Hay una tendencia común entre las personas a hacer juicios negativos sobre otras personas. En las escuelas secundarias, esta tendencia se muestra en las camarillas. Unos pocos chicos populares se meten en un grupo, y poco a poco empiezan a pensar que son mejores que otros porque les gustan más. Los niños que no están "en" pueden convertirse en objetos de lástima, o de desprecio, o incluso de bromas crueles. De una forma u otra la camarilla juzga sutilmente a los demás como una clase inferior de seres humanos.

La misma tendencia a despreciar a los demás se muestra en varias religiones. Algunos grupos religiosos se vuelven tan egocéntricos que creen que nadie de una fe diferente puede ir al cielo. Cuando se lleva a un extremo, este tipo de actitud es mucho más cruel que las camarillas de adolescentes esnobservadores.

Las enseñanzas de la Biblia son un gran contraste con esto. Para empezar, la Palabra de Dios nos dice que no debemos etiquetar a la gente como "salvada" o "pecadora". Jesús dijo,

"No juzgues, para que no seas condenado. ¿Por qué miras la paja en el ojo de tu hermano, pero no consideras la viga en tu propio ojo?" (Mateo 7:1, 3)

El discípulo James lo dijo de esta manera: "Hay un Legislador, que es capaz de salvar y destruir. ¿Quién eres tú para juzgar a otro?" (Santiago 4:1)

Cuando el Señor estaba en la tierra, una actitud de juicio prevalecía entre los líderes de la iglesia. Muchos pensaron que cuando el Mesías viniera, salvaría a los judíos, y no a otros. Cuando Jesús vino, lo condenaron por asociarse con no judíos y judíos por igual.

Jesús desalentó este tipo de actitud. Una vez habló con algunas personas que "confiaban en sí mismas" que se salvaron y otras no. Les pidió que consideraran dos oraciones: "Dios, te agradezco que no soy como los demás hombres", y "Dios, ten misericordia de mí, un pecador". Jesús alabó al hombre que se creía pecador. (Lucas 18:9-14)

Es mejor pensar que eres un pecador que pensar que estás salvado.

Tal vez recuerde también la parábola del buen samaritano, que se detuvo a ayudar al hombre herido al borde del camino. A pesar de que este samaritano era de la fe "equivocada" (desde el punto de vista judío), Jesús dijo que el samaritano debía ser amado como un prójimo, porque era un buen hombre. De hecho, dijo que una persona que quiere la vida eterna debería ser como este samaritano (Lucas 10:29-37), aunque el samaritano no era ni cristiano ni judío. Jesús vio - y ve - lo que hay en el corazón de una persona, no sólo la iglesia a la que uno pertenece.

La Biblia dice claramente que es la forma en que una persona vive, no sólo lo que cree, lo que determina si va al cielo o no. Jesús dijo: "No todo el que me diga: 'Señor, Señor', entrará en el reino de los cielos, sino el que haga la voluntad de mi Padre que está en los cielos". (Mateo 7:21)

De nuevo, "recompensará a cada uno según sus obras". (Mateo 16:27)

"Los que han hecho el bien", dice, "irán a la resurrección de la vida, y los que han hecho el mal, a la resurrección de la condenación". (Juan 5:29)

Dado que la vida de una persona, no sólo su fe, determina su suerte eterna, Jesús predijo que muchos cristianos no se salvarían, porque habían vivido una vida malvada.

"Muchos me dirán en ese día: 'Señor, Señor, ¿no hemos profetizado en tu nombre, expulsado demonios en tu nombre y hecho muchas maravillas en tu nombre?' Y entonces les declararé: "Nunca os conocí: apartaos de mí, los que practicáis la ilegalidad". (Mateo 27:22-23, Lucas 13:25-27)

Una razón por la que un no cristiano puede ser salvado, es que puede amar a su prójimo. Quien ama genuinamente a su prójimo también ama a Cristo, aunque no se dé cuenta. Jesús dijo: "En la medida en que has atendido a uno de los más pequeños de estos mis hermanos, me lo has hecho a mí". (Mateo 25:40)

La fe en Jesús, sin amor al prójimo no tiene sentido.

