People Wear It But Do They Understand It's Message?

@Justgreg If a person hears the saving message of the LORD Jesus and rejects His atonement that saves and persists in that rejection untill they die.. The yeah, they will have eternity in the Lake of fire..

[quote]But I don’t feel anything or have had some kind of Epiphany.[/quote]

I suggest you read the Bible... How about reading the Gospels at lest...

[quote]but not sure how every other religion could be doomed.[/quote]

The Bible says Jesus is God made manifest in the flesh..
Islam says believing that Jesus is God is blasphemy..

Did God give one message through the LORD Jesus and then give another contradictory opposing message through muhammad? Does both Christianity and islam represent the will of God? If you think so then you believe Jesus is the Son of God and that God has no Son.. Total insanity.. Only one of these positons can be true that other must be false.. People who believe all religions are truth and lead to eternity with God are insane,, totally insane..

@Justgreg [quote]Serious question. I was raised a Christian but now being an adult I really don’t know what to believe anymore. I do believe in God. So anyone that doesn’t follow Jesus is going to hell? So 4200 religions full of people are all Damned? I always pray “in Jesus name“. But I don’t feel anything or have had some kind of Epiphany. Like I said, I do believe there’s a god, but not sure how every other religion could be doomed.[/quote]

What do the Scriptures say? How do you read them?

@Justgreg I like your reasoning! I am a Christian because I choose to be - I like the path that Jesus' teachings leads me along, albeit they are sometimes exaggerated and sometimes mistranslated from the language in which they were originally written - but that is the way of the human mind.
So: Starting with God - the Creator: Who is to say that Adam and Eve were the only people God created? Why couldn't he have created many more 'human' people in other places on our globe we call Earth? This certainly would explain why there are so many interpretations of 'God' and what "He/She/It" wants us to do with our lives and how we should interact as societies.
No: I don't subscribe to the dictate that the ONLY way into an after-life is through Jesus - BUT: Jesus did teach us a way into the afterlife (by doing GOOD to others and not being selfish) and His words of encouragement to 'follow Me' have value to those who heard them and to the subsequent people who believe what those who heard them repeated.
So now: I go back to God and I pray to God. I do not ask God for personal favours... I ask God for understanding (wisdom) so I can interpret what other people are saying to me; so I can learn their point of view. Bottom line: Don't ask God to 'save' you = save yourself = ask God for the wisdom to be able to do that.
I hope this helps you somewhat??

@GodSpeed63 Remember, when Jesus died on the cross, he went to Hell to free people whom lived under the "old laws" that are mentioned in Leviticus. They didn't witness Jesus before, they didn't walk with him. Jesus is the turning of a new age, where salvation is given through faith and repentance rather than works. So, he saved them. If he's gone to hell for them he will go through any lengths for anyone to have the opportunity to hear the gospel. Many hear, but do not listen and that is their choice.

[c=BF0000]
Enter by the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and there are many who go in by it. Because narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it.” Matthew 7:13-14.
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@RedGrizzly [quote]Enter by the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and there are many who go in by it. Because narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it.” Matthew 7:13-14.[/quote]

Amen to that!!

@RedGrizzly What about people who died after Jesus was crucified, but before word of this reached them? It's nice that he took care of the people who died before he was born, but considering that Christianity didn't reach the entire world until the 19th century at the earliest, there's a lot of people who weren't saved through no fault of their own. And this doesn't include people living now who are in Muslim, Hindu, Buddhist, or other societies where they aren't going to hear about Christianity. I used to live in rural West Africa, which was mostly Muslim with a few people following traditional religions. If you asked an average person there what Christianity was, their answer would be "I think it's a religion that some white people follow" but couldn't have told you anything else about it. What's Jesus' plan for those people? "Sorry, but you're going to hell because you're not saved even though you had no opportunity for it."

@LeopoldBloom Well there are several ways. 1st, God, like in the old testament, can appear in dreams and present his offer for salvation. 2nd way, for this reason he expects his followers to spread the good news by which going on missionary trips and spreading the gospel every way you can think of (internet, radio, ect...)
(Both of which is actually shown in the story of the Roman Centurion where there was a message from an angel like in a dream, and then Peter arrives and delivers the Gospel).
Third way, and this is for those who have not heard of God or the gospel AT ALL versus "oh, someone said something about Jesus but I'm choosing to ignore it being apathetic or flat out rejecting in not seeking him out." The third way is expressed in scripture of Revelations 20:5-12.

There will be a time in Christ returning to Earth that those who have not heard or know of him, that are long past and have already died, being resurrected and being presented the gospel. Among them all will be the book of life as well. They will be given the opportunity to make their own choices then.
And as described in the Bible in other books like Corinthians and John, ect... these people have not been sent to hell nor heaven when they are resurrected it's more of them waking up from a thousand years nap. They won't actually know what has happened to them beyond that, but the opportunity isn't lost on them. So there's you're honest answer. Every person of humanity will be presented the offer to eternal life in one way or another, despite the physical limitations like the Bible not reaching places in the world. My God is a living God and obviously if Jesus has gone to hell to save those before him (even after being nailed to the cross by the Romans and being betrayed), and cares and loves us greatly as he claims to do, people in rural Africa and the fates of others who are isolated are in his hands and will be saved if they choose to. But there's your answer, if nothing else, they will be resurrected in the end of days and will be in the book of life if they choose to.

