Are Non-Christians Saved?

[JFox1]

Check out this article in Beliefnet.com by Joseph Ratzinger (later Pope Benedict XVI) on whether or not non-Christians are saved.

http://www.beliefnet.com/story/209/story_20936_1.html

I was never a Catholic. I used to be a Methodist. Many, not all, Methodists are into universalism, in which everyone will be saved. I later joined the Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod, which teaches there is no salvaiton outside of Christianity. :saint:

 

[amity]

I do not think universalism is consistent with the Bible, but I do tend to believe that there will be non-Christians saved, yes.

There are many examples of this in scripture: Rahab, Cornelius, etc. Revelation 5:9 says "And they sung a new song, saying, Thou art worthy to take the book, and to open the seals thereof: for thou wast slain, and hast redeemed us to God by thy blood out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation;" and for that to be the case God must have a people in every nation, kindred, and tongue throughout history, many of whom have never heard the gospel proclaimed or understood the truth of salvation.

We are saved by grace though faith, but does that faith necessarily entail a conscious knowledge of the gospel? II Timothy 1:8"Be not thou therefore ashamed of the testimony of our Lord, nor of me his prisoner: but be thou partaker of the afflictions of the gospel according to the power of God; 9Who hath saved us, and called us with an holy calling, not according to our works, but according to his own purpose and grace, which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began, 10But is now made manifest by the appearing of our Saviour Jesus Christ, who hath abolished death, and hath brought life and immortality to light through the gospel: 11Whereunto I am appointed a preacher, and an apostle, and a teacher of the Gentiles." The calling seems to be inward and quite different from the light of the gospel.

 

[The Galatian]

I think you have it right. God is no respector of human institutions; His Church is bigger than any of our hierarchies and denominations.

And He can save as He will.

 

[carpro]

There is no salvation except through Christ.

Is this the right forum for this subject?

 

[SBCPreacher]

beliefnet.com is a poor source for anything. Any web site that lists Mormonism as a Christian religion can't be trusted.

 

[El_Guero]

Amen . . . hehehehehe.

the truth of that statement is SCARY.

:laugh:

beliefnet.com is a poor source for anything. Any web site that lists Mormonism as a Christian religion can't be trusted.

 

[amity]

There is no salvation except through Christ.

I agree there is no salvation except through Christ. Now, does one have to be a Christian to be saved?

 

[Ps104_33]

Is the Bible our final authority in all matters concerning the salvation of man? Any church that teaches that salvation can be found outside of Christ cannot save you. Therefor if you are a Roman Catholic YOU ARE NOT SAVED! You may be sincere but dreadfully wrong.

 

[UnchartedSpirit]

Since I idolize Chuck Swindoll, he has the final say on this; and he did a message two months ago on the subject. So go look that up if you want to be right.

 

[amity]

Is the Bible our final authority in all matters concerning the salvation of man? Any church that teaches that salvation can be found outside of Christ cannot save you. Therefor if you are a Roman Catholic YOU ARE NOT SAVED! You may be sincere but dreadfully wrong.

(ahem) This does not address my question. YES, only Christ saves. But does Christ save only professed or actual Christians, that is my question!

 

[SBCPreacher]

...does one have to be a Christian to be saved?

If one is saved, then they are a Christian.

 

[canadyjd]

We are saved by grace though faith, but does that faith necessarily entail a conscious knowledge of the gospel?

Yes.

I Cor.1:21 "For since in the wisdom of God the world through its wisdom did not come to know God, God was well-pleased through the foolishness of the message preached to save those who believe."

Very clear. God's plan is to bring salvation to those "who believe" through the preaching of the gospel (this is the "what" they believe) of His Son, Jesus. Who He is and what He did. Christ and Him crucified.

There is no salvation without the gospel of Jesus Christ.

peace to youraying:

 

[El_Guero]

Christians are saved by Christ, and the only way to be saved is by Christ. If you do not have Christ, you are not saved. You are only saved by faith in Christ.

Therefore, only 'Christians' are saved.

If one is saved, then they are a Christian.

 

[annsni]

On a bike trip I did with Youth for Christ (did many, but this is from one of them), we learned cute rhymes to remember the lesson from the morning (you could say them as you were pedalling up hills and such). The first morning was "What is a Christian" and the rhyme was "A Christian.....is one.....in whom Christ dwells!" So no, someone who's not a Christian will not be saved. A Christian is not a denomination or anything like that but a relationship where Christ is the ruler of your heart. You "believe and receive" (John 1:12) and are saved.

