Chances

In that case, if the Muslim still rejects Jesus then he goes to eternal damnation. Alternatively if the Muslim does accept Jesus then all the mosque-work done throughout the life of the Muslim is put aside with an "ok you were unlucky to be born in downtown Baghdad but at least in the end you made the right decision, you may enter".

Maybe. Maybe not. I don't know. But would you agree it's a possibility? There's a hint of something along these lines in the parable offered in Matthew 20:1-16:

"For the kingdom of heaven is like a landowner who went out early in the morning to hire men to work in his vineyard. He agreed to pay them a denarius for the day and sent them into his vineyard.

"About the third hour he went out and saw others standing in the marketplace doing nothing. He told them, 'You also go and work in my vineyard, and I will pay you whatever is right.' So they went.

"He went out again about the sixth hour and the ninth hour and did the same thing. About the eleventh hour he went out and found still others standing around. He asked them, 'Why have you been standing here all day long doing nothing?'

" 'Because no one has hired us,' they answered.
"He said to them, 'You also go and work in my vineyard.'

"When evening came, the owner of the vineyard said to his foreman, 'Call the workers and pay them their wages, beginning with the last ones hired and going on to the first.'

"The workers who were hired about the eleventh hour came and each received a denarius. So when those came who were hired first, they expected to receive more. But each one of them also received a denarius. When they received it, they began to grumble against the landowner. 'These men who were hired last worked only one hour,' they said, 'and you have made them equal to us who have borne the burden of the work and the heat of the day.'

"But he answered one of them, 'Friend, I am not being unfair to you. Didn't you agree to work for a denarius? Take your pay and go. I want to give the man who was hired last the same as I gave you. Don't I have the right to do what I want with my own money? Or are you envious because I am generous?'

Matthew 20:1-16, NIV

It may be that an ocean of people who followed other religions get into heaven. It may be they do not. But whatever happens, to me it seems two things are clear:

• Based on Matthew 20:1-16, it would seem to me our proper response should be at worst contentment with what we have received; at best joy for those saved.
• If Jesus is making the decision, then the decision must be just and right. Unless God is really arbitrary and capricious. But I don't believe that. So again, if God is perfectly just, and God is making the final decisions, then those final decisions are just ... whatever they may turn out to be.
  

Note: I hope you noticed that I couched that earlier post in language suggesting I was simply reporting what others believe. Honestly, I don't really know what the mechanics of this will be, or should be.

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John 14:6 (King James Version)

Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.

That's what it says. What does that mean? Is there potential latitude in the possible interpretations? I would think so, but I'm not sure I'm prepared to justify one interpretation and dismiss another.

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It may sound like I'm getting all squishy and liberal ... and in some sense that may be true. To be honest, I'm just bone weary of reading and hearing and, to some degree, participating in debates about things that to me seem to tangential ... not so much from you, but just in general. So I continue to ponder what is the absolute essence of the Christian faith.

Because what I'm finding is that for all the intellectual fun I might have debating some theological point, the truth is I'm not coming closer to Christ himself in the process. For me, there's something else ... some other calling for me. One that doesn't draw me close to the as-yet-untransformed parts of my heart that is ruled by pride, arrogance, fear and insecurity.

You can't imagine -- you simply can't imagine -- how much I yearn to drop my sword and shield and really come unto Him to find rest.