Can people be accepted into heaven without hearing the gospel?

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MahogonySnail said:
It might mess up our theology that God can save a person before they've even heard the gospel, but that's basically the extraordinary extent of God's grace - it doesn't begin and end with the Gospel.
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I may have missed you covering this MS, forgive me if I did, but how do you get around John 14:6 .... no one come to the Father except through me? To allow for an exception would be saying that God lied in that scripture.
 
may have missed you covering this MS, forgive me if I did, but how do you get around John 14:6 .... no one come to the Father except through me? To allow for an exception would be saying that God lied in that scripture.
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The point is, that Christ is not limited to work through the Gospel alone. It no where says "no one comes to the Father except through the Gospel".

I know of people who were saved by having a vision of a man dressed in white. NO one preached the gospel to them, but they still met Jesus and were saved. The interesting thing is that Jesus never preached the gospel to them either.
 
MahogonySnail said:
The point is, that Christ is not limited to work through the Gospel alone. It no where says "no one comes to the Father except through the Gospel".

I know of people who were saved by having a vision of a man dressed in white. NO one preached the gospel to them, but they still met Jesus and were saved. The interesting thing is that Jesus never preached the gospel to them either.
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Maybe they had heard about Jesus before hand???? just asking.

Phil
 
They could have. Not all cases though. Because one of their questions is "who is the man I saw in the vision". It doesnt mean they dont need the gospel. But I think God has already accepted them the moment he called them.
 
When a little child dies (and not having heard the Gospel) it certainly goes straight into the arms of Lord Jesus in Heaven (Matt 19v14 ):

But Jesus said, "Let the little children come to Me, and do not forbid them; for of such is the kingdom of heaven."
 
jb said:
When a little child dies (and not having heard the Gospel) it certainly goes straight into the arms of Lord Jesus in Heaven (Matt 19v14 ):

But Jesus said, "Let the little children come to Me, and do not forbid them; for of such is the kingdom of heaven."
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Hi jb

The verse you give is not about children going to heaven. it is a metaphor of the humility needed to enter into the Kingdom of heaven.

read Matthew 18:2-3

Kind regards

Phil
 
John 12:32 "And I, if I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all peoples to Myself.”

Snail, I suppose you know why the word "men" or "peoples" is in italics/grey I think. Who is the all that is spoken of?

I believe these verses explain who it is refering to, demonstrating the power of God.

John 6: 36 But I said to you that you have seen Me and yet do not believe. 37 All that the Father gives Me will come to Me, and the one who comes to Me I will by no means cast out.

For your stories about people who had visions to give credibility to your claim you would need to give examples of people who had these visions and NEVER heard the gospel.

Also, I believe this exact attitude is what drove the apostles to spread the gospel, not depending on sinful man to choose what he by nature hates but that God would open the eyes and ears of His elect to hear the gospel call.

Your idea that some men are naturally righteous is not biblical. Actual righteousness is imputed by God, not earned or displayed by man.

Not of ourselves, lest any man should boast.

In the entire bible it has been God who justifies, forgiveness is not something earned but freely given.

If it was something earned, then it would not be GRACE.
 
I think your narrow interpretation doesn't account for many old testament figures like Abraham. Whose righteousness was Abraham justifed by? God's? No, his own. I mis-wrote. Abraham was not justified by his own righteousness but BY FAITH. A person in some jungle who never hears the gospel but is still saved is not justified by their own righteousness but BY FAITH.

The bible says Cornelius was ACCEPTED by God BEFORE He heard the Gospel. If God ACCEPTS a person then they ARE SAVED.
 
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MahogonySnail said:
The point is, that Christ is not limited to work through the Gospel alone. It no where says "no one comes to the Father except through the Gospel".

I know of people who were saved by having a vision of a man dressed in white. NO one preached the gospel to them, but they still met Jesus and were saved. The interesting thing is that Jesus never preached the gospel to them either.
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I misread what you said and so I mispoke. My apologies. My mind saw "Jesus" where you had written "Gospel".
 
for as long as those people did what is right in the eyes of God imo. :]
 
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