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Non-Christians accepted by God in the NT Matthew 2:1-11 (English-NIV)
After Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea,
during the time of King Herod, Magi from the east
came to Jerusalem and asked, "Where is the
one who has been born king of the Jews? We saw
his star in the east and have come to worship
him.
Matthew 8:5-11 (see also
Luke 7:2-9)
When Jesus had entered Capernaum, a centurion
came to him, asking for help. "Lord,"
he said, "my servant lies at home paralyzed
and in terrible suffering."
Jesus said to him, "I will go and heal
him."
The centurion replied, "Lord, I do not
deserve to have you come under my roof. But just
say the word, and my servant will be healed. For
I myself am a man under authority, with soldiers
under me. I tell this one, `Go,' and he goes; and
that one, `Come,' and he comes. I say to my
servant, `Do this,' and he does it."
When Jesus heard this, he was astonished and said
to those following him, "I tell you the
truth, I have not found anyone in Israel with
such great faith. I say to you that many will
come from the east and the west, and will take
their places at the feast with Abraham, Isaac and
Jacob in the kingdom of heaven.
Mark 9:40
"[Jesus said] for whoever is not against us
is for us."
Acts 10:1-4
At Caesarea there was a man named Cornelius, a
centurion in what was known as the Italian
Regiment. He and all his family were devout and
God-fearing; he gave generously to those in need
and prayed to God regularly.
One day at about three in the afternoon he had a
vision. He distinctly saw an angel of God, who
came to him and said, "Cornelius!"
Cornelius stared at him in fear. "What is
it, Lord?" he asked. The angel answered,
"Your prayers and gifts to the poor have
come up as a memorial offering before God.
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God Looks on the Heart 1 Samuel 16:7
But the LORD said to Samuel, "Do not
consider his appearance or his height, for I have
rejected him. The LORD does not look at the
things man looks at. Man looks at the outward
appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart.
1 Kings 8:39
...then hear from heaven, your dwelling place.
Forgive and act; deal with each man according to
all he does, since you know his heart (for you
alone know the hearts of all men),
1 Chronicles 28:9
"And you, my son Solomon, acknowledge the
God of your father, and serve him with
wholehearted devotion and with a willing mind,
for the LORD searches every heart and understands
every motive behind the thoughts. If you seek
him, he will be found by you; but if you forsake
him, he will reject you forever."
Galatians 2:6
As for those who seemed to be important--whatever
they were makes no difference to me; God does not
judge by external appearance--those men added
nothing to my message.
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Rejecting
Jesus John 3:18
Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but
whoever does not believe stands condemned already
because he has not believed in the name of God's
one and only Son.
Hebrews 10:39
But we are not of those who shrink back and are
destroyed, but of those who believe and are
saved.
1 John 5:10
Anyone who believes in the Son of God has this
testimony in his heart. Anyone who does not
believe God has made him out to be a liar,
because he has not believed the testimony God has
given about his Son.
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The Law of Conscience Genesis 20:4-6
Now Abimelech had not gone near her, so he said,
"Lord, will you destroy an innocent nation?
Did he not say to me, `She is my sister,' and
didn't she also say, `He is my brother'? I have
done this with a clear conscience and clean
hands."
Then God said to him [Abimelech king of Gerar] in
the dream, "Yes, I know you did this with a
clear conscience, and so I have kept you from
sinning against me. That is why I did not let you
touch her [Sarah, wife of Abraham].
Job 27:6
I will maintain my righteousness and never let go
of it; my conscience will not reproach me as long
as I live.
Acts 10:34-35
Then Peter began to speak: "I now realize
how true it is that God does not show favoritism
but accepts men from every nation who fear him
and do what is right. "
Romans 2:14-15
(Indeed, when Gentiles, who do not have the law,
do by nature things required by the law, they are
a law for themselves, even though they do not
have the law, since they show that the
requirements of the law are written on their
hearts, their consciences also bearing witness,
and their thoughts now accusing, now even
defending them.)
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Accountability 1 Samuel 2:3
"Do not keep talking so proudly or let your
mouth speak such arrogance, for the LORD is a God
who knows, and by him deeds are weighed."
Luke 16:15
He said to them, "You are the ones who
justify yourselves in the eyes of men, but God
knows your hearts. What is highly valued among
men is detestable in God's sight."
1 John 1:7
But if we walk in the light, as he is in the
light, we have fellowship with one another, and
the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all
sin.
I John2:8-10
Yet I am writing you a new command; its truth is
seen in him and you, because the darkness is
passing and the true light is already shining.
Anyone who claims to be in the light but hates
his brother is still in the darkness. Whoever
loves his brother lives in the light, and there
is nothing in him to make him stumble.
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God can be trusted Genesis 18:25
"Far be it from you to do such a thing--to
kill the righteous with the wicked, treating the
righteous and the wicked alike. Far be it from
you! Will not the Judge of all the earth do
right?"
