Questions tagged [soteriology]
The study of the mechanisms by which an individual is saved.
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On Implicit Knowledge of the Incarnation
After the Fall, was the protoevangelium transmitted to all men so much so that all men have knowledge of the protoevangelium even if that knowledge was distorted?
Every mythology has something ...
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Is God being just by sending Christian murderers to Heaven?
Let's say that a Christian serial killer has murdered many people who happened to not be Christians. Would God be just by sending the Christian serial killer to Heaven, while sending his victims to ...
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If salvation is by faith, and faith comes by hearing the word of Christ, can we be saved without having heard of Jesus?
The Bible says
It is by grace that you are saved, by the means of faith. And it does not come from you, it is the gift of God’. (Eph 2:8).
So faith comes from what we hear, and what we hear comes ...
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How does salvation of people with dissociative identity disorder work?
Let's say that someone with DID (dissociative identity disorder) has 2 alters: an atheist and a faithful Christian. Where would that person go? To Heaven? To Hell? To some third place?
This question ...
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How do the various churches define the moment we receive the Holy Spirit?" [closed]
I am look for more insight. I have seen many interpretation of scripture but not one that completely explains what my question is.
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Was salvation originally meant for the Jews according to the parable of the wedding banquet?
It looks as if salvation was originally meant for the Jews, at least that is what I can infer from the parable of the wedding banquet, that God sent Jesus to the Jews first and if they accepted him as ...
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Why do we say that Jesus shed blood to the last drop on the Cross?
We read in Jn 19:33-34( KJV):
But when they came to Jesus, and saw that he was dead already, they brake not his legs: But one of the soldiers with a spear pierced his side, and forthwith came there ...
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Is the third day timeframe of Jesus burial/resurrection required for salvation?
In 1 Corinthians 15:1-4, Paul states the Gospel that saves: that Jesus died for our sins, was buried, and rose again on the third day. I have heard multiple versions of this when people teach people ...
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Does God the Son have Faith?
While answering another question, a comment perplexed me and I cannot quite understand it.
"It was not Christ 'fulfilling the law' that saved, but him bearing the punishment for sin we all ...
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How would those who subscribe to Restrictivism interpret John 5:28-29?
When I read John 5:24-29 (CSB)
24 "Truly I tell you, anyone who hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life and will not come under judgment but has passed from death to life.
25 ...
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Who defended the devil's salvation?
As the question states: who defended the devil's salvation?
I know I've read of a Catholic saint who supposedly defended the devil's salvation. And why not? Maybe the devil has been greatly ...
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In what ways are Carl Jung's "ego death" and biblical "dying to sin" similar and dissimilar?
I was reading a while back and wanted to piece together these two ideas in my head. But as I think more about it the cognitive dissonance only increases. Non-Christians can experience "ego death&...
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Churches with Abelard or Socinus view on atonement?
What are the names of some nowadays Churches or Denominations that hold Peter Abelard or Faustus Socinus views on atonement or Salvation?
I mean Churches that hold the Moral or Example theory of ...
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If Christians are saved by faith alone, then why does Jesus want Christians to do certain things?
I have wondered that if it is faith alone that gets a Christian into Heaven, then why was it important to Jesus that his followers do certain things such as obeying His commandments and caring for ...
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If we are guaranteed heaven before birth, would it be better to die early rather than risk damnation?
Some Christian traditions believe that all infants go to heaven. In this view, wouldn't it be better if everyone died before they are born, so they avoid becoming sinful, and thus guaranteed to go to ...
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What is the biblical basis for claiming that salvation is an individual decision?
This article from a Christian web site, has suggested that salvation is an individual decision and a relationship with God is an intensely personal decision. It also says obedience and surrender to ...
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How is the Extraordinary Means of Salvation in Catholicism not Pelagianism? (Cathechism 847)
The Catholic Catechism #847 gives exception to the (ordinary) rule of need for baptism for salvation. This extraordinary means is found outside the visible church, in the invisible church in ...
