Who can be saved?

Below is a study done by a dear friend and sister-in-the Lord who just recently came to the knowledge of the truth; that is, to see the fellowship of the mystery as given to our Apostle Paul.   She was kind enough to let me post it here…

 

+++

As far as people being saved who have never heard of Christ.....well, I have struggled with that one ever since I was saved.  We so wish that everyone could go to heaven, don't we?  But the Bible does not support the notion that a person can be saved without believing God.  So whichever dispensation a person has lived in, all men are expected to believe God and his instructions for obtaining righteousness in that particular age/dispensation (period of time in which God is dispensing specific instructions).

The Gospel of grace:

            1 Corinthians 15:1-4

¹Moreover, brethren, I declare unto you the gospel which I preached unto you, which also ye have received, and wherein ye stand;

²By which also ye are saved, if ye keep in memory what I preached unto you, unless ye have believed in vain.

³For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures;

⁴And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures:

Here are some passages that support the fact that you must hear the gospel and believe it in order to be saved.  Faith and hearing are inextricably linked.

Romans 3:22

²²Even the righteousness of God which is by faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe: for there is no difference:

Romans 4:11

¹¹And he received the sign of circumcision, a seal of the righteousness of the faith which he had yet being uncircumcised: that he might be the father of all them that believe, though they be not circumcised; that righteousness might be imputed unto them also:

Romans 10:14

¹⁴How then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed? and how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard? and how shall they hear without a preacher?

Romans 10:17

¹⁷So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.

1 Corinthians 1:21

²¹For after that in the wisdom of God the world by wisdom knew not God, it pleased God by the foolishness of preaching to save them that believe.

2 Corinthians 4:4

⁴In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them.

Galatians 2:16

¹⁶Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Jesus Christ, that we might be justified by the faith of Christ, and not by the works of the law: for by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified.

Galatians 3:2, 5, 6

²This only would I learn of you, Received ye the Spirit by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith?

⁵He therefore that ministereth to you the Spirit, and worketh miracles among you, doeth he it by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith?

⁶Even as Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness

Galatians 3:22

²²But the scripture hath concluded all under sin, that the promise by faith of Jesus Christ might be given to them that believe.

Galatians 3:26

²⁶For ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus.

Ephesians 1:13

¹³In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise,

1 Thessalonians 2:13

¹³For this cause also thank we God without ceasing, because, when ye received the word of God which ye heard of us, ye received it not as the word of men, but as it is in truth, the word of God, which effectually worketh also in you that believe.

1 Thessalonians 4:14

¹⁴For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him.

2 Thessalonians 2:12

¹²That they all might be damned who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness.

1 Timothy 1:16

¹⁶Howbeit for this cause I obtained mercy, that in me first Jesus Christ might shew forth all longsuffering, for a pattern to them which should hereafter believe on him to life everlasting.

2 Timothy 1:12

¹²For the which cause I also suffer these things: nevertheless I am not ashamed: for I know whom I have believed, and am persuaded that he is able to keep that which I have committed unto him against that day.

2 Timothy 4:17

¹⁷Notwithstanding the Lord stood with me, and strengthened me; that by me the preaching might be fully known, and that all the Gentiles might hear: and I was delivered out of the mouth of the lion.

We do know that God wishes that all people would be saved.  (Scripture does not support the notion that only some are chosen for salvation.  If you’re interested, here are a couple of  wonderful audios go through all the verses using 'predestination' and 'chosen' that shows they only refer to purpose and service:  What God controls today and Elected by God.) 

Romans 5:18

¹⁸Therefore as by the offence of one judgment came upon all men to condemnation; even so by the righteousness of one the free gift came upon all men unto justification of life.

Romans 8:32

³²He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things?

Romans 11:32

³²For God hath concluded them all in unbelief, that he might have mercy upon all.

Romans 16:26

²⁶But now is made manifest, and by the scriptures of the prophets, according to the commandment of the everlasting God, made known to all nations for the obedience of faith:

2 Corinthians 5:14-15

¹⁴For the love of Christ constraineth us; because we thus judge, that if one died for all, then were all dead:

¹⁵And that he died for all, that they which live should not henceforth live unto themselves, but unto him which died for them, and rose again.

Ephesians 3:9

⁹And to make all men see what is the fellowship of the mystery, which from the beginning of the world hath been hid in God, who created all things by Jesus Christ:

1 Timothy 2:4-6

⁴Who will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth.

⁵For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus;

 ⁶Who gave himself a ransom for all, to be testified in due time.

2 Peter 3:9

⁹The 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.

Since God knows the possible outcome of every conceivable scenario, he knows how people will respond to the truth:

Matthew 11:23

²³And thou, Capernaum, which art exalted unto heaven, shalt be brought down to hell: for if the mighty works, which have been done in thee, had been done in Sodom, it would have remained until this day.

I’m hoping that this means that he will do whatever it takes to reach every person who would believe the gospel if they had the opportunity to hear it so that they can all be saved regardless of where they live.  But we just don’t know if he does that or not.  It’s not revealed in scripture.

2 Thessalonians 2:14

¹⁴Whereunto he called you by our gospel, to the obtaining of the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ.

God calls people today by the gospel.  Unless they hear the gospel of the grace of God and put their trust in the completed work of the cross without any added works, a person cannot be saved. 

From a human point of view that’s a very hard pill to swallow, but to a holy God it’s more than fair.  And since Christ died for all; and salvation is open to all who believe the gospel; and God wants all men to be saved; it’s very possible that he has a way of reaching all those who would put their trust in the cross work of Christ.

+++