What happens if someone dies before they became a believer, is it their fault?

Since God knows the future, and because God is just (Deuteronomy 32:4), then he would know the outcome of the persons life if they had lived a full life. But just because it was ended short, doesn't mean he doesn't give them opportunities to be saved. So it comes down to this, if God is true, fair and just, then he would know the person would never accept him no matter what, and would allow them to be killed young. I'm basing this off of God's nature for what the bible says about him.

"For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that people are without excuse." - Romans 1:20

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"This is good, and pleases God our Savior, who wants all people to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth." 1 Timothy 2:3-4

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So in essence, believing in Gods goodness and righteousness means that the way he governs is true, right and fair and despite us not knowing all the ins and outs, we can have trust and faith that when everyone accounts for their life, judgement will be fair.

"...for he comes to judge the earth. He will judge the world with righteousness and the peoples with equity." - Psalms 98:9

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JohnB445 said:

For example, a young man just starting college is murdered. He didn't get to live a long life, while someone else becomes a believer in their 40's.

The person in their 40's had more time to accept Jesus, yet the young man didn't. It seems unfair, but what does the Bible say?

Was the young man probably never would have been a believer anyway? Are we sometimes saved not only because we accepted Jesus, but by chance we survived long enough to accept Jesus as our God? Or does this not make any sense?

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My position isn't popular, but when has that stopped me from trying to help? I believe God has chosen, up front, who He wants in His kingdom. Those He has chosen will always choose for Him because it's in their nature to want Him.

It really doesn't matter if we die before we accept Christ. It is already established who would, if given the chance, accept the Lord. The advantage of living a full life is that it gives an opportunity for God to express the full range of redemptive activities in a person's life. If that life is cut short, God will not dock them for failing to express their full potential.

Those who aren't chosen are products of evil angels and evil men who make use of God's creation to produce human agents who are repelled by God. They naturally assume the nature of the ones who have influenced their coming into existence. According to Jesus, they are "planted by the enemy."

I do believe in free choice, but I also believe God has made His own choice, as well. And He never intended to produce rebels--just those He calls His children. Those He has chosen will be able to live with Him in paradise. Those who he has not chosen will be judged based on their deeds, some suffering many stripes and some suffering only few stripes.

The problem with not being chosen is that there is a natural propensity to reject Christ. And the result is Outer Darkness, which may be a more severe or a much milder punishment.

I know we have all heard that Hell is hideous and gruesome. But I believe we are told that the fire is simply to remove all sinners from God's paradise on earth--not to torture people. The suffering is simply the fact of being removed from Paradise conditions, along with the remorse of having done wrong.

JohnB445 said:

For example, a young man just starting college is murdered. He didn't get to live a long life, while someone else becomes a believer in their 40's.

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Each person makes their own choices.

JohnB445 said:

The person in their 40's had more time to accept Jesus

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True. And people living to 900 years of age before the flood had wayyyy more time than anyone has had for 1000's of years.

Consider that most people are born and grow with a question in their mind what this is all about and is there more. This starts a journey which will or at least should either lead them into the world or away from it. Whether they find Christianity is irrelevant. it is the truth of the Father that matters and it won't be found in the traditional ways of mankind. Turning from the adversarial self-serving ways of man and elohim is key and in that lies salvation. People around the world can by choice discover and live by the golden rule,

JohnB445 said:

For example, a young man just starting college is murdered. He didn't get to live a long life, while someone else becomes a believer in their 40's.

The person in their 40's had more time to accept Jesus, yet the young man didn't. It seems unfair, but what does the Bible say?

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The Bible says that we ALL deserve hell, whether we understand how and why or not. "Fair" would be no mercy for some that he chose for his own purposes for that end.

Consider the parable of the Workers in the Field (Matthew 20:1-16). The reprobate get what they bargained for. God is not unfair to have mercy upon whom he chooses to have mercy.

JohnB445 said:

Was the young man probably never would have been a believer anyway? Are we sometimes saved not only because we accepted Jesus, but by chance we survived long enough to accept Jesus as our God? Or does this not make any sense?

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You would be hard-pressed to prove that there is even any such thing as anything happening by chance. In fact, it is a self-contradictory construct. "Chance" is human language. The fact that it occupies a spot in the dictionary does not lend the notion credibility.

"'Chance' is just a place-holder for, 'I don't know'." —RC Sproul

If God is Omnipotent, he is Omniscient (and I will argue no other god). If God is Omniscient, he knew what would happen before he started it going. Thus, he INTENDED everything that comes to pass—and that to his own glory.

Surprised when I read -
"For ever since the creation of the world His invisible nature and attributes, that is, His eternal power and divinity, have been made intelligible and clearly discernible in and through the things that have been made (His handiworks). So [men] are without excuse [altogether without any defense or justification]," Rom 1:20

JohnB445 said:

For example, a young man just starting college is murdered. He didn't get to live a long life, while someone else becomes a believer in their 40's.

The person in their 40's had more time to accept Jesus, yet the young man didn't. It seems unfair, but what does the Bible say?

Was the young man probably never would have been a believer anyway? Are we sometimes saved not only because we accepted Jesus, but by chance we survived long enough to accept Jesus as our God? Or does this not make any sense?

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It is wonderful to know: "I do not make that decision!"
God judges people's hearts, which I cannot see.
The Bible is really addressing people who could or did reject God and does not address those who never had the opportunity to reject God.