 

[Heavenly Pilgrim]

I am not absolutely sure of what I about to say, but as I recall my father told me of a story of a noted Christian whose name I believe was Sundar Singh. His mother was born as a heathen and never heard of the gospel all of her life as I recall. Just the same, she lived an absolute exemplary life, so mush so that even after Sundar became a Christian, he asked God to do with him whatever God did with his saintly mother when she died.

I am NOT trying to make any doctrine here, nor am I stating that anyone will be found in Chrsit in the last day apart from hearing and responding to the gospel. This is obviously contrary to the way some read Scripture, but only God knows all there is concerning this story. I just remember this as a very unusual and out of the ordinary case of one never having heard or not understnading about the name Jesus.

 

[canadyjd]

my father told me of a story of a noted Christian whose name I believe was Sundar Singh. His mother was born as a heathen and never heard of the gospel all of her life as I recall. Just the same, she lived an absolute exemplary life, so mush so that even after Sundar became a Christian, he asked God to do with him whatever God did with his saintly mother when she died.

I read a biography of Dr. Martyn Lloyd Jones, a dedicated christian in England during the last century. He was asked by a reported, late in life, whether he believed his father was in heaven. Amid tears, he responded that although his father was one the best, most compassionate people he ever knew, that he doubted his father had ever heard the gospel (given the poor state of pulpit preaching during his father's life).

Dr. Jones, it seems to me, knew better than to allow his emotions to over rule the clear teaching of scripture on this matter, even when it came to his family.

There is no salvation without the gospel of Jesus Christ.

peace to youraying:

 

[Dustin]

I am not absolutely sure of what I about to say, but as I recall my father told me of a story of a noted Christian whose name I believe was Sundar Singh. His mother was born as a heathen and never heard of the gospel all of her life as I recall. Just the same, she lived an absolute exemplary life, so mush so that even after Sundar became a Christian, he asked God to do with him whatever God did with his saintly mother when she died.

I am NOT trying to make any doctrine here, nor am I stating that anyone will be found in Chrsit in the last day apart from hearing and responding to the gospel. This is obviously contrary to the way some read Scripture, but only God knows all there is concerning this story. I just remember this as a very unusual and out of the ordinary case of one never having heard of the name Jesus.

Well, yeah, there are very moral people who are not Christians. But if they are not in Christ, if they don't know Christ, they don't know the Father and they do not have the Father. Anybody who dies without ever hearing the Gospel, and/or does not believe and confess that Jesus Christ is the Son of God is not saved. It doesn't matter whether they flat out denied Christ or lived 101 years and never heard the Gospel, if they don't have Christ, they don't have salvation. The Bible is very clear about that. Jesus said the He was THE way, THE truth, and THE life, no one comes to the Father but by HIm. That's pretty exclusive.

 

[The Galatian]

Is the Bible our final authority in all matters concerning the salvation of man? Any church that teaches that salvation can be found outside of Christ cannot save you. Therefor if you are a Roman Catholic YOU ARE NOT SAVED!

Someone took advantage of your trust in them. The Roman Catholic Church teaches that salvation can only be had through Christ's death and Resurrection.

Acts 4:12 says that salvation is found in no one other than Christ, "for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved." This verse and many others make it abundantly clear that Christ is the only Savior of the world.
http://www.catholic.com/thisrock/2004/0403sbs.asp

You may be sincere but dreadfully wrong. One thing you can do, is to find the people who misled you about this, and tell them that they are not very good Christians, if they feel the need to deceive others about their fellow Christians.

How sad. When people try to push other people away from God, they only succeed in removing God from their lives.

 

[DQuixote]

Be careful, one and all. Once you open the door to non-Christians, well.......... you have in fact kicked open the door. It will be difficult if not impossible to close it again. Fertile ground for naysayers and the antichrist.

 

[El_Guero]

Great story.

:thumbs:

I read a biography of Dr. Martyn Lloyd Jones, a dedicated christian in England during the last century. He was asked by a reported, late in life, whether he believed his father was in heaven. Amid tears, he responded that although his father was one the best, most compassionate people he ever knew, that he doubted his father had ever heard the gospel (given the poor state of pulpit preaching during his father's life).

Dr. Jones, it seems to me, knew better than to allow his emotions to over rule the clear teaching of scripture on this matter, even when it came to his family.

There is no salvation without the gospel of Jesus Christ.

peace to youraying: