jenaministries – Part 7 – My Questions
What Happens to People Before Christ and Unreached?
We Are Saved Through Jesus:
We understand the saving grace of Jesus, but what happens to people before Christ and the unreached people? How are they saved? Can they be saved?
Today, if we make Jesus our Lord, we are saved. We become righteous in God’s eyes because we are living for Jesus and are born again. Jesus was the ultimate blood sacrifice for our sins. But what about the people who lived before Jesus and the people after Jesus who have never been told about Jesus’ saving grace.
Sacrificing Blood Before Jesus was Born:
Before Jesus, God taught people they had to sacrifice blood to atone for their sins. Adam and Eve were the first people and they knew they had to sacrifice animals. Cain (Adam & Eve’s son) tried to sacrifice his best crops and God quickly corrected him (Scriptures 1 – Cain Brought Fruit for Offering Genesis 4:1-7). Cain knew it had to be blood.
The Jews (God’s chosen people from Abraham & Isaac’s seed) also knew they had to sacrifice blood to God because of their sins. Abraham was even willing to offer his son Isaac (Scriptures 2 – Abraham to Sacrifice Isaac Genesis 22:1-13).
Then came Moses who spoke to God directly (Scriptures 3 – God Spoke to Moses in Person Numbers 12:6-8). God gave specific Jewish laws to Moses for his chosen people to follow. They were given specific instructions on how and when to sacrifice blood for their sins.
Did Their Sacrifices of Blood Save Them?:
But did sacrificing blood for their sins mean that they were saved and would go to heaven? Did it guarantee their names would be written in the book of life? Maybe not. God didn’t promise them that. Rather he promised they would live a prosperous life. He promised to protect them and bless them. Still though, people were unable to obey the Jewish laws and God allowed them to be exiled and other people to take over their promised land.
God Preparing Us for Jesus:
Seems that all the sacrificing of blood for atonement of sins was God’s way of preparing us for the saving grace of Jesus. And to show us that people cannot do it without God’s help. Even though God chose the most righteous man he could find (Abraham) to make his seed the chosen people, they were still unable. And even though he brought them to a prosperous land and blessed them abundantly, they still were unable to obey God’s laws.
Judged by How They Lived?
There are some verses in the bible that may suggest that maybe people before Christ and unreached people would be judged by the way they lived. In Luke 16:19-28 (Scriptures 4 – The Rich Man and the Beggar Luke 16:19-28), Jesus tells the parable of the rich man and the beggar. The rich man seems to go straight to hell and sees the beggar in heaven.
The story (Jesus’ parable) never said the beggar sacrificed blood or followed all the Jewish laws, but was humble. The rich man was greedy and prideful. And he didn’t help others in need.
Then there are also scriptures like these:
John 5:28-29 “Do not be amazed at this, for a time is coming when all who are in their graves will hear his voice and come out—those who have done what is good will rise to live, and those who have done what is evil will rise to be condemned.
2 Corinthians 5:10 For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may receive what is due for what he has done in the body, whether good or evil.
These scriptures could possibly suggest people are judged by the way they lived.
Possible Theory:
So possibly, could all people before Christ (Jews and Gentiles) and all unreached people after Christ will be judged by how they lived? Good or bad? Maybe, but that’s just a theory. The Bible doesn’t explain it. I’d imagine if God tried to explain it to us, we would not be able to comprehend it.
What Happens to People. All Go To Hell?
I definitely do not believe that all those people would go to hell. The God I know is kind and just. He doesn’t want any person to go to hell. He loves us all.
If We Have Heard Good News of Jesus:
I also believe if a person has heard the good news about Jesus and rejects it, they will be judged for their sins and condemned to hell. Jesus did say that the only way to get to heaven is through him (Jesus) (Scriptures 5 – Salvation Comes Only Through Jesus Acts 4:11-12, John 3:5-6 &16, John 14:6, Ephesians 2:8-10). That has been made perfectly clear in the Bible. This article is not about people who have heard the good news of Christ, but for those who have not.
Christians Made Righteous:
Us Christians should be extremely grateful that we are covered by the blood of Jesus. We may mess up now and then, but Jesus will get us on the right track again. Since we follow and live for Christ, God sees us as righteous. White as snow. Praise the Lord!
PDF: What Happens to People Before Christ and Unreached?
See: Part 6 #4: Gentiles Received Holy Spirit
See: Free Bible Study Worksheets
Also See: Part 3 – List of Prayers
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