If the only way you can be saved is through Jesus' blood, then how were people saved previous to Jesus?  I understand the Jews had animal sacrifices which rolled their sins forward.  But what about the non-Jews?

Sincerely,
Who’s Paying For This?

Dear Who’s Paying For This,

The Bible doesn’t tell us much about the Gentiles that lived before Jesus, but what little we do know tells us that God didn’t forsake them.  When God called Abraham out from amongst his people (Gen 12:1-2), everyone that wasn’t descended from Abraham became a ‘Gentile’.  The Old Testament follows the descendants of Abraham and God’s covenant with them; that is why there isn’t much said about the other nations that lived on this planet.  Here is what we know:

1. God praised and blessed honest Gentiles.  Melchizedek is called a ‘priest of God’ (Gen 14:18), and Jethro, Moses’ father-in-law, was the priest of Midian (Ex 3:1) and worshipped God.  We don’t know exactly what arrangement God had with these men, but we know that they were pleasing to God and not a part of the Jewish nation.  Another great example of a godly Gentile was Cornelius.  God blessed and heard Cornelius’ prayers (Acts 10:1-4).
2. Some Gentiles were blessed by God through conversion to Judaism.  Rahab and Ruth were both Gentile women that turned to God by becoming Jews.  Both of these women are mentioned in the lineage of Christ (Matt 1:5).
3. We have a single statement in the book of Romans that hints at what kind of law the Gentiles were under.  Rom 1:14-15 says that the Gentiles had a law of conscience written by God on their hearts.  This doesn’t tell us much, but it does point out that God had a system for judging the Gentiles… it was just different than the system He used for judging the Jews.

All of this just gives a glimpse at the pre-Christian Gentile world, but it is enough to paint a picture that God had a plan; we just don’t know exactly how it worked.

Baptism needs to be rethought.  If that is a condition, then Moses, David, Samson, and a host of others needed to be baptized.  The thief on the cross needed to be baptized.  If we use Scripture to prove Scripture, then you can't account for any child, including David's child out of sin, to enter heaven.  You must correct yourself now and share this with all who lean on you for correct information.  Just as communion is a physical act that helps us spiritually, so baptism is a physical act because we are physical beings hoping to become more spiritual – and we do with maturity.  Some can't even be baptized.  Do not lay this burden on people. God bless and do so soon.

Sincerely,
Very Dry

Dear Very Dry,

We would never want to lay a burden on someone that isn’t found in the Bible, but we also want to make sure that we don’t take away a command that God has given us.  We should never add or subtract from God’s Word (Rev 22:18-19).  Having said that, baptism is definitely a command and requirement for salvation (Mk. 16:16).  There are dozens of verses that reinforce this teaching (1 Pet 3:21, Acts 2:38-41, Matt 28:19-20, Acts 8:12, Acts 22:16, Rom 6:3, 1 Cor 12:13, Gal 3:27… just to name a few).  The verses requiring baptism for salvation are many and clear – so now let’s deal with your concerns.

1. Moses, David, and Samson didn’t need to be baptized because they lived under the Old Testament law.  They didn’t need to be baptized, just like christians don’t need to be circumcised and don’t need to make animal sacrifices.  They lived under a different contract (‘testament’ means ‘contract’).  Under the Old Testament, baptism wasn’t a requirement.  Under the New Testament, it is.
2. The thief on the cross didn’t need to be baptized because he didn’t live under the New Testament law either.  Jesus’ church didn’t come into existence until the day of Pentecost (Acts 2:1-6 and Acts 2:38-41).  For more detailed information on the thief on the cross, read “The Thief On The Cross”.
3. Children aren’t saved by baptism because they aren’t old enough to be held accountable for their sins; every child goes to heaven.  Read “Baby Bath” for specifics on the spiritual purity of children.
4. Communion is a physical act that has spiritual consequences, just like baptism is a physical act that has spiritual consequences.  The apostle Paul specifically said that if someone doesn’t take the Lord’s Supper properly, they will be guilty before God (1 Cor 11:23-27).  We live in a physical world, and the choices we make here have eternal ramifications.  Baptism is exactly like communion – if we don’t do it right, we will be guilty before God.

Hopefully, these verses give you some comfort that we are preaching and teaching exactly what the Bible says.  It is our goal here at AYP that no one will ever miss out on heaven because we failed to properly preach the whole counsel of God – and that includes the requirement of baptism.

Is it true that billions and billions won’t be saved?  Someone told me more people will be sent down than up.

Sincerely,
Worried

Dear Worried,

Jesus said, “Enter in by the narrow gate, for wide is the gate, and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and many are they that enter in.” (Matt 7:13)  Most people will not be saved because most people don’t place their faith in the Lord.  We cannot be saved by our own strength.  Jesus is the way of salvation (Jhn 14:6).  God desires that all be saved (Jhn 3:16), but we must seek Him (Heb 11:6).

What happens to a believer that commits suicide?   Will he be saved still?  What does the Bible say about the eternal security of a believer?

Sincerely,
Looking For A Guarantee

Dear Looking For A Guarantee,

Suicide can send you to hell, and the teaching of eternal security isn’t biblically accurate.  Let’s deal with them one at a time.

Suicide is murder, self-murder, and is therefore very clearly a sin (Rev 21:8).  The only difference between suicide and murdering someone else is that you don’t get a chance to repent after suicide.  Suicide is a final decision and leaves no room for correction or for asking forgiveness.  It is a willful act of disobedience against God without opportunity for repentance.  The final judgment belongs to God (Heb 12:23), but we certainly wouldn’t want to face that judgment with our own blood on our hands.

The teaching of eternal security says that it is impossible for someone to lose their salvation once they become a christian… this is false.  The Bible clearly states that people “drift away” (Heb 2:1), “are rejected” (1 Cor 9:27), and “fall away” (Heb 6:4-6).  Christians can fall away from God in this life; that is why we are commanded to be faithful unto death (Rev 2:10).

What happens to the souls of people that have never heard the actual gospel of Jesus, and are they really ignorant of salvation, and, therefore, excused from hell?

Sincerely,
Concerned For Others

Dear Concerned For Others,

God is the only one who can judge where someone’s eternal destination will be.  The Scriptures give us an insight into how the Great Judge will decide our verdict.  Here are some Scriptures to consider:

1. Just because someone is ignorant, doesn’t mean they aren’t at fault.  God tells us that anyone who seeks the truth will find it (Matt 7:7-8).  The Bible is the most widely available book on the planet – just because someone hasn’t read it, doesn’t mean they didn’t have opportunity.
2. People go to hell because of their sins (Rom 6:23), not because of Jesus.  Jesus’ death on the cross is a cure for mankind’s self-inflicted spiritual death sentence.  It is the same as a disease outbreak – the disease kills people, not the lack of a cure.  If Jesus had never come, and none of us had ever heard of Jesus, we would all have been lost.
3. God tells us that everyone has been given enough information to seek Him.  Rom 1:20 says that the very beauty of the created universe speaks of God’s existence and leaves mankind without excuse.  God has provided an “all call” message anyone can hear through the wonder of His creation.
4. God doesn’t desire anyone to perish (2 Pet. 3:9).  God won’t make any mistakes on the Day of Judgment, and no one will accidentally end up in heaven or hell.

As we said, God is the final judge.  We will all face Him when we die (Heb 9:27).  The best thing we can do is make sure we are prepared for that day.