hmmmm it really depends. Buddhism is more of a way of life, and other religions are similar to Christianity – just with different gods and prophets. i’m pretty sure the Quran (?) mentions Noah’s arc, so maybe they’re all connected.
maybe religions like satanism won’t enter, but I’ve meet very kind satanists, so I’m not bashing on them because they’re going to hell.
But spiritual beliefs and religious beliefs are two different things. I’m a Christian AND a misanthropist (the definition is that i dislike humanity and how it evolved)
Yes. His name is God. He has always been, will always be.
Through faith in Jesus. What you just said there was that you can be “Good enough|” to get to heaven. That is COMPLETELY unbiblical.
You keep arguing man’s opinion of scripture. I’m arguing Scripture.
“For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, 9 not a result of works, so that no one may boast.” Ephesians 2:8-9
Nowhere does it say nor mean, “faith that resides in Jesus Christ Himself.” Willard focused on Spiritual Formation—the idea that a person can intentionally be formed into the character of Jesus through specific practices. Works. From what I see, he turned a “Gospel of Grace” into a “Gospel of Self-Help” and prioritized experience over scripture.
Peter
I think that if in their lifetime they did not hate the Lord, and lived in charity according to their religious tenets of charity, thus, shunned evil as sins againt God, they are eventually saved by the Lord. For otherwise, would it not be strange if not inhuman to think that they are going to hell because they did not have the Word and did not the Lord?
This is very compassionate, loving, and false. God set up the plan. God shows all His plan. Jesus came to be the final sacrifice. If there was anothing was, then Jesus’ sacrifice would be in vain. Pointless.
That is saying that one can work their way to heaven. Not true at all.
Not really. I tell all my children that there is a high place where gravity reigns. The only way to come down safely is with the Parachute that |I provided. If two of my children put it on, listen to, and obey what I said, they glide down peacefully. One decides that he does not like the Parachute, and he resents that I told him to use it. He steps off, He falls and dies. Did I kill him? No. Did Gravity kill him? No.
His death is not a punishment for disobeying me. It is a result of disobeying me. He could have glided down like the rest. As John 3:18 declares.
“Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God.”
Condemned already. By simply leaving out Jesus.
" Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me."John 14:6
There is no other way. No loophole, no “well, maybe.”
"And there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.” Acts 4:12
Even those who do not believe will bow before Jesus.
“Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.” Philippians 2:9-11
So yes. I understand the compassion. But it is simply not Biblical to say there is any other way to heaven.
Peter
I think there is an essential difference between the fate of those within the Church and that of those outside the Church. The Lord came, first of all, to those who were within the Church. They had the Word, saw the Lord, and were expected to believe in Him. They were able to discern the truth, but chose not to.
“If you were blind, you would have no sin; but now you say, ‘We see.’ Therefore your sin remains.”
With regard to others, outside the Church, they are relatively blind: they do not know the truths of the Word, and they do not know the Lord. In that respect, therefore, they are not guilty of that sin. Certainly, they are responsible within their own religion; but it is not their fault that they do not know the Lord. Moreover, commandments somewhat similar to those of the Decalogue are found, to some degree, among many nations. Therefore, when people who do not know the Lord nevertheless live according to such commandments, they are reformed to one degree or another, and may then be saved by the Lord in the other life, after being introduced into the truths of the Word.
The Lord Himself teaches:
“What must I do to inherit eternal life?”
And Jesus said to him, “Why do you call Me good? No one is good except God alone. You know the commandments: ‘Do not commit adultery, Do not murder, Do not steal, Do not bear false witness, Honor your father and mother.’”
But with regard to those who saw the Lord at His Coming, they were also expected to believe in Him. Thus, two things were required of them: faith in the Lord and charity toward the neighbour, that is, life according to the commandments. And in both cases, all merit was to be attributed to the Lord alone.
