Thread: I'm far from a universalist, but....

I'm not a universalist, so I do not believe good works can save you. Faith in Christ alone is what saves. Still, I can't help but think God will remember this man in his death, and perhaps He even saved him through faith in the month before he passed.

http://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-35352763

Noone can make God bend his own rules but God himself can make exceptions. We wont know if he will and if so, how many exceptions he will make - until he holds judgment. We will simply have to wait and see. I'm convinced that anyone who sets their hope in God making an exception for them rather than obey the truth, will stand no chance at all. God cannot be bargained with. But he can show mercy, if he so chooses.

Originally Posted by Colonel

Noone can make God bend his own rules but God himself can make exceptions. We wont know if he will and if so, how many exceptions he will make - until he holds judgment. We will simply have to wait and see. I'm convinced that anyone who sets their hope in God making an exception for them rather than obey the truth, will stand no chance at all. God cannot be bargained with. But he can show mercy, if he so chooses.

No exemptions. Otherwise he is not just !"Whoever believes and is baptized has life, and whoever does not believe is condemned."

Well, it's a good deed he did obviously. But this topic actually being a reality is a big rabbit hole and doesn't really stand up to scrutiny. God saves him just because it's Christian's he protected? How about all the other people that have died protecting other people, whether civilian or military, etc? If somewhere along the line some that were protected were Christians and others were not, the ones that protected Christians went to heaven and the others didn't? What would the standard be which ones are exceptions? A thousand other examples could be thought of. What about Oskar Schindler who was a member of the Nazi party but saved Jews, God's chosen people? Etc, etc, etc.

I just hope he somehow got saved during the month he was still alive.

Originally Posted by LionHeart

No exemptions. Otherwise he is not just !“Whoever believes and is baptized has life, and whoever does not believe is condemned.”

He cannot make exceptions from his covenant, anyone who is sealed by the Holy Spirit at the moment of death is saved period. Making a positive exception is possible within the scope of justice IF the dividing line between those who are given amnesty and those who are not, is based on justice. It is completely possible to make no exceptions at all and just go with the default.

Originally Posted by fuego

Well, it's a good deed he did obviously. But this topic actually being a reality is a big rabbit hole and doesn't really stand up to scrutiny. God saves him just because it's Christian's he protected? How about all the other people that have died protecting other people, whether civilian or military, etc? If somewhere along the line some that were protected were Christians and others were not, the ones that protected Christians went to heaven and the others didn't? What would the standard be which ones are exceptions? A thousand other examples could be thought of. What about Oskar Schindler who was a member of the Nazi party but saved Jews, God's chosen people? Etc, etc, etc.

I just hope he somehow got saved during the month he was still alive.

You wouldnt be capable of making exceptions based on justice but God who is all knowing and all wise would be. We are talking about justice here, not favoritism.

Originally Posted by Bookman

I'm not a universalist, so I do not believe good works can save you. Faith in Christ alone is what saves. Still, I can't help but think God will remember this man in his death, and perhaps He even saved him through faith in the month before he passed.

http://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-35352763

Under the Reformed understanding of how God saves it would be perfectly possible. Under other understandings it's up to him, not God.

Originally Posted by FunFromOz

Under the Reformed understanding of how God saves it would be perfectly possible. Under other understandings it's up to him, not God.

Now remember that this is hypothetical. IF God chose to make an exception, the person would still have to subject himself to the authority of Jesus and be born again and it would still be possible to reject. It is possible that the person would still choose hell just to get away from God. Perhaps not likely but still possible.

I think if were called upon to defend this man in the courts of heaven, I would argue that he was given a choice to stand with the people of God or stand with the slayers of God's people...and he chose to stand with God's people.

Did he or was it just because they were people?

Anyway as you know we're not saved by works so how could you argue works in the court of heaven?