Views of Salvation, Eternity, and how they match up to Scripture?

[KC02]

What is the restrictivitst view and what are Scriptures to support it?

 

The restrictivist view holds that only those who have made a conscience decision in this life to believe and follow Christ will be saved. All others will be judged on what they understand about the Gospel, or what they should have understood about the Gospel.  This is the most narrow and conservative view on the fate of the unevangelized. Nevertheless, it does seem to best parallel Jesus’ teachings. For example, Jesus declared, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me” (Jn. 14:6). Exclusivity is undeniably a factor in the salvation that God offers the world through His son. St. Peter echoes this fact in Acts 4:12, “Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to mankind by which we must be saved.” It is very clear that a belief in Jesus is a prerequisite for salvation.

 

(taken from a paper I wrote some time ago)

[Johnlove]

Jesus made it very clear in the following verse who it is that will be in Heaven with God.  Only those who do the will of the Father in Heaven will enter God’s kingdom.  The will of the Father is to hear, and obey our lord Jesus Christ.

(Matthew 7:21) “It is not those who say to me, ‘Lord, Lord’, who will enter the kingdom of Heaven but the person who does the will of My Father in Heaven.  When the day comes many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, cast out demons in your name, work many miracles in your name?’  Then I shall tell them to their faces: I have never known you; away from me, you evil men!”

Edited June 19, 2014 by Johnlove

[Guest]

Jesus made it very clear in the following verse who it is that will be in Heaven with God.  Only those who do the will of the Father in Heaven will enter God’s kingdom.  The will of the Father is to hear, and obey our lord Jesus Christ.

(Matthew 7:21) “It is not those who say to me, ‘Lord, Lord’, who will enter the kingdom of Heaven but the person who does the will of My Father in Heaven.  When the day comes many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, cast out demons in your name, work many miracles in your name?’  Then I shall tell them to their faces: I have never known you; away from me, you evil men!”

 

~

 

The Will Of The Father

 

For my Father's will is that everyone who looks to the Son and believes in him shall have eternal life, and I will raise them up at the last day." John 6:40 (NIV)

[Guest]

What is the restrictivitst view and what are Scriptures to support it?

 

~

 

God

 

Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat:

 

Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it. Matthew 7:13-14

 

Knows

 

Praising God, and having favour with all the people. And the Lord added to the church daily such as should be saved. Acts 2:47

 

See

 

For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. John 3:16

[Johnlove]

 And a cloud came, covering them in shadow; and from the cloud there came a voice, 'This is my Son, the Beloved. Listen to him.'

God the Father told the apostles to listen to Jesus, and one may not believe that means obey.  The following verse tells us that the only way one will ever enter the kingdom of God is to obey what Jesus taught.

(Matthew 7:21) “It is not those who say to me, ‘Lord, Lord’, who will enter the kingdom of Heaven but the person who does the will of My Father in Heaven.  When the day comes many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, cast out demons in your name, work many miracles in your name?’  Then I shall tell them to their faces: I have never known you; away from me, you evil men!”

Edited June 20, 2014 by Johnlove

[GoldenEagle]

What is the inclusivist view?

 

[KC02]

What is the inclusivist view?

 

Adherents believe that God will judge mankind by their heart, not their head. In simple terms, if one does what is Christlike, whether they know Him explicitly or not, they will be judged on this basis. They hold that Christ is the only way to heaven but one doesn’t necessarily have to know Him to be saved. If one does what is right, it shows the state of their heart. They support this view by pointing to Verses such as Romans 2:14-16. People will be judged, according to adherents, on the light they have received, not necessarily what know about Jesus Christ.

 

My source for this info:

 

Boyd, Gregory A., and Paul R. Eddy. Across the Spectrum: Understanding Issues in Evangelical Theology. 2 edition. Grand Rapids, Mich: Baker Academic, 2009.

[Salty]

In a member mentioned different views of Christianity regarding salvation, eternal life, etc. How would you describe these views, how do they match up with Scripture, and where do you land on the various views?

 

The universal opportunity view

The postmortem evangelism view

The restrictivist view

The inclusivist view

God bless,

GE

 

Since such views are ideas from men's traditions loosely based on God's Word, why even consider them? One of the most important things for the Christian to learn, especially in our day, is how some men love to apply secularist types of thinking they learned in some school with thinking that will open God's Truth in His Word, i.e., like some secret formula. In reality God's Word is simple but at the same time requires one to be disciplined it It in order to come to The Truth upon receiving understanding by The Holy Spirit. No one will understand It without God's direct help through His Son by The Holy Spirit.

 

This is why our Lord Jesus in John 10 warned us about the "hireling" among His sheep. There are many preachers that are hirelings, because they don't own the sheep, those instead preach for wheat and barley (money), treating it like a job or business, making a living. Our Lord Jesus is comparing this to a shepherd that is paid hire, so when the wolves come the hireling flees and leaves the sheep to the wolves, since they aren't really his sheep.

 

Since those hirelings exist on that level, what about the schools that train them up to treat that office like a business? Are not those who train them responsible too? Yes, they are, even though many of them would deny it. This is how and why the hirelings keep creating their own religious doctrinal language in some seminaries; it's just another way of doing business like a hireling.

[KC02]

Since such views are ideas from men's traditions loosely based on God's Word, why even consider them?

 

 

The alternative is to choose to be ignorant of major views held by Christians historically around the world. The value in considering different viewpoints is simply to have an examined Christian worldview. You should know what you believe and be able to support it. If you find, however, that you can't support your viewpoint from a Biblical perspective, then there is great value in that alone.

[GoldenEagle]

 

Since such views are ideas from men's traditions loosely based on God's Word, why even consider them?

 

 

The alternative is to choose to be ignorant of major views held by Christians historically around the world. The value in considering different viewpoints is simply to have an examined Christian worldview. You should know what you believe and be able to support it. If you find, however, that you can't support your viewpoint from a Biblical perspective, then there is great value in that alone.

 

 

Very well said KC02.

Perhaps one of the issues we face as the Church today is we're too scared to think outside of the little box that is our lives. We need to evaluate ideas based on Scripture. And when people present ideas that are contrary to Scripture we should be familiar enough with the Bible to share with them the truth as the Holy Spirit leads.

God bless,

GE