If I don't believe in the Biblical God, why do I need to be redeemed?

Question

if He really loved you, would he have so many flaming hoops to jump through to be "saved" - would he let a "Heathen Savage" with no knowledge of the bible into heaven? or is he really that lovingly exclusionary?

That part of religion has never made sense to me.....

It would seem belief in Jesus and Sin are the two biggest hoops....

Answer 1

First, you do not have to do anything you do not want to do.
Choice is the line between Christian belief and others.
God only holds those that have come of age. Which means, when you can distinguish Right from Wrong.
We all have an inner self, and that self is what decides how we react to any given situation. A Soul, if you will.
Have you ever thought about doing something and then had a bad feeling about it, and did not go through with it. That is the coming of age. May happen early, or late in life, for most, it does happen. This is the difference between a savage and mentally ill, Possessed, etc. and people that have the ability to think for themselves.
If you were raised, without any knowledge that there was a God, never believed it at all, you do not fall under these hoops. Those things are in place, just like Earthly Laws, to keep you thinking about the outcome of your actions, not to punish you.
Once you have made the decision to act, and it was wrong, that, is when the wrath would be invoked.
Even then, you may ask to be forgiven by God and those that were affected by your choice.
That is the purpose of redemption.
Now.
Being Saved.
Is a person giving over their life, (they have now), to follow in the guides of the Word.
Believing in Jesus Christ as your Saviour.
That He died for ALL sins, past, present, and future.
Rose from the dead, and sits by His Father in Heaven.
All it is, an acknowledgment of your desire and true belief in God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit ( which most believe is that little voice from within you).
So, there it is.
God doesn't exclude anyone.
The exclusion is done by the individual, through choice.
Ask yourself this.
If God was so all powerful, why then is He asking me to do anything.
He could just force all of it on you.
If that were the case, how would you feel.
Maybe you can see my point.
For me, I do believe and have had things happen to confirm that God has power and does use it, when asked in the proper way, and when it is really needed.
Yes, another hoop.
Try having a school, just allow the students to study what they want, and come and go as they please, without any punishment.
Wow! What a world we would have.
There are hoops and rules in about every aspect of life.
If you were to live this clean life, away from all the devilish things, or things that were not good for you. Love everyone. Take care of Family and do every thing to your best ability.
Would that be a bad thing?
I am kinda long winded, lol
Hope some of this helps to answer your question.

Answer 2

"If I don't believe in the Biblical God, why do I need to be redeemed?"
The fact is whether you believe in God or not, He is still there.

You questions God's love for you. How? is not the greatest example of love death in place of another? You see, there are many many "gods" out there, Christ is the only one who came to die for the very people He created.

Your right, you shouldnt have to jump through flaming hoop to be "saved". And you dont have to because Jesus already did all the flaming hoop jumps there were to do, now all you have to do is be there standing on the side line to thank Him for taking the fall for you. You see, its not by works that we are saved but by faith (Gal 2:16, Eph 2:8, 2 Tim 1:9).

"would he let a "Heathen Savage" with no knowledge of the bible into heaven?"
Well, before the apostle Paul was a follower of Christ he actually went around killing Christians horribly. Paul was one of the worst out there. He even classified himself as the worst sinner there is. Yet, God used him for wonderful miracles and used him to write 2/3 of the New Testament. I know that God welcomed Him into heaven. You see, the worst of sinners will be in heaven but they wont be "sinners" any more because the blood of Jesus will have cleansed them.

"is he really that lovingly exclusionary?"
Gal 2:6
"God shows personal favoritism to no man"
(also see Luke 20:21, Acts 10:34, Romans 2:11)

"That part of religion has never made sense to me....."
Hopefully this helped in some way. If there is anything that i said unclearly please let me know and i will do my best to clarify. And if you have any other questions about God's love, please dont hesitate to ask me. I would be more than overjoyed to tell you about this wonderful love that i have found. feel welcome to send me an email at [e-mail]

Blessings upon your life my friend.

Answer 3

There is a particular danger is too closely linking religion with morality, beyond simply teaching or reinforcing moral issues with religious parables.

In particular, if you tell someone they are going to a horrible, eternal punishment if they don't accept your Savior -- what if they are worried you are right, attempt to find salvation, but just can't find it in their hearts to do so? If someone like that believes they are condemned to hell *anyway,* do they have any incentive whatsoever to be good anymore?

On the flip side, if you have been "saved," how important are good deeds? If it is more important to find your Savior than to act in a kind fashion toward your fellow people, again do you have much incentive to be really good? Isn't it easier to just do whatever you were going to do, and maybe be sorry for it afterward? Isn't there a danger of arrogance arising from the belief that you are Saved and have your stamped ticket to Heaven, while everyone else not in your club is going directly to Hell, do not pass Go, do not collect $200?

Answer 4

Well, your confusion comes from a total misunderstanding of things.

