SUBJECT:  Good People

QUESTION:  What about the good people of the world, are they lost to salvation?

Typical Statement we receive:

"You say that we are not saved only by grace.  Well I say that there are a lot of good people who do not murder, steal, do not harm to their fellow man, are well to do, and live their lives pretty good.  They accept Jesus Christ as the Lord of Lords, King of Kings and Son of the living God, they also believe that the only way the world will return to order is when he returns, yet these are as much a sinner as YOU or anybody else is.  I mean that they maybe homos, lesbians, those involved in adultery, boastful, think they know as much as God or refuse to see the truth in the Bible.  Find the truth, for the truth will set you free."

ANSWER:

Now we are not fully clear what it is you are saying here but we will attempt to reply.  We may have to ask you a few questions for the sake of clarity.

We are going to tell you what it is that we believe.  It is not our goal to convince you of anything.  You are free to believe anything you wish to believe.  This being said, let us proceed.

We too believe that there are a lot of "good" people on the earth. There are people who by most standards are nice, do good deeds, obey the laws of the land, practice the "golden rule" and invoke Godly principles such as love, joy, peace, patience and longsuffering to mention a few (see Galatians 5:22-23).  This does not change the truth that we see in the Bible or the fact that God looks at things in a greater perspective than we do.

1) God's plan is not to save a few but to save everyone.

2 Peter 3:9

The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.

Note:  God wants everyone to come to repentance and receive the Holy Spirit.  Without God's Holy Spirit we cannot enter into Eternal Life.

John 3:5

Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.

Galatians 6:8

For he that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption; but he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting.

Romans 8:11

But if the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you, he that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by his Spirit that dwelleth in you.

1 John 4:13

Hereby know we that we dwell in him, and he in us, because he hath given us of his Spirit.

Note: To receive the Holy Spirit, one must be repent, be baptized and receive the Holy Spirit by the laying on of hands (Heb 6).

Acts 2:38

Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost (Spirit).

Note:  There is no other way to receive the Holy Spirit.  Good news is that everyone that has ever lived will have an opportunity to receive this Holy Spirit, even those that never heard the name of Jesus Christ or were ever baptized.  All these people will be brought up in the Second Resurrection and given the full truth of God.  Everyone gets 1 chance......EVERYONE.

2) You stated that people you know..."accept Jesus Christ as the Lord of Lords, King of Kings and Son of the living God". 

Question:  Do they? And if they do, is that enough?

1 Corinthians 2:14-16

14 But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.

15 But he that is spiritual judgeth all things, yet he himself is judged of no man.

16 For who hath known the mind of the Lord, that he may instruct him? But we have the mind of Christ.

Note:  Verse 16 is speaking to those that have been baptized and received the Holy Spirit.  Verse 14 is very clear in stating that mankind just does not understand the things of God.  It is NOT enough just to say you know or accept Christ.  Notice...

Matthew 7:21-23

21 Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven.

22 Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works?

23 And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.

Luke 6:46

And why call ye me, Lord, Lord, and do not the things which I say?

James 2:19-20

19 Thou believest that there is one God; thou doest well: the devils also believe, and tremble.

20 But wilt thou know, O vain man, that faith without works is dead?

Note:  It takes much more than belief, doesn't it?  Notice that Jesus is asking in Luke 6, "Why are you not doing the things I say?"

Question:  Does He say anywhere that it is okay to be homosexual?  Okay to commit adultery?  Okay to be boastful?  Okay to deny the truth of the Bible?  Okay to say you know more that God, Himself?  Does it say anywhere that one can be this way and enter into the Kingdom of God?

Matthew 5:18-22

18 For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled.

19 Whosoever therefore shall break one of these least commandments, and shall teach men so, he shall be called the least in the kingdom of heaven: but whosoever shall do and teach them, the same shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven.

20 For I say unto you, That except your righteousness shall exceed the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, ye shall in no case enter into the kingdom of heaven.

21 Ye have heard that it was said by them of old time, Thou shalt not kill; and whosoever shall kill shall be in danger of the judgment:

22 But I say unto you, That whosoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment: and whosoever shall say to his brother, Raca, shall be in danger of the council: but whosoever shall say, Thou fool, shall be in danger of hell fire.

Galatians 5:19-21

19 Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness,

20 Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies,

21 Envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God.

Romans 1:26-32

26 For this cause God gave them up unto vile affections: for even their women did change the natural use into that which is against nature:

27 And likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust one toward another; men with men working that which is unseemly, and receiving in themselves that recompence of their error which was meet.

28 And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a reprobate mind, to do those things which are not convenient;

29 Being filled with all unrighteousness, fornication, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder, debate, deceit, malignity; whisperers,

30 Backbiters, haters of God, despiteful, proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents,

31 Without understanding, covenantbreakers, without natural affection, implacable, unmerciful:

32 Who knowing the judgment of God, that they which commit such things are worthy of death, not only do the same, but have pleasure in them that do them.

Notice the reference to homosexuals and boasters.  God's Word is clear. We must do His will and build righteous character.  After baptism and the receiving of the Holy Spirit, we enter into the process of building the character of God.  It is a process of moving toward perfection, of allowing Jesus Christ to live through us.  We reach perfection at the moment we become Spirit beings at the return of Jesus Christ.  You said it yourself, we all sin and will continue to sin, even in the process of overcoming, up and until Jesus returns but the key to the process is repentance.  We must be of a repentant attitude, repenting after we sin and maintaining ourselves in the salvation process (overcoming sin).

Conclusion:

We agree with you in part:  There are a lot of nice people in the World.  They will, in our estimation, ALL be in the Kingdom of God (we state this generally without looking at each specific individual).

Grace without works (invoking of Godly principle and building Godly character) is dead.

One must repent, be baptized, and receive the Holy Spirit to enter the Kingdom of God.  Most of the billions that have ever lived will accomplish this after the 2nd Resurrection of God, Almighty.

Sin must be overcome, that is, one must be in the overcoming process to enter into the Kingdom of God.  These sins are clearly spelled out in the pages of the Bible.

It is not enough to believe in God or to acknowledge Jesus Christ to enter into the Kingdom of God.

 
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