Can A Merciful God Condemn A Man To Hell Who Has Never Heard The Gospel, And Justify Himself In Doing So?

Was John the Baptist saved or born again?

(This isn't about Universalism.)
God does not do that.
Jesus took the sins of the world upon Himself on the cross. (John 3:16)
If someone has never heard the Gospel, they are saved by that sacrifice because they had not the opportunity to hear the Gospel and choose to believe.
God created all people in His image and likeness. Jesus sacrifice saved the world, especially those that believe.
The Epistle of 1st Timothy chapter 4
10 For to this end we toil and strive, because we have our hope set on the living God, who is the Savior of all people, especially of those who believe.

Rom 2:14 For when the Gentiles, which have not the law, do by nature the things contained in the law, these, having not the law, are a law unto themselves:
Rom 2:15 Which shew the work of the law written in their hearts, their conscience also bearing witness, and their thoughts the mean while accusing or else excusing one another

When Adam sinned, he died spiritually.
Children are not born dead spiritually.
Their sins are not held against them.
But like Paul, when a child grows up and understands the law, whether they are taught the law of Moses or not, for it is written in their heart, they die spiritually.
At that point, they will be judged according to the law written in their hearts.
Either way, God is a just God.

Jesus said these words in John 14:17, "the Spirit of Truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees Him nor knows Him; but you know Him, for He dwells with you and will be in you.

In other words the Holy Spirit was with them {some}, but could not live in them until the Cross; Jesus had to be glorified, seated at the right hand of the Father.

37 In the last day, that great day of the Feast, Jesus stood and cried, saying, If any man thirst, let him come unto Me, and drink.

38 He that believeth on Me, as the Scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of Living Water.

39 (But this spake He of the Spirit, which they that believe on Him should receive: for the Holy Ghost was not yet given; because that Jesus was not yet glorified.) John 7

Jesus said, "Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leads unto life, and few there be that find it" (Matthew 7:14).

Can A Merciful God Condemn A Man To Hell Who Has Never Heard The Gospel, And Justify Himself In Doing So?

How could the Holy Spirit be WITHIN them, and not IN them?

Remember that John the Baptist was not to sure himself if Yeshua was Messiah/Redeemer, which is why he sent his disciples to Yeshua to see if he was him who was spoken of. Question, if John the Baptist was elected, why did he doubt while in prison? God raised him up to prepare the way, remember that God stated that his parents walked righteous and blameless, so God knew before John the Baptist birth that he was going to be taught in the ways of the Lord and God became real in his life allowing himself to be used by God, just like many prophets allowed themselves to be used.

So, if doubt can cause one to betray the faith, John the Baptist was no exception, Yeshua told John the Baptist's disciples the works that he is doing to assure John the Baptist that he is the Messiah/Redeemer.

Jesus said these words in John 14:17, "the Spirit of Truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees Him nor knows Him; but you know Him, for He dwells with you and will be in you.

In other words the Holy Spirit was with them {some}, but could not live in them until the Cross; Jesus had to be glorified, seated at the right hand of the Father.

37 In the last day, that great day of the Feast, Jesus stood and cried, saying, If any man thirst, let him come unto Me, and drink.

38 He that believeth on Me, as the Scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of Living Water.

39 (But this spake He of the Spirit, which they that believe on Him should receive: for the Holy Ghost was not yet given; because that Jesus was not yet glorified.) John 7

Let me put it to you how God told me.

"Except a MAN be born again, he cannot enter into the kingdom of heaven".
And then He said emphatically, "BABIES are NOT, MEN!!!"

God already took me down this road, and I don't need a second tongue lashing to get the revelation all over again. I got it the first time.
You now have two witnesses, stating, children go to heaven when they die at a young age.
Romans chapter 7:9 and the above verse.
Look up the definitions to the original language. Children are not held accountable for their actions until they are of age.
They have to first die spiritually like Adam did, and that doesn't happen when they are conceived, but when they come to adulthood.
As for the exact age of when that is, I don't know. I think it varies per person.
When the children of Israel sinned against God, and He made them wander in the wilderness, whose carcasses fell in the desert, both the children and the adults, or just the adults of 20 and up?

What was the age for a man to go to war?

