Deathbed Salvation

[Lafon]

Originally Posted by Jay

He will make a way for the truly hungry to hear the entire truth before they die.

I believe that! If one be "truly hungry" for God, He will always send someone to them to show them they way; that's not to say that they will always take heed to and obey it after hearing it, but they will be without excuse for that failure.

The amazing part of it all.... it is the SAME plan, never changes, despite the circumstances one might find them in at the time that they hear it.... I would hope that one would choose to take heed to it before they reach a "death bed."

[RandyWayne]

Originally Posted by Lafon

I believe that! If one be "truly hungry" for God, He will always send someone to them to show them they way; that's not to say that they will always take heed to and obey it after hearing it, but they will be without excuse for that failure.

The amazing part of it all.... it is the SAME plan, never changes, despite the circumstances one might find them in at the time that they hear it.... I would hope that one would choose to take heed to it before they reach a "death bed."

So what about all those living in the American continents after the events of Acts chapter 2?

[Lafon]

Originally Posted by RandyWayne

So what about all those living in the American continents after the events of Acts chapter 2?

I feel compelled to rely upon the manner which apostle Paul's proclamation serves to answer your inquiry:

"But if our gospel be hid, it is hid to them that are lost: in whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them that believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them," (II Corinthians 4:3-4)

Oh yes, I know! You're going to reply, "But these folks live way down there in the jungle where there are no Apostolic preachers to tell them of the gospel of Christ, so how are they to ever know whether there even be a God, right?" Well, if that be your response, I would remind you of these two things:

1.) There was a time when their ancestors lived where there was truth readily available, but they chose to neglect it and, in fact, flee from it by travelling to such remote & desolate locales to live. Perhaps these are among the first to bear the blame for their ignorance.

2.) The writer of Romans advises us that even in the absence of a Bible by which one might learn of what God demands of them to be reconciled unto Himself, nature itself bears witness to the fact that there is a God (and remember this also - Abraham, as well as all those who lived prior to Moses' writing of the 1st five books of the OT, didn't possess any written document which told them of God and His relationship with man):

"For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; [which means "divinity"] so that they are without excuse." (Romans 1:20, KJV, emphasis added)

I am unable to add more to these explicit statements of Scripture!

[RandyWayne]

Originally Posted by Lafon

I feel compelled to rely upon the manner which apostle Paul's proclamation serves to answer your inquiry:

"But if our gospel be hid, it is hid to them that are lost: in whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them that believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them," (II Corinthians 4:3-4)

Oh yes, I know! You're going to reply, "But these folks live way down there in the jungle where there are no Apostolic preachers to tell them of the gospel of Christ, so how are they to ever know whether there even be a God, right?" Well, if that be your response, I would remind you of these two things:

1.) There was a time when their ancestors lived where there was truth readily available, but they chose to neglect it and, in fact, flee from it by travelling to such remote & desolate locales to live. Perhaps these are among the first to bear the blame for their ignorance.

2.) The writer of Romans advises us that even in the absence of a Bible by which one might learn of what God demands of them to be reconciled unto Himself, nature itself bears witness to the fact that there is a God (and remember this also - Abraham, as well as all those who lived prior to Moses' writing of the 1st five books of the OT, didn't possess any written document which told them of God and His relationship with man):

"For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; [which means "divinity"] so that they are without excuse." (Romans 1:20, KJV, emphasis added)

I am unable to add more to these explicit statements of Scripture!

Yup. Clear as mud.

After all the theological hoops you have to jump through to show that only the 20th Century interpretation of Acts 2:38 is the way, the truth, and the life and NO ONE will be saved outside of completing the three steps AND that the thief on the cross was an aberration that needs to be constantly explained away, all I have to do is go back to the thief were he said "remember me", and it was enough for God Himself.

[Lafon]

Originally Posted by RandyWayne

Yup. Clear as mud.

After all the theological hoops you have to jump through to show that only the 20th Century interpretation of Acts 2:38 is the way, the truth, and the life and NO ONE will be saved outside of completing the three steps AND that the thief on the cross was an aberration that needs to be constantly explained away, all I have to do is go back to the thief were he said "remember me", and it was enough for God Himself.

As I said in my closing statement.....

I am unable to add more to these explicit statements of Scripture!

[Aquila]

Originally Posted by Lafon

As I said in my closing statement.....

I am unable to add more to these explicit statements of Scripture!

Would you pray for a dying man, anointing him with oil, who wanted to be saved? Yes or no?

[RandyWayne]

Originally Posted by Aquila

Would you pray for a dying man, anointing him with oil, who wanted to be saved? Yes or no?

I'd like to know too. The implications of someone not believing it is possible for a dying person to be saved are, to be quite honest, frightening.

[deacon blues]

Originally Posted by RandyWayne

Yup. Clear as mud.

After all the theological hoops you have to jump through to show that only the 20th Century interpretation of Acts 2:38 is the way, the truth, and the life and NO ONE will be saved outside of completing the three steps AND that the thief on the cross was an aberration that needs to be constantly explained away, all I have to do is go back to the thief were he said "remember me", and it was enough for God Himself.

The thief on the cross is the perfect picture of grace. Helpless man who cannot do a single thing to save himself except believe in Jesus. It's a conundrum for OPs and it gets dealt with "hoop jumping" as you call it. I always hated when someone brought up the thief when I staunchly parroted the OP doctrine on salvation. I used the same interpretive slight of hand to dance around the glaringly obvious fact that the man wasn't baptized or spoke in tongues, yet through simple faith and the grace of God, he died knowing he wouldmwake up in paradise with Jesus.