Salvation Without The Gospel
Is That Possible?
As we previously looked at how salvation is viewed in the gospels, we are now going to look at what soteriology looks like apart from the gospel itself. And as you can imagine, it’s not going to be pretty. Some might even argue that this is one of those posts that doesn’t even need to be made because of how self explanatory this is. And while I agree that this is one of those topics that should be self explanatory, I strongly disagree that this isn’t a topic that we should still thoroughly address. The Pew Research Center did a survey on this exact topic and they came away with some pretty shocking and downright, depressing results. According to The PRC, 69% of people believe that Jews will make it to heaven. 52% believe that Muslims will make it to heaven and 53% believe that Hindus will achieve salvation as well. Furthermore, the PRC also recorded that 42% of people think atheists will make it to heaven and 56% believe that people with no religious group will make it as well. See the issue? Regardless of what you believe, (even if you believe in nothing!) our current day and age would tell you that you’re doing just fine and you’ll probably be in heaven someday anyway. This is a terrifying reality and we must not be accustomed to hearing this and believing this. We must stand strong on the basic and unshakable truth that salvation without the gospel is no salvation at all.
False Religion
To start, let’s look at what the Bible has to say about this. Jesus famously tells us in Matthew 7:22-23 “Many will say to Me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name, and in Your name cast out demons, and in Your name perform many miracles?’ “And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; LEAVE ME, YOU WHO PRACTICE LAWLESSNESS.’ It is unmistakably clear that just because you know who Jesus is and just because you did things that involved Jesus’ name, it doesn’t mean you are saved. This is the terrifying mistake that obviously most religions make today, but Christians make as well. Too often Christians are willing to say, ‘Well since that person believes in some type of Jesus, they’re good’. We couldn’t be more wrong!! The gospel of Matthew is clear. It’s not knowing a Christ-like figure that saves us, or even a knowledge of the true savior that saves us. It is repenting and believing in the true gospel that saves us! How sad it truly is when fellow believers look at other religions that clearly deny the gospel and think for a second that we believe the same thing and that we’ll see these people in heaven someday. I hope and pray that God puts a burden on all of our hearts for the lost of this world to know and respond to the gospel. And that includes those who are following a false religion. We will dive into what soteriology and salvation looks like from the perspective of other religions in a later post, but for now, I hope I have been able to convince you that not all religions lead to salvation. Our Lord has made it clear to us that if we want to achieve salvation, it must be because of the truth of the gospel that calls us to faith in Christ and repentance.
Afterlife Or Salvation?
To look into this even further, I want to say that the Bible itself does still discuss an afterlife for those who don’t repent and believe the gospel, but this afterlife is not the same as salvation. To be as clear as I possibly can, the actual definition for ‘salvation’ according to the Oxford Dictionary is ‘preservation or deliverance from harm, ruin, or loss.’ So in order to claim that a particular path leads to eternal salvation, you must be able to point to a place in the afterlife that is free of harm, ruin, or loss. When we study the scriptures, spending eternity in heaven with God is the only place that meets these qualifications. Look at what Revelation 20:10 tells us about this issue. “And the devil who deceived them was thrown into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are also; and they will be tormented day and night forever and ever.” Does this sound like a place free of harm? What about ruin and loss? Absolutely not. Make no mistake about friends, there is indeed an afterlife that awaits every single one of us, but only one path leads to true salvation.
This is the danger of the Church today not being more concerned for other religions as those who already have a religious affiliation. Regardless of what god you claim to believe, there’s only one right answer. We can’t get caught up in culture today and accept a ‘coexist’ type of mentality. This means that we have given up on those who believe contrary to us and that we simply don’t love or care about them anymore. And in case you didn’t know, the Bible isn’t ok with that. Our sole job in the Great Commission doesn’t allow it. Matthew 28:19-20 says, “Go, therefore, and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Sonand the Holy Spirit, teaching them to follow all that I commanded you; and behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.” If we truly are being Christ-followers and living as the true Church in this day and age, we can’t ignore the false religions sweeping over this world. We must reach all nations, not just some. I hope I have made it absolutely clear to you today that salvation without the gospel is no salvation at all. This post is not meant to depress you, but rather light a fire under all of us to reach the lost who don’t know the true gospel, regardless of what they claim to believe.
Sources
[1] Blue Letter Bible. (n.d.). Blue Letter Bible. https://www.blueletterbible.org/
[2] Author, N., & Author, N. (2024, April 14). Many Americans say other faiths can lead to eternal life. Pew Research Center. https://www.pewresearch.org/religion/2008/12/18/many-americans-say-other-faiths-can-lead-to-eternal-life/
[3] Oxford Languages and Google - English | Oxford Languages. (2024, January 16). https://languages.oup.com/google-dictionary-en/
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