Question for Christians?

Question

If the Christian religion is the only way to heaven, what happens to people who were born before Christianity existed?

Answer 1

Christians hold that there is one path to eternal righteousness. That path is through the atoning sacrifice of Christ, the second person of the Trinitarian God. Christ himself was clear that **no one** could come to God the Father, the first person of the Trinitarian God, except through Christ himself.

In this era of religious pluralism, “it is OK to believe what you want as long as you are sincere”, the message from Christ has been severely diluted and corrupted.

I believe that there is biblical support for the idea that persons of different faiths outside of orthodox Christianity may be found righteous before God at the time of their death.

For example, consider those that died before Christ walked the earth, or those that had never directly heard the message of Christ in this era that have died. For these, God looks into their hearts and minds, judging them according to their deepest beliefs.

**If and only if** their deepest beliefs held...

(1) that they were hopelessly lost in their sins, and
(2) could not make themselves righteous through their own mind and efforts, and
(3) instead required a perfectly sinless advocate (the Word, Logos, a.k.a., Christ), revealed to them in the world around them, and through whom they could appeal to God’s mercy,

...then I believe God will accept the person into the community of heaven. The scriptures are clear that there are none righteous, for they have had the laws of God revealed to them in the world around them and in their own conscience. But, God is not compelled to give people more truth if they already rejected the truth about Him they have.

Thus, anyone claiming they were not "told" about Christ will not get that person a free pass from God. The scriptures are clear that there are none righteous, for they have had the laws of God revealed to them in the world around them and in their own minds. They are to be found without excuse at the judgment throne of God:

Ecc 3:11 He has made everything beautiful in its time. Also, he has put eternity into man's heart, yet so that he cannot find out what God has done from the beginning to the end.

Rom 1:20 For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse.

So, as I noted above, their must be some deeply held belief in the message of Christ, whether through direct communication, or indirectly via God's revelation in this world and in their own minds. God’s grace makes this possible, but not all will accept God’s call to righteousness and for this they are judged appropriately:

Rom 1:21 For although they knew God, they did not honor him as God or give thanks to him, but they became futile in their thinking, and their foolish hearts were darkened.
Rom 1:22 Claiming to be wise, they became fools,
Rom 1:23 and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images resembling mortal man and birds and animals and reptiles.

For these reasons God will give us up to our own sinful desires and beliefs. (See Romans 1:24-32).

Summarizing, God is just to do so based on the following five points.

(1) People are responsible for the truth that they have, as Romans 1:20-24 shows.
(2) All people have some truth, from nature (Romans 1:20) and their own conscience. (Romans 2:13-15)
(3) God is just. God does not hold people responsible for the truth they do not have, as in Romans 4:15; 5:13, noting that Sin is not counted where there is no law. Or see Acts 17:30, stating that God overlooks times of ignorance.
(4) However, all ignorance is not necessarily innocent ignorance. In Romans 1:18-20 we read that people can suppress the knowledge that they have. While God understands of someone who only had very little light, people are still condemned if they are in darkness because they themselves "snuffed out the candle".
(5) For those that reject the truth that they do possess, God is not obliged to give them additional truth. (Romans 11:20; Matthew 13:14-15; 23:29).

Answer 2

Christianity isn't the issue. God is. So any and everyone has heard of the story of God and his Son, Jesus. What all of a sudden no one knew about how heaven and earth was created? By the way who said the Christian religion is the only way to heaven, who's to say that is a FACT? Repentence, salvation, giving your life to God and a personal relationship with God the father, Son and Holy Spirit is the key to Heaven. After all there are Presbyterians, Evangelist, Baptist, Methodist and Mormons and so on. They all share one desire, Loving and Worshipping one God. It doesn't make one bettter than the other. It doesn't mean one is wrong and the other is right. This isn't a competition with other believers, it's about people from different groups praising and worshipping one God. The only God. Besides Jesus was a Jew.

Answer 3

The Bible says that God's presence was always here since the beginning of time and that God was there to guide history. That in essence is how the old testament was written. Men who through God was inspired to write the Bible. In it were prophecies and foretelling of the future. The New testament was the unfolding of what the old testament prophesied. In the old testament it was written that a messiah would come through a virgin birth and his name would be Jesus. those believing in that prophecy can then be considered "Christian" It's complicated but it all makes sense if you read the Old testament. Read it if you have time, it's all explained how salvation works out for ancient believers. Christianity the religion was just created to put those that believe in the Bible into one category. Truth be told it's always been around, just not made official. It's really the Roman Empire that made it a religion.

Answer 4

Religion is not the way to heaven. Jesus is. And he has always been. Even people in the Old Testament were saved by grace. Consider Noah in Genesis 6:8. As well as Abraham and others.

Answer 5

The Religion is not the way to Heaven- Jesus is. There are other religions that believe this also. Before Jesus came to earth to get to Heaven was by Gods laws. Now it is by the grace of God through his Son.

Answer 6

According to the Bible, in several places it says "By faith." Those who believed and followed God's Holy Word, before the Messiah was born; are saved 'by their faith' in Him.

Yeshua (Christ Jesus) was foretold in the Old Testament (Torah), to all people that He was to be the savior of all people. At the time that Yeshua was born, the Israelites (Jews) were not looking for a 'spiritual' savior; they were looking for a political one. Someone who would take the power from the Romans and force them out of Israel.

This is the reason, that some Jews still do not accept Yeshua; as the Messiah or Masih.

Answer 7

Christianity always existed. Adam and Eve believed in God and were of a Christian belief. Old Testament central figures like Moses, Noah, Job, Abraham, Issac, Jacob, David and more, were all Christians. In the New Testament many came to a "Christian like faith." The disciples, John the Baptist, Mary, Joseph, Paul, and many, many more. Christian..CHRIST-ian

Answer 8

Before Christ, the equivalent for the Jews was faith that God would keep His promise of sending a Savior (Gen 3:15 and many other verses).

Overall, the theme of the Old Testament is the history of Israel waiting for the Messiah.

Answer 9

Christian's don't believe that Christianity is the only way into heaven. Obviously, there are three main religions today, Christianity and its sub-divisions like Catholicism, Islam, and Judaism.

Answer 10

...I can see by your question you knowledge of Scripture is very limited... that's Ok... learning and knowledge is good...
Religion is not the pathway to God... Christianity does not have the "gateway" to heaven for those who were "pre Christ"... The Scripture is very clear... "those who are dead in Christ" shall rise first and be with Him... to be absent from the body, it to be present with The Lord... but be prepared to answer (1) question as you step into eternity and before God.
Just "one".....................
"what did you do with the knowledge of Jesus"...? If you've answered that question on "this side of eternity"...you won't be asked it on the other... God already knows. Read Romans chapter 1 vs.16.

Answer 11

I think that the Bible says it best:
Matthew 27:51 At that moment the curtain of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom. The earth shook and the rocks split. 52 The tombs broke open and the bodies of many holy people who had died were raised to life. 53 They came out of the tombs, and after Jesus' resurrection they went into the holy city and appeared to many people.