I know in the Bible that it says we achieve salvation through faith in Jesus Christ. But what about people who have never heard of Jesus? Or people who have different beliefs? It doesn't seem fair that their is only one path to salvation. And if it is true, why would God seemingly set up so many distractions and temptations? As well, how can we be expected to believe with no proof? The desciples had Jesus to convince them. It even took multiple tries (example: peter's denial). How can we be expected to believe just be reading a book that a couple thousand years old?
2007-12-16 05:39:58 · 42 answers · asked by Murphy's_Law 2 in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
well if it what so easy to get into heaven everyone would be there Hitler Stalin all other bad guys. it wouldn't be called heaven it would be called the second earth
God made it tough so you want to get into heaven no matter the challenges
also i believe everyone has a chance to at least once hear about God
2007-12-16 05:45:39 · answer #1 · answered by ryskaya 2 · 1⤊ 0⤋
It may seem confusing and difficult. But think of it this way. Even if all of us do not know about Jesus or God we do all know deep down that there is something greater than us. A creator. If you study other civilizations you will learn that all believe in a greater being in some fashion. (Watch the movie "The end of the spear"). God doesn't set up distractions or temptations. That is Satan. God is not the author of confusion. Without the Bible there would still be proof of God. Look around you. Do you think that this all just came together. If you shook some rocks in a can long enough would it become a planet? or anything other than rocks? If you study the Bible you will learn that in itself it is a miracle. All the people who contributed to it and not one contradicted the other? Try to get 3 people to agree on something much less 44. What man would call himself evil in every way? Our true nature wants to believe we are not so bad but there is evil in all of us.
One more question. Who is it unfair to?
All you have to do is accept the gift. Nothing else. Christ paid the price.
2007-12-16 05:57:36 · answer #2 · answered by Rita 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
The plan of salvation is not difficult or confusing. The Bible says that if you call on the name of Jesus and ask in his name for him to come into your heart you will be saved. Seems hard, but it's not the hardest part is taking that first step with faith in the unseen.
As far as people who have not heard of Jesus. The Bible tells us that every nation, country, and tribe will hear of the name of Jesus before the end of times. The Evangelist Billy Graham, has spoken of going to places that have never heard. Getting there and finding out they are Christians already. Which means according to the people, someone appeared to them and told them the plan of salvation.
It may not seem fair to you that their is only one path of salvation. But that's because because you don't want to believe in Jesus being the only path. It's hard to relies we can't save our selves.
Distractions and Temptations are not set up by God. They are promptings of Satan that the Lord allows. Not because he is mean but because we were not made robots. He wants us to love him by choice. And have freedom to make designs for ourselves.
Faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. Hebrews 11:1 Without faith is impossible to please God. For he that comes to God, must believe that he is and that he exists. He also rewards those that diligently seek him. Hebrews 11:6
Also the Bible is thousands of years old. But so is God. He is always the same yesterday, today, and tomorrow.
2007-12-16 06:28:27 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
God is not a God of confusion. Satan is the father of confusion. The Holy Spirit is the one to convict us as we read His Word. The Bible is God's love letter to us. He is showing through His Word about what He expects from each one. He also shows that we do fail, and that He will forgive us, but it is not a ticket to keep sinning then ask for forgiveness. Jesus gave a commission to the men and women that watched Him go to heaven. He told them Go ye therefore, and teach ALL Nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: If they didn't obey Him and tell others about what Jesus did. Then none of us would have heard about Jesus. They did obey, and we are to share with others that Jesus died for their sins. That is what we are to do everyday, and that is why we need more missionaries on the fields. We can be a missionary here, but also throughout the land. Just by how we live speaks volumes to others.
2007-12-16 06:04:17 · answer #4 · answered by salvation 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Okay, all religion aside, as each one has different teachings and other books beside the Bible.
Having faith or belief is because you have no proof. You take it on faith.
If you want salvation should it be easy?
And of course the way to Heaven is available for anyone regardless of what religion they are. Or if they even believe in anything.
You can use your religion to guide you to do good in this world but you cannot think that your religion is the right one and everyone else is wrong....that does not make sense.
Me, for one universal religion for all.
