laws of God have their own conscience and permit certain actions and ban others. They will be judged by Christ(who is fair) by their conscience and their resultant actions. It is a mystery to us about exactly how.
I do believe that those who, after the resurrection of Christ, truly seek God will find Him through Christ. And those who had no chance to receive Christ, will be judged by Christ based on their own conscious...and fairly.
I hope this helps.
Freegards
Hey thanks. It wasn’t a race but none of the quoted scripture was coming close to what I had in my head. A few searches in my Bible ap got right on track.
“He showed us. He told us. Made manifest to all.” And that ‘from the creation of the world’ part really adds some pizzazz to it. Beautiful verses.
Questions like “Why is peanut butter sticky?” will never be answered.
Oh no. Not suggesting a race, by any means.
I simply found it interesting how long it took for someone to post the biblical answer. If you didn’t, I would have and it would have been the EXACT same reference. Everyone already knows, however most want an excuse to pretend ignorance, to continue upon their flesh path.
Be encouraged. Very sincerely =oh
Continue to declare the Word!
The world is so hungry for the Truth.
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