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Old 02-19-2010, 09:59 AM
Sambekzx Sambekzx is offline
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My last response on this because I'm learning that forums are a bad place to conduct debates.

1. I intentionally avoided trying to define the "what" of "salvation." So, I don't have much to say to your question about our physical state during the resurrection at this time and whether salvation is a process or a "pie in the sky." As I said before, the "what" of salvation is distinct from the "how" of salvation.

2. Your pill analogy primarily deals with the "how" of "salvation" (the "what" is an implied assumption that the pill will cure the disease). Your pill analogy still requires the patient to ingest the drug. And to do that voluntarily (this is key), the patient still must know that there is a pill to ingest and agree to his need for THAT specific pill, even in the midst of his ignorance of the pharmacodynamics of the pill or the name of the pill.

In the same way, salvation must come by faith (ingesting) in Jesus (the pill) for the propitiation of our sins (need for the pill). Perhaps there is room for the actual Hebraic name of "Yeshua" and all its permutations in other languages to be unknown (otherwise, how would the OT patriarchs and prophets have had salvation?). But you must have faith that a specific person died in your place for your sins and that person is God, himself.

Living by a moral code alone does not save. Trying to emulate Jesus' life on earth alone does not save. Not even acknowledgement that Jesus existed, that he died for sins, and that he is God is enough. You must bet your eternal fate (in poker terms, go "all in") on these things.

No other religion or philosophy preaches this. Nothing else under the sun has said "God died for your sins" and to place your eternal security on that. It is nonsensical in Buddhism because Karma has no redemption for wrongs, offensive in Islam because Allah would never debase himself in human form and be killed, and ridiculousness in every other religion or mode of thought because they hinge on man trying to be "good" based on his own effort, not grace bestowed from on high. This Gospel of Grace is unique and unapproachable from the ground up. It is truly revelation from God.

And it just so happens that these fundamental items of faith are never presented to the world without mentioning "Jesus." Because the very concept itself is so foreign to man and would never spring out of his imagination, the only way we would ever have had it on the brain is through the telling of the account of Jesus.

That is why, realistically speaking, if you haven't heard the name Jesus, you haven't heard the Gospel at all, in any form. No Gospel = no salvation. It's a hard truth, but it's why we as Christians cannot fritter our lives away on pointless endeavors. There is a world out there who needs to hear this.
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