A very good question was asked in the prior thread, can a person be saved through General Revelation?
The answer depends on whether we stick to what scripture says, i.e. scripture alone, or whether we make arguments based on "God's character" requires He would do this or that not mentioned in scripture.
If we stick with scripture, then no, a person cannot be saved by General Revelation. We are saved by grace through faith, and faith in the name of Christ cannot be gleamed from General Revelation.
The orthodox view is that of Exclusivism, where a person's faith in Christ must be credited as righteous in order to be saved under the New Covenant in His blood.
Some folks seek to expand the application of Christ's atonement to those who faithfully acted in accordance with the light they had been given. The idea that folks would die in unbelief without an opportunity to trust in Christ would result in being carried to Hades was thought to be inconsistent with God's character. Thus an argument from silence, rather than the orthodox scripture alone doctrine everyone gives lip service to.
None of the "inclusivism" arguments hold water, they simply ignore scripture. They turn faith in Christ into faithfulness to the whatever light was available. Many verses however teach no one goes to the Father except through Christ. The only and therefore exclusive way to heaven is through faith in Christ which provides our access to the grace we stand in.
But what if God sends a dream or vision to those who were "faithful to their light" just as they are dying, so as to avoid the verse that says we die then face judgement, rather than a last chance offer of salvation. This is simply another argument from silence, asserting something that the Bible does not address, and therefore a violation of the scripture alone doctrine. Doctrines based on what the Bible does not preclude is like the claim God put invisible pink elephants in orbit around Mars. You can say with God anything is possible, and that God puts stuff in the heavens, and nowhere does scripture say God did not do it. All doctrines based on this idea it can be advocated because scripture does not deny it are without merit. Speculation is the mother of false doctrine.
The answer depends on whether we stick to what scripture says, i.e. scripture alone, or whether we make arguments based on "God's character" requires He would do this or that not mentioned in scripture.
If we stick with scripture, then no, a person cannot be saved by General Revelation. We are saved by grace through faith, and faith in the name of Christ cannot be gleamed from General Revelation.
The orthodox view is that of Exclusivism, where a person's faith in Christ must be credited as righteous in order to be saved under the New Covenant in His blood.
Some folks seek to expand the application of Christ's atonement to those who faithfully acted in accordance with the light they had been given. The idea that folks would die in unbelief without an opportunity to trust in Christ would result in being carried to Hades was thought to be inconsistent with God's character. Thus an argument from silence, rather than the orthodox scripture alone doctrine everyone gives lip service to.
None of the "inclusivism" arguments hold water, they simply ignore scripture. They turn faith in Christ into faithfulness to the whatever light was available. Many verses however teach no one goes to the Father except through Christ. The only and therefore exclusive way to heaven is through faith in Christ which provides our access to the grace we stand in.
But what if God sends a dream or vision to those who were "faithful to their light" just as they are dying, so as to avoid the verse that says we die then face judgement, rather than a last chance offer of salvation. This is simply another argument from silence, asserting something that the Bible does not address, and therefore a violation of the scripture alone doctrine. Doctrines based on what the Bible does not preclude is like the claim God put invisible pink elephants in orbit around Mars. You can say with God anything is possible, and that God puts stuff in the heavens, and nowhere does scripture say God did not do it. All doctrines based on this idea it can be advocated because scripture does not deny it are without merit. Speculation is the mother of false doctrine.
