APAK, all your qualifications are killing me. LOLThe subject of who is an unbeliever is not even that complex Taken...,
Those of mature and sound mind, able to know God and his righteousness for salvation and lacking this righteousness of God within their heart, at whatever stage in their life they are experiencing, is an unbeliever.
Except for all the exceptions, there are no exceptions ... just a complex way of saying there are exceptions to the 'must believe in Jesus' to be saved doctrine:
- The immature
- Not of sound mind
- Not able to know Jesus
- Lack the righteousness of God through Jesus (new one to me)
(Now, my friend, please don't flame another Ad Homenim rejoinder.)
All this reminds me of a joke, of who would be saved if they had not been told about Jesus. The group then asked why were they told about Jesus. This is the group who are not saved. Said differently, passively not believing is not the same as actively rejecting Jesus.
Seems to me there are billions of good Muslims, Hindu's and Buddhists who may have heard of Jesus but were socially pressured to stay in their caste (out of mortal fear), i.e, coerced. These are people who did good per the law God put in their heart but could not bring themselves to believe in Jesus. Perhaps this is a subset of #3 above but I think it is an important distinct group whose salvation glorifies God.
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