One day, when Christ returns, that will be true. But Benedictus–we are not all children of God. Maybe it is just semantics for you, but while evryone is a creation of God, “the many” are under the curse, withoiut hope, according to Paul. Jesus told the Pharisees they were of their father, the Devil. “Few” are His children.
Catholic Christianity, Orthodox Christianity, and most branches of Protestant Christianity do claim that Baptism confers something. I’ll grant that each of them claim that that something is different. (Restoration Movement Christianity is the one that denies that Baptism confers anything.)
I’d suggest it is as frequent within Catholic Christianity, as it is within Protestant Christianity. (This applies equally to both paedobaptism, and credobaptism.)
Or, as Mark wrote:
jonathon
Pray tell, then, the millions who have never known of Christ and will not know Christ (through no fault of their own becuase they have not been reached by the Gospel), whose child are they?
No I believe it is about as often in the RCC as it is outside, which is not a lot in my humble opinion. I think most get baptized or confirmed or join a church without having experienced actual salvation.
I’m sad you seem to have such a dismal assessment of the faith of your fellow Christians.
Benedictus, if you follow Paul’s line of reasoning in Rom 10 you see that no one can be saved from eternal judgement until someone goes and preaches to them–no matter where they live. Those aren’t my words. Read them there. And Peter in Acts says “there is no other name (except Jesus) given among men whereby you MUST be saved.”. Paul says in Ephesians that those of us who have had the New Birth “WERE BY NATURE children of wrath, even as the rest”. But now I am. “New Creature. Old things have past away and new things have come”. I still commit sins, not like I used to, but that doesn’t change my new nature. Do you understand these things!
I’ve been in the ministry for quite a few years and counseled many people. Jesus said “Few would find the way of life”I’m sad you seem to have such a dismal assessment of the faith of your fellow Christians.
And if you follow that line of reasoning, you are therefore saying that God purposely created millions of human beings for the sole purpose of sending them to hell?
God is merciful, though. That last post in response to benedictus…do you believe any one who hasn’t heard Christ’s gospel and accepted it and been born again by faith therefore have no hope for heaven? Abraham, Moses, and all of the other Jews who died before Jesus’ crucifixion…are they not saved? I hope you believe in God’s mercy. What about Native Americans who had no chance to hear about Jesus in their lifetime?
I started writing almost the same post then changed it to the one above.
It is hard for us to comprehend the sovereignty of God. The reason Jesus told the disciples and by extension the Church through the ages, to go into all the world is that He has no other plan. God is not obligated to save a single soul. He is God and He is holy and we sin every day. The people who never hear of Christ will get judged for their deeds in a fair trial. I’m just glad I’ll never get a fair trial! I’d be in hell forever. But Jesus was judged and condemned for all my sins so I would never have to face the wrath of God. His blood atoned for all my sins. Amazing Grace, how sweet the sound, that saved wretch like me!
Through Peter, we are told equally as clear:
Can anyone show us a history more accurate than this? Is it possible that BOTH Catholics and Protestants have/can do this even though they retain their distinctive beliefs? I don’t see anything in “history” to indicate otherwise.
Therefore His plan failed?
No indeed He is not obligated to save a single soul. But you just said above that it was His plan.
But I thought you said salvation comes solely from faith in Christ. Why should their deeds matter when the criteria for entry into heaven is faith alone in Christ?
Me too. Thank God for His mercy!
No. Jesus was not judged nor condemned. This is a very erroneous view of redemption. God is not a divine child abuser who **punishes **the guiltless in place of the guilty.
Amen, Amen, Amen. Alleluiah!
These things are hard. But Scripture speaks to them. Everyone gets either mercy through faith in Christ or they get justice–A fair trial. A big part of our problem in grasping this is that we begin from man, insyead of beginning from God. If we understood just how HOLY and pure God is, we would understand that verse that says “it is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the Living God”. Most people have the god of their own mind. That god is just a little more pure amd righteous than they are. But “our God is a consuming fire”. Thus someone wisely said, “the scandal is NOT that God would save some and leave others unsaved. The SCANDAL is that God would save ANYONE!”. He didn’t have to send his Son to die for us. But he did. Some will be saved and “the many” as JESUS said, will be lost forever.
As someone else commented on another thread, you start a discussion on the economic crisis and you end arguing whether Jennifer Aniston should get back with Brad Pitt
Look at the other post I just placed. God says clearly that a vast multitude will go away into eternal punishment. Romans says He is the Potter and so he can make one pot for destruction and another for glory. He says that there. This is very serious business. And I do believe God punished Him in our place. Read Isaiah 53. “It pleased the Father to bruise Him”. Why? Unfathomable love for us. It was the only way a holy Judge could stay just, and yet let sinners go free. Someone had to pay the penalty. So “He who knew no sin BECAME sin, that we might become the righteousness of God.”!!!
Scripture says that people like Aberaham were also saved by faith in the promises of God. “Abraham believed God and it was counted to him as righteousness,”
Does all that make sense to you, Ross?
I believe in innocent Christians. God knows who would have chosen Him if they had the chance. I don’t think that only those who have been offered the Good News are capable of making it into heaven. I believe God is so infinitely merciful that even people who have been misled about God’s truth can make it to heaven, because it’s not necessarily their fault that they were lied to about Christianity. Personally, I feel it is Christians, with all of their understanding of who God really is, who face the biggest challenges in terms of salvation. Afterall, Jesus said “to whom much is given, much will be expected.”