Even though I've answered this same type of question many MANY times, I will once again answer in the hopes that MAYBE you'll understand once and for all.

First, people do NOT go to hell for not believing in God.

People go to hell for breaking God's Laws.

God's Laws are written on our hearts, and we know we have broken them through our conscience.

We know we don't like to be lied to or have our stuff stolen, so we have an internal realization that these things are wrong, so when we violate our own conscience, we become guilty.

Now, the problem with the Law is that it is based on God's very nature and character, which is impressed upon us like a "water mark" or something, so because God is Truth, then when we tell a lie (of any size or nature), we violate the very nature of God within us. The same is true with ALL Law and morality.

But, because God is infinite, and thus the Law is infinite, so likewise the penalty must be infinite.

You asked if God is exclusive, and in one sense of the word, yes - only God can forgive us for all our sins, and cleanse us from all our unrighteousness ("All our OWN righteousness is like filthy rags before God!"). This is why He came to earth as Jesus Christ, the Son of God, to bring us back to Himself, to bridge the gap, to reconcile us back to Him. Jesus payed the penalty for OUR sins. In fact, the Bible even says that Jesus, who knew no sin, actually became sin FOR us, so that we could be made righteous. He traded places with us - He took our place. ("I reckon that if one man died for all, then all are dead.")

In the other sense of the word, God is NOT exclusive - He invites us like this "For God so loved this world that He freely gave His one and only begotten Son, that WHOSOEVER would put their trust in Him would not perish but have everlasting life."

God cried out that He does NOT take pleasure in the death of the wicked, and that He doesn't want ANY to perish in hell forever, but that ALL should come to repentance. He cried out, "Please choose Life, so that you may live!" (Jesus said "I am Life!")

Jesus said that when God sent His Son into the world, it was NOT to condemn it, but to SAVE it. "Whoever has the Son, has life. Whoever does NOT have the Son, the wrath or (or penalty from) God remains on him.

There are no "flaming hoops", as you put it. In fact, it is so simple that even a child can understand: God loves you, but you have sinned, so Jesus died on the cross on your behalf so you can be saved if you would just believe it and act on it (ie repent).

It couldn't get too much simpler than that, yet it is very profound.

So, let me ask YOU something - considering all these "heathen savages" around the world with no knowledge of the Bible, are you part of the solution, going out and bringing them this wonderful good great news so they could also receive what's been offered to you? Or are you still part of the problem, continuing in your rebellion and sins against a God who loved you so much He sacrificed EVERY thing just to have you in His Forever Family?

NOW it should make sense, and NOW you are morally responsible to take this same message to others. Of course, you can't take it to others if you don't first apply it to your OWN life, receive God's unmerited grace, mercy and pardon, and be adopted by God into His Forever Family.

So, what will you do? The ball is in your court. Will you accept God's incredible offer, or will you continue to reject it? The Bible asks us, "How can we escape judgement if we neglect such a great salvation?"

God bless you as you rethink your position in life and your relationship with the God who loved so much He gave His very Best.

Answer 5

There are no "flaming hoops". Just confess that you are a sinner and that Jesus Christ is the son of God. That He died on the cross for your sins and rose on the 3rd day. Then you are saved! You just turn away from sin and study His word. No hoops there.

Answer 6

The only "flaming hoop" is to believe and trust in Christ... that doesn't seem too difficult...

God judges us on what we know, and how we act accordingly... those who have no knowledge of the Scriptures will make decisions based on their own internal conscience which God has given them...

Answer 7

God exists, whether you choose to believe in Him or not. And there are no "flaming hoops to jump through". All you have to do is believe Jesus Christ is God's son and be baptized. It's very easy if you think about it.

Answer 8

according to Islam the lesson which God wanted to give for all of humanity was that of Original Forgiveness rather than Original Sin. Islam teaches us this lesson and informs us that all newborns are without the burden of any sin on their shoulders. They are innocent. From the story the theme is easy to understand. God created man – Man committed sin – Man turned towards God for forgiveness – God forgave man for indeed God is Most Merciful.

Check: http://islam.thetruecall.com/modules.php?name=News&file=article&sid=300

Answer 9

There are no flaming hoops. Jesus paid the ENTIRE price of salvation, all we have to do is accept that payment on our behalf. It may not make sense to we are used to getting what we deserve or earn, but it demonstrates God's love in as perfect a way as possible. He offers salvation freely, we just have to accept His offer.

Answer 10

When I was 16 I was a normal teenaged girl who was quite passive when it came to religion. I wasnt a bad person I just didn´t care too much about such issues. Then one day she appeared to me. I must tell you, I wasnt expecting her to be black! Anyway she told me to be a good christian and never to judge my fellow man. I was shocked to say the least, but it made me remember. Its not just me that needs to be redeemed, everyone does, christian or not. We all need redemption. God made me see that redemption is in the soul.