Psalm 96:10-13
Say among the nations, "The LORD
reigns." The world is firmly established, it
cannot be moved; he will judge the peoples with
equity. Let the heavens rejoice, let the earth be
glad; let the sea resound, and all that is in it;
let the fields be jubilant, and everything in
them. Then all the trees of the forest will sing
for joy; they will sing before the LORD, for he
comes, he comes to judge the earth. He will judge
the world in righteousness and the peoples in his
truth.
Isaiah 11:1-5
A shoot will come up from the stump of Jesse;
from his roots a Branch will bear fruit. The
Spirit of the LORD will rest on him-- the Spirit
of wisdom and of understanding, the Spirit of
counsel and of power, the Spirit of knowledge and
of the fear of the LORD-- and he will delight in
the fear of the LORD. He will not judge by what
he sees with his eyes, or decide by what he hears
with his ears; but with righteousness he will
judge the needy, with justice he will give
decisions for the poor of the earth. He will
strike the earth with the rod of his mouth; with
the breath of his lips he will slay the wicked.
Righteousness will be his belt and faithfulness
the sash around his waist.
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The Truth John 8:32
"Then you will know the truth, and the truth
will set you free."
John 14:6
Jesus answered, "I am the way and the truth
and the life. No one comes to the Father except
through me."
Romans 1:25
They exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and
worshiped and served created things rather than
the Creator--who is forever praised. Amen.
Romans 2:8
But for those who are self-seeking and who reject
the truth and follow evil, there will be wrath
and anger.
I John 1:6-8
If we claim to have fellowship with him yet walk
in the darkness, we lie and do not live by the
truth. But if we walk in the light, as he is in
the light, we have fellowship with one another,
and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from
all sin. If we claim to be without sin, we
deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us.
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Study God's Word Proverbs 1:1-7
The proverbs of Solomon son of David, king of
Israel: for attaining wisdom and discipline; for
understanding words of insight; for acquiring a
disciplined and prudent life, doing what is right
and just and fair; for giving prudence to the
simple, knowledge and discretion to the young--
let the wise listen and add to their learning,
and let the discerning get guidance-- for
understanding proverbs and parables, the sayings
and riddles of the wise. The fear of the LORD is
the beginning of knowledge, but fools despise
wisdom and discipline.
Proverbs 2:10
For wisdom will enter your heart, and knowledge
will be pleasant to your soul.
2 Timothy 2:15 (KJV)
Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a
workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly
dividing the word of truth.
2 Timothy 3:16-17
All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for
teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in
righteousness, so that the man of God may be
thoroughly equipped for every good work.
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Communication by prayer and fellowship Acts 2:42
And they continued stedfastly in the apostles'
doctrine and fellowship, and in breaking of
bread, and in prayers.
1 Corinthians 1:9
God is faithful, by whom ye were called unto the
fellowship of his Son Jesus Christ our Lord.
I Thessalonians 5:15-24
See that none render evil for evil unto any man;
but ever follow that which is good, both among
yourselves, and to all men. Rejoice evermore.
Pray without ceasing. In every thing give thanks:
for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus
concerning you. Quench not the Spirit. Despise
not prophesyings. Prove all things; hold fast
that which is good. Abstain from all appearance
of evil. And the very God of peace sanctify you
wholly; and I pray God your whole spirit and soul
and body be preserved blameless unto the coming
of our Lord Jesus Christ. Faithful is he that
calleth you, who also will do it.
Hebrews 10:25
Let us not give up meeting together, as some are
in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one
another--and all the more as you see the Day
approaching.
1 John 1:3, 6-7
We proclaim to you what we have seen and heard,
so that you also may have fellowship with us. And
our fellowship is with the Father and with his
Son, Jesus Christ...If we say that we have
fellowship with him, and walk in darkness, we
lie, and do not the truth: But if we walk in the
light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship
one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ
his Son cleanseth us from all sin.
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Be
His witnesses Isaiah
6:8
Also I heard the voice of the Lord, saying, Whom
shall I send, and who will go for us? Then said
I, Here am I; send me.
Mark 16:15
He said to them, "Go into all the world and
preach the good news to all creation."
Acts 1:8
"But you will receive power when the Holy
Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses
in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and
to the ends of the earth."
Romans 10:12-15
For there is no difference between Jew and
Gentile--the same Lord is Lord of all and richly
blesses all who call on him, for, "Everyone
who calls on the name of the Lord will be
saved."
How, then, can they call on the one they have not
believed in? And how can they believe in the one
of whom they have not heard? And how can they
hear without someone preaching to them? And how
can they preach unless they are sent? As it is
written, "How beautiful are the feet of
those who bring good news!"
