Is It Better To Meet God Having Never Heard Of Salvation In Jesus, Or Having Heard & Rejected Him ?

[Consecrated Life]

As a Christian do you believe it would be better for a person to come into God's presence having never heard of salvation through Jesus Christ , or having heard of this salvation in Jesus Christ, and rejecting it ?
Or do you think this is basically six of one, a half dozen of the other ?
Are there any Scriptures you can cite that leads you to believe there is any difference ?

" For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received , how that Christ died
for our sins according to the Scriptures. "
( 1 Corinthians 15:3 )

 

[Hopeful]

As a Christian do you believe it would be better for a person to come into God's presence having never heard of salvation through Jesus Christ , or having heard of this salvation in Jesus Christ, and rejecting it ?
Or do you think this is basically six of one, a half dozen of the other ?
Are there any Scriptures you can cite that leads you to believe there is any difference ?

" For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received , how that Christ died
for our sins according to the Scriptures. "
( 1 Corinthians 15:3 )

Babies never heard of Jesus and they will be glad on the last day !
If a man never hears of God's gifts, and what Jesus did for them, they will be judged by their own consciences.
Anyone who rejects salvation has no chance at eternal life, but those who maintain a clear conscience do.

 

[Who Me]

do you believe it would be better for a person to come into God's presence having never heard of salvation through Jesus Christ , or having heard of this salvation in Jesus Christ, and rejecting it ?

The bible is clear, salvation is only for those who believe in Jesus.
Worse those who do not already believe in him are already condemned.

 

[Consecrated Life]

Babies never heard of Jesus and they will be glad on the last day !
If a man never hears of God's gifts, and what Jesus did for them, they will be judged by their own consciences.
Anyone who rejects salvation has no chance at eternal life, but those who maintain a clear conscience do.

Good looking out hopeful .
I had forgotten to include the spiritual qualifier of reaching an age of accountability which could be a stand alone thread on it's own .
I certainly agree with you that the Scripture teaches the salvation of infants and those below an age of accountability , I do detect that you believe a responsible adult who has never heard of Jesus will have a different fate than a infant,
is that correct ?
Do you know of any Scriptures which speak to this ?

 

[Consecrated Life]

The bible is clear, salvation is only for those who believe in Jesus.
Worse those who do not already believe in him are already condemned.

And those who have never heard of Jesus ?

 

[Tessa]

It is possible for the Lord to make Himself known to anyone, even if they have never heard of Him. God is just and He is their judge

 

[Fastfredy0]

Is It Better To Meet God Having Never Heard Of Salvation In Jesus, Or Having Heard & Rejected Him ?​

Matthew 11:20 Then He began to denounce [the people in] the cities in which most of His miracles were done, because they did not repent [and change their hearts and lives]. 21 “Woe (judgment is coming) to you, Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! For if the miracles done in you had been done in Tyre and Sidon [cities of the Gentiles], they would have repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes [their hearts would have been changed and they would have expressed sorrow for their sin and rebellion against God]. 22 Nevertheless I say to you, it will be more tolerable for [the pagan cities of] Tyre and Sidon on the day of judgment than for you.

The verses strongly imply the there were cities that would have repented and turned to Christ if He had witnessed to them and that there will be a greater penalty for those who heard from Christ. So I conclude it is better to never heard from Christ that the hear of him. The position in hell of those who have not heard the gospel would be better than those that heard the gospel IMO.

Aside: Interesting, Christ knowingly went to cities where not as many people who be saved. The implications are manifold.

 

[Who Me]

And those who have never heard of Jesus ?

Basic 101 Of Christianity. One has to actually believe in him in order to be saved.
Read John 3:18 those Who do not believe in me are Already condemned.

 

[Consecrated Life]

Basic 101 Of Christianity. One has to actually believe in him in order to be saved.
Read John 3:18 those Who do not believe in me are Already condemned.

Wouldn't " not Believe ", by definition mean, "not heard" ?

 

[Who Me]

Wouldn't " not Believe ", by definition mean, "not heard" ?

One cannot believe in something one has no knowledge of.

 

[Quantrill]

As a Christian do you believe it would be better for a person to come into God's presence having never heard of salvation through Jesus Christ , or having heard of this salvation in Jesus Christ, and rejecting it ?
Or do you think this is basically six of one, a half dozen of the other ?
Are there any Scriptures you can cite that leads you to believe there is any difference ?

" For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received , how that Christ died
for our sins according to the Scriptures. "
( 1 Corinthians 15:3 )

If I believed it were better for a person who rejects Christ to have never heard of Christ, I wouldn't present the Gospel to any.

None of those who deny Christ, or have never placed faith in the God of the Bible, will be in a good position when they meet Good. There is no 'better' for them. They will be judged fairly and found wanting. (Rom. 1:19-20) (Rom. 2:6-11)

So, we present the Gospel, not just to get some saved. But to do it in obedience to Christ. (Matt. 28:19) Though we don't know what their response will be, God does, and we leave those results to Him.

The 'better' is that they come to Christ. But if not, God is pleased with our witness. (2 Cor. 2:15-16)

Quantrill

 

[Edward]

As a Christian do you believe it would be better for a person to come into God's presence having never heard of salvation through Jesus Christ , or having heard of this salvation in Jesus Christ, and rejecting it ?
Or do you think this is basically six of one, a half dozen of the other ?
Are there any Scriptures you can cite that leads you to believe there is any difference ?