The role of the Lord in His Coming was manifold. Essentially, God Himself, as He had promised, came into the world and made Himself a sacrifice of love, in order to restore everything to order and to enable the Church to live from Him, when all things were on the verge of complete collapse. Thus His Coming and His gift were not in vain. Moreover, through His Coming, the Lord also manifested the Father Himself and glorified His Human. As a result, many things changed from that time onward with regard to the Church’s perception of God.
Reaching those who are outside the church is the whole point of the “Great Commission.”
Well, Religion is a man-made tradition, and there is no salvation in it. There are not many ways to heaven; there is one.
Romans 1 No one is with excuse.
Scripture? Or Desire? Or hope? This is not Biblical. Once you are standing in front of Jesus, He will place you on either the right or the left. You will be judged by your own words and actions. If their name is written in the Lamb’s Book of Life, they are saved; if not, they are not.
The Lamb’s Book of Life is a divine register mentioned in the New Testament, particularly in the Book of Revelation, where the names of those who belong to God and have attained eternal life are inscribed (Revelation 13:8; 21:27). It emphasizes that salvation is secured through faith in Jesus Christ, the Lamb of God, whose sacrificial death and resurrection make redemption possible.
" And he has given him authority to execute judgment, because he is the Son of Man. Do not marvel at this, for an hour is coming when all who are in the tombs will hear his voice and come out, those who have done good to the resurrection of life, and those who have done evil to the resurrection of judgment." John 5:27-29
Not to mention, in 2026, there are very few people who can honestly claim they never heard of Jesus. Remember, there is a big difference between honestly not knowing and rejecting Jesus in favor of a lifestyle or religion.
If you see the Sacred Scripture according to the letter, then in the Old Testament, in the epoch of the Jewish Nation/Church, there is a strict reference to the Jewish nation/church. Then, when the Lord comes, he addresses historically first of all, in the letter, those of the Jewish nation/church, but in broader sense, He evidently address all the believers. But consider, that most of the world, except a tinities part, did not the Gospel nor the Old Testament for hundred years, if not thousands, and they could be saved, in my view, according to that principle of ignorance, and according to the life of charity.
Besides, the Lord says:
11 And I say unto you, That many shall come from the east and west, and shall sit down with Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob, in the kingdom of heaven.
*12 But the children of the kingdom shall be cast out into outer darkness: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.
*
If we consider that only those will be saved who knew the Gospel, then that would be a limitation of the Lord’s Divine Providence and Mercy, because evidently that many of those did not know any Gospel.
So, I take those words above as reference who were eventually saved by the Lord in the spiritual world, who came from east and west, or from the other religions, again, provided they lived in the life of charity there, though not yet in the genuine truths, and thus not in the very genuine charity.
But what you quote from the Word is entirely correct, though applicable to those who had the Word, and among the latter there are differences also, who knew the will of God or did not know, though had the Word. And similarly, on a different level, with regard to the nations/gentiles, if those knew the laws of their religions with regard to charity, and did not live according to it, they could hardly be saved.
Romans 1:19–20
“Because that which may be known of God is manifest in them; for God hath shewed it unto them. For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made… so that they are without excuse:”
Romans 2:14–15
“For when the Gentiles, which have not the law, do by nature the things contained in the law…
Which shew the work of the law written in their hearts, their conscience also bearing witness…”
Acts 14:16–17
“Who in times past suffered all nations to walk in their own ways.
Nevertheless he left not himself without witness…”
Acts 17:26–27
“And hath made of one blood all nations of men…
That they should seek the Lord… though he be not far from every one of us:”
Psalm 19:1–4
“The heavens declare the glory of God…
There is no speech nor language, where their voice is not heard…”
Psalm 97:6
“The heavens declare his righteousness, and all the people see his glory.”
Job 12:7–10
“But ask now the beasts, and they shall teach thee…
Who knoweth not in all these that the hand of the LORD hath wrought this?”
