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Zackeera
Guest
Will a person who is baptized, but does not believe in Jesus Christ, go to heaven?
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thistle
Guest
If they die in that state, i.e. not believing in God, then they will not be saved.
Baptism is necessary for salvation but not sufficient on its own for salvation.
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Minnesota1
Guest
John 3:16.
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Ophelia23
Guest
This is too black and white of a question. There are many variables involved in Salvation. It is not a guarantee for anybody. People who we are certain will go to Hell could still potentially be saved. Remember, all who work in the field are given the exact same compensation, whether they have been there since sun-up working and toiling or they have only been there since the second before sun-down. It simply is not for us to determine who does and does not attain Salvation.
What we can determine is this: we know what tools and graces have been given to us by God. We know what He asks of us. We know we can not get to the Father except through the Son. But we also know from Saint Paul that many love him although they do not even know him. Further, we know that Christ pleads on our behalf to the Father, our judge. He is our Advocate. It is entirely conceivable that he even pleads on behalf of our brothers and sisters who don’t believe in Him. We just don’t know. We can do nothing but our absolute best. And we, as learned people with knowledge of the Spirit, can do our very best bringing truth to others in attempt to lead them closer to Christ.
What we can determine is this: we know what tools and graces have been given to us by God. We know what He asks of us. We know we can not get to the Father except through the Son. But we also know from Saint Paul that many love him although they do not even know him. Further, we know that Christ pleads on our behalf to the Father, our judge. He is our Advocate. It is entirely conceivable that he even pleads on behalf of our brothers and sisters who don’t believe in Him. We just don’t know. We can do nothing but our absolute best. And we, as learned people with knowledge of the Spirit, can do our very best bringing truth to others in attempt to lead them closer to Christ.
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openmind77
Guest
Baptism (and far more importantly Confirmation) symbolizes the second birth or the spiritual birth of a human being. Most religions have a such a sacrament. Many people (mainly Christians and Muslims) have the delusion (or is conceit the right word?) that only those who have the ceremony performed in their own religion will be the ones ‘saved’. I had my Hindu equivalent of Confirmation (called Upanayana) performed when I was 12 years old. That is when your spiritual life is supposed to begin. It actually did nothing for me, I ignored God and religion for the next 20 years. Although Baptism/Confirmation is a symbol of spiritual birth, I believe that it may be more than a symbol - I have no doubt that it does change the person and plants some seed in him. However, it is absolutely not a requirement for being ‘saved’ or for entering eternal heaven…
For those on these forums, I have good news and bad news:
The good news is that 99.9999 (you can add some more 9’s) % of you will be eventually saved and be able to be in heaven for eternity.
The bad news is that probably 100% of you will not enter heaven for eternity after this death (unless there are some saints on this forum). Only after being reborn several more times and becoming somewhat like a saint, will you be able to enter heaven permanently for eternity.
One more thing (I don’t know if this is good news or bad news): belief in anything is not necessary - you can be a strong believer, an agnostic, an atheist, a communist or any other type of person. Once you become a bit like a saint, you will automatically enter heaven for eternity.
For those who believe that they will enter heaven permanent after this life, I wish the very best of luck (I am afraid I will not be joining you this time around).
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Gorgias
Guest
Hmm… for someone whose user name is ‘open mind’, you certainly have a distinctly absolute view on eternity and how it is achieved…
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fhansen
Guest
Sinners don’t enter heaven according to scripture. Sin is what separates man from God, and this has always been so, beginning with the original sin. The purpose of the New Covenant is to resolve this problem. Jesus’ sacrifice not only merits forgiveness of sin but also takes away sin; it gives us the grace, ultimately, to ‘go, and sin no more’. Baptism, as an act of faith, with the proper disposition, the virtue of this faith, in place for an adult, justifies us. Our continued justification depends on what we do with the opportunities-time and grace-given. Will our faith, leading, most importantly, to love, increase? Will it wane? Will we turn from God again? Or will we remain in Christ, apart from whom we can do nothing? Justification/salvation is a* process*, a work of God’s, with our cooperation, 100% realized from our perspective only when He, the judge, informs us of such at the end.
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Sultan_Of_Swing
Guest
Let’s say someone was baptised as a baby.
Now this baby was adopted by a pagan family and raised in the jungle.
We can come up with numerous scenarios like this one, no matter how unlikely, which show that the issue is not a simple ‘yes and no’ and is entirely dependent on an individual’s circumstances and their life.
Now this baby was adopted by a pagan family and raised in the jungle.
We can come up with numerous scenarios like this one, no matter how unlikely, which show that the issue is not a simple ‘yes and no’ and is entirely dependent on an individual’s circumstances and their life.
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thistle
Guest
Such a person might come under invincible ignorance. That means anyone who, through no fault of their own, does not know Christ and his Church but still lives a good life in that ignorance according to the teachings of Christ may (not will) be saved.
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