Can People In Other Religions Be Saved?

This is core Christianity, where answering your questions about the Christian life Monday through Friday. Your hosts are author and seminary professor Dr. Michael Horton and Pastor atrial Sanchez call right now with your question. At 1833.

The core that's 1-833-843-2673 and now here's atrial Sanchez I am welcome back to another episode of Christianity. It's so good to be together with Prof. Michael Horton, I'm Pastor atrial Sanchez and this is the program where we open up the Scriptures together and answer the questions that you have about God's word and open up the phone line and open up the phone lines yes chemistry will reach out to us and I'm sure the story before Mike asserted that the church bloopers and I am sure every pastor has his own one of one of the ones that I can remember for myself is redoing up Monday Thursday service so you know, kind of leading up to Easter and it's the Lord's supper service or having the Lord's supper and we had these big at this time, the church, I was at these big sort of I don't know if there were the kind of Hawaiian bread loaves or what they were minnows. The good brand is not a good stuff, but the church would would buy them and freeze them and then pull them out so that we could serve the Lord supper with them. You know whenever whenever they need to.

Well, whoever pulled out this bread pulled it out right before the service, so all stubborn and I raise the bread and I say this is the body of Christ given for you and typically that point in a week we would break the bread write what I tried with all of my might to break the bread but it was solid as a rock. I turned around and I literally just like cracked it over my knee. I mean that kind of just as a file might be very entertaining article I'll never forget it.

But you know the Lord's supper we say sacrament of the sign that Jesus gave to the church and ordinance a means of grace so important for us as believers, along with baptism but it's one of the things that a lot of Christians are confused about when they think about these ordinances, or sacraments or whatever you want to call him you understanding the role that they play in the life of the church. We have an email here really asking that question. Some yes if the church doesn't practice baptism or communion. How will this affect eternally.

A believer attending that church since baptism and communion are commands while yeah it's first of all, not primarily because that there commands though that would be good enough reason but that their means of grace that basically means of grace are being withheld. First thing that's important is baptism, Lord supper, do not give us anything that the preached gospel doesn't give us a person can be saved by hearing the gospel of Christ, like a thief on the cross. He wasn't baptized. He didn't take the Lord's supper. We don't get one grace from the word and another higher grace from baptism and a still higher grace from the Lord's supper.

I have some friends who were in the group who they don't practice baptism, the Lord's supper is a tradition that doesn't practice Ivan preached once at their meeting wonderful believers.

But when they asked me a question like yours.

I had to be honest I told him I believe Scripture requires that baptism, Lord supper. He practice that these are marks of a true church that preaches the word faithfully that it administers baptism and the Lord supper. According to Christ institution. Jesus did Institute both baptism and the Lord supper. Think of the great commission going to all the world and make disciples by preaching the gospel, baptizing them in the name of the father the son and Holy Spirit, and teaching them to observe everything I've commanded while he commanded the Lord supper as well as baptism, he said of the supper as often as you do this, Luke 2220 and the first Christians were told in export 242 gathered for the apostles teaching and fellowship, the breaking of bread and the prayers.

Paul even said that we are one body. Because we partake of one loaf in communion and participate in Christ's body and blood through the bread and the wine first Corinthians 1016 this is Bible.

This is what the Bible teaches.

In fact Paul speaks of having the supper quote whenever you come together as church first Corinthian's 11, 17 through 18.

So now there can be true believers, even in a group that doesn't bear faithfully the marks of a true church over you can have true Christians gathering together in what is not a true church. I believe that's true. The friends I just mentioned there. My brothers and sisters in Christ. So I would encourage the leadership there to search the Scriptures together on this subject and no longer withhold these precious gifts of Christ from his people and like what you said there about these being a means of grace mean that's the key right there and so often today. I think we don't believers don't view baptism and the Lord supper is an actual means of God's grace any common experience God's grace and also to meet up to just the music or through my own serve spiritual experience that I have in my prayer closet would not, but to really believe that through these signs the potential sites picked that he picked he's communicating his grace to us. It's a signature so I would like to think I can believe God's promise by hearing him in his word make these promises to me, but my faith rises and falls, it flutters its dig goes through other times and downtimes.

