Originally Posted by AC.
Could there be cases in heathen lands, nations, territories where an individual is granted God given knowledge that they are sinners before the one true God and cry out to the unknown God for the misery of their fallen state and are delivered despite their lack of Gospel knowledge...of course, I believe this would be a rarity.
And how would this occur? scratch1 According to Paul, Rom 1:16; 10:14-17, faith is only possible via the instrumentality of the Gospel. Why? Because that is the ordained method which the Holy Spirit is operative. Also, according to Rom 1, sinners are aware of the existence of God; His power and deity and judgment in two ways: a) general revelation; those things which are seen, and 2) by the revelation of God within every person's soul, they being created in the image of God. But Paul makes it quite clear that the general revelation and the internal testimony is insufficient to convert the soul... thus verse 16 and the necessity of the Gospel.

Secondly, how would a sinner without the Gospel know that God has taken upon Himself human flesh, walked in all righteousness and died to pay the ultimate ransom for sinners on the cross? Who would they cast themselves before?... God in general? A generic god cannot and does not save anyone.

Thirdly, because God has ordained salvation for the elect in Christ through the Gospel, ALL the elect, by God's providence the Gospel will be made known to each and every one of them.

So, I must insist that there are no exceptions. nope

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simul iustus et peccator

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