Quote:
Originally Posted by Oakback
What about a person who through no fault of their own never had the benefit of hearing the "good news"? What about a child who dies during delivery?
They never heard the name Jesus. Never heard the gospel. Never were baptised. As a fellow Christian you may disagree with my jargon, but I'm sure these folks are not beyond salvation and redemption.
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jas 4:17 Therefore to him that knoweth to do good, and doeth it not, to him it is sin.
This would also apply the other way around. If a person does not know to do good, and does evil. How can it be sin when he knew not of it? God judges by the "knowledge" (knoweth) of good and evil.
Example: Adam and Eve were not judged until they took from the tree of "knowledge" of both good and evil.
When a person becomes self aware of the real God, and does not seek Him out. Then they are in judgement and it is their own fault. But, if someone is in the middle of no where. And they have no contact to know God. Then they are innocent and cannot be judged for wrong doing.
Revelation 20:11 And I saw a great white throne, and him that sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away; and there was found no place for them.
12 And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books,
according to their works.
13 And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged every man according to their works.
14 And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death.
15 And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire.
Most people would think that everyone judged at the Great White Throne will be thrown into the lake of fire. But I want you to notice the phrase used in verse 15. It says: Whosoever was not found written....
What this says is that there is another chance for "some" to get to heaven. You see Christ can only judge those that were in His covenant. Those who are not, have to be judged by God Himself. So the ones who did not hear the good news did not accept Christ's covenant. So who judges them? God does. This is why it is said: They are judged by their works.
They cannot be judged by a covenant they knew not of. So they cannot be judged for kingdom works. They cannot be thrown into hell, neither did they go to heaven. This is why one verse says: Death* and hell delivered up the dead.
The ones who never new of Christ die and stay in their graves (death*). The determining factor of their fate in eternity will be determined by their works on earth. Which means: Did they choose to do evil, and never sought out the good? Or did they choose to stay away from evil, and choose good even though it was not understood?
You see God cannot have evil in Heaven. So those who chose it even though they have never heard of Christ, make their own fate by that choice (works). Those who reject it, to try and do good have a chance in the white throne judgement to find their names written in the book of life.
Adding this judgement in this way also makes the judgement a trinity:
1) You have the judgement throne of Christ, in which those who accepted Christ, or rejected Christ (fallen away) will be judged (Sheep and goat judgement).
2) Great White Throne in which those who never got saved, but had the knowledge of good and evil (knew about Christ).
3) Great White Throne in which those who never heard the good news will have a chance according to their works (choice) of good and evil while on earth.
Works cannot save a person. But through having no knowledge, works become a judgement because works is all that is left to judge some by. Because one cannot be judged by covenant laws he was not made aware of.
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(PS: You all know me, this is meant to be funny. No weather-bashing, Okay?)