@RedGrizzly In [i]Love Wins[/i], Rob Bell explains how even people in hell have the opportunity to be saved. If you believe that God's love is infinite, that God wants everyone to be saved, and God eventually gets what he wants, then this is the only rational conclusion.

@LeopoldBloom not trashing on your beliefs or anything but that's a different topic from what I was saying, and who the hell are we to say what's "rational" and ignore why God would send a savior to the world in the first place? People had been saved in hell after Jesus officially died on the cross. Yes, it was said in the Bible that's what happened because the crucifixion of Jesus was the turning of a new age and a new way to be with Christ through faith.But it's written all of humanity will have a choice one way or another to accept Christ. He comes to you while your living here on Earth or if you've not known him whatsoever or heard of him, you'll be resurrected in the end of days to make your choice then. The very thing that put them in hell is due to complete rejection of God and gospel (even demons know God is real, but they don't follow him). But those that hear but don't listen, made their choice, and God is enforcing it. They will not be saved. Unfortunately, the "rational conclusion" doesn't align with why God wouldn't want us in hell in the first place, why Jesus went through all the lengths he had gone, and the whole purpose to having faith. The story of Lazarus and the prince backs that up. The prince went to hell, did he believe then of God's existence? Yes. Did he regret it? Yes. Would he rather choose to follow God? Absolutely. But he wasn't saved from it even after he begged Lazarus for a drop of water. He made his choice on Earth and rejected him. Therefore, he had faced the consequences of it. Does God loves us all? Yes. Does God want us to be with him? Yes. But if we reject his offer, as we have free will, he will let us go. That's like saying, "well, my parents love me that even though I have committed assault and battery against them, shot my sister, and stole their retirement the cops won't arrest me, I won't stand in front of the judge, I won't even know the inside of a prison... there's no consequences." You forgot, God is a judge and is just. Just because he loves us doesn't mean your choices don't have weight. There is a spiritual war going on, people forget that. Satan wants humanity to burn because we are in God's image, we are his creation he loves wholeheartedly. Because of this, we fall short in sin and it's in our fallen nature to sin as well. So, enter, Jesus being sent to give us a way out of condemnation...but only if we accept it. No ifs, no buts, about it.

@RedGrizzly I have lots of scripture to put an end to that "rationality" but I'll post one. John 14-6 "Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me." So if you reject Jesus, how are you going to be in heaven with God? Technically Jesus being God in the flesh, he is telling you directly that Rob Bell is lying to you or so is misinformed. Part of the spiritual war with the many false prophets that's been warned about 2000 years ago.

@Justgreg How every religion is doomed? Because it is by grace you are saved and that not by yourself but by the word of God"

We are all sinners, but Jesus God's Son, came to save us and take our sins on His [i]own [/i] shoulders because he loves us.
"Believe on him and you shall be saved"

Jesus says [c=BF0000][b]"I am the way, the truth and the life, noone comes to the Father but through me"
[/b][/c]
[c=BF0000][b]"All have sinned and come short of the glory of God"[/b][/c]

We can't make it on our own!

@RedGrizzly It's not a different topic at all. The question is who gets to go to heaven based on what information was available to them.

It's not realistic to accuse someone of "rejecting God" when they don't believe God exists. It would be like me saying I'm giving you a free Ferrari that I parked in front of your house. If you go outside and don't see it, are you "rejecting" it? Or do we just have a difference of opinion as to whether there is a Ferrari there or not?

I can no more accept your version of God than you can accept the Church of Scientology. Free will has nothing to do with it. Belief is not a matter of free will. If you disagree, please demonstrate by forcing yourself to believe in something you consider false for five minutes. If you can't do it, it's unreasonable for you to tell me that I have to force myself to believe in something I consider false if you're unable to do it.

The verse you quoted, John 14:6, doesn't say you have to be a Christian or believe in Jesus. It says Jesus decides who goes to heaven. It's an important distinction. John Shore has explained this by comparing it to a man guarding the door of the Moose Lodge. If he has complete control over who goes in, he can allow non-Moose members in if he wants, and deny entrance to Moose members as well. The same applies to Jesus, who can deny heaven to Christians while allowing non-Christians in, at least if you read the passage literally without applying your own interpretation to it.

@LeopoldBloom Good try! A Ferrari is "matter," The Holy Spirit is "spirit". You can't see it except you can see its' effect, kind of like air. Without air you can't breathe. Without the Holy Spirit you can't be clean from sin.

@Carazaa It's a special "spiritual" Ferrari. You have to take my word for it that it exists. If you can't see it, that's just because you're biased against Ferraris.