Do people of different faiths/religions go to Heaven?

General Faith
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Only true Christians go to Heaven, the false and the fake do not. The Bible is clear on that. The Word declares: “If any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his.” ~Romans 8:9. That is, only those who have been truly born again through faith in Christ are His. The Lord Jesus said that He is “the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.” ~John 14:6. To go to Heaven you must come by Him, not by another religion, moral good, or an inherited belief.

Salvation is by faith in Christ alone: “For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God.” ~Ephesians 2:8. There is no other name under heaven by which we must be saved. ~Acts 4:12. So if someone has not heard about Christ, the Scripture does not automatically open another way. The command is to “go into all the world and preach the gospel…” ~Mark 16:15. That is the norm.

But there is mercy and responsibility in Scripture: we are to “give to every man a reason of the hope that is in you.” ~1 Peter 3:15. The church is to take the responsibility to make the gospel known. But at the same time the Bible says that “it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment.” ~Hebrews 9:27. Believers will be judged according to their works ~2 Corinthians 5:10, and those who do not believe will “have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone…” ~Revelation 21:8.

In short: only those who repent of sin, trust Christ’s finished work, and are indwelt by the Spirit can make any claim of Heaven. Anything else, any other faith or hope outside of Christ alone, is outside what Scripture teaches.

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Hi, I am not sure of this passage below but you can google it…

God is no respecter of person any body that does right is acceptable to Him

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No need to “google” @Corlove13

The Lord Himself speaks in ~John 14:6 where He declares that He is the way and the truth and the life and that no one comes to the Father except through Him, and this statement removes every alternate doorway because the grammar places an absolute negative on any other access to God.

Peter then proclaims in ~Acts 4:12 that salvation exists in no one else and that there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved, and the phrase no other name functions as a divine exclusion of every competing claim, whether religious, philosophical, or cultural.

Paul affirms in ~1 Timothy 2:5 that there is one God and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, and the syntax of one mediator eliminates every imagined priest, prophet, system, or tradition that tries to stand beside Him.

Jesus declares in ~John 3:16 through 18 that whoever believes in Him has eternal life but whoever does not believe stands condemned already, which means salvation rests on Him alone and condemnation falls on those who reject Him, showing that every alternative road leads to judgment.

He intensifies this in ~John 3:36 where the one who believes in the Son has life but the one who disobeys the Son will not see life because the wrath of God remains on him, and this text makes faith in Christ the only dividing line between life and wrath.

He speaks again in ~John 8:24 saying that unless you believe that I am He you will die in your sins, which abolishes every non Christ path, because He ties rescue from sin directly to belief in Himself alone.
In ~John 10:7 through 9 Jesus says He is the door for the sheep and that all who came before Him were thieves and robbers and that whoever enters through Him will be saved, so the image of the single doorway annihilates the idea of multiple entry points into the kingdom.

Peter testifies in ~Acts 10:43 that all the prophets bear witness that everyone who believes in Him receives forgiveness of sins through His name, and the singularity of His name excludes all imagined alternatives.

The writer of Hebrews proclaims in ~Hebrews 7:25 that He is able to save completely those who draw near to God through Him, which implies that drawing near to God through any other means yields no salvation at all.

Jesus says in ~John 6:37 that the one who comes to Him He will never cast out, and in ~John 6:44 that no one can come to Him unless the Father draws him, which underscores that salvation’s movement begins and ends with Christ.

Peter again says in ~1 Peter 2:6 through 8 that Christ is the cornerstone and that those who believe in Him will never be put to shame but those who reject Him stumble and fall, proving that belief in Him is the only standing ground and rejection of Him is the only other road, and it leads to ruin.

John declares in ~1 John 5:11 through 12 that God has given us eternal life and that this life is in His Son and that whoever has the Son has life and whoever does not have the Son does not have life, which means life is located only in Christ and nowhere else.

Jesus proclaims in ~Revelation 1:5 that He is the one who freed us from our sins by His blood and in ~Revelation 7:14 that believers are washed in the blood of the Lamb, which means no other blood, no other sacrifice, no other system, no other covenant, and no other path can cleanse.