I need God's visible signature on the document and that's what he gives us in baptism and the Lord supper not only what we hear with their ears, but what we see with our eyes and can bank on a man let's go now to a call about one of the most difficult passages in the book of Hebrews in Hebrews chapter 10 let's listen in. While right you will call on the believer therapy whether life can be lost. Habit or salvation that is canned 26 through 29 passage help me understand that that would be great. Especially the part about being thanked by his speaking to a believer in Christ who is speaking to sorry about the choppy question all things going. Yes, thank you for the question. Let me read Hebrews 1026 to 29 for if we go on sinning deliberately after receiving the knowledge of the truth, they are no longer remains a sacrifice for sins, but a fearful expectation of judgment, and a fury of fire that will consume the adversaries.

Anyone who is set aside the law of Moses dies without mercy on the evidence of two or three witnesses. How much worse punishment, do you think will be deserved by the one who is trampled underfoot the son of God, and has profaned the blood of the covenant by which he was sanctified, and has outraged the Spirit of grace really sobering sobering words. I mean, I don't know that you have a more stern warning in the New Testament you have this in Hebrews 10 you have Hebrews 6 if some of the passages in the book of Galatians, but these really are and when you think about that. The most stern rebukes and warnings in the New Testament. This work where we find them. So how do we deal with this. First, the context of the book of Hebrews, the author, the Hebrews is writing to professing Christians, Jews who had converted to Christianity. Dame braced the preaching of the gospel. It they'd heard the good news and yet now after some time there beginning to turn away from Jesus. Go back to the Jewish ceremonies to go back to the Jewish ceremonies. Now that would have been devastating because to go back to the Jewish ceremony to say all-knowing to sacrifice an animal for my salvation in the blood of bulls and goats what that would be doing is saying, Jesus. Your sacrifice was not sufficient. You're not just hedging your bets. You're basically choosing the temple over Jesus.

That's right.

That's why this is so serious because these these people who had once it seem like they'd embrace the message of the gospel. Now what they're saying is, Jesus wasn't enough there. Turning them that they're literally turning away from Christ and just think about how crazy this is and trusting in the blood of bulls and goats.

The sacrificial system that pointed to Jesus and so that's why the audit of the Hebrews it it's like you can feel him pulling out his hair. He said he's there rewinding the movie. What in the world are you guys doing and so no I don't think that these are the people who actually do this if the follow through with this. I don't think these are true believers who embrace the gospel and then are losing their salvation there people who had heard the good news, but they didn't mix that word that they heard with faith and actually that's what the author the Hebrews says earlier in the book of he produces. You guys are like the wilderness generation had good news. The words gospel preached to them and yet the word that they heard didn't benefit them because it wasn't mixed with faith. That's the thing you can have the gospel preached to you, you can be in the vicinity of the gospel. If you will, surrounded by it. You can hear it in the ward.

You can see it in the signs of baptism and the Lord's supper. And yet if you don't have faith if you don't mix the word with faith. What that does in the long run for just condemns you because you have all of this gospel light and instead of embracing it for yourself by faith. You turn from it you were purely a geez that's what the author is talking about here. These people are trampling the son of God underfoot, their apostates, their apostates and you asked about that word sanctified really important that we define that here for us in this passage, and then also throughout the book of Hebrews, you know, there are some people who have interpreted this text. I think in a way that's unhelpful they try to say that I think they try to get Obama around the difficulty of that verse by saying well that the one who sanctified there is not the individual it's Jesus you may think about Jesus in places like John 17. We talked about how he sanctified himself, but know he's he's talking about the person who is turning away from guys, Teresa. What does he mean by sanctified, what, when we use that word often times were referring to the sort of steady progress in holiness, after having been justified, the sort of growth in grace, day by day living in holiness. That's not how the author the hearers is using that word here he's using it after member Hebrews as this cultic sort of temple background flaming culture giving worship yet worship something that has been set apart by God for special purpose will that's what think you set apart, that's right.

