Question about Jesus Christ and Heaven

originally posted by: ElGoobero
old anecdote about a Ben Adam. he didn't know God but he loved people; his name was at the top of God's favor list.

hope this helps.

That is exactly why good people of pre-jesus are lucky.

They don't have to know God, because God's convenant at that time, is exclusively for the Israelite.

You wonder if Jesus' crucifixion is a bless or a curse, since it doesn't save all human. Instead it comes to condemn people who rejected him, a contract that was never exist in pre-jesus time.

originally posted by: ElGoobero
old anecdote about a Ben Adam. he didn't know God but he loved people; his name was at the top of God's favor list.

Abou ben Adhem. An old poem, apparently once popular for recitation.
From my old school diaries;

In the end-of-term Assembly at the end of the afternoon, the Headmaster talked first about The Importance of Being Earnest, then about the schools’ football, paying a lot of attention to the record of matches that Walker made, and making a reference to “Abou ben Adhem, may his tribe increase”. “Do you remember that?” he asked Mr. Taylor. “Indeed I do”, said Mr. Taylor, and challenged him to a quoting match if there were five minutes to spare afterwards. That would be very interesting, said the Head, if there was time, but he didn’t think there would be because Mr. Hart was going to speak. He gave the cross-country prizes, then Mr. Hart spoke about the chess record. Finally the Head thanked Mrs Jarrett and Mrs Smith for all the work they did, and presented them with a gift which, he said, nobody whatsoever except Mr. Tabraham had known about, “not even Mr. Bartholomew”. Then he went out, followed by most of the staff.

Mr. Taylor stopped and spoke to me on the way out. “Did you notice?”, he said. “He didn’t accept. And do you know why? I think he doesn’t know it.” Then he went back on to the platform and addressed the school. “Well, he didn’t accept the challenge .And there’s still a quarter of an hour to go. Just to set the record straight, this is what I think. I think I know the poem and that somebody else doesn’t.” He then recited the whole of “Abou ben Adhem, may his tribe increase”, and was very warmly applauded.

originally posted by: watchandwait410
Hi
I was just wondering if you need to believe in Jesus to get to heaven.
Some people say no and some people say yes.
I am confused.
I am not trying to be an ass or anything, I just want a straight answer.

The confusion is due to the fact that so many people are unaware of both "rightly dividing truth" and "dispensations". Prior to Jesus' Crucifixion was the age of law (where "works" were required for salvation such as baptism, asking forgiveness, etc).

After the Crucifixion is the age of Grace (Whereas you are required nothing but to simply believe in Jesus with all your heart and mind in order to be saved because all is forgiven in HIS works).

After the Rapture (the age of grace is over), your requirement to believe in HIM in order to prevail is no longer valid. In order to be saved at that point, you must do works again (whereas you must give up your own life for payment of your sins by first proclaiming that you believe and call out his name).

This is why Satan is loosed on the Earth. Without releasing Satan to make war with newfound believers on Earth (during tribulation and after the Rapture) there would be no chance of redemption for those believers. It's understandable how so many people are not aware of the truth due to such confusion and deception and therefore, By God's grace, ALL is given a chance of redemption either by faith alone or their own works if that faith fails them by acts of deception.

If God simply appeared and said "I am the boss" and proved it, there would be no point in faith, no point in the crucifixion, and no point in free will. All was perfect until Satan Deceived Adam and gained control of the Earth... Until Christ came to redeem it.