The Scriptures speak with a single voice, the prophets, Christ, the apostles, and the resurrected Lord Himself, all testifying that salvation is located in Christ alone, given through Christ alone, secured by Christ alone, accessed by faith in Christ alone, and that every other road is not only insufficient but nonexistent, because nowhere is this in Scripture that there are many paths to God and not one verse supports the idea of salvation outside the crucified and risen Son of God.

Shalom.

J.

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*I would not say that a Buddhist who is a good person can “be saved” without accepting Jesus. What I do say is what Paul says in Romans 2: “…the righteous judgment of God, who will render to every man according to his deeds: to those who by perseverance in doing good seek for glory and honor and immortality, eternal life; but to those who are selfishly ambitious and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness, wrath and indignation. There will be tribulation and distress for every soul of man who does evil, of the Jew first and also of the Greek, but glory and honor and peace to every man who does good, to the Jew first and also to the Greek” (vss 5-10). I also say what Peter says: “I most certainly understand now that God is not one to show partiality, but in every nation the man who fears Him and does what is right, is welcome to him”

(Acts 10:34-35).

I also follow the words of Jesus which indicate that responsibility varies with knowledge

(Luke 12:48).*

In my view, “There is salvation in no one else; for there is no other name under heaven that has been given among men, by which we must be saved” (Acts 4:12).

In my opinion anyone who is saved will be saved (enter “heaven,” pass the judgment) because the one we know as Jesus, who is also the cosmic Christ or Logos, has reached out to them and brought them in. They will no more MERIT this than do those of us who know “the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ” (2 Cor. 4:6). It is not a question of earning anything, but of receiving something, which is a proper type of attitude or act, whether in us or in them, as judged by the God whose “eyes…move to and fro throughout the earth that He may strongly support those whose heart is completely His” (2 Chronicles 16:9), and is seeking worshipers who worship Him in spirit and truth” (John 4:23-24).

Now, if one wants to argue that there isn’t anyone without the knowledge of the historic Jesus who meets the conditions that lead the cosmic Christ to bring them home, they have a pretty good case. I don’t think those conditions are having never sinned—which of course no one meets—because the basis of salvation and acceptance is always mercy.

I would never tell anyone to whom I was speaking to do anything else than place their confidence in Jesus Christ and abandon themselves to him in everything they do.

Thank you to those who have inquired about this. These are very important matters and have to be carefully handled.

Dallas Willard…late, great, beloved

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God being “no respecter of persons” ~Acts 10:34 does not mean He will accept anyone who just tries to be good. The verse that follows clarifies it. He only accepts those “from every nation who fear Him and work righteousness” ~Acts 10:35. It means He has no favoritism to Jews over Gentiles. Ethnicity will not save anyone.

The Bible is clear that no one is justified by works ~Romans 3:10, ~Ephesians 2:8 through 9. Jesus stated the only way to the Father was through Him ~John 14:6. Therefore God shows no partiality, but only accepts those who come to Him through His Son ~John 3:36.

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Ultimately, the question of who is saved belongs to God alone.
Human judgment is limited because our cognitive capacities are finite; even when truth is directly before us, we often fail to perceive it accurately. God, whose knowledge is infinite and actualized, comprehends every person’s inner life, motives, and conditions in a way we never can.
Our responsibility is not to determine the final state of another soul, but to live according to God’s commands and to entrust final judgment to the One whose understanding is perfect.

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@Samuel_23 thank you. Such a beautiful statement and reassuring.

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If you can snatch the pebble from my hand…

:man_in_lotus_position:

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Acts 4:12 says, “There is no other name given among men by which we must be saved.” If somebody says to me, “What name would you give by which I might be saved?” I’m not going to say, “Buddha.” I’ll say Jesus. Someone may say to me, “I know a Buddhist who is going to heaven.” I will say, “Good luck.”

