American Christians Cave on Core Beliefs Only 40% say hell is for those who reject Jesus

World Net Daily ^ | October 29, 2016 | WND Exclusive

[Catsrus]

You err: Here are many Scriptures which refute your belief:

https://www.openbible.info/topics/backsliders

[ifinnegan]

Beside the point to the person using this as an excuse to not accept Christ which is the only reason people pose that question.

[vpintheak]

Pathetic. Parents and teachers are too scared of teaching the Truth because it may hurt feelings or offend. Jesus said his Word is sharpers than a 2 edged sword. The Truth does that. It cuts you to the core and points you to Him.

[HiTech RedNeck]

You err, and misread those scriptures.

Would you like me to explain, verse by verse? Just tell me so, or tell me the chief ones, and I will make my best to give you a godly reading.

I boast, but in Christ, who never makes a promise only to back out of it. I might renege on a promise; you might renege on a promise; God never will.

[tbpiper]

So, accepting the existence of a generic creator God is what keeps them out of hell?

No. Satan knows from experience that God exists and he's going to be the chief resident of hell.

God is not 'generic'. He is not a creator, He is the creator. If you genuinely want know, go read Romans and the gospel of John.

[Maudeen]

I am certainly not a theologian, and am not trying to cop out on the question. . . but as one person put it on AnswersfromtheBook.org “The question of how God dealt with everyone else will be totally irrelevant when we stand before Him, for each of us will stand alone before Him someday. The only thing that will matter is how WE responded to the grace of God and the Message of the Gospel.”

We have all been given a directive . . .to spread the Gospel. Matthew 28:16-20

[Fai Mao]

The answer is we don’t know. But most were probably damned eternally. That said anyone that truly seeks will find. The Bible says that those in the past “looked forward to this day. Abraham believed it was coming and it was credited to him as righteousness”

As to those who haven’t heard today, if they’re lack of hearing bothers you then become a missionary.

[Safrguns]

>>> Sorry, to disappoint you, but this isn’t Scriptural.

Giving your life to Jesus makes you HIS possession.

God declares in scripture that His possessions cannot be snatched from His hand.

So yes.. it is scriptural.

[LouieFisk]

“The answer is we don’t know.”
==
That’s an honest answer. But I imagine people who are honestly inquiring will find it unsatisfying one re:the eternal fate of at least hundreds of millions.
I think it’s good for Christians to take on such questions and to reach answers that work for them.

[Catsrus]

No, they can’t be snatched, but, they can turn their backs on Him. Read further. Jesus said in that day that many will say to Him, Lord, Lord, haven’t we done many good works in they name, etc. Jesus will say to them - “Depart from me, I never knew you.” So, you can’t take one Scripture out of context and build a doctrine on it. Read the first 3 chapters of Revelation where Jesus addresses the churches. He has some very harsh things to say to some of them. We have to look at one Scripture in light of another. This is where false doctrines come in - so, please pray about this, and I think God will open your eyes.

[HiTech RedNeck]

What commonly happens is the people who think they aren’t backsliding are actually living up to the human expectations of their local church and/or the part of the Christian church they are in.

Oh, I never robbed a bank; oh, I helped ten old ladies across the street every week; oh, my reputation is spotless. I kept the Commandments from my youth up.

You might do all that to all human scrutiny and still miss badly on learning godliness, because you’re doing it for appearances before people. God wants to see how your works are crafted from the heart, and that’s when a person who desires godliness from a sincere conscience will confess what a wreck he is and what a wonderful Savior the Lord is, over and over and over again.

[MichaelCorleone]

I think that’s a very fair question.

We serve a God that means business, but he is a also a just God.

Meaning that whatever He decides to do with those people’s souls is fair and final.

As far as us mortals, we just don’t know. We only know for sure what happens to those who accept Christ, and what happens to those who reject Him.

[HiTech RedNeck]

Hear that word NEVER?

That isn’t ONCE BEFORE and then I FORGOT. That would be impossible for the Lord.

You’ve let human mindedness taint your theology.

[LouieFisk]

“The question of how God dealt with everyone else will be totally irrelevant when we stand before Him”
==
That’s true, but if you’re in a convo with an honestly questioning unbeliever and it comes up it will probably will sound like a cop out.
Thanks for your input.

[righttackle44]

I’ll play the “Devil’s Advocate” (heh) here and ask what about the millions that lived and died before Christ was even born or who otherwise never had the opportunity to reject Jesus?

Your trite old phrase is the standard phrase of those who are antagonistic toward Christians and our beliefs. You even do a giggle (heh) in the same place that people who are trying to provoke us, do.

But, the answer is still the same:

First, there is a natural revelation of God the Father in nature: "What may be known of God is manifest in them for God has shown it to them. For since the creation of the world his invisible attributes are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead, so that they are without excuse," (Romans 1:19,20).

