Thoughts on Free Will Part 2 - Is Salvation a Choice? What About the Billions of People Who Have Not Heard About Christ


How will God deal with All those who Loved Before Christ, or those incapable of Free Will?

How Does Free Will Come into consideration with respect to Salvation?

Here is what Scripture teaches: Salvation comes when you confess Jesus is Lord and you Believe that He rose from the Dead.
The word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart” (that is, the word of faith that we proclaim); because, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. [Roms. 10:8-9]
Jesus is Lord whether you confess with your mouth or not. God raised Jesus from the dead whether you believed in you heart of not.

You are essentially exercising your limited free will to agree with the fact and the reality that when Christ died, you died (2 Cor 5:14).

In Christendom, it is indicated that this confession and belief is as a result of the exercise of free will. Well I do agree.

Do we have a will? Yes we can make choices.

Do we have a free will? In a sense yes, but it is limited free will.

Well, what is really free will?  Well, what is really free will? Wills are only free if freed from consequences. 

Hence there is really no such thing as free will, until we eliminate all consequences from choice. 

Adam knows a thing or two about that.

Here is something else that traditional Christian doctrine does not address: it is quite obvious that not all are capable of exercising free will choice, perhaps due to the circumstances of birth, (that is where and when were born) , or even due to physical limitations or mental impairment.

However we fail to realize that the cross is powerful enough to give life when it is impossible to freely choose.

It should be obvious that for those who are incapable of free will choice, the basis of their salvation as well as ours is actually at the Cross. The cross really covers all.

See if You Agree....
  • We do Agree all Died in Adam... Right?
  • We do agree with scripture that when Christ Died All Men Died... Right? [2 Cor 5:14]
  • We do agree that while All died YET all do not yet Live... Right?
  • We do agree that those capable of free will choice must exercise such to accept Christ and live... Right?
  • Let’s take it further. Because of the cross can we agree that babies, the mentally incapable, those who do not know their left and from their right will be given a chance to life because when Christ died, they (as well as all of us) were reconciled, and a transaction occurred on the cross such that, those incapable of free will choice, will be given a chance to life? Why not? Or do you believe the unborn go to Hell because they did not confess with their mouths?
  • Why can’t we agree that the cross also covers those incapable of free will choice, that is, they also can live as a result of the Cross, even if they experience a death first?
  • Can we expand beyond babies and the mentally impaired and perhaps logically use the same principle, that many others, perhaps because they were living in the wrong time and in wrong place, or perhaps because they lived before Christ, they also did not have the opportunity to freely choose also, and somehow God will take that into consideration?
I am sure some are recoiling at the statements made above. I am sure some do not agree. Some by now may be stating “Show Me Scripture”.
For if when we were enemies we were [all] reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more, having been reconciled, we shall be saved by His life. [Rom 5:10]
Therefore, as through one man’s offense judgment came to all men, resulting in condemnation, even so through one Man’s righteous act the free gift came to all men, resulting in justification of life. [Rom 5:18]
Click for More Thoughts on Free Will

So How Will Christ Be a Righteous’ Judge to Billions of People Who have Lived?

Perhaps, some of these questions on how will Christ deal with the billions of people who lived, especially those incapable of free will choice can only be answered, once we look at what He said. Perhaps we can then agree on how powerful the cross is. Remember, Christ dragged all men unto Him when He died.

  • Principle 1: Christ Knows Who Would Have Repented if Circumstances Were Different
  • Principle 2: Christ Knows Which Gentiles Lived As If The Law was In Their Hearts
  • Principle 3: All Judgment apart from the Cross is Based on Works
But can works save us?  The answer is No. So if the Great Throne Judgment is based on works, how can that deny any future salvation?
 

Christ’s Righteous Judgment at Work

The cross makes all this righteous judgment possible, because when He died all men died in Him and His death dealt with the sin separation problem. Now He can judged on the basis of:
  1. Would they have repented if they were given an opportunity?
  2. Are they physically able to exercise free choice?
  3. In their ignorance, did they follow their conscience?
  4. If capable and given a choice, did they refuse to believe?
This demonstrates how powerful the cross is and how righteous God's judgment is. This is why we are to judge or look at no man according to the flesh.

At the end of the day, every knee will bow and every tongue will confess, in heaven and in earth, and under the earth, only possible by the Holy Spirit, to the Glory of God, and God will be All in All.

Everyone will be submitted to Him because He has Redeemed and Reconciled all, just as He is submitted to the Father.

“This is why we work hard and continue to struggle, for our hope is in the living God, who is the Savior of all people and particularly of all believers.” 1 Tim 4:10


For a Full Discussion on this please  see How Will Christ a Righteous Judge to Billions of People Who have Lived? 

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