I’m not willing to be in a position of saying that one who has not heard of the historical Jesus cannot go to heaven. I’m not willing to say that Christ is not present as the Logos beyond Christian culture, because after all, John says, “This is the light that lights every man who comes into the world.” That doesn’t mean they’re saved; it just means that nobody is beyond the reach of Christ. I am willing to say that no one will be saved without Christ. But Christ’s ways in reaching them are often beyond anything I understand.

So, if someone asks my advice, it is always the same: Trust Jesus Christ. I wouldn’t trust the Buddha for a bushel of oranges. Often when people talk about the Buddha they don’t realize that from a Buddhist point of view, the best thing that could happen to you would be for you to stop existing. The best thing. That’s not much of a gospel.

I always say, if you’ve got someone who honestly is better than Jesus, trust them. And if you don’t, trust him. By all means, don’t trust yourself, because you’re the one who’s got the problem.

Part of our approach must be to take the serious questions of life, such as “What kind of person ought I to be? How can I become that kind of person?” We should line up the responses to that from any religion or non-religion and put them next to those of Jesus Christ. Put them to the real test of life, and take the one that’s best.

For instance, in our culture everyone acknowledges that each of us ought to be a loving, good person. Well, consider how Jesus was that, and how he helps others be that, and then compare that honestly with the others. That is how we will see, not by trying to manipulate. This would mean looking at Hindus at their best, and Christians at their best, etc. If you look at Christians at their worst and Hindus at their worst, there’s probably nothing to choose between. But looking at them at their best, we ask, “How does Christ make that difference?” Then I think we have a basis for a good choice.

Dallas Willard

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Hahahahahaha! Funny guy. @inmate031523

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It is my belief that the Bible is consistently and strongly exclusivist. To answer the question plainly: No. Only those who are spiritually united to Christ by sovereign grace - i.e., the elect who are effectually called, regenerated, and given faith in Christ - go to Heaven. People of other religions do not.

Salvation is in Christ alone; other religions cannot save. All other religions are forms of works, nature, idolatry, and creature righteousness. They cannot bring a soul to God. There is no other name under heaven but Christ’s by which sinners can be saved. All schemes of human merit, all religions of man’s making, lead only to ruin. Other religions do not provide salvation.

No person believing in another religion is regenerated, because the Spirit irresistibly brings the elect to Christ, not to other systems. Human seeking outside Christ is dead works. Therefore, those who die in other religions die outside of Christ.

Ignorant heathens, sincere non-Christians, or virtuous unbelievers are not saved. Un-evangelized people are not saved by sincerity or general revelation. The Biblical teaching and Christian orthodoxy across the spectrum has explicitly rejected the idea that sincere Muslims, devout Jews, or virtuous pagans may be saved and the view that those who have never heard the gospel may be saved by following the light within. Arminian, Fullerite, or modernist errors are wrong to state otherwise. See Romans 1–3, Ephesians 2, and John 14:6.

Even within nominal Christianity, only those with true, Spirit-wrought faith are saved. Merely being Christian or a church member does not save. Saving faith must be experiential: conviction of sin, a revealed Christ to the soul, spiritual repentance, and inward evidences of grace. If even nominal Christians are not counted as saved, the Biblical religion certainly does not expand salvation to other religions.

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I think you’re coming from a place of love here. However, you must be careful. One of the reasons that many do not like to teach, or accept that Hell is real, is that they do not want to think that there is someone that they have lost there as we speak, being tortured continuously. There has to be another way. What if they never heard?

“For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who suppress the truth in unrighteousness, because what may be known of God is manifest in them, for God has shown [it] to them. 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.” Romans 1:18-20

I do not believe it is a valid argument, one I used to use by the way, to say that people die without ever hearing the truth. Now is it possible? I suppose, and in those rare cases, it is between them and God. However.

“The Lord is not slack concerning [His] promise, as some count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance.” 2 Peter 3:9

Also here.

"And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in all the world as a witness to all the nations, and then the end will come.” Matthew 24:14

God is not some old bearded guy sitting on a throne waiting to send people to hell. However, the time is coming. The devil is real. I know this is not a popular teaching anymore, even in some of our churches, but it is the truth. Here is another. Hell is very real. Why do we not teach or like to think about this? No Devil, then no Hell. No Devil, no Hell, no Sin. No Sin, no reason for a Savior. No judgment for Sin, if there is no Sin. Simply, live as you will.

