Hello Brother,<\/p>\n
I hope you’re doing well by God’s grace. Thank you so much for your time.\u00a0Please, I have a question.<\/p>\n
On one of the web pages of a church of Christ, the question is asked, “Are my parents lost because they did not practice the things you teach?”\u00a0The answer given by the writer begins with the statement,<\/p>\n
“if you or I even attempt to answer such a question, then we have placed ourselves in the determining judgment seat that belongs to the Lord Jesus.”<\/p><\/blockquote>\n
My question then is this: Am I sitting in the judgment seat if I say or think that because a person was not in the church and died, he or she won’t be saved? Or if I say because someone was in an adulterous marriage until death, that person will not be saved? If I can clearly see disobedience and no repentance and conclude that a person won’t be saved because of that, am I sitting in the judgment seat?<\/p>\n
Thank you.<\/p>\n\t
Answer:<\/h2>\n
There are two basic flaws in the original question:<\/p>\n
\n
- “They do not practice the things you teach.” This assumes that what I teach is 100% accurate and it implies that whatever I teach is used by God for judgment. Neither is true. Everyone sins, including preachers (Romans 3:23). While the apostles and prophets were inspired by God, that revelation of God’s will has stopped (Jude 3; I Corinthians 13:8-10).<\/li>\n
- “Are my parents lost?” This assumes that people don’t change. While Paul condemned various sins (I Corinthians 6:9-10; Galatians 5:19-21) and it is proper to say that people who remain in those sins will not reach heaven, I cannot apply it to any individual. I don’t know if “Joe” might not change his mind in the future. I’m not aware of all the reasons why a person made the choices that he made. I don’t know whether God will apply mercy in some cases.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n
Thus, I can say that the saved are in the church (Ephesians 5:23) and that if you are not in the church, then you are among the lost. But I don’t know everything a person has done in his life. The Thief on the Cross is a good example of this. On the surface, one would conclude that a thief sentenced to death for stealing would not make it to heaven, but Jesus said he would be in Paradise that day.<\/p>\n
In other words, I can teach what God said about sin and what it does to a person’s eternal circumstances, but I stop short of deciding whether any individual will be in heaven or hell because that is God’s decision.<\/p>\n\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Question: Hello Brother, I hope you’re doing well by God’s grace. Thank you so much for your time.\u00a0Please, I have a question. On one of the web pages of a church of Christ, the question is asked, “Are my parents lost because they did not practice the things you teach?”\u00a0The answer given by the writer…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"advanced_seo_description":"","jetpack_seo_html_title":"","jetpack_seo_noindex":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[20],"tags":[713],"class_list":["post-68260","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-answer","tag-judging-others"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":41163,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/what-happens-to-people-who-die-without-being-baptized\/","url_meta":{"origin":68260,"position":0},"title":"What happens to people who die without being baptized?","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"December 27, 2021","format":false,"excerpt":"Question: Hello, I have been reading about the church of Christ and the issue of baptism. If baptism is required for salvation, what happens to people who die without being baptized? Thank you. Answer: What happens to a person who disobeys God? \"Do not marvel at this; for an hour\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Answer"","block_context":{"text":"Answer","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/answer\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":36549,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/where-does-the-bible-teach-that-not-belonging-to-a-congregation-is-a-sin\/","url_meta":{"origin":68260,"position":1},"title":"Where does the Bible teach that not belonging to a congregation is a sin?","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"July 10, 2021","format":false,"excerpt":"Question: Hello, I came across your question\/answer page online. My question is, where does the Word of God teach that not belonging to a congregation is an unforgivable sin and one will go to hell for not belonging to a congregation? I've heard Church of Christ preachers speak as though\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Answer"","block_context":{"text":"Answer","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/answer\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":22956,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/you-shouldnt-condemn-those-who-believe-baptism-is-unnecessary-for-salvation\/","url_meta":{"origin":68260,"position":2},"title":"You shouldn’t condemn those who believe baptism is unnecessary for salvation","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"April 13, 2010","format":false,"excerpt":"Question: I am a Christian, a part of the Church of the Nazarene. I myself have been baptized, but it becomes a concern to me when many others find it absolutely necessary to be baptized with water to be saved. I am very open to the consideration of the doctrines\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Answer"","block_context":{"text":"Answer","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/answer\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":60313,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/were-adam-and-eve-saved\/","url_meta":{"origin":68260,"position":3},"title":"Were Adam and Eve saved?","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"April 15, 2023","format":false,"excerpt":"Question: Were Adam and Eve saved and or will they go to heaven on judgment day? Answer: Judgment belongs to God. \"For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may be recompensed for his deeds in the body, according to what he has\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Answer"","block_context":{"text":"Answer","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/answer\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":39373,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/how-will-god-judge-the-believer-and-the-non-believer\/","url_meta":{"origin":68260,"position":4},"title":"How will God judge the believer and the non-believer?","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"June 18, 2013","format":false,"excerpt":"Question: Hi, I have some more questions about things in the Bible that I thought of. I don't have any verses about these things right now. Is it a bad thing to be scared of living forever, even though I know I am going to Heaven? I think about it\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Answer"","block_context":{"text":"Answer","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/answer\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":8397,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/was-my-husband-saved-at-his-first-or-second-baptism\/","url_meta":{"origin":68260,"position":5},"title":"Was my husband saved at his first or second baptism?","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"February 8, 2007","format":false,"excerpt":"Question: My husband had been baptized at around 13 years old.\u00a0 He said he thought he got baptized because he knew his mom wanted him too. I am sure he knew some of what was right and wrong but was not privy to a lot of Bible teaching. 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