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Question on "The State of Theology", Arian heresy, and salvation
The Ligonier Ministries' 2022 "State of Theology" contains some interesting things. One such thing is that over half of those surveyed agreed (some strongly) with the following statement:
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Are people with sinful addictions doomed? [closed]
According to Acts 3:19-21:
19 Repent therefore, and turn back, that your sins may be blotted out,
20 that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord, and that he may send the Christ ...
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Do Christians believe that Jews and Muslims go to hell? [closed]
As we know, Judaism, Christianity and Islam are the main 3 monotheistic religions.
Quran says:
Surely, those who believed in [God], and those who are Jews, and Christians, and Sabians, -whosoever ...
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Do Christians believe that the laws of the Old Testament still apply today, or did Jesus end that? [duplicate]
I struggle a little bit in understanding the Christian belief about the OT laws as a Muslim.
One of the things that confuses me is that half of Christians say that deeds aren’t important; that ...
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Could someone in the Old Testament be saved without believing in Christ?
I have often heard it taught that those living in the time of the Old Testament were saved by the law, but that they also had to have faith that Christ would come. If someone living in the Old ...
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How do we know from the Bible that Adam and Eve have been saved from the lake of fire?
How do we know from the Bible that Adam and Eve have been saved from the lake of fire?
According to my knowledge, it is a fairly unanimous position among the Oriental Christianity, the Roman Catholic ...
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Bibliograpy on the difference between the Kingdom of the God and Salvation / Eternal Life
From my studies, Scripture seems to make a very clear difference between the requirements of receiving the gift of salvation (by faith alone) and the requirements to enter the kingdom of God.
A. ...
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Do all moral humans go to heaven?
Given a person X who leads a "moral life" based on the law laid out in the Bible.
Given that X does not believe in the existence of God or any other God.
If the Christian Faith happens to be ...
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Was Jesus sent to the Earth so people could commit sin and lead sinful lifestyles yet still go to Heaven?
I am a Catholic and I notice there has been a growing movement within the Catholic Church to accept anyone who wants to join the Church regardless of whether or not they will go to Confession or ...
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How is God's encounter with Jacob in Genesis 32 addressed within the framework of monergism vs. synergism?
Genesis 32:27-28
27 So He said to him, “What is your name?” He said, “Jacob.” 28 And He said, “Your name shall no longer be called Jacob, but Israel; for you have struggled with God and with men, and ...
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How is the crucifixion just?
As a result of the crucifixion of Jesus, all who truly accept Christ will receive salvation and have their sins washed away. But how is it just that the guilty person not be held accountable for the ...
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Did Joseph Smith go to heaven according to Protestant Trinitarians?
According to the Mormon Doctrine written by Bruce McConkie,
If it had not been for Joseph Smith and the restoration, there would be no salvation. There is no salvation outside The Church of Jesus ...
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According to Christians not affiliated with the LDS Church, is the LDS doctrine of salvation inconsistent with the Bible?
The following is an excerpt from pages 471 and 472 of Mormon Doctrine, by Bruce R. McConkie:
1. Unconditional or general salvation, that which comes by grace alone without obedience to gospel law, ...
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Can a Christian be called but not chosen?
The concept of many are called but few are chosen is very alive in the Bible where Jesus says that no one can come to him unless God allows it.
Mathew 22:14
Indeed many are called but few are chosen
...
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Does Wm. Golding's book "Lord of the Flies" correctly present the theology of "The Fallen Nature of Man" according to Christian Protestantism?
William Golding wrote about a group of Boy Scouts who were stranded on an island, and who tried to set up a society among themselves. At first they were quite civil and logical in their social ...
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Which Christian Churches or Denominations subscribe to sacerdotalism as essential?
Based in part on answers to this question, this definition from the Merriam-Webster dictionary:
: religious belief emphasizing the powers of priests as essential mediators between God and humankind
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Are there any texts from the Bible that summarize the Gospel?