It always amazes me when someone tells me that they believe in Jesus and a loving God, and yet they do not believe in the devil or Hell. Uh? OK. Then what exactly is Jesus “saving” you from? Makes no sense, right? They do these things and teach these things out of fear. Fear of offending someone. Thinking about lost loved ones. Fear of being labeled this or that. Or simply fear of their own lifestyle.

“We all have our own things to deal with. Live and let live. God loves everyone, and you need to simply stop with the whole Hell and devil thing. One, they do not exist. A loving God would never create anything like that and would never send someone He loves to be tormented forever. Two, God forgives everyone. So just shut up and sit down. Just because someone believes differently from you doesn’t mean they are wrong. So they believe in Mohammad? Or do they believe in Buddha? Or maybe they believe God is an energy that we are all part of, and we become God when we pass on. Who cares? God will accept us all in the end.”

Do you see how easy it is? I just convinced some that there is no need for Jesus, using the Word, and even Jesus Himself. I purposely twisted the meanings of the passages just enough to fit my agenda. This is why it can be so easy, and yet, so hard for some to understand that this is what is happening. They actually WANT to believe it. Why?

Friends and loved ones who have never, and never would, accept Jesus. Oh, Grandma was a Saint on Earth. Grandpa was a great person. But they never had time for all that “Jesus nonsense.” They are dead. Are you telling me they are in Hell?

“My friend, my best friend, Johnny, is a Muslim. He will never accept Jesus. You are telling me that he is condemned to go to Hell? He runs a non-profit. He helps people. He would give the shirt off his back, and you are telling me that just because he does not believe in Jesus, he is condemned?”

The short answer is YES. Sorry. This is the difference between Christianity and any other religion. Jesus IS God. There is no other way to get to God except for God Himself. The Bible is the Word of God, and the very Word of God is Jesus. He is the gate to Heaven. He is the door. He is the key. Without Jesus, you get nothing. You have nothing.

Of course, I believe that the only one who can truly judge one’s heart is God. Since He is God, can He make an exception and “save” someone who has TRULY never heard the Gospel? Of course. However, there is a huge difference between never hearing and rejecting or not believing in what you have heard.

God is a just God. I do not believe that He can judge someone unfairly. Please be careful in trying to believe there are loopholes or get outta Hell free cards other than Jesus.

Peter

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Dallas Willard
"
I’m not willing to be in a position of saying that one who has not heard of the historical Jesus cannot go to heaven. I’m not willing to say that Christ is not present as the Logos beyond Christian culture, because after all, John says, “This is the light that lights every man who comes into the world.” That doesn’t mean they’re saved; it just means that nobody is beyond the reach of Christ. I am willing to say that no one will be saved without Christ. But Christ’s ways in reaching them are often beyond anything I understand."

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I have to agree. Our mission, as given by Christ, is to take the gospel to all nations. That means to the deepest jungles in the Amazon, to the most remote villages in mountainous regions, and even to the most violent cultures on earth that do not worship Jesus. That is our mission. So, if we sit here, in our comfortable homes, living our comfortable lives, never sharing the gospel with anyone outside of our family and friends, if we do even that, then we have failed our mission. “But I have a job, a house, a boat, debt, family, etc etc etc.” Didn’t Christ tell us that we are to crucify our lives and follow Him? In reality, though, and I understand because I’m living here in my comfortable life, but that doesn’t mean that I DON’T want to go to all the nations and spread the gospel. I’m actively trying to make this happen. I know God will make a way, in His timing. So, my job for now is to spread the gospel here, right where I am, in so many different ways, and to live my life as evidence of Christ in me.

@PeterC I do pray intercessory prayers for so many people, family, friends, loved ones and strangers, and even people I haven’t met, but see, or overhear, or read about in the news. I’m hoping these prayers will help the world to see Christ and come to believe in Him

Blessings

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yes i beleive so :two_hearts: do you all think so too ?

