Why preach to the unsaved?

[Reptoid]

Assuming it's true that those who have never heard of Jesus will go to Heaven regardless of their religion, why seek out and preach to such people and force them to choose between Heaven and Hell when they were guaranteed entrance through the pearly gates before? I can't help but think that perhaps there is a passage in the Bible somewhere that mentions that all unbelievers will face Hell regardless of whether they have heard of Christianity or not. Otherwise, missionary work makes absolutely no sense since those who have not heard of Christ will enter Heaven anyway.

 

[tapero]

Assuming it's true that those who have never heard of Jesus will go to Heaven regardless of their religion, why seek out and preach to such people and force them to choose between Heaven and Hell when they were guaranteed entrance through the pearly gates before? I can't help but think that perhaps there is a passage in the Bible somewhere that mentions that all unbelievers will face Hell regardless of whether they have heard of Christianity or not. Otherwise, missionary work makes absolutely no sense since those who have not heard of Christ will enter Heaven anyway.

Hi, the assumption that those who never heard, that you wrote above I believe is innaccurate due to Romans 1.

Below is just a portion of Romans 1, but the main gist is men are without excuse as God has clearly revealed himself to all.

I think more scripture comes into play here also in Romans, but I don't grasp it well enough to write about it.

I can say, that even though this below scripture from Romans 1 is truth, that until I became a Christian I wasn't aware of God; I have a feeling there was a time when I was (don't recall) and did just as scripture below says, suppressed the knowledge of the truth.

On a different note: no one is forced to accept Christ. It's impossible to force someone to believe something. They can say I believe, if under torture or fear of death, but not at all agree or believe.

Portion below comes from Romans 1:18 and includes 3 paragraphs, and is continued in 2 more paras.

Here's where I took it from:

http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=romans 1&version=31

The wrath of God is being revealed from heaven against all the godlessness and wickedness of men who suppress the truth by their wickedness, 19since what may be known about God is plain to them, because God has made it plain to them. 20For 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 men are without excuse.

21For although they knew God, they neither glorified him as God nor gave thanks to him, but their thinking became futile and their foolish hearts were darkened. 22Although they claimed to be wise, they became fools 23and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images made to look like mortal man and birds and animals and reptiles. 24Therefore God gave them over in the sinful desires of their hearts to sexual impurity for the degrading of their bodies with one another. 25They exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshiped and served created things rather than the Creator—who is forever praised. Amen.

 

[WarEagle]

Why preach to the unsaved?

Why throw a rope to a drowing man?

Assuming it's true that those who have never heard of Jesus will go to Heaven regardless of their religion, why seek out and preach to such people and force them to choose between Heaven and Hell when they were guaranteed entrance through the pearly gates before?

Because the Bible doesn't teach this. No one escapes God's justice just because they've never heard the Gospel.

Tapero stole my thunder.

 

[ContentInHim]

Tapero's post was top-notch, as usual!

 

[ebia]

Assuming it's true that those who have never heard of Jesus will go to Heaven regardless of their religion, why seek out and preach to such people and force them to choose between Heaven and Hell when they were guaranteed entrance through the pearly gates before? I can't help but think that perhaps there is a passage in the Bible somewhere that mentions that all unbelievers will face Hell regardless of whether they have heard of Christianity or not. Otherwise, missionary work makes absolutely no sense since those who have not heard of Christ will enter Heaven anyway.

There are two false assumptions here:
1. "that those who have never heard of Jesus will go to Heaven regardless of their religion". Others have addressed this point.
2. That the purpose of Christianity is to get to heaven. The world needs to be redeemed and healed through the power of the cross, and spreading the gospel is part of implementing that.

 

[spiersdodgerblue]

Assuming it's true that those who have never heard of Jesus will go to Heaven regardless of their religion, why seek out and preach to such people and force them to choose between Heaven and Hell when they were guaranteed entrance through the pearly gates before? I can't help but think that perhaps there is a passage in the Bible somewhere that mentions that all unbelievers will face Hell regardless of whether they have heard of Christianity or not. Otherwise, missionary work makes absolutely no sense since those who have not heard of Christ will enter Heaven anyway.

We preach to the unsaved because Jesus Himself commands all who are baptized with the Holy Spirit and follow His teaching to do just that.

Acts 1:8
But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.

This is our call to share the Good News which is found in Jesus.

God Bless
Hope this helps on this topic.

 

[8ballwizard]

Assuming it's true that those who have never heard of Jesus will go to Heaven regardless of their religion, why seek out and preach to such people and force them to choose between Heaven and Hell when they were guaranteed entrance through the pearly gates before? I can't help but think that perhaps there is a passage in the Bible somewhere that mentions that all unbelievers will face Hell regardless of whether they have heard of Christianity or not. Otherwise, missionary work makes absolutely no sense since those who have not heard of Christ will enter Heaven anyway.

You have noticed a disruption of the flow of apologetics. For example, when you ask someone "what happens to people who have never heard of Jesus and die?", which has happened in most of the world for 2000 years and prior. The answer by modern evangelicals is usually the same. "God judges them by their works"..."God only judges them based on what they know". Something along those lines. It is a way to make the extremism of God seem not so cruel and extreme. I think Calvinists may be the only exception to that rule (since they actually look forward to God torturing people in hell). In other words, they admit that God will save someone who has no faith in Jesus. The next obvious question is "If God will save non-christians simply for never hearing about Jesus, then why try to preach to them, and thus make them hellbound?". This is the dilemma. The odds would be better if they were left alone and they would more likely go to heaven. Yet, the bible makes a clear statement, Christians are to preach the gospel to every creature (thus damning them if they reject it). So, if you don't want people to go to hell, the best thing you can do is leave them alone! Gotta love it.

