I am going to try and articulate my question. First let me say, that I understand I am a sinner, have a sin nature and need a redeemer. I don’t DESERVE anything, but thru grace and faith and the work of Jeshua on the cross I am saved.
Here goes my analytical mind: I didn’t chose to be born. Since I didn’t chose to be born I didn’t chose to be a sinner. I have an invisible (to me) enemy that wants to see me in hell. I also didn’t chose my body/mind/ brokenness. Some I’ve known seem to be a lot more hard headed than me, etc. Which seems to lead them into the trap of not wanting/believing they need a savior. So they go to hell. That seems like a HUGE penalty for something one didn’t chose in the first place.
When I think about this it makes me very fearful that I could have missed it. But for the grace of God go I. I can almost hear your answer, the one I could come up with. My problem with that is it is hard for me to believe that everyone regardless of their issues got/gets at least one chance. My mind replies: what if? Maybe the answer is: It just is.
I agree. It’s hard to imagine how everyone could have received at least one chance to be saved. But if you believe that God is just and that He doesn’t want for any of us to perish but for everyone to come to repentance (2 Peter 3:9) then you have to have to believe He gives everyone a chance to do that. Otherwise, verses like John 3:16 can’t be true.
It’s true that we didn’t ask to be born or to have a sin nature, but that’s irrelevant. He’s the Potter, we’re just the clay. I believe we were created by God for one purpose, and that’s to bring glory to Him. Our first step in accomplishing that is to decide whether to let His death pay for our sins or not. We can’t very well do that if we never get the chance.
As for the people who reject it, if they never got the chance to make an informed decision, you’d have a valid point. But remember, God doesn’t want them to perish, He sent His Son to die so they wouldn’t have to. Romans 10:13 says that everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved. If they reject that, there’s really nothing more He can do.