2007-12-16 05:46:32 · answer #5 · answered by lilygateau 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
i'm not sure this is going to even remotely answer your question, but here goes
the jews, (god's chosen) were convinced they would go to heaven. the prophets of old said, not necessarily, and then john the babtist shows up saying, don't say to yourselves we are son's of abraham. that is, heritage does not save.
paul addresses this in the book of romans. Jesus addressing the people also addressed this issue. remember the roman says my servant is sick, but say the word and he will be healed? that roman was probably a believer in Jesus as the messiah and will probably be in heaven.
secular history seems to indicate that pilot's wife became a christain but it is clear about the man who put jesus to death.
salvation comes from us expressing our repentance, our change of attitude to sin, and falling on God's mercy to save us. the ancient jew had no clue how God would do it. crucifiction is a roman invention. the modern man has no clue how God did it but knows about the cross of jesus.
we put our trust in God to do what we can not. people who have not heard the gospel will be judged on the light they have.
according to 2 thes chapter 3, people who have heard the gospel and rejected christ at the time of the rapture will not have any hope of accepting jesus afterward. only those who have not heard the message can be saved. does this bother me? in ways i have no words to use.
we have to trust that God knows what he is doing, and that although we are not getting the answer to some peoples salvation that we ache to see saved, we do not forget the level to which God stooped to save us, and that was a very long reach for me.
paul claims to be cheif sinner, but i honestly wonder
2007-12-16 06:34:20 · answer #6 · answered by magnetic_azimuth 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
God gave everyone a measure of faith even those that dont know the bible it is up to us whether we develop that faith into a relationship with Him...He is a faithful and just(fair) God...salvation when you have devolped that relationship is simple by following the Word of God because He and His Word are One...God gives everyone the oppurtunity to know Him..if you will notice this internet is world wide,though everyone doesnt have internet,life and death is in the power of the tongue and thats why the gospel(good news) is to be spread...God being the awesome God He is.... gave you the choice
2007-12-16 06:05:31 · answer #7 · answered by loveChrist 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
"As well, how can we be expected to believe with no proof?" WHAT??! no proof??? why do you think your here. if your christian you should certainly know that there is plenty of proof. the bible should not all be taken literally, religion is the language of metaphor. numerous aspects of the Bible didn't necassarily really happen. do u know james usher? well he concluded that the world was created in 4004BCE which is obviously a load of crap. but he was a biblical literalist and added up all the ages of people in the Bible and subtracted them from now. and about God loving us? who said that? depending on where you live God is malevolent or benevolent (mean or nice). You know all the stuff about sacrafices? those were to please the Gods, so they wouldnt kick the STARSTARSTARSTAR out of them lol. God doesnt make it hard to belive in jesus christ, its us that make it difficult, with our sins and whatnot. eh whatever blame adam and eve they screwed it all up for us hah. hope that helps......
2007-12-16 05:50:11 · answer #8 · answered by freerider31 2 · 1⤊ 0⤋
It is not God who made the path difficult. Careful where you lay the blame.
If you had read the Bible as carefully as you claim, then you would know that the Price of the Air and sinful condition of man lead to deceit and blindness. This has nothing to do with God, who on the contrary shines the light of truth on unbelievers in hopes that they will repent.
2007-12-16 05:47:24 · answer #9 · answered by realchurchhistorian 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
There is NOTHING confusing or difficult about being saved, dear one. All one does is accept the faith given to them by God and believe that Christ died for your sins.
For those who have never heard of Christ, they do know God exists and will be judged according to the way they live their lives according to that internal knowledge of Him.
Christ is lingering in returning, to give as many a chance to receive His gift of salvation first.
God bless!
2007-12-16 05:44:33 · answer #10 · answered by Devoted1 7 · 2⤊ 1⤋
Well, people would hear of Jesus Christ through his Word, The Bible.
One of the first internal evidences that the Bible is truly God’s Word is seen in its unity. Even though it is really sixty-six individual books, written on three continents, in three different languages, over a period of approximately 1500 years, by more that 40 authors (who came from many walks of life), the Bible remains one unified book from beginning to end without contradiction. This unity is unique from all other books and is evidence of the divine origin of the words as God moved men in such a way that they recorded His very words.
Another of the internal evidences that indicate the Bible is truly God’s Word is seen in the detailed prophecies contained within its pages. The Bible contains hundreds of detailed prophecies relating to the future of individual nations including Israel, to the future of certain cities, to the future of mankind, and to the coming of one who would be the Messiah, the Savior of not only Israel, but all who would believe in Him. Unlike the prophecies found in other religious books or those done by Nostradamus, the biblical prophecies are extremely detailed and have never failed to come true. There are over three hundred prophecies concerning Jesus Christ in the Old Testament alone. Not only was it foretold where He would be born and what family He would come from, but also how He would die and that He would rise again on the third day. There simply is no logical way to explain the fulfilled prophecies in the Bible other than by divine origin. There is no other religious book with the extent or type of predictive prophecy that the Bible has.
2007-12-16 05:42:24 · answer #11 · answered by Anonymous · 2⤊ 3⤋