Well, if you hold to the very literal understanding of all those things, then you are supposed to have interpreted the prophecies about the Lord’s coming literally, namely, that the Lord became the king in the city Jerusalem, there was supposed to be the lasting peace, and the Gentiles had to follow the Jews. In accordance with that paradigm, Gentiles should have followed the Lord as the earthly king, and maybe not even him by the Jewish nation, which the Jewish Church is perhaps expecting even nowadays, but is that really the universal theology of the true christian religion?
In my view, the nations/gentiles who live according to their religion, at least that part which is in some accordance with the Ten Commandments, and the related tenets of charity, are saved by the Lord, for there is no salvation but though Him. But some processes are taking place then in the other world, for they evidently could not take place in this world because of ignorance of those about the Lord and the Word.
Besides, seeing the Word contains not only the letter but the spirit, it was given not only as some historical account about the small Jewish tribe and the nearby nations of the land of Canaan, but as the spiritual representatives of the spiritual stase of regeneration. In this even some early christians had an insight, until many things got confused via the various heresies.
You are not simply interpreting these passages, you are redefining them.
Scripture does not present the coming of Christ as merely symbolic, inward, or tied to personal regeneration. It presents it as a real, visible, historical event:
Acts 1:11 “This same Jesus… shall so come in like manner as ye have seen him go into heaven.”
Revelation 1:7 “Behold, he cometh with clouds; and every eye shall see him…”
This is not inward, not allegorical, and not hidden, it is public and unmistakable.
You also shift salvation away from explicit faith in Christ to a kind of moral alignment within other religions. But Scripture is equally clear:
John 14:6 “I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.”
Acts 4:12 “Neither is there salvation in any other…”
Romans 10:13–14 “…how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard?”
There is no category in Scripture where people are saved through other religions and then “completed” after death.
Finally, you move from the plain meaning of Scripture to a system where the text becomes primarily symbolic of inner states. But we are warned not to go beyond what is written:
1 Corinthians 4:6 “…that ye might learn… not to think of men above that which is written…”
Isaiah 8:20 “To the law and to the testimony: if they speak not according to this word, it is because there is no light in them.”
The issue is not “literal vs spiritual.”
The issue is whether Scripture governs your theology, or whether you reshape Scripture to fit a system.
Christ will return personally, visibly, and in glory, and salvation is found only in Him, through the gospel, in this life, not through other religions, and not through post-mortem processes.
So, you believe that the Lord will literally come in the cloud of the heavens, where He lives, for He is said to live in the heavens, thus literal skies, correct? And he is going to come in the manner which is literally described in the Revelation of John, with all the beasts and dragons, as they are literally described, and all those events, horses of different color, etc. And that also the literal stars of the literal sky, being bigger than the earth, will fall on the earth? And that the earth was also created literally in the literal 6 days?
I am not willing to challenge your faith, if you wish to stay in its limits, and look to the Lord and shun evils as sins, but if you are in those literal paradigms, and expect the Lord in the same manner, I have a totally different overview on those events, while certainly believing in the essentially of the Divinity of the Lord’s Human, and faith and charity and faith in the holiness of the Word, as the requirements for the salvation for those who knew the Lord in this world.
I do not believe that interpretation of the Word that those did not know the Lord and did not have the Word, say, those living on isolate island, will go to hell. In my view, that is contrary to the whole spirit of the Gospel, while can certainly be supported by some occasional passages taken as to the letter alone, without any spiritual sense.
I am willing to engage in theological dialogue and to offer a reasoned defense of the Word of God, in accordance with:
1 Peter 3:15 “But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts: and be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear:”
However, in light of a prior suspension on the grounds of being perceived as “combative,” it appears that sustained doctrinal debate is not well accommodated in this context. While I regard rigorous theological engagement, where “iron sharpeneth iron” as both necessary and beneficial, the present environment does not seem conducive to such discourse.
Accordingly, I will refrain from further debate here.
I know you don’t know or understand and the only reason I’m entertaining you is because I am visiting my spouse’s mother whose in the hospital across the country and I have nothing to do.
