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Lv 6

To Christians: God has revealed himself through two revelations. The first being general revelation, as?

demonstrated by his creation, and as referenced in Romans 1:19-20. The second by his special revelation as is revealed in scripture, given to us by god through his special relationship with the Jewish people.

Given that even people who have not received the special revelation, say an aboriginal tribesman in the Amazon jungle, will be held "without excuse" because of general revelation, can their faith in the creator, who's evidence of existence surrounds them, be counted as righteousness sufficient to be a saving grace?

I can see how Jesus, as second person of the trinity, and savior might allow this. And I can see how in so doing this might not contradict the biblical verse

John 14:6 "Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me."

and in the book of Acts, speaking of Jesus;

Acts 4:12 "Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved."

So, Are those who are held without excuse for not knowing the gospels, saved by the grace of Jesus in whom they have never heard? Or are they damned? And if possible, please back up your opinions with citations of biblical verses to demonstrate.

Update:

Acts 2:38,

If you feel that the creation is insufficient proof of the existence of the creator, then you will probably have some explaining to do at the end of the millenium.

Fireball,

Agreed, there will be converts during the Great Tribulation, but my question dealt with those that die without hearing the good news. Does Jesus judge them as righteous due to their faith in a creator, or are they to be judged as lost? Seems to me a loving God would provide a means for those that trust him, even if they have not heard the gospel, to be covered by his grace and mercy.

Bluebird,

But which resurrection? The Bema seat at the end of the tribulation, or the Great White Throne Judgment at the end of the Millenium? The bema seat is where the rewards earned by christians are to be distributed. The Great White Throne judgment is where those who are dead and not in Christ are raised from the dead and cast into the lake of fire.

Brother Trucker,

In reading acts 2, as you suggested I see

9 Answers

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  • Linda
    Lv 7
    7 years ago

    Bluebird is correct. The bible tells us that one cannot be judged without the law. The good news is being preached all over the world at this very moment, in fulfillment of Matthew 24:14 but at the end there will still be those individuals who have not heard it.

    God looks at the motivations of our hearts and there will be some, who will be saved through the end because He sees something in them worth saving. Most of the dead will be resurrected and be given a chance to learn the truth about God.

  • 7 years ago

    You forgot one, its direct revelation, the thing the true parts of the Bible are based on. Read Acts 2.

    If you believe in the special relationship the Jews had with their god do you still sacrifice humans to it as described in the last chapter of Leviticus? Sometimes the illumination you refer to is false illumination. That's why Jesus told the parable of light becoming darkness.

    Now lets get back to the illumination of the tribesman of the Amazon. Seeing as God gives this illumination to those He chooses and many of those aboriginal people know a lot mare about peace and living in harmony with the world why not leave them in peace until you are willing to learn from them.

    The longest running peaceful confederacy in the history of the world is the 6 Nations Confederacy. It lasted thousands of years until it was at last partially destroyed by white missionaries trying to convert them.

  • 7 years ago

    I am persuaded that God doesn't want everybody who ever lived on the earth. I think that John 3:16 needs to be governed by Jesus' words to the Father; not praying for the whole world on purpose and saying so:

    John 17

    9 "I pray for them. I am not praying for the world, but for those you have given me, for they are yours."

    So God did see a division. And the logic of my stance seems justified; God could have had 7000 prophets wandering the whole earth at any given time, even to the time of Isaiah, Jeremiah, Hosea, etc. But he didn't.

    By the way, have you took these verses in for contemplation?

    John 14

    22 Then Judas (not Judas Iscariot) said, “But, Lord, why do you intend to show yourself to us and not to the world?”

    23 Jesus replied, “Anyone who loves me will obey my teaching. My Father will love them, and we will come to them and make our home with them. 24 Anyone who does not love me will not obey my teaching. These words you hear are not my own; they belong to the Father who sent me."

  • 7 years ago

    Good question!

    Ask yourself, who is the CREATOR? Read John 1:3 and Colossians 1:16 and Hebrews 1:2.

    Ask yourself how can they know they are sinful and have a need to repent? Could God's Law be written on their hearts (and conscience)?

    I can see where they may have all they need to repent and believe......

    Source(s): I am confident that God can work out the details of how this is accomplished. For example, today, God may send a missionary to share the gospel with them.
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  • ?
    Lv 7
    7 years ago

    i dont know who is teaching you this "crap" but God and Jesus have been appearing to manking without stopping since the day Adam was cast out of the garden of eden.

    God has always appeared to prophets, and the Lord Jesus christ has always appeared to mankind where prophets also keep the commandments and Love him.

    while saying the creation is a good example of revelation, no less than Enoch, Abraham and Moses all SAW the creation as God manifested the visions of it unto them.

    but Enoch and Noah Walked with God. and Moses and Abraham talked with God as a man talks to another. so already there are more than your two kinds of revelation. He shows himself bodily as described in Gen 18. not only does (the Lord) God appear but he sits with abraham and eats the food that abraham prepares for him. Jesus likewise appeared in the 40 days after his resurrection to his apostles and one day he appeared on the shore and cooked fish and ate it with them.

    John 21: 9

    9 As soon then as they were come to land, they saw a fire of coals there, and fish laid thereon, and bread.

    and its been reported throughout the centuries that jesus has appeared unto men. not always in the flesh but by similitude and dreams (of course) depending on their faith and sanctification. i stood in the presense of jesus in 3 visions, and have come to many dreams.

    btw read my last few posts about the trinity, its not a true doctrine, and those that believe in the trinity are the same that have a different gospel. according to Gal 1:6-9 remember, the protestants never had the laying on of hands. neither was there ever any prophet or priest to ordain another priest. the way Moses ordained Aaron, this is also a proof that the protestants have a different gospel.

    Heb. 5: 4

    4 And no man taketh this honour unto himself, but he that is called of God, as was Aaron.

    http://classic.scriptures.lds.org/en/num/27/23#23

    23 And he laid his hands upon him, and gave him a charge, as the Lord commanded by the hand of Moses.

  • G C
    Lv 7
    7 years ago

    There is no where on earth that has not heard of Christ.

    Remember, though, that you are responsible for what you know and for what you could have found out. When you are pulled over for speeding, does it matter if you did not know the speed?

  • ?
    Lv 7
    7 years ago

    Anyone who can not receive the Gospel because of their Government or being lost in da Jungle. Will be in Heaven.

  • 7 years ago

    God will make a way.

  • Anonymous
    7 years ago

    The universe is no more proof of God than it is proof of the easter bunny.

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