Second, the vastness of the universe gives testimony about God the Father: "When I look at your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars that you have established; what are human beings that you are mindful of them, mortals that you care for them," (Psalm 8:3,4).

Bible expositor Don stewart (not the televangelist Don Steward), notes alongside these passages, that God is not nature. God is divine and Holy. Nature, after the sin of Adam and Even, is corrupt and fallen from the level of God's perfect creation. Stewart notes that nature itself proclaims the Heavenly Father in Psalms 19:1-6: "The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands. Day after day they pour forth speech; night after night they display knowledge. There is no speech or language where their voice is not heard. Their voice goes out into all the earth, their words to the ends of the world which is like a bridegroom coming forth from his pavilion, like a champion rejoicing to run his course. It rises at one end of the heavens and makes its circuit to the other; nothing is hidden from its heat.
These passages make it very clear that God has pointed to Himself in nature. Even the people you point out, ". . . the millions that lived and died before Christ was even born or who otherwise never had the opportunity tio reject Jesus," have always been accountable to God for understanding, responding to, and honoring the revelations that God has given them.

In the New Testament, Matthew points out that there are various degrees of God's judgment: "Then He [Jesus] began to upbraid the cities in which most of His mighty works had been done, because they did not repent: Woe to you, Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! For if the mighty works which were done in you had been done in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes. But I say unto you, It will be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon in the day of judgment than for you (Matthew 11:20-22).

Again, Stewart points out, "There is a principle found throughout the entire Bible which teaches that judgment is based upon the amount of knowledge that the person has [responded to]. According to the Old Testament, those who belonged to the covenant people, Israel, were judged on a much stricter basis than those who did not belong.

Humans are clearly held responsible for responded to the degree of revelation God has given. God will apparently visit judgment up people who recognized that He has given clues and responded however little they could. He will visit horrendous judgment upon men and women such as the Hitlers, Stalins, and Maos et al who committed heinous, grievous sin.

The awesome (or awful) truth is, you have been made aware of God's revelation to mankind. How will you respond, remembering that you will be held accountable for the revelation that has now been given you?

[Cvengr]

Yep.
Salvation is not based upon human good or evil, but upon Divine Righteousness.
God’s Plan is brilliant.
All humans are condemned prior to being saved.

[circlecity]

“what about the millions that lived and died before Christ was even born or who otherwise never had the opportunity to reject Jesus?”

Christ was promised in the garden at the time of the fall. God promised there would be a savior born of the seed of Eve. This promised was confirmed to Abraham. Those who looked forward and had faith in the promised savior were saved. Just as now those who look back and have faith in the revealed savior, Christ, are saved.

[LouieFisk]

“God is not ‘generic’. He is not a creator, He is the creator. If you genuinely want know, go read Romans and the gospel of John.”
==
But that just circles round back to the question at hand about those who’ve never had a book of Romans or gospel of John to read due to being in the wrong place and/or time.

[Rurudyne]

Doesn’t require much thinking: what did they know about The Lord?

Did they know and believe His promises, as Abraham did? Or at least the promises that had been revealed thus far? Were they those described by Hebrews 1? Or were they those Hebrews 11 speaks of, cumulating in 11:39-40?

But for those who had none of that, who had been denied it because their forefathers had turned aside to reverence idols and to give ear to demons and to fantasies opposing the knowledge of YHVH, I would suggest that we remember Acts 14:15-17, which was spoken to Gentiles, and also to Romans 2:14.

All of this may situationally apply to those before He was revealed, had come in the flesh, suffered and died, risen, and having risen ascended and having ascended sat down at the right hand of majesty and is also Him who will return.

And perchance we might include those to whom word had not yet come.

But now where in the world hasn’t His name been proclaimed or where hasn’t His name been known? Maybe only the Sentinelese people?

[El Cid]

I’ll play the “Devil’s Advocate” (heh) here and ask what about the millions that lived and died before Christ was even born or who otherwise never had the opportunity to reject Jesus?

I agree with ifinnegan's post #9, but I'd also add the additional two comments:

1) God is the Creator. HE can do whatever HE pleases with HIS creation, and it will be good and right. By definition.
We are all sinners deserving of damnation. There is none righteous, no not one. God 'owes' none of us Salvation. If HE chooses to save anyone - that HIS simply due to HIS Grace. Guilty people have no basis to complain.

2) They may not have had the clear message of the Gospels, and New Testament, but we don't know what others really knew, or know. Our first parents heard the Gospel message: 'A seed of the woman would crush the head of the serpent', and they received the message that their works would not provide a 'covering' for their nakedness - only a blood sacrifice provided by God. Apparently they passed that message along to their children. Abel at least understood - and provided a blood sacrifice in faith.

We can only speak about ourselves. We have the Good News spelled out - God's great gift of HIS Word telling us the way of Salvation.
It is pointless to make excuses for others as we have no excuse. Knowing the Truth, we are to trust, and believe, and flee to our only only Hope - our Lord Jesus Christ.