VCO
Just for curiosity sake and so I know whom I am talking to, could you explain to me how many ways there are to heaven other than the Gospel of Christ.
I already did, you either skim over what I write and INSERT YOUR OPINIONS about what I said, or do not read them at all. ONCE AGAIN:
Malachi 3:6 (NKJV)
6 "For I am the Lord, I do not change; . . .
THEREFORE, if we can find ONE example of HOW GOD saved a man, we will know how GOD saves all who believe in HIM.
Romans 4:3 (ISV)
3 For what does the Scripture say? "Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness."
THAT FAITH LIKE ABRAHAM'S THEREFORE is the ONE way to Salvation,
NOT Faith Plus speaking in tongues.
NOT Faith Plus Christian water Baptism.
NOT Faith Plus hearing the Good News from a Preacher.
NOT Faith Plus Good Works.
NOT Faith Plus Church Membership.
NOT Faith Plus anything.
Good Works, spiritual gifts, Christian Water Baptism, Church Membership, etc., etc.; are all thing that we DO after we are SAVED by GRACE, not to get saved. AND YES everyone comes through Jesus Christ, who has that same FAITH that Abraham had; EVEN IF YOU NEVER HEARD THE NAME WE USE, JESUS CHRIST. YES, the JEWS who
truly knew HIM only as "Messiah" were saved through Jesus Christ, because HE IS THE MESSIAH. YES the monotheistic natives of the world who
truly knew HIM as "The Great Spirit who created everything" or some other name meaning Creator were saved through Jesus Christ, because HE IS THAT CREATOR. YES, Faith comes through hearing the Word taught, but it is also available through what HE HAS WRITTEN into everything HE CREATED. That is why NO ONE WHO REJECTS HIM has any excuse. They cannot even claim, it is not my fault, because no one ever told me about Jesus Christ.
Colossians 1:16-18 (NKJV)
16 For by Him all things were created that are in heaven and that are on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers. All things were created through Him and for Him.
17 And He is before all things, and in Him all things consist.
18 And He is the head of the body, the church, who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in all things He may have the preeminence.
Salvation is PURELY a work of the Holy Spirit, that we do not get to claim credit for. YES we in obediance share what we learned about CHRIST, and if because of that testimony or sermon, someone gets saved, it is NOT because of us. Therefore I do not believe in bragging about how many we led to the LORD, or baptized, (what I call TV preacher scalp hunting). We are just the sower of the seed, NOT the creator of the seed.
Or like my pastor used to say, "We are just the bus boys serving the food that HE PREPARED, therefore ALL the glory belongs to HIM.
Isaiah 55:11-13 (NKJV)
11 So shall
My word be that goes forth from My mouth; It shall not return to Me void, But it shall accomplish what I please, And it shall prosper in the thing for which I sent it.
12 "For you shall go out with joy, And be led out with peace;
The mountains and the hills Shall break forth into singing before you, And all the trees of the field shall clap their hands.
13 Instead of the thorn shall come up the cypress tree, And instead of the brier shall come up the myrtle tree; And it shall be to the Lord for a name, For an everlasting sign that shall not be cut off."
Luke 19:40 (NKJV)
40 But He answered and said to them,
"I tell you that if these should keep silent, the stones would immediately cry out." So whether the new believer heard a disciple proclaiming Who JESUS CHRIST IS, or heard the very stones HE created proclaim HIM as THEE CREATOR, it is ALL part of the SAME work of Salvation that ONLY the Holy Spirit gets credit for.
Jeremiah 33:2-3 (GW)
2 “I made {the earth}, formed it, and set it in place. My name is the Lord. This is what the Lord says:
3 Call to me, and I will answer you. I will tell you great and mysterious things that you do not know.
I am a very old-style conservative Evangelical, about as far from the modern Evangelical Liberalism as I can get, and I am very DEFINATELY NOT a Charismatic or Pentecostal.
Does that answer your question? Sorry I am late answering these, but I have been very busy the last few days.