Christians of SW, i have some questions and some thoughts depending on the answers:

1) Can a person only go to heaven if they believe in Jesus' death, resurrection and sacrifice?
2) Can an atheist who otherwise lives their life as well as any Christian go to heaven?
3) Can someone who never heard of Jesus and lived their entire lives in ignorance but in good will go to heaven?

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CrazyChick21 · 46-50, F

Every single person sins, the word sin in Hebrew means "to miss the mark" It is God that decides where that mark should be and it is in alignment with his perfect and loving nature.

Fortunately for us, because God's nature is infinitely loving and compassionate, God gave us a way out of sin through Jesus' death and resurrection so that we can spend eternity with God if we choose to.

I've been a Christian for several years now, a relationship with God, it's really the same as any kind of relationship in that , the more time you spend with a person, the more you get to know them. God is no different in that respect. If you want to know him. Just talk to him. You'll hear back from him if you are sincere and genuine in your prayers and if you are open to hearing his voice.

But... here's what I know about God and what I think are plausible answers to your questions-

*God has a massive heart that is over flowing with love. Because he loves us, he wants to know us personally and will do whatever it takes to get to know us.

*We can't see a person's heart or what's happening in the moments before a person leaves this world but God can.

*The Bible tells us that for God, a thousand years is like a day and a day is like a thousand years. He can speak to us in a millisecond through multiple ways of communication.

*God is more than able to speak to someone who has never been able to hear the gospel and who has never personally known him. I don't believe he would reject someone who truly has never had the opportunity to know him.

*An atheist is a different thing, that's a person whos heart is 100% cold and closed off. I like to think there are few people who are genuine atheist and that in the last moments, even if they lived most of their life refusing to get to know God. God finds a way to reach them.

ItsMeMorgue · F

@CrazyChick21 Username checks out.

BlueSkyKing · M

@CrazyChick21 An atheist is simply someone that is unconvinced that any gods existence. If a god exists and is all knowing, all powerful, and all loving, such god should be able to provide that evidence without the threat of casting them into eternal torment.

Also geography is the biggest factor. Live in Indonesia, most likely you’ll be a Muslim. India, a Hindu. Mexico, a Roman Catholic.

Pikachu

@CrazyChick21

This is not really relevant to the topic but i wanted to correct you here.

An atheist is a different thing, that's a person whos heart is 100% cold and closed off

I don't think you know personally many atheists or their stories, am i right?
Many atheists are former Christians for whom the loss of faith was excruciating but no matter how hard they tried, they were just no longer convinced.
And that's really all an atheist must be: Unconcinvced.
They might be more than that but i think it's unfair and un-nuanced to say an atheist is just someone with a cold, closed heart.

I don't believe he would reject someone who truly has never had the opportunity to know him.

That would seem reasonable to me because to do otherwise would seem monstrous.
But setting aside any hypothetical wherein god shows up the millisecond before death and the person has a deathbed conversion, would you say then that it is not necessary to believe in order to go to heaven?
Can someone who knows of Christianity but doesn't believe it go to heaven?

helenoftroy2000 · 22-25, F

its hard to say

Ephesians 2:8-9 – For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast.

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.

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helenoftroy2000 · 22-25, F

@Pikachu so people may thinkg they are going but never do

Pikachu

@helenoftroy2000

Well that's sorta hard to say from this side of things lol

helenoftroy2000 · 22-25, F

@Pikachu it is.....

CorvusBlackthorne · 100+, M

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