Exo 30:12 When thou takest the sum of the children of Israel after their number, then shall they give every man a ransom for his soul unto the LORD, when thou numberest them; that there be no plague among them, when thou numberest them.
Exo 30:13 This they shall give, every one that passeth among them that are numbered, half a shekel after the shekel of the sanctuary: (a shekel is twenty gerahs an half shekel shall be the offering of the LORD.
Exo 30:14 Every one that passeth among them that are numbered, from twenty years old and above, shall give an offering unto the LORD.

Num 1:3 From twenty years old and upward, all that are able to go forth to war in Israel: thou and Aaron shall number them by their armies.

Let me put it to you how God told me.

"Except a MAN be born again, he cannot enter into the kingdom of heaven".
And then He said emphatically, "BABIES are NOT, MEN!!!"

God already took me down this road, and I don't need a second tongue lashing to get the revelation all over again. I got it the first time.
You now have two witnesses, stating, children go to heaven when they die at a young age.
Romans chapter 7:9 and the above verse.
Look up the definitions to the original language. Children are not held accountable for their actions until they are of age.
They have to first die spiritually like Adam did, and that doesn't happen when they are conceived, but when they come to adulthood.
As for the exact age of when that is, I don't know. I think it varies per person.
When the children of Israel sinned against God, and He made them wander in the wilderness, whose carcasses fell in the desert, both the children and the adults, or just the adults of 20 and up?

What was the age for a man to go to war?

Exo 30:12 When thou takest the sum of the children of Israel after their number, then shall they give every man a ransom for his soul unto the LORD, when thou numberest them; that there be no plague among them, when thou numberest them.
Exo 30:13 This they shall give, every one that passeth among them that are numbered, half a shekel after the shekel of the sanctuary: (a shekel is twenty gerahs an half shekel shall be the offering of the LORD.
Exo 30:14 Every one that passeth among them that are numbered, from twenty years old and above, shall give an offering unto the LORD.

Num 1:3 From twenty years old and upward, all that are able to go forth to war in Israel: thou and Aaron shall number them by their armies.

Let me put it to you how God told me.

"Except a MAN be born again, he cannot enter into the kingdom of heaven".
And then He said emphatically, "BABIES are NOT, MEN!!!"

God already took me down this road, and I don't need a second tongue lashing to get the revelation all over again. I got it the first time.
You now have two witnesses, stating, children go to heaven when they die at a young age.
Romans chapter 7:9 and the above verse.
Look up the definitions to the original language. Children are not held accountable for their actions until they are of age.
They have to first die spiritually like Adam did, and that doesn't happen when they are conceived, but when they come to adulthood.
As for the exact age of when that is, I don't know. I think it varies per person.
When the children of Israel sinned against God, and He made them wander in the wilderness, whose carcasses fell in the desert, both the children and the adults, or just the adults of 20 and up?

What was the age for a man to go to war?

Exo 30:12 When thou takest the sum of the children of Israel after their number, then shall they give every man a ransom for his soul unto the LORD, when thou numberest them; that there be no plague among them, when thou numberest them.
Exo 30:13 This they shall give, every one that passeth among them that are numbered, half a shekel after the shekel of the sanctuary: (a shekel is twenty gerahs an half shekel shall be the offering of the LORD.
Exo 30:14 Every one that passeth among them that are numbered, from twenty years old and above, shall give an offering unto the LORD.

Num 1:3 From twenty years old and upward, all that are able to go forth to war in Israel: thou and Aaron shall number them by their armies.

All children, in their youth, when they die have been born again and will go to heaven because the scriptures say that the wicked do not die in their youth but grow to be old. There are are no requirements, such as, accepting believing, repenting in order to be born again. Eph 2

All children who die in their youth will be born again before they die because the scriptures say that the wicked do not die in their youth, but grow to be old.

Are you sure about what I made red above?

Are you sure babies are saved?

In the end, it could be said it is an argument of semantics and we'll find out when we are at the seat of judgment.

I am happy for you, that you have it all figured out. I don't see babies overcoming anything. Rev. 2:7 "He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches; To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the tree of life, which is in the midst of the paradise of God."

You believe we have to work to stay saved?

And you think you're talking now to one of those "many" in your take on things? Because it is odd you thumbs up such a dire prediction for those "many" you refer to.

As an aside, I pity anyone who thinks babies can go to Hell. It isn't scripture, it's something else that leads one to think that.

Hebrews 9:27
And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment:

Sorry, no nap time after the body drops.