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Knowledge
of God Romans
11:33-36
Oh, the depth of the riches of the wisdom and
knowledge of God! How unsearchable his judgments,
and his paths beyond tracing out! "Who has
known the mind of the Lord? Or who has been his
counselor?" "Who has ever given to God,
that God should repay him?" For from him and
through him and to him are all things. To him be
the glory forever! Amen.
I Corinthians 1:25
For the foolishness of God is wiser than man's
wisdom, and the weakness of God is stronger than
man's strength.
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God's
Attitude towards
the Outsider Exodus
23:9
"Do not oppress an alien; you yourselves
know how it feels to be aliens, because you were
aliens in Egypt."
Levtitcus 19:33
"`When an alien lives with you in your land,
do not mistreat him. The alien living with you
must be treated as one of your native-born. Love
him as yourself, for you were aliens in Egypt. I
am the LORD your God."
Deuteronomy 10:18
He defends the cause of the fatherless and the
widow, and loves the alien, giving him food and
clothing.
Deuteronomy 27:19
"Cursed is the man who withholds justice
from the alien, the fatherless or the
widow." Then all the people shall say,
"Amen!"
Isaiah 58:6-7
"Is not this the kind of fasting I have
chosen: to loose the chains of injustice and
untie the cords of the yoke, to set the oppressed
free and break every yoke? Is it not to share
your food with the hungry and to provide the poor
wanderer with shelter-- when you see the naked,
to clothe him, and not to turn away from your own
flesh and blood?"
Matthew 22:9-10
[The Kingdom of Heaven is like a King who said]
'Go to the street corners and invite to the
banquet anyone you find.'
So the servants went out into the streets and
gathered all the people they could find, both
good and bad, and the wedding hall was filled
with guests.
2 Corinthians 5:18-19
All this is from God, who reconciled us to
himself through Christ and gave us the ministry
of reconciliation: that God was reconciling the
world to himself in Christ, not counting men's
sins against them. And he has committed to us the
message of reconciliation.
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Conviction of Sin John
16:8-9
When he [Holy Spirit] comes, he will convict the
world of guilt in regard to sin and righteousness
and judgment: in regard to sin, because men do
not believe in me;
1 Thessalonians 1:4-6
For we know, brothers loved by God, that he has
chosen you, because our gospel came to you not
simply with words, but also with power, with the
Holy Spirit and with deep conviction. You know
how we lived among you for your sake. You became
imitators of us and of the Lord; in spite of
severe suffering, you welcomed the message with
the joy given by the Holy Spirit.
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Burden for Lost Souls Ezekiel 34:4-6
You have not strengthened the weak or healed the
sick or bound up the injured. You have not
brought back the strays or searched for the lost.
You have ruled them harshly and brutally. So they
were scattered because there was no shepherd, and
when they were scattered they became food for all
the wild animals. My sheep wandered over all the
mountains and on every high hill. They were
scattered over the whole earth, and no one
searched or looked for them.
Matthew 18:14
In the same way your Father in heaven is not
willing that any of these little ones should be
lost.
Luke 15:4
"Suppose one of you has a hundred sheep and
loses one of them. Does he not leave the
ninety-nine in the open country and go after the
lost sheep until he finds it?"
Luke 19:10
"For the Son of Man came to seek and to save
what was lost."
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What the asker knows about God's work in the lost Isaiah 55:9
"As the heavens are higher than the earth,
so are my ways higher than your ways and my
thoughts than your thoughts."
John 10:16
I have other sheep that are not of this sheep
pen. I must bring them also. They too will listen
to my voice, and there shall be one flock and one
shepherd.
1 Corinthians 2:11
For who among men knows the thoughts of a man
except the man's spirit within him? In the same
way no one knows the thoughts of God except the
Spirit of God.
1 Corinthians 8:1-3
Now about food sacrificed to idols: We know that
we all possess knowledge. Knowledge puffs up, but
love builds up.The man who thinks he knows
something does not yet know as he ought to know.
But the man who loves God is known by God.
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Salvation is Specific John 3:16-18
For God so loved the world that he gave his one
and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall
not perish but have eternal life. For God did not
send his Son into the world to condemn the world,
but to save the world through him. Whoever
believes in him is not condemned, but whoever
does not believe stands condemned already because
he has not believed in the name of God's one and
only Son.
Romans 10:9-13
That if you confess with your mouth, "Jesus
is Lord," and believe in your heart that God
raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For
it is with your heart that you believe and are
justified, and it is with your mouth that you
confess and are saved. As the Scripture says,
"Anyone who trusts in him will never be put
to shame." For there is no difference
between Jew and Gentile--the same Lord is Lord of
all and richly blesses all who call on him, for,
"Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord
will be saved."
Revelation 3:20-22
Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If
anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will
come in and eat with him, and he with me. To him
who overcomes, I will give the right to sit with
me on my throne, just as I overcame and sat down
with my Father on his throne. He who has an ear,
let him hear what the Spirit says to the
churches."
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All references NIV unless otherwise
stated. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 by
International Bible Society. All
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