The bible teaches that there are two groups, those that are saved, and those who are unsaved/perishing. These two categories of people are told in many different ways…
Sheep and goats
Dark and light
Circumcised and uncircumcised
Life and death
Broad road and narrow path
The bible is clear that you either fall on one side or the other.
These believers and wicked nonbelievers are polar opposites. These two groups have borne fruit to their fullness either on the side of good or evil. They are firmly established or "all in" with their choice fully convinced. These people have seen both sides presented to them - the way of truth and the way of evil/lies and they have chosen.
But there is actually a third group that the bible alludes to and gives examples of, yet it is not revealed plainly which I believe is by design.
This is the group that has not accepted Yeshua/Jesus as their Savior for whatever reason and yet they are not totally depraved, given over, wicked, delighting in lies and all that is against God.
In fact, this third group comprises MOST people.
Who are these people?
Average, non-religious people w/Torah on their hearts
These are your average law-abiding citizens who are honest, who do the right thing, who believe in justice, those who will seek the good of others and help out a friend or stranger in need. (think the good Samaritan) These types of people are in every culture, all over the world, and even in almost all religions. (and no I'm not saying all religions are good - I'm speaking of the people within them - their hearts and how they live) These people may not be born again and have their sins covered by Yeshua's sacrifice, but they live according to His Name or His character.
Rom 2:14-16
Indeed, when Gentiles, who do not have the law, do by nature what the law requires, they are a law to themselves, even though they do not have the law. So they show that the work of the law is written on their hearts, their consciences also bearing witness, and their thoughts either accusing or defending them on the day when God will judge men’s secrets through Christ Jesus, as proclaimed by my gospel.
Acts 10:34
Then Peter began to speak: “I now truly understand that God does not show favoritism, but welcomes those from every nation who fear Him and do what is right.
The bible is also clear:
John 14:6
Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.
And of course, born again believers DO ALSO have Torah on their hearts and indwelled with the Holy Spirit so the only difference is that the born again believers are clean, (due to accepting Yeshua's sacrifice) and the others are unclean (those who have not accepted His sacrifice or they haven't washed their robes in the blood of the Lamb). Being unclean is not a death sentence until final judgment but more on that later.
Those who are mentally impaired
These are those who are not able to understand and thus unable to make any kind of decision due to a mental impairment. Do you think God, being a just God, is going to sentence them for all eternity when they're in this state?
Those who have only known the way of suffering or violence
There are a lot of people who have had horrific upbringings, some due to no fault of their own. All they've ever known is a life of crime, drugs, abuse of every kind etc. I'm not saying some of these people are not responsible for their actions, I'm saying that they have been in bondage in some form and have not known or even heard of liberty in Christ. Even in a court of law, you have to hear BOTH sides of the argument before you can make a decision and God will provide a means with which to make that decision for everyone. Again, more on this later.
The "Baby Theory"
A lot of people think that an infant will automatically go to heaven upon death but the bible says: (John 14:6) No one comes to the Father except through Me.
"No one" means no one. Even if they haven't sinned, they are still born corrupted due to their flesh and they must be made clean. But how can they be made clean when they're babies? How can they make a decision and go through that Door (Yeshua) to God and enter His Kingdom? (This also goes for aborted babies)
Other religions
There are many regions where they are born into a false religion and that's all they've ever known. Like I said before, you can be in a false religion and still exhibit the character of God in your life by doing the right thing, living uprightly etc.
So as you can see, there are many reasons why one might not come to Yeshua or cannot. Perfect justice cannot be rendered until the accused has made an informed choice - fully aware of what they're doing and the consequences. And this choice, being the biggest choice of their lives because it involves eternity, MUST see both sides so they can weigh it out and decide whom they will serve. And God will judge rightly at the correct time, but not when you think.
Disclaimer: First, this is not an exhaustive list. Second, no one has the authority to judge unto salvation except God. I'm simply offering my strong opinions based on what I know of God, His Word, and understanding that we believe God has shown us in these recent years. What I have written is the RESULT of things we have learned that I have not yet written but will in subsequent articles.
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