Luke 20:37-38
But even Moses showed in the burning bush passage that the dead are raised, when he called the Lord ‘the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.’ 38For He is not the God of the dead but of the living, for all live to Him.”

God of the living!

2 Peter 2:4
For if God did not spare the angels who sinned, but cast them down to hell and delivered them into chains of darkness, to be reserved for judgment;

Where are they now?

Are you sure babies are saved?
I believe only those set on evil will eventually be destroyed with the fallen angels. That is the kindest outcome for anyone wallowing in evil. When God gets done with all He is doing, evil will be purged! View attachment 207885

Yes, I am certain, not only because God told me personally, but because it is scripturally sound.
Years ago, I too thought every person had to be born again.
While watching a tv preacher talk about his experience of going to heaven, I heard a very loud voice screaming at me.
When the preacher said he saw many oriental children there in heaven, at that moment, I judged him a liar and said within my heart, not out loud, "that's not true, he's lying, for the bible says, 'except a PERSON be born again, he cannot enter into the kingdom of heaven".
That was my understanding of the scripture 3 decades ago.
And immediately, I heard someone behind me, yelling as loud as they could.
For years I asked God why I couldn't remember what He said while yelling at me, and about 20 some years later, he told me why.
He said, "Because you didn't understand the language I was speaking."
Anyway, after that, He spoke VERY clearly, in English this time, still with anger in His voice, He said, "My word say, 'Except a MAN be born again, he cannot enter into the kingdom of heaven.", and He stressed or emphasized the word, Man, while quoting that scripture to me.
Then, in a scolding tone He said, "BABIES are NOT, MEN!!!"
Those are the exact words He said to me, stressing the words, babies, not, and men.

And yes, children are indeed born in sin, but where there is no understanding of the law, sin is not imputed to them.

Rom 5:13 (For until the law sin was in the world: but sin is not imputed when there is no law.

Rom 7:7 What shall we say then? Is the law sin? God forbid. Nay, I had not known sin, but by the law: for I had not known lust, except the law had said, Thou shalt not covet.
Rom 7:8 But sin, taking occasion by the commandment, wrought in me all manner of concupiscence. For without the law sin was dead.
Rom 7:9 For I was alive without the law once: but when the commandment came, sin revived, and I died.
Rom 7:10 And the commandment, which was ordained to life, I found to be unto death.
Rom 7:11 For sin, taking occasion by the commandment, deceived me, and by it slew me.
Rom 7:12 Wherefore the law is holy, and the commandment holy, and just, and good.
Rom 7:13 Was then that which is good made death unto me? God forbid. But sin, that it might appear sin, working death in me by that which is good; that sin by the commandment might become exceeding sinful.

And what did Jesus compare the kingdom of heaven to?

Mat 19:14 But Jesus said, Suffer little children, and forbid them not, to come unto me: for of such is the kingdom of heaven.

Mat 18:1 At the same time came the disciples unto Jesus, saying, Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?
Mat 18:2 And Jesus called a little child unto him, and set him in the midst of them, heaven.
Mat 18:3 And said, Verily I say unto you, Except ye be converted, and become as little children, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven.
Mat 18:4 Whosoever therefore shall humble himself as this little child, the same is greatest in the kingdom of heaven.
Mat 18:5 And whoso shall receive one such little child in my name receiveth me.
Mat 18:6 But whoso shall offend one of these little ones which believe in me, it were better for him that a millstone were hanged about his neck, and that he were drowned in the depth of the sea.

Jesus would not use children to describe what we need to become, or to be like, to enter in the kingdom of heaven, if they were of the devil, true?
And Jesus said the same about little child as He said about the believers in Christ or Christians.

Mat 25:40 And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me.

Mat 10:40 He that receiveth you receiveth me, and he that receiveth me receiveth him that sent me.
Mat 10:41 He that receiveth a prophet in the name of a prophet shall receive a prophet's reward; and he that receiveth a righteous man in the name of a righteous man shall receive a righteous man's reward.
Mat 10:42 And whosoever shall give to drink unto one of these little ones a cup of cold water only in the name of a disciple, verily I say unto you, he shall in no wise lose his reward.

Eph 2 tells us that before we were born again that we were dead, spiritually, in sins, so there were no requirements of any actions on our part to be born again, such as, repent, believe, accept, have faith, let Jesus come into our hearts, etc.