So he's using the word sanctified in that sense, the thing in the Old Testament sense of the temple and its stuffy sync you guys by virtue of being in the church.

Having heard the word having been baptized. You guys have been set apart, and yet now you're turning away you're abandoning the faith you're putting your trust in your own works and that's the problem here.

That's the issue. Basically, set apart for salvation is right by the word and the sacraments, and yet not embrace the thing that is promised and and here's what I think the big warning is for all of us in a text like this.

This is again friends you can be in the vicinity of the gospel.

You can hear it preached. You can see it in baptism in the Lord's supper. And yet if you're just there as a spectator, but you're not mixing the word with faith you're drifting your turning away will, there's a huge problem. It's not enough just to be around the gospel.

Do you believe the gospel for yourself is Jesus, the one who's forgiven your sins do embrace that by faith. That's with the author. The Hebrews wants these Christians to do and that's what he's afraid they haven't done him Wayne. I hope that's helpful for you. You're listening to court Christianity were answering your questions about the fate you can give us a call with your question at 1-833-843-2673. That's 1833 the core. You can also email us at questions at core, Christianity.com want to let you know that a great offer that we have for you today you drill today were excited to share helpful resource on court, Christianity.com, especially for parents listening today it's called five ways to help your kids keep the faith and it's free.

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That's court, Christianity.com/offers. It's free. Thanks. You can also give us a call at 833-843-2673 for help getting hold of any of our offers Gabby Estes an email. I am a committed believer, but I'm not clear on what happens to people who worship in other religions and don't accept Christ as their personal savior.

Is it impossible for them to still be saved.

Thanks Kathy, I mean that we all know people who are really wonderful, good people who aren't Christians from our perspective, it makes no sense that these people should be shut out of the kingdom of God. While many of us who profess to know Christ are not as good as they are and but remember, it's not our goodness that saves us because really, even the best person in this life. The person who appears to us to be the kindest of the most just the freest to help others that apart from faith.

None of it pleases God what God wants more than anything in the world is for us to place our faith in Christ, his son.

He so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son so that whoever believes in him will have everlasting life not perish but have everlasting life. That's what he loves. He loves us to put our faith in his son, whom he sent at his own personal costing no to send his own son into the world to take on flesh to be humiliated to be spit upon, and slapped to be stripped to be hung on the cross to bleed and die so that we could be forgiven. What God wants from us now is not our good works, what God wants from us now is faith and we can even do that. That has to be a gift and he gives it as a free gift.

So now we look out at the other world religions.

It makes a little bit more puts it in in in more perspective here. There is a way of salvation there didn't have to be. But there is a way out.

There is a way of salvation for everyone looking to Jesus Christ, the author and finisher of our faith is not because I religions right and everybody else's religion is wrong constantly having to tell my kids that because you know this culture is so impinging on young people growing up, especially today, that is. It's wrong. It's mean to say that your religion is wrong in my religion is right. Let's not put it in those terms is put in terms of there is a Savior that the God who made the world.

The God we rebelled against.

Nevertheless, so loved the world he gave his son so that everyone who trusts in him will be saved. All of the world religions are about morals.

There are many Christians who will be really surprised on the last day that they didn't place their confidence in Jesus alone.

But that's what separates Christianity from the world religions. You asked the average person on the street. What is religion about and I'll tell you it's about making good people better, but you read the Bible and it tells us there is no one good, no not one. There is no one righteous.

As Paul says in Romans three, and therefore by the works of the law no flesh will be justified in his sight for the law only shows us how bad it is. And right after that. Romans three in verse 20 he turns to the gospel and says, but now there's a righteousness that God gives us a free gift, not the righteousness that he is, by which he condemns us but the righteousness that he gives as a free gift in Jesus Christ to all who believe Christianity is different from all the world religions is not one religion among many your religions wrong.

My religion is right. Rather, Christianity is a gospel. It is an announcement that whoever looks Jesus Christ will be saved. It's not just that other religions differ on that none of the other religions really is a way of salvation is just a way really of trying to work yourself out of a bad spot trying to overcome the bad karma in your life may be come back as a human being instead of a horse or maybe it's meditation so that you can aspire to the hope that you could be a drop in the ocean of being. Someday, completely losing your identity that doesn't Selleck salvation is not different ways of salvation is that the gospel alone offers a way of salvation.