But typing back also helps me sharpen up my thoughts on the subject so I don’t mind that much.
So back to these nonsenseable disagreements you have.
………………..
By you saying that you “already said his name is God” means you’ve been lost in my postings long before I started them.
The word was with God and the word is/was God.
No one is saying God’s name is God. I am saying that God’s name is His reality. Hence God is God, I am that I am, predicated off His own existence.
Reference scripture: psalms 9:10
And they that know thy name will put their trust in thee: for thou, LORD, hast not forsaken them that seek thee.
Based on the teachings of Dallas Willard, particularly in his work on the “with-God life,” the “Name of God” in the Old Testament is not simply a label, but a designation for the active, manifest presence of God in human history.
When Moses asks for God’s presence in Exodus 33, and God responds that His Presence will go with him, Willard explains this in several ways:
1. The Presence is the “Name”
In the Old Testament, the “Name of God” (or the Angel of the Lord) is used to represent God’s active presence in the world. Willard, as noted in studies of his work on the kingly presence ofGod, saw this as the “manifest presence.”
Verified Action: God’s presence going with Moses means the “name” of God is the active, intervening power of God that makes itself known in history.
A “With-God” Life: The promise “My Presence will go with you” (Exodus 33:14) is for Willard the core of the biblical narrative: a living, interactive relationship between God and his people.
2. The Presence is Personal and “Known”
Willard emphasized that this is not a metaphysical, distant concept, but a personal companionship.
More than Omnipresence: While God is everywhere (metaphysically), Moses was asking for the manifest presence—God showing up in action.
A “Shining Face”: In his teaching on the priestly blessing (Numbers 6), Willard describes this presence as “the Lord lift up his countenance upon you”—a personal, friendly gaze that provides security, just as it did for Moses.
3. Verification through “Withness”
The “name” (presence) is verified not by doctrine, but by its effects.
“It Works”: Willard believed this presence is meant to be “counted on and expected” in life and ministry, as it is a “real presence”.
The “With-God” Life: The story of the Old Testament and the New Testament is about humans living alongside God, rather than merely following rules. The presence makes it possible for human beings to live a life “without lack”.
4. The Name as God’s Active Rule
Willard often linked the presence to the Kingdom of God, which is “the range of God’s effective will”. Therefore, when the presence goes with someone, it means the Kingdom is acting through them.
In short, for Willard, “If thy presence will go with me” is a request for God himself to be actively present in a tangible way. That presence is the manifestation of his name, acting to guide, protect, and fulfill his promises.
God’s name is considered reality because, in Hebrew thought, it represents His active character, authority, and eternal, self-existent nature—He is the, “I AM” (Exodus 3:14), rather than merely a static label. It implies His ability to become whatever is necessary to fulfill His purposes, making the name a functional reality.
How God’s Name is Reality (Theological & Practical Perspectives)
Self-Existence and Being (Yahweh/Jehovah): The name Yahweh or YHWH is interpreted as “He Causes to Become,” embodying His essence as the eternally self-existent One. It signifies that God is not dependent on anything else for his existence, representing the ultimate reality of existence itself.
Active Presence and Power: God’s name is not just a title but is synonymous with His presence, power, and reputation. It is the “divine signature” imprinted on creation, connecting the divine to the act of living, as described in Genesis 2:7.
The “I AM” (Present Reality): When God tells Moses “I am who I am” or “I will be what I will be,” He defines Himself in the present, continuous tense, meaning He is actively present and faithful, rather than a distant, historical entity.
Reputation and Character: In the Bible, a name represents a person’s reputation, character, and identity. Therefore, “proclaiming God’s name” is equivalent to declaring his true, real character in the world.
Purpose-Driven Agency: The name implies God’s capacity to become whatever is needed to deliver or sustain his people, such as Creator, Protector, or Redeemer.
Usage Examples in Scripture and Life
Calling/Proclaiming: Actively naming God as “Yahweh” or “Elohim” to acknowledge His authority as Creator.
