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If a person is on an Island, and all they find is John 3:16, will believing that save them?

Discussion in 'Baptist Theology & Bible Study' started by Guido, Aug 13, 2022.

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  1. Guido

    Guido Active Member

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    There is no place in scripture where it states what you must believe about Christ to be saved from eternal hellfire, except that everyone who believes in Him has eternal life. All the promises in the book of John state in the majority text, according to what I learned. Can you provide a single verse or set of verses that state exactly what you must believe about Jesus besides that to be saved? What do you think is the bare minimum?

    I know I asked this question in different words before. But now I am making the issue more specific and detailed.

    What about those verses that say this? (I forget which reference.)

    Jesus said to her, "I am the resurrection and the life..He that believes in me, though he may die, yet he shall live. And he that lives and believes in me shall never die. Do you believe this? Martha said to him, "Yes, Lord, I believe that you are the Christ, the Son of God, which should come into the world."

    Comare that with ! John 5. I did not read I John 5 in my commentary but I think I got that right.

    According to GES, I think, the Greek for Son of God, Son of Man, and Christ means Messiah, which here seems to be the resurrection and the life, or the one who gives eternal life to all who believe in Him for it. But I think there might be a problem with my understanding of this. Because eternal life is received at the very same moment belief occurs. I think they are simultaneous events.

    I have two commentaries on the New Testament, one that says it's too late for some people alive today, and one that explains all the warnings in the New Testament, clarifying that as long as one is alive, they can still be saved by believing the gospel. I prefer that commentary, because I can't make sense out of scripture with the other one when it comes to erotology.

    Would you consider this heretical teaching? But I can't make sense out of the Bible if it is.
     
    #1 Guido, Aug 13, 2022
    Last edited: Aug 13, 2022
  2. KenH

    KenH Well-Known Member

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    Since salvation is 100% of God and 0% of man, meaning that salvation is not conditioned on anything in man or done by man or thought by man, there is nothing to be concerned about such a situation. God is absolutely totally sovereign and will absolutely see to it that all of those chosen by God before the world began to be saved are regenerated and given the gifts of repentance toward God and faith toward the Lord Jesus Christ. We can think up all of the hypotheticals we want, but I see no reason to as God is absolutely totally sovereign and every single one of His elect will be saved.
     
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  3. 37818

    37818 Well-Known Member

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    I am persuaded your understanding is wrong.
     
  4. 37818

    37818 Well-Known Member

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    Romans 1:16, ". . . the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; . . ."

    1 Corinthians 15:1-4, ". . . the gospel . . . that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures; And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures: . . . "

    1 John 5:1, ". . . Whosoever believeth that Jesus is the Christ is born of God: . . ."
     
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  5. 37818

    37818 Well-Known Member

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    Romans 2:11-16, ". . . For there is no respect of persons with God. For as many as have sinned without law shall also perish without law: and as many as have sinned in the law shall be judged by the law; (For not the hearers of the law are just before God, but the doers of the law shall be justified. For when the Gentiles, which have not the law, do by nature the things contained in the law, these, having not the law, are a law unto themselves: Which shew the work of the law written in their hearts, their conscience also bearing witness, and their thoughts the mean while accusing or else excusing one another; ) In the day when God shall judge the secrets of men by Jesus Christ according to my gospel. . . ."
    Revelation 20:11-15.
     
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  6. AustinC

    AustinC Well-Known Member

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    If a man lived on Mars, would John 3:16 apply? (I ask in jest as I find the question of this thread very odd.)
     
  7. 37818

    37818 Well-Known Member

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    ". . . all they find is John 3:16, . . . " What would that mean?
     
  8. Guido

    Guido Active Member

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    Give me one passage that states exactly what you must believe about Jesus to be saved from the book of John, unless you don't believe that a person can be saved while reading the Book of John.
     
  9. Earth Wind and Fire

    Earth Wind and Fire Well-Known Member
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    No

    John 3:3
     
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  10. Earth Wind and Fire

    Earth Wind and Fire Well-Known Member
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    Man is born with original sin so he is not pure from the start… this needs to be understood before you can ever understand the God/Man dynamic. If left to man’s own corrupt nature, he will operate sinfully, then evil dominates and wins. It takes the will of the almighty to turn that around in order to create a new regenerated human being ( one with a clean soul, with a conscience, one with a mission to do well for Gods wishes.
     