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Without Jesus, no.

“Whoever has the Son has life; whoever does not have the Son of God does not have life.” 1 John 5:12

And Jesus Himself said this.

“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

Peter

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Jesus alone is the way, the truth, the light, as NONE get to thefather except thru and by Him

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No, not without knowing and following Jesus Christ.

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It’s not my job to know how everything will turn out.

I can’t say that every non-Christian will go to hell. I can say that there is only salvation in Jesus Christ.

If I were to say that every non-Christian goes to hell then I am also saying that every child that dies in the womb is in hell. I would be saying that every person who has lived and died without ever hearing the Gospel is in hell. I simply can’t say that, Scripture doesn’t permit me to say that.

Scripture permits me to say that there is salvation found nowhere else except in Christ. And so outside of Christ there is no salvation. It doesn’t permit me to claim I can know the outcome of each and every individual person’s Judgment on the Last Day.

I know the God who loves and saves me loves all unconditionally, and desires the salvation of all. So what of the Buddhist living in isolation in Tibet who never has heard the Gospel? God alone will be the Judge. And at the same time the commandment of Christ is to preach the Gospel to every living creature, to make disciples of all nations–and so the Buddhist living in isolation in Tibet needs to hear the Gospel, and by the grace of God, come to a living faith in the Messiah.

It’s not about God sending non-Christians to hell.
It’s not about Christians getting rewarded for having the right religion.

It’s about the Son of God who became flesh of the Virgin Mary, He bore our flesh, and our shame, and our death, who was crucified and who suffered under Pontius Pilate. And on the third day rose again. He ascended into the heavens, is seated at the right hand of the Father, and will come again in glory to judge the living and the dead and whose kingdom is never-ending.

It’s about the Good News of the God who is faithful to creation, who freely offers Himself to death and suffering in Christ, for the sake of a sinful, broken, rebellious creation that He intends to restore to Himself by redeeming it–redeeming us. That is why salvation is found in Christ alone. And it is in that truth that we are promised eternal life, not just in the Age to Come but share in here and now by the indwelling of the Spirit, through this present life of faith, in which we are being conformed to the image of Christ.

This is why there are two positions I reject equally:

  1. All non-Christians will go to hell, and so the chief purpose of being a Christian is to not go to hell and instead go to heaven when I die.
  2. Everyone will go to heaven, or it doesn’t matter what religion we practice or what we believe, as long as we live a “good life” because works cannot save us, there is salvation no where except in Christ.

Both of these positions ought to be rejected because they are theologically and biblically shallow positions which doesn’t really take the full weight of Scripture seriously, and tries to avoid having to wrestle with the unknowable. There is much that is unknown and unknowable and we have to simply trust God. That means trusting that God is faithful to Himself (He will not violate His own revealed character) and that God is faithful to His creation (God’s will and desire is all to be saved and to restore creation) and thus God’s Judgments to be just in accordance with Who He is and what He has said. It also means that we cannot entertain the idea that what we believe in this life doesn’t actually matter, or that being a Christian is just another path among many–it’s not, there is only one Way and it’s Jesus Christ. How does everything ultimately all fit together in an ultimate way? I don’t know, or rather, I can only know what has been revealed. And we are given what we need to know that we should trust and believe in Christ, the one and only Savior. And to take up our cross and follow Him.

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I just feel like I should comment on this one aspect. I agree with you for the most part. I do not believe there are any children in Hell, ever.

“At that time the disciples came to Jesus, saying, ‘Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?” And calling to him a child, he put him in the midst of them and said, "Truly, I say to you, unless you turn and become like children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. Whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. “Whoever receives one such child in my name receives me,” Matthew 18:1-5

Why? Because they are completely innocent.

“So then each of us will give an account of himself to God.” Romans 14:12

They have not sinned. They do not even know what sin is.

“For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may receive what is due for what he has done in the body, whether good or evil." 2 Corinthians 5:10

So no. There are no children in hell.

Peter