Showing mercy to the minority and judgment to the majority.
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earl40
Puritan Board Professor
I really didn't think this was a hard question. 
"Narrow is the gate" I was just wondering if anyone else wondered why God chooses to save relatively few vs. the majority of people. I don't know what percent are saved, but I suspect it is around 1/3 of humanity (to make up the 1/3 of angels that fell, who knows)....which are too many to count but still less than the multitudes that are going to hell.
"Narrow is the gate" I was just wondering if anyone else wondered why God chooses to save relatively few vs. the majority of people. I don't know what percent are saved, but I suspect it is around 1/3 of humanity (to make up the 1/3 of angels that fell, who knows)....which are too many to count but still less than the multitudes that are going to hell.
Skyler
Puritan Board Graduate
I really didn't think this was a hard question.
"Narrow is the gate" I was just wondering if anyone else wondered why God chooses to save relatively few vs. the majority of people. I don't know what percent are saved, but I suspect it is around 1/3 of humanity (to make up the 1/3 of angels that fell, who knows)....which are too many to count but still less than the multitudes that are going to hell.
If infants go to heaven and a large portion of pregnancies end in misacarriage, then there will be a great multitude which no man can number,
also,
as the Gospel spreads and has victory and God gathers His elect from all nations, there also will be a great multitude which no man can number.
also,
as the Gospel spreads and has victory and God gathers His elect from all nations, there also will be a great multitude which no man can number.
SolaScriptura
Puritanboard Brimstone
I really didn't think this was a hard question.
"Narrow is the gate" I was just wondering if anyone else wondered why God chooses to save relatively few vs. the majority of people. I don't know what percent are saved, but I suspect it is around 1/3 of humanity (to make up the 1/3 of angels that fell, who knows)....which are too many to count but still less than the multitudes that are going to hell.
And your point/problem? Are you one of those people who thinks that the majority of humans will wind up in heaven? As I read Scripture, God is in the remnant business... and a remnant is a minority.
Peairtach
Puritan Board Doctor
A "remnant" can become a large number:
A little one shall become a thousand, and a small one a strong nation: I the LORD will hasten it in his time. (Isaiah 60:22)
The Christian believers among the Jews were the faithful remnant of the Jews. Look at how big the Christian Church has become compared to Jewry.
I agree that a lot of the Visible Christian Church is dead wood and needs to be pruned out by Church sanctions for the health of the Church.
God doesn't save a relative few overall. Hell is a pit or a lake. The Heavenly Kingdom is a New Heavens and New Earth.
We are told that those in Heaven are a vast multitude. The largeness of the multitude in Hell is never emphasised.
If you're asking why the relative proportion of the converted in a society is often proportionately small, and at other times proportionately large, the reason is God's great wisdom in glorifying Himself.
Where would be the glory if the Church always had it easy? Where would be the glory if Christ and the Apostles declared Holy War by evangelism on the World, and if the Devil and his angelic and human minions had immediately capitulated without any resistance, and the whole World had become Christian half way through the Book of Acts?
It's taken two thousand years to get this far in the evangelisation and Christianisation of the World. It took 400 years from the time of Moses to the time of Solomon for little Canaan to be conquered.
If we find the battle too hot we'd better get out of the kitchen.
A little one shall become a thousand, and a small one a strong nation: I the LORD will hasten it in his time. (Isaiah 60:22)
The Christian believers among the Jews were the faithful remnant of the Jews. Look at how big the Christian Church has become compared to Jewry.
I agree that a lot of the Visible Christian Church is dead wood and needs to be pruned out by Church sanctions for the health of the Church.
God doesn't save a relative few overall. Hell is a pit or a lake. The Heavenly Kingdom is a New Heavens and New Earth.
We are told that those in Heaven are a vast multitude. The largeness of the multitude in Hell is never emphasised.
If you're asking why the relative proportion of the converted in a society is often proportionately small, and at other times proportionately large, the reason is God's great wisdom in glorifying Himself.
Where would be the glory if the Church always had it easy? Where would be the glory if Christ and the Apostles declared Holy War by evangelism on the World, and if the Devil and his angelic and human minions had immediately capitulated without any resistance, and the whole World had become Christian half way through the Book of Acts?
It's taken two thousand years to get this far in the evangelisation and Christianisation of the World. It took 400 years from the time of Moses to the time of Solomon for little Canaan to be conquered.
If we find the battle too hot we'd better get out of the kitchen.
earl40
Puritan Board Professor
You all are a tough crowd. All I asked was do you ever wonder why. Nothing implied by the question other than maybe I may have missed something in the scriptures concerning this. Sorry I asked.
---------- Post added at 03:53 PM ---------- Previous post was at 03:48 PM ----------
Where did you get any idea I even suggested such? I wrote of my speculation that the majority are not going to heaven.....
All I asked was do you ever wonder why. Nothing implied by the question other than maybe I may have missed something in the scriptures concerning this. Sorry I asked.---------- Post added at 03:53 PM ---------- Previous post was at 03:48 PM ----------
I really didn't think this was a hard question.
"Narrow is the gate" I was just wondering if anyone else wondered why God chooses to save relatively few vs. the majority of people. I don't know what percent are saved, but I suspect it is around 1/3 of humanity (to make up the 1/3 of angels that fell, who knows)....which are too many to count but still less than the multitudes that are going to hell.
And your point/problem? Are you one of those people who thinks that the majority of humans will wind up in heaven? As I read Scripture, God is in the remnant business... and a remnant is a minority.
Where did you get any idea I even suggested such? I wrote of my speculation that the majority are not going to heaven.....
Peairtach
Puritan Board Doctor
If the fight was easy and true Christians always in the majority, there would not be so great a foil for God's glory to be revealed in our struggle with the world, the flesh and the Devil.
If 90% of the population are always biblical Christians, where's the drama in that?
If 90% of the population are always biblical Christians, where's the drama in that?
earl40
Puritan Board Professor
Good thoughts. Sometimes I wonder if in heaven the challenge of the world,flesh and devil will be missed. Sort of like when you watch a movie and you see the bad guy get his just deserts and we cheer as he falls to his death from a 40 story building.
Galatians220
Puritan Board Post-Graduate
And where would be the display of ineffable mercy to His chosen ones?
Margaret
earl40
Puritan Board Professor
In the %10 that would go to hell. If %90 went to heaven. I have little doubt that we don't know why the majority are not saved as to why He loves the minority.
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