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  11. kyredneck

    kyredneck Well-Known Member
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    ...requires the circumcised heart with the law written upon it. The two hearts of Ro 2:

    The 'hard and impenitent' heart...:

    5 but after thy hardness and impenitent heart treasurest up for thyself wrath in the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God;
    6 who will render to every man according to his works:

    ...and the circumcised heart with the law written upon it:

    13 for not the hearers of the law are just before God, but the doers of the law shall be justified:
    14 (for when Gentiles that have not the law do by nature the things of the law, these, not having the law, are the law unto themselves;
    15 in that they show the work of the law written in their hearts, their conscience bearing witness therewith, and their thoughts one with another accusing or else excusing them);
    29 but he is a Jew who is one inwardly; and circumcision is that of the heart, in the spirit not in the letter; whose praise is not of men, but of God.

    God renders to each of these hearts according to (not because of) their works.

    7 to them that by patience in well-doing seek for glory and honor and incorruption, eternal life:

    8 but unto them that are factious, and obey not the truth, but obey unrighteousness, shall be wrath and indignation,
    9 tribulation and anguish, upon every soul of man that worketh evil, of the Jew first, and also of the Greek;

    13 for not the hearers of the law are just before God, but the doers of the law shall be justified:
     
  12. Guido

    Guido Active Member

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    Aren't you born again by believing in Jesus for everlasting life, not trusting in your works? It's impossible to take John 3:16 literally without believing it's a free gift of God.
     
  13. kyredneck

    kyredneck Well-Known Member
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    No. You believe in Jesus because you've been born from above.
     
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  14. 37818

    37818 Well-Known Member

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    Totally false. Also believing is a prerequisite God has set, John 6:47-48. God does the new birth not our belief.
     
  15. kyredneck

    kyredneck Well-Known Member
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    Simply amazing that we oppose one another, and you would use the very same scripture I would use to prove my point.
     
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  16. 37818

    37818 Well-Known Member

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    You are not alone in your understanding. But then neither am I. The why for this needs to be understood.

    What is your break down of Romans 10:13-15?
     
  17. Silverhair

    Silverhair Well-Known Member

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    Salvation is the free gift of God and you are right we are saved by God when we trust in Him. Think of the OT saints. The errant views that you are getting from the Calvinists on here will just lead you down a rabbit hole of foolishness.

    Trust what the bible says about God and how He desires all to be saved but He will not force anyone to be saved. According to the Calvinist, God drags people in to heaven and then forces them to believe in Him, of course they will say that He just gives them faith but who can refuse what God gives you, right.

    What is it really that causes people to be condemned in the first place? Is it because they didn't hear about Jesus? NO. Wrath is on us because of sin not merely because of unbelief.
    Romans 3:23 summarizes mankind's condition this way it says “for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God”

    NOTE: This is something we need to recognize, wrath comes upon us because of sin it stays upon us because of unbelief.

    What about the person who never hears the gospel?

    There's two things that every man is aware of that all humans have a sense of accountability for.

    There is a Creator
    Rom 1:19 because what may be known of God is manifest in them, for God has shown it to them.
    Rom 1:20 For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead, so that they are without excuse,

    And Morality
    Rom 2:14 for when Gentiles, who do not have the law, by nature do the things in the law, these, although not having the law, are a law to themselves,
    Rom 2:15 who show the work of the law written in their hearts, their conscience also bearing witness, and between themselves their thoughts accusing or else excusing them)
    Rom 2:16 in the day when God will judge the secrets of men by Jesus Christ, according to my gospel.

    An unbeliever who has never heard any of this information from the Bible could respond to the internal awareness of God from creation and conscience turn to God and trust in Him.

    "WILL RENDER TO EACH ONE ACCORDING TO HIS DEEDS":
    Rom 2:7 eternal life to those who by patient continuance in doing good seek for glory, honor, and immortality;
    Rom 2:8 but to those who are self-seeking and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness—indignation and wrath,
    Rom 2:9 tribulation and anguish, on every soul of man who does evil, of the Jew first and also of the Greek;
    Rom 2:10 but glory, honor, and peace to everyone who works what is good, to the Jew first and also to the Greek.
    Rom 2:11 For there is no partiality with God.
     
  18. JonC

    JonC Moderator
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    The name (and title) Jesus the Christ? No. What if somebody believed the gospel but translated it "Joshua the Savior"? (The Hebrew name would be translated "Joshua", the Greek "Jesus").

    Or maybe you mean simply not knowing a name, but the gospel (God's Son, the Savior). That work.
     
  19. kyredneck

    kyredneck Well-Known Member
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  20. Alan Gross

    Alan Gross Well-Known Member

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    Has God, "Opened the heart", of these we are asking about?

    King James Bible
    "And a certain woman named Lydia, a seller of purple, of the city of Thyatira,
    which worshipped God, heard us:
    whose heart the Lord opened,
    that she attended unto the things which were spoken of Paul." Acts 16:14
     
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