 

[MrsHolwager]

Actually I dont think there's anything wrong with our God. He just has a low tolerance for sin. Just because you dont know about god, doesnt mean you get a free pass into heaven.when it's time for judgement the murderers, rapists.... all the sinners will be punished accordingly.

 

[HypnoToad]

If God will save non-christians simply for never hearing about Jesus, then why try to preach to them

You make the same mistake as the OP. There is nothing in Scripture saying those who never heard are automatically saved. There is nothing that says their chances are in any way better by not hearing.

the standard for a supreme being should be far greater and wiser than that of humans

Yet, you presume your wisdom is adequate to justly say God is wrong for doing what He does.

 

[heron]

Reptoid, I might have said at one point that I believe there are people from other religions who have connected with the same God, and who will end up in the same place -- but God didn't say everyone would end up in heaven. He said that He wished everyone ended up in heaven. "He is not willing that any should perish" -- it is the people who will themselves into that situation.

Despite right-wrong beliefs, there are people who lived for greed and self-gain, trampling others down every path. If they don't repent of how they lived their lives, there is no cause for salvation.

I watched Citizen Kane this morning. Kane started out supporting the underdog and living by anti-materialsm. By the end, those closest to him convicted him of fighting for causes with passion only so that people would love him back. He controlled them with his agendas, no matter how altruistic he appeared publicly.

We all have a bit of that in us, religious or not, generous or not. We all do things that appear noble on the outside, for less noble reasons. God knows that too. There will be people who spend their lives preaching the gospel on their own steam, who will still have to face God honestly and admit they had forgotten Him themselves.

Making contact with The Man.... that's the primary objective.

 

[ebia]

You have noticed a disruption of the flow of apologetics. For example, when you ask someone "what happens to people who have never heard of Jesus and die?", which has happened in most of the world for 2000 years and prior. The answer by modern evangelicals is usually the same. "God judges them by their works"..."God only judges them based on what they know". Something along those lines. It is a way to make the extremism of God seem not so cruel and extreme. I think Calvinists may be the only exception to that rule (since they actually look forward to God torturing people in hell). In other words, they admit that God will save someone who has no faith in Jesus. The next obvious question is "If God will save non-christians simply for never hearing about Jesus, then why try to preach to them, and thus make them hellbound?". This is the dilemma. The odds would be better if they were left alone and they would more likely go to heaven. Yet, the bible makes a clear statement, Christians are to preach the gospel to every creature (thus damning them if they reject it). So, if you don't want people to go to hell, the best thing you can do is leave them alone! Gotta love it.

You assume, among other things, that salvation & Christianity are purely individual matters. Lots of Christians do the same, and this is where a good deal of your problem comes from.

The Christian message isn't (or shouldn't be) that people who meet some arbitrary criteria are rescued from this world to go and live in another. It should be that through the transforming power of Christ people in this world are transformed so that they in turn transform this world towards being the Kingdom of God. God's plan is to redeem creation, through the power of teh cross, implemented (in part) by his apostles (us) proclaiming the gospel. No proclamation - no new creation (for anyone).

 

[Libre]

I understand that the good news of the kingdom is the gospel. Believers are spiritually part of the kingdom now. That is the good news. We don't have to wait and wonder. We can know we are His. John says this in his gospel.

We preach to the unsaved because we are not only commanded, but because we can't help but tell of what God has done in Jesus - hopefully we feel that way.

Jesus is building his church. It is made with living stones which are people, and it is made not with man's hands. We have a purpose, which includes praising God, and doing His will on the earth.

That's how I see it, anyway.

Libre

 

[rocklife]

the punishment for sin is death.

it is hard to understand God's ways and judgments. I do know that God is not going to torture people for billions of years though. And I bible study every day, with His help. I believe those verses that have preached that way are misunderstood (even by many church leaders). Jesus warns us many times leaders can be bad and wrong. remember who led Him to be killed was His religious leaders, Jesus encourages us in the bible not to completely trust church leaders, so please check into these hard teachings for yourself prayerfully and not just what others say and have taught, there are lot of errors mixed in, but you can learn the truth if you seek wholeheartedly and be willing to do the right thing when you learn it.

 

[rocklife]

and to answer the title question of the OP, because God can help us in this life today too, not just go to heaven. I used to be full of evil, depression, went to jail, etc. God has changed my life now too, the thought of heaven for later times just helps keep encouraging us to persevere through the hard times and see a light past death. I like to share what I've learned with others when I can, He helps me so much in every day life too. I used to try to get that close relationship and problems with my conscience solved with promiscous relationships and wrong things, but God helped take the bad away and gave me good things now, even though life is not easy, it is good to have a clean conscience and love in my heart rather than hate.

 

[AformerChristian]

You have noticed a disruption of the flow of apologetics. For example, when you ask someone "what happens to people who have never heard of Jesus and die?", which has happened in most of the world for 2000 years and prior. The answer by modern evangelicals is usually the same. "God judges them by their works"..."God only judges them based on what they know". Something along those lines. It is a way to make the extremism of God seem not so cruel and extreme. I think Calvinists may be the only exception to that rule (since they actually look forward to God torturing people in hell). In other words, they admit that God will save someone who has no faith in Jesus. The next obvious question is "If God will save non-christians simply for never hearing about Jesus, then why try to preach to them, and thus make them hellbound?". This is the dilemma. The odds would be better if they were left alone and they would more likely go to heaven. Yet, the bible makes a clear statement, Christians are to preach the gospel to every creature (thus damning them if they reject it). So, if you don't want people to go to hell, the best thing you can do is leave them alone! Gotta love it.

Can't agree more!!!

 

[heron]

because God can help us in this life today too, not just go to heaven.

That's for sure!