If you want to be saved, if you want to be reconciled to a holy God. It's not that Christianity is right and all the other religions are wrong is that Jesus is the only way, truth and life has John chapter 14 verse six and Kathy, let me just add when Peter and John are called before the Jewish Council in acts chapter 4 Peter says quite boldly and filled with the Holy Spirit to them. This Jesus is the stone that was rejected by you, the builders, which has become the cornerstone.

Imagine how they must've how much they must receive that word he has rejected the question but then he adds this in verse 12 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.

I think that when verse summarize my everything you were just saying that it's not that were better than ever. What is it the gospel is this. This is the only gospel that there is there's only one name under heaven by which we can have our sins forgiven were just another sinner telling other sinners. You were to go for salvation yeah exactly and so hope that answers your question Kathy, look at that verse.

If you have a Bible with you.

Acts chapter 4 verse 12.

The next question now is that Facebook message from Amy.

I can't make sense of miracles.

How do we account for miracles when sign seems to teach that miracles don't happen.

Yeah, thanks for the question Amy it's common. I think for people to come to the Bible read the miracles and just think that this is too much fantasy, because after all sciences tolls that miracles just don't happen but first of all, science actually says nothing about miracles. Science is the wrong field to adjudicate whether miracles happen or not. Science is about laws. Science thinks in law alike ways so the law of gravity. The law of thermodynamics. It doesn't tell us what can happen. It could.

It only tells us what normally happens. History is the field where we have to ask questions about what happens and what doesn't happen. Not what can or can't because history no more than science can tell us what can happen, it just tells us what has happened or hasn't happened so should we believe in miracles. We have to test the evidence don't wait. Even Scripture calls us not to believe every report of miracles. So I recommend that you don't approach the miracles in the Bible one by one. Start with the biggest one. Christ's resurrection when God created the world out of nothing, let there be light and there was light.

If God created everything, including us, then miracles like turning water into wine should be no problem. But the biggest one is the resurrection of Jesus Christ. If God created everything with nothing to work with than he can certainly perform miracles but Christ's resurrection is is even a greater miracle than the creation of the world. It's not just creation from nothing its creation out of death, life from death justification out of condemnation on the basis of the evidence in the New Testament itself. We can arrive at a solid conviction of Jesus resurrection and its saving significance for us. The New Testament provides the most reliable evidence fulfilled Old Testament prophecy. The reliability of the reports themselves, and the resurrection is the only explanation of what happened to Jesus after the crucifixion, Jews, Romans, and Christians all agreed that the tomb was empty after three days and go back and look at the evidence, even outside the New Testament, non-Christian, Jewish and Roman sources confirm, Jesus lived and performed miracles. Although the Jewish Talmud study perform them by sorcery that he was crucified under Pontius Pilate, and that his body didn't remain in the tomb. The disciples didn't have the means, the motive or the opportunity is still his body. The tomb was guarded by Roman and Jewish soldiers and when Jesus appeared to the disciples after the resurrection they were terrified. They're not stealing the body there, terrified that he rose from the dead, its scare them half to death. They were getting used to the idea that their Messiah wasn't the Messiah and they along with a throng of witnesses were willing to proclaim his resurrection in the face of martyrdom, how you explain them being going from being terrified and kind of getting used to the idea that he didn't.

He was in it. We study was to now suddenly proclaiming Jesus on the steps of the temple with the Temple police looking on as Peter and the other apostles were preaching Jesus and saying you with your wicked hands crucified the Lord of glory. But he was crucified.

According to the good purposes of God, and raised on the third day, people will die for all kinds of crazy things all sorts of people will join in the drink the Kool-Aid but no one will go to their death for something that they know is a hoax. Thanks for listening to core Christianity to request your copy of today's special offer. Visit us@corechristianity.com and click on offers in the menu bar or call us at 1-833-843-2673 that's a 33.

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