Trying to come up with a list of essentials to center a gospel message on. I've seen the "Roman road of salvation" used before, but I am wondering if there are any specific summaries in the ...
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Are there Christian denominations that expect Jesus to respect denominationalism in the final judgement?
Of course many (if not most) denominations believe that what they teach and believe as doctrine critical to salvation is, in fact, critical to salvation. Most denominations also teach and believe ...
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Is there scripture stating we will realize an unmistakable event or experience immediately upon salvation during God's Ephesians 3:2 "age of grace"?
If there are unmistakable events or experiences that prove "true" salvation, how would we then be able to discern a deceptive event or experience that was administered by Satan? Isn't this ...
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Is there scriptural support for Pascal's wager?
Pascal contends that a rational person should adopt a lifestyle consistent with the existence of God and actively strive to believe in God. The reasoning behind this stance lies in the potential ...
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Is it possible for an unbeliever who is steadfastly unconvinced or skeptical to genuinely embrace a saving faith in Christ?
I often find it helpful to illustrate my point with extreme cases. Let's examine some well-known examples of unbelievers: Graham Oppy, a distinguished atheist philosopher specializing in philosophy of ...
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If saving faith in Christ is a God-given gift, what prevents God from giving this gift to everyone? [closed]
If saving faith in Christ is considered a gift from God rather than an attainable skill through personal effort (as discussed in Is faith a skill that can be developed over time?), then what prevents ...
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Do James 2:24 and Romans 3:28 contradict? [duplicate]
(both quotes in NKJV)
James 2:24
You see then that a man is justified by works, and not by faith only.
Romans 3:28
For we maintain that a person is justified by faith apart from the
works of the ...
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Shortcut to Heaven? [closed]
If some cult decided to take the L and massacre as many people as possible each all souls day, then immediately pray for them, do all those victims get into heaven scott free? Can the cult members ...
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Are those who die without someone praying for their souls , compensated?
Month of November is dedicated to the deceased faithful. One of the Mass Intentions of Catholic Church for the month is to pray for those souls who have no one praying for them. That implies that ...
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Is it possible to be a worshiper of the true God without being reached/evangelized?
Upon reflecting on the answers to this question, HOW does the existence of the Universe make those who do not worship God to be "without excuse"?, I noticed that Romans 1:18-20 leaves ...
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How to refute the argument that is is possible to be saved without Jesus and do apologetics for it
I've recently thought of an argument that might undermine Christianity but I'm not sure if I simply reinvented a super old argument that already has a refutation or it's a novel one (probably not), ...
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Is there any biblical basis for believing that Satan will do his uttermost to prevent a sinner from coming to saving faith in Christ Jesus?
Recently our minister preached a sermon based on Luke 9:42:
Even while the boy was coming [to Jesus to be healed], the demon threw him to the ground in a convulsion. But Jesus rebuked the evil ...
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How does imputation work?
When someone believes on Jesus Christ how does Jesus sinless perfect righteousness is transferred to the believer and the believer's sin transferred to Jesus? Like what is the theory or doctrine that ...
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What Are the Way of Repentance and the Way of Eternal Life?
Gaining eternal life through faith in the Lord is the longing of many Christians. But is it true that we can attain the way of eternal life by accepting the Lord’s salvation, repenting and confessing ...
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What scriptural examples exist of people converting to righteousness from overt wickedness on account of a miraculous occurrence (e.g. Paul)?
A brief bit of context (feel free to edit it out if it's not appropriate for the site, but I think it'll help clarify exactly what I'm trying to achieve with this question): I am currently studying ...
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How Did the Earliest Church Define Salvation?
This question came up for me in a discussion of the meaning of "saved" in Acts 15:1.
But certain ones having come down from Judea were teaching the brothers, "Unless you are
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What does it mean to be saved by sanctification and believing the truth? 2 Thessalonians 2:13
My question is for protestant Christians. If salvation is by grace alone through faith alone in Christ alone, then what does 2 Thessalonians 2:13 mean by saying that people are saved by the ...
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