"Aunque tengo toda la fe, para poder remover montañas, pero no tengo amor, no soy nada." (1 Corintios 13:2)

El amor genuino, por otra parte, es un signo de que una persona conoce al Señor en su corazón, independientemente de la religión que profesa en el exterior.

"El amor lo cree todo". (1 Corintios 13:7)

"El que hace el bien es de Dios, pero el que hace el mal no ha visto a Dios". (3 Juan 1:11)

"Amémonos los unos a los otros, porque el amor es de Dios, y todo aquel que ama nace de Dios y conoce a Dios. Dios es amor, y el que permanece en el amor, permanece en Dios, y Dios en él". (1 Juan 4:7-11)

Resumen:

Algunas iglesias cristianas enseñan esto: Sólo los cristianos se salvan.

Lo que la Biblia realmente dice (y lo que la Nueva Iglesia Cristiana enseña): Gente buena de todas las religiones se salvan.

Algunas referencias de las enseñanzas de la Nueva Iglesia Cristiana: Sobre el Cielo y el Infierno 318-328, La Divina Providencia 326

Usado con el permiso de John Odhner, el autor de este sitio muy útil: http://whatthebiblesays.info/Introduction.html

6377. 'He washes his clothing in wine' means that His Natural consists in Divine Truth from His Divine Good. This is clear from the meaning of 'washing' as purifying, dealt with in 3147; from the meaning of 'wine' as the good of love towards the neighbour and the good of faith, and in the highest sense as Divine Truth from the Lord's Divine Good, dealt with below; and from the meaning of 'clothing' as the exterior which covers the interior, dealt with in 5248, thus the natural since this is exterior and covers the rational, which is interior. Therefore 'clothing' also means truth since this is exterior and covers good, which is interior, 2576, 4545, 4763, 5319, 5954.

[2] The fact that 'wine' means love towards the neighbour and the good of faith may be recognized from what has been shown regarding the bread and wine in the Holy Supper, in 2165, 2177, 3464, 4581, 5915. These paragraphs show that 'bread' is the good of celestial love, and that 'wine' is the good of spiritual love. The same may also be recognized from the minchah and the drink-offering in sacrifices. The minchah in them meant the good of love, and the drink-offering the good of faith. The minchah consisted of the kinds of things that meant the good of love, while the drink-offering consisted of wine that meant the good of faith. The sacrifices themselves were also called 'bread', 2165. For the use in sacrifices of a drink-offering consisting of wine, see Exodus 29:40; Leviticus 23:12-13, 18-19; Numbers 15:2-15; 28:6-7, 18-end; 29:1-7 and following verses.

[3] The meaning that 'wine' has of love towards the neighbour and the good of faith is also evident in Isaiah,

Everyone who thirsts, come to the waters; and he who has no money, come, buy and eat! And come, buy wine and milk without money and without price. Isaiah 55:1.

No one can fail to see that they did not have to buy wine and milk, but that they were to acquire what is meant by 'wine and milk', which is love towards the neighbour and faith. These gifts come from the Lord 'without money and without price'.

[4] In Hosea,

Threshing-floor and winepress will not feed them, and new wine will be deceptive to her. ¹ Ephraim will return to Egypt, and in Assyria they will eat what is unclean. They will not pour libations of wine to Jehovah, their sacrifices will not be pleasing to Him. Hosea 9:1-4.