Building a Home: The Temple in Jerusalem was built for God’s name, signifying it as a dwelling place for his reputation and presence.
Walking in the Name: Living in a way that reflects God’s character and reputation.
Hallowing the Name: Treating God’s reputation as sacred and holy.
Synonyms for the Reality of God’s Name
YHWH (Tetragrammaton): The divine signature.
I AM: The self-existent one.
Elohim: The sovereign Creator.
The Name (HaShem): A phrase used to denote the full authority and character of God.
Eternity: Representing the unchanging and ever-present nature of God.
I don’t know what you mean by dispell, and I don’t know what you mean by Christ being the “ORIGINATOR” of life, and I don’t know what you mean by “the previous judgment. Not sure what you’re asking, or if there’s even a question.
The entire Bible is about Jesus. The Old Testament and the New. However, how we are saved has changed, sort of. Faith still saved.
"Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen. For by it the people of old received their commendation. By faith we understand that the universe was created by the word of God, so that what is seen was not made out of things that are visible.
By faith Abel offered to God a more acceptable sacrifice than Cain, through which he was commended as righteous, God commending him by accepting his gifts. And through his faith, though he died, he still speaks. By faith Enoch was taken up so that he should not see death, and he was not found, because God had taken him. Now, before he was taken, he was commended as having pleased God. And without faith it is impossible to please him, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him.
By faith, Noah, being warned by God concerning events as yet unseen, in reverent fear constructed an ark for the saving of his household. By this, he condemned the world and became an heir of the righteousness that comes by faith.
By faith Abraham obeyed when he was called to go out to a place that he was to receive as an inheritance. And he went out, not knowing where he was going. By faith, he went to live in the land of promise, as in a foreign land, living in tents with Isaac and Jacob, heirs with him of the same promise. For he was looking forward to the city that has foundations, whose designer and builder is God.
By faith, Sarah herself received power to conceive, even when she was past the age, since she considered him faithful who had promised. Therefore, from one man, and him as good as dead, were born descendants as many as the stars of heaven and as many as the innumerable grains of sand by the seashore." Hebrews 11
It goes on. Then Jesus came. He made the final sacrifice. Now, it is only through Him that you are saved. However, it is still fatih.
Again, it is not about religion. Religion is pointless if it does not have Jesus at the Center. You are totally misunderstanding the passage you posted.
The people here are the Jews, God’s chosen, and Gentiles, us. Since God’s chosen would not accept Him or His plan for salvation, nor believe in Him (Jesus), they will in no way be saved; however, those who have, no matter who they are, will be.
Peter
Not speaking for @johann, who may have responded, I’m responding as I read down. Yes, I believe in all that. The Bible says so. You see, once you start nitpicking and choosing what you believe and what you don’t, you corrupt the Word. You deny God. You run the risk of committing blasphemy. Some things are true, whether you believe them or not.
Where is the Island? Nowadays, the Word is going out to the World. As predicted in the Word. Something that I just learned, you do not take seriously. Not to mention the Word says people will be without excuse.
When you see a painting hanging on a wall, you may not know a lot of things. What paint was used? When was it painted? How did it arrive there? Who was the Artist? However, you KNOW there was an Artist, the very fact that the painting is there is the proof.
I firmly believe, in the rare circumstances, that someone somewhere, who has never heard of Jesus, will get an opportunity to before the time is up. Or do you think God is so small He cannot arrange that?
Peter
A. I never said His name is God. I said Jesus name is God. Maybe I should slow down a little. Jesus said, I AM. This is saying to nthe Jews, He is God. His name litterally means “God with us.” Sorry you misunderstood.
Again, you argue a man’s point of view; I present to you the Holy Scripture. You present me with AI, and I show you proof in Scripture. Is there anything wrong with Dallas Willard? Not that I am aware of, however, anyone who teaches anything that is not in or is contrary to this (Holding up the Bible), they are wrong. It really is not that difficult to understand.
Peter
