Subject: Does God hear the prayers of nonbeliever |
Bible Note: "Yes there is. Cornelius believed and wouldn't be saved until Peter preached to him (Acts 11:14). " So you are suggesting that if Cornelius believed in all that God had previously revealed to him but had died between the Resurrection and Peter's visit, that he would be in hell now? Nothing in Acts shows that Cornelius was not already regenerate. What it does show is that he received both the Holy Spirit (which no regenerate believer had in that sense prior to Pentecost) and that he received the complete gospel gladly. One has to remember that, once Jesus rose from the dead, no one posted the information on the Internet. There were undoubtedly meny people who were looking in faith for the Messiah, as the Scriptures spoke of Him, who died not knowing that he had come and died and risen from the dead. "And John 3:16 says that the person who believe SHOULD not perish; it does not say SHALL not perish (there is a difference). John 3:36 qualifies (as does Heb 3:18,19) the statement to show that an obedient belief is required." The King James reads, "should." Other translations read "shall" or "will." What is the Greek verb? What is its tense and mood, disciplerami? In English, "should" is not always a synonym for "ought to." True belief manifests itself in obedience. No argument there. "John 12:42 shows that many believed but were unwilling to confess for fear of being put out of the synogogue. These people believe but are not saved." The Greek verb for "believe" also means "to be persuaded." It does not necessarily mean the entrusting of oneself to Christ for the forgiveness of sins that can be characterized as biblical faith. "What is ridiculous is that plain Bible is ignored." You mean like when Paul wrote that "having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ"? Or when he wrote that we are saved by grace through faith? Or when he contrasts faith and works in Romans 4, showing that our works will never be the basis of us being declared righteous before God? Speaking of the plain Bible, you wrote: "Does God hear the prayers of unsaved people? If their heart is seeking the truth, the answer is 'yes.' " Plain Bible coming up: "as it is written: "None is righteous, no, not one; no one understands; no one seeks for God. All have turned aside; together they have become worthless; no one does good, not even one." --Romans 3:10-12 --Joe! |