Those who were left out

[Giaour]

Jesus will make Himself known to EVERYONE.

All will have the opportunity to accept or deny Him.

He can use a dream , a burning bush, a donkey and even angels to make sure that all hear about Him.

There will be no excuses. Even on a deserted island, God will make Himself known.

[systemstrike_7]

Jesus will make Himself known to EVERYONE.

All will have the opportunity to accept or deny Him.

He can use a dream , a burning bush, a donkey and even angels to make sure that all hear about Him.

There will be no excuses. Even on a deserted island, God will make Himself known.

Ya, but if I had never read the Bible and I saw a burning bush, I would probably just put it out...

Sorry, thought I'd throw some comic relief in there...

[Smalcald]

My problem is that I don't want to deny Christ and His sacrifice or the reality of what He has done.

But scripture does point out that we are indeed pilgrims here, that our true home is in heaven. But the funny thing is the more we obsess about being in or out, the farther I think we get from this eternal heaven. In Luke it says the Kingdom of Heaven is living joyfully and peacefully in the Holy Spirit that it is also inside of us. So if you believe in Christ eternity already exists in your soul right now.

I want heaven I must admit, I want to be perfectly joined with Christ in eternity and also with my family and new family I will meet in heaven, and certainly that has selfish aspects to it. But if you read scripture to do that we must lose ourselves, as you say not think about ourselves so much, which is what humility is, which is the ultimate Christian virtue.

[HAZARD]

I'm sure this question has been asked before, maybe even by me, but it still haunts me to this day. So I will ask it in the hopes that someone can give me an answer to calm my conscience.

Throughout history and still today, there are people who have never heard the word of God or of Jesus Christ. Jesus said that no one will get to the Father except through me. If this is true, what happens to someone who never even had a chance to hear about Jesus? What if there is a remote tribe on an island off of Africa that has never heard of Jesus Christ? Does that tribe go to hell simply because they were never given the chance to make the decision to follow Christ? If so, does that truly make God merciful?

Hi 'systemstrike_7'

The Bible always has the answer to every question, although we do not always see them.

I agree, there are many billions of people who throughout history have never heard of God, or Jesus, or the Bible and died in their lack of knowledge. Even today, in central Australia, Africa, South America, China, India, and many other isolated places there are millions who have not heard, genuinly, because of the horrors in the world do not believe in any God.

Websters defines an "Atheist as: "one who believes there is no God."

Websters defines the word Heathen as: "one who is not a Christian, Jew, or Moslem; also such people collectively.

"Originally, and in the Old Testament, a member of any nation or people not worshiping the God of Israel."

Be one an "atheist," "heathen," "non-believer," or any other name not associated with and to God, God has revealed His method of dealing with these people who have never heard the gospel.

The apostle Paul stated in Romans 2:12-16 that God will do right by every man according to the light he has recieved. He said;

"For as many as have sinned without law shall also perish without law: and as many as have sinned in the law shall be judged by the law; (for not the hearers of the law are just before God, but the doers of the law shall be justified. For when the gentiles, which have not the law, do by nature the things contained in the law, these having not the law, are a law unto themselves: which shew the work of the law written in their hearts, their conscience also bearing witness, and their thoughts the meanwhile accusing or else excusing one another;) In the day when God shall judge the secrets fo men by Jesus Christ according to my gospel."

In a nutshell, Scripture shows that God will judge these people who have never heard of Him or His Gospel according to the way they lived their lives in the society they lived in and according to conscience. We all know, unless we are mentally ill, when we do wrong and when we do right.

[vicki-aka-bebe]

Hi just wanted to say that i dont have the answer thourgh scripture but i have heard that God said you cant be judged on what you dont know.. kind of like a child... how God would look or judge them... again this is just a thought and i have heard my pastor preach on it but cant remember .. i will asked him and see what he says... God bless sister vicki

[vicki-aka-bebe]

Hi just wanted to say that i dont have the answer thourgh scripture but i have heard that God said you cant be judged on what you dont know.. kind of like a child... how God would look or judge them... again this is just a thought and i have heard my pastor preach on it but cant remember .. i will asked him and see what he says... God bless sister vicki

i also wanted to say that i do believe that all will hear of God one way or other .. now that might sound nuts but just my thinking on it... maybe that is why i shouldnt think to much..lol sis vicki

[HAZARD]

I'm sure this question has been asked before, maybe even by me, but it still haunts me to this day. So I will ask it in the hopes that someone can give me an answer to calm my conscience.

Throughout history and still today, there are people who have never heard the word of God or of Jesus Christ. Jesus said that no one will get to the Father except through me. If this is true, what happens to someone who never even had a chance to hear about Jesus? What if there is a remote tribe on an island off of Africa that has never heard of Jesus Christ? Does that tribe go to hell simply because they were never given the chance to make the decision to follow Christ? If so, does that truly make God merciful?

Hi 'systemstrike_7'

The Bible always has the answer to every question, although we do not always see them.

I agree, there are many billions of people who throughout history have never heard of God, or Jesus, or the Bible and died in their lack of knowledge. Even today, in central Australia, Africa, South America, China, India, and many other isolated places there are millions who have not heard, genuinly, because of the horrors in the world do not believe in any God.

Websters defines an "Atheist as: "one who believes there is no God."

Websters defines the word Heathen as: "one who is not a Christian, Jew, or Moslem; also such people collectively.

"Originally, and in the Old Testament, a member of any nation or people not worshiping the God of Israel."

Be one an "atheist," "heathen," "non-believer," or any other name not associated with and to God, God has revealed His method of dealing with these people who have never heard the gospel.