Here also in the internal sense reference is made to the good of love and the good of faith, to the demise of them. The good of love is meant by 'threshing-floor' by virtue of the grain there and the bread made from it, while the good of faith is meant by 'winepress', 'new wine', and 'libation of wine'. 'Ephraim will return to Egypt' stands for the fact that the understanding would resort to factual knowledge for advice concerning the arcana of faith; 'in Assyria they will eat what is unclean' stands for that which is the outcome of consequent false reasoning - 'Ephraim' being the area of understanding in the Church, see 5754, 6112, 6238, 6267; 'Egypt' the area of factual knowledge, 1164, 1165, 1186, 1462, 5702; and 'Assyria' that of reasoning, 1186. The line of thought in this passage also shows that the words used here contain something more than what one sees in the letter. For everything hangs together in the internal sense, but not so in the external sense, for example when it says that 'threshing-floor and winepress will not feed them, and new wine will be deceptive to her', immediately followed by 'Ephraim will return to Egypt, and in Assyria they will eat what is unclean'. Moreover, without the internal sense what meaning would Ephraim's return to Egypt and their eating in Assyria what is unclean have?

[5] 'Winepress' and 'wine' are also used in Jeremiah to describe the demise of mutual love and the good of faith,

He who lays waste has fallen on your vintage, therefore joy and gladness have been plucked from Carmel, and from the land of Moab, for I have made the wine cease from the winepresses; none will tread the headed. ² Jeremiah 48:32-33.

[6] The fact that 'wine' means the good of mutual love and of faith is also evident in John,

I heard a voice from the midst of the four living creatures, saying, Do no harm to oil and wine. Revelation 6:6.

[7] 'Oil' stands for the good of celestial love, and 'wine' for the good of spiritual love.

'Oil' and 'wine' have a similar meaning in the Lord's parable of the Good Samaritan in Luke,

A certain Samaritan was journeying, and seeing him who had been wounded by the robbers was moved with compassion for him; going therefore to him, he bandaged his wounds, and poured on oil and wine. Luke 10:33-34.

'He poured on oil and wine' means that he performed the works of love and charity, 'oil' being the good of love, see 886, 3728. A like meaning was involved in the practice of the ancients, who poured oil and wine onto a pillar when they consecrated it, Genesis 35:14, 4581, 4582.

[8] The fact that 'wine' means the good of love and faith is evident from the words the Lord used when He instituted the Holy Supper. He said then regarding the wine,

I tell you that I shall not drink from now on of this fruit of the vine until that day when I drink it new with you in My Father's kingdom. Matthew 26:29; Luke 22:17-18.

Anyone can see that He was not about to drink wine in that kingdom, but that the good of love and faith is meant, which He was about to impart to those who belonged to His kingdom. Much the same is meant by 'wine' in Isaiah 24:9, 11; Lamentations 2:11-12; Hosea 14:7; Amos 9:13-14; Zechariah 9:15-16; Luke 5:37-39.

[9] Since 'wine' means the good of love and faith, Divine Truth from the Lord's Divine Good is therefore meant in the highest sense, for that Truth, when it flows into a person and is accepted by him, brings him the good of love and faith.

[10] Since most things in the Word also have a contrary meaning, so too does 'wine', the contrary meaning of which is falsity from evil, as in Isaiah,

Woe to those who rise in the morning around dawn, and then follow strong drink, who continue into dusk, so that wine may inflame them! Woe to heroes at drinking wine, and to valiant men in mixing strong drink! Isaiah 5:11, 22

In the same prophet,

Also these err through wine, and go astray through strong drink. The priest and the prophet err through strong drink. They are swallowed up by wine, they go astray through strong drink. They err among the seers, they are tottery in judgement. Isaiah 28:7.

In the same prophet,

The shepherds know no understanding, they all look to their own way. Come, I will get wine, and we will be drunken from strong drink; and let there be tomorrow, as there is this day, great abundance. Isaiah 56:11-12.

In addition to these places 'wine' is used with the contrary meaning in Jeremiah 13:12; Hosea 4:11; 7:5; Amos 2:8; Micah 2:11; Psalms 75:8; Deuteronomy 32:33.

Falsity from evil is also meant by the cup of the wine of wrath in Jeremiah 25:15-16; Revelation 14:8, 10; 16:19; the winepress of the wrath of God's anger, Revelation 19:15; and the wine of whoredom, Revelation 17:2; 18:3.

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