" For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received , how that Christ died
for our sins according to the Scriptures. "
( 1 Corinthians 15:3 )

Your question is answered very clearly in scripture. It's in:

2 Peter 2:20-22
20 For if, after they have escaped the pollutions of the world through the knowledge of the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, they are again entangled in them and overcome, the latter end is worse for them than the beginning.
21 For it would have been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than having known it, to turn from the holy commandment delivered to them.
22 But it has happened to them according to the true proverb: “A dog returns to his own vomit,” and, “a sow, having washed, to her wallowing in the mire.”.../

...so the moral of the story is hold on tight.

 

[Consecrated Life]

If I believed it were better for a person who rejects Christ to have never heard of Christ, I wouldn't present the Gospel to any.
Quantrill

Your statement is based on an impossibility .
You & I have no way of knowing what another person has or hasn't heard in their lifetime .
My question had nothing to do with motivation for curtailing our giving of the gospel .
You won't find that in my question anywhere.
My question focused on the fact that some people do depart this world having never heard the gospel, and does Scripture address this issue in terms of their eternal estate as compared to those have heard and not believed, which the Scripture specifically speaks to as being damned .
Either way cannot be good , but is there a difference.
This verse you quoted from Paul is interesting , (Rom. 1:19-20) , in that it says such person has " no excuse " , but excuse for what exactly ?
Paul can't be saying " no excuse " for not knowing about Christ's substitutionary death, since that particular lack of knowledge it the whole point.
He seems to be saying the person who has never heard of Jesus is without excuse in the sense that even though Cain was never told not to kill, or given the law forbidding murder, the very nature of God instilled in him the sense that murder was sin ?
And so this should be instilled in every person who has not heard the Saving Grace of God in Christ Jesus.
Actually I think Cain & Abel are very illustrative for the question Paul brings up of being without excuse .
Could it be possible that people who have never heard the Salvation of Jesus are judged in the same way Cain & Abel were judged ?
Do you think Cain and Abel are sharing the same eternal abode today ?
Or do you think they are different ?

 

[JLB]

As a Christian do you believe it would be better for a person to come into God's presence having never heard of salvation through Jesus Christ , or having heard of this salvation in Jesus Christ, and rejecting it ?
Or do you think this is basically six of one, a half dozen of the other ?
Are there any Scriptures you can cite that leads you to believe there is any difference ?

" For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received , how that Christ died
for our sins according to the Scriptures. "
( 1 Corinthians 15:3 )

For if, after they have escaped the pollutions of the world through the knowledge of the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, they are again entangled in them and overcome, the latter end is worse for them than the beginning. For it would have been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than having known it, to turn from the holy commandment delivered to them. 2 Peter 2:20-21




JLB

 

[Quantrill]

Your statement is based on an impossibility .
You & I have no way of knowing what another person has or hasn't heard in their lifetime .
My question had nothing to do with motivation for curtailing our giving of the gospel .
You won't find that in my question anywhere.
My question focused on the fact that some people do depart this world having never heard the gospel, and does Scripture address this issue in terms of their eternal estate as compared to those have heard and not believed, which the Scripture specifically speaks to as being damned .
Either way cannot be good , but is there a difference.
This verse you quoted from Paul is interesting , (Rom. 1:19-20) , in that it says such person has " no excuse " , but excuse for what exactly ?
Paul can't be saying " no excuse " for not knowing about Christ's substitutionary death, since that particular lack of knowledge it the whole point.
He seems to be saying the person who has never heard of Jesus is without excuse in the sense that even though Cain was never told not to kill, or given the law forbidding murder, the very nature of God instilled in him the sense that murder was sin ?
And so this should be instilled in every person who has not heard the Saving Grace of God in Christ Jesus.
Actually I think Cain & Abel are very illustrative for the question Paul brings up of being without excuse .
Could it be possible that people who have never heard the Salvation of Jesus are judged in the same way Cain & Abel were judged ?
Do you think Cain and Abel are sharing the same eternal abode today ?
Or do you think they are different ?

It's not an impossibility that some or many who I witness to will reject Jesus Christ. It doesn't matter if I know or not if they have already heard.

Actually Paul is saying just that. One doesn't need to know the substitutionary Christ to be under the wrath of God and deemed unrighteous and ungodly. (Rom. 1:18) "For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who hold the truth in unrighteousness."

What is the truth these hold in unrighteousness? That God exists and is all powerful. (Rom. 1:19-20) "Because that which may be know of God is manifest in them; for God hath shewed it unto them. For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen being understood by the things made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse."

All men have the inner witness of God in themselves and the outer witness of the creation. Even if one has never heard of Christ, he is accountable to God in this. And in this, one can accept or reject God. One who rejects Christ, will equally reject this. So they are already holding the truth in unrighteousness.

The law really doesn't matter as to God's judgement. Those who reject God and are under the law, will be found guilty by the law. Those who reject God who are not under the law will also be found guilty by the inner and outer witness. (Rom. 2:11-15)

Concerning Cain and Able, we move into the realm of which we can't know unless God reveals it to us. Cain was not of God, but was of the devil. (1 John 3:12) "Not as Cain,who was of that wicked one...."

You will note that Cain had no problem believing in God. He talked with God "Am I my brothers keeper" (Gen. 4:8-15) Cain knew the truth. But he was not of God and wanted nothing to do with God. We cannot know this of any we witness to, but God does. But we can know they are of God if they turn to Christ as their Lord and Saviour.

Quantrill