What happens if someone dies before they became a believer, is it their fault?
- General Theology
- 39 Replies
Well, first off; Scripture declares that those who become believers are elect from the foundation of the world. (Ephesians 1)
Scripture also declares that "the wicked are estranged from the womb; they go astray as soon as they be born." (Psalm 58:3)
Thus redemption (or condemnation for that matter) is not relevant to how old one is.
The consequences of the fall and being "dead in trespass and sin" though is not the same thing as personally committing sin. This is why Romans 9:11 speaks of "the children not having done good or evil that the purpose of God according to election may stand."
And yes it is true that one is not held accountable to something they don't "know". Although what is "known" isn't necessarily determinant on intellectual understanding as it relates to the soul and one's position before God. (IE; this is an aspect of our existence as "created in God's image" that we don't really understand.) What does the soul "know" even at the point the mind can not comprehend? (Again, a mystery we don't understand.)
Thus this makes the destiny of anyone between conception and intellectual understanding unknowable from the standpoint of what we in this life can observe. Despite Scripture clearly declares there are those who will never be redeemed regardless of how old they are when they die. (None of us know (nor can we) outside of "make your own calling and election sure" who the elect actually are.) Though we may recognize sanctification in people who are "post stage of regeneration".
Yea, redemption and condemnation are like unto "different operating systems". Redemption is predicated upon Christ providing substitutionary atonement in payment for an individual's sin. Yet "the law" meets out "the wages of sin" upon the unredeemed. And this is why "the law of love" (or rule of Christ) is not akin to the "law of sin and death" in contrary operation to the condemnation of the unregenerate. Their punishment is "the wages of sin" that they've "earned". (Two different "operating systems".)
Scripture also declares that "the wicked are estranged from the womb; they go astray as soon as they be born." (Psalm 58:3)
Thus redemption (or condemnation for that matter) is not relevant to how old one is.
The consequences of the fall and being "dead in trespass and sin" though is not the same thing as personally committing sin. This is why Romans 9:11 speaks of "the children not having done good or evil that the purpose of God according to election may stand."
And yes it is true that one is not held accountable to something they don't "know". Although what is "known" isn't necessarily determinant on intellectual understanding as it relates to the soul and one's position before God. (IE; this is an aspect of our existence as "created in God's image" that we don't really understand.) What does the soul "know" even at the point the mind can not comprehend? (Again, a mystery we don't understand.)
Thus this makes the destiny of anyone between conception and intellectual understanding unknowable from the standpoint of what we in this life can observe. Despite Scripture clearly declares there are those who will never be redeemed regardless of how old they are when they die. (None of us know (nor can we) outside of "make your own calling and election sure" who the elect actually are.) Though we may recognize sanctification in people who are "post stage of regeneration".
Yea, redemption and condemnation are like unto "different operating systems". Redemption is predicated upon Christ providing substitutionary atonement in payment for an individual's sin. Yet "the law" meets out "the wages of sin" upon the unredeemed. And this is why "the law of love" (or rule of Christ) is not akin to the "law of sin and death" in contrary operation to the condemnation of the unregenerate. Their punishment is "the wages of sin" that they've "earned". (Two different "operating systems".)
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