The apostle Paul stated in Romans 2:12-16 that God will do right by every man according to the light he has recieved. He said;

"For as many as have sinned without law shall also perish without law: and as many as have sinned in the law shall be judged by the law; (for not the hearers of the law are just before God, but the doers of the law shall be justified. For when the gentiles, which have not the law, do by nature the things contained in the law, these having not the law, are a law unto themselves: which shew the work of the law written in their hearts, their conscience also bearing witness, and their thoughts the meanwhile accusing or else excusing one another;) In the day when God shall judge the secrets fo men by Jesus Christ according to my gospel."

In a nutshell, Scripture shows that God will judge these people who have never heard of Him or His Gospel according to the way they lived their lives in the society they lived in and according to conscience. We all know, unless we are mentally ill, when we do wrong and when we do right.

HAZARD, that was a very well put together, organized thought, but unfortunately a weak one. How can the bible hold the answer to every question? And if it does, who do we rely on to show it to us? The Holy Spirit? How do we know the difference between the Holy Spirit and just a really good feeling that we think is the Holy Spirit?

Secondly, you accounted for all the heathens and non believers and atheists, but what about the man on the backside of china, who isnt an athiest, nor a non believer, nor a heathen, just uneducated. What happens to them? Even beyond the ones who dont believe because of the horrors of the world. What about the guy who lives in his hut in podunk china, fishing everyday and taking care of his family? he doesnt believe in a God because the concept of diety has never occured to him.

________________________________________________________________

A heathen is a person who does not believe in God for many and various reasons. So what? Who are we to judge why they do not believe?

An Atheist, also is one who believes there is no God for many and various reasons. Who are we to judge them? Thats God's job not ours.

I dont care what anyone says about me, I dont give a flying Ka-Hoona whether anyone believe what I say or what the Scriptures say, thats their business. As free moral agents people can believe what they like.

Forget about what I said ok, slow down and read these Scriptures again and think them through;

These Scriptures below, stated by Paul cover the very persons you mentioned in your statement which I will quote.

"What about the guy who lives in his hut in podunk china, fishing everyday and taking care of his family? he doesnt believe in a God because the concept of diety has never occured to him"

.

"For as many as have sinned without law shall also perish without law: and as many as have sinned in the law shall be judged by the law"

"For not the hearers of the law are just before God, but the doers of the law shall be justified"

"For when the gentiles, which have not the law, do by nature the things contained in the law, these having not the law, are a law unto themselves"

"Which shew the work of the law written in their hearts, their conscience also bearing witness, and their thoughts the meanwhile accusing or else excusing one another"

"In the day when God shall judge the secrets fo men by Jesus Christ according to my gospel." (Romans 2:12-16).

Law books can be thousands of pages thick. I dont know them all, do you? Yet I do the right thing regardless. I dont steal, rape women and children, kill people etc., get my drift. The Bible is also a book not available to many millions of people and who can know it all. So will God reject them because of this, or because they have not ever seen some minister?

You see, there are some people in the world who do the right thing, not having a law book or even knowing any man made laws, yet they kill, steal, rape, etc.. There are others who know the law backwards and commit crime, and others who own and study the Bible and commit sin their entire lives? Common sense, asnt ehabove scriptures teach will prevail when God judges people

[Godslove333]

I'm sure this question has been asked before, maybe even by me, but it still haunts me to this day. So I will ask it in the hopes that someone can give me an answer to calm my conscience.

Throughout history and still today, there are people who have never heard the word of God or of Jesus Christ. Jesus said that no one will get to the Father except through me. If this is true, what happens to someone who never even had a chance to hear about Jesus? What if there is a remote tribe on an island off of Africa that has never heard of Jesus Christ? Does that tribe go to hell simply because they were never given the chance to make the decision to follow Christ? If so, does that truly make God merciful?

Hi

As per my point of view every one has god within themselves.i.e everyone has conscience in their heart.so each and very moment of the life God speaks to the man through his/her conscience.God won't see whether a man is christian or he well knows all the words in the bible.

As the bible says Matthew 7: 21

"Not everyone who says to me 'Lord','Lord ',shall enter the kingdom of heaven,but he who does the will of my Father in heaven"

So God's only willness for man is to live as good human right?

Edited November 3, 2007 by Rubi

[JB Horn]

Christian Hedonism?

Thats just it. I believe that very question, "Where will I go when I die?", is selfish. I dont care where i go. I believe that if i live as Christ lived, stay faithful to my wife, faithful to God, love my family, then life right now will be wonderful. I want to live life to the fullest, i want to enrich relationships. I want to love people, and serve people. If all i do between now and death is deepen one relationship, if all i do between now and death is set in concrete one friendship, in and through Christ, then i've succeeded. I want to live as Jesus lived. I dont want to always keep a wary eye on my soul, and worry about death, and after death. What a horrible waste of this beautiful live i've been given. To just want to rush to the end. I hear Christians non-stop say "I wish i could just get to heaven." "Oh if only Jesus would come now."

Come ON. Lets live!!! Lets enrich our lives through relationship with other people, lets dare to cross the line and turn friendships into extended family members. I say stop being perfect, or trying to achieve perfection. I find it sad to think that most Christians are so unhappy with their lives because they try to reach a standard set for them by people who couldn't attain it themselves, and all because they think its biblical.

Thoughtful this sounds like Christian Hedonism to me. Am I correct?

JB

[stan4257]

"Im not worried about where im going, to heaven or to hell, and more so i dont really believe in a heaven or a hell."

"i personally dont put much stock into the afterlife. "

Things have changed a lot since the early church.

Paul says in 1 Cor 15:19

"If only for this life we have hope in Christ, we are to be pitied more than all men."