I was interested mostly in your opinion-- how you think about this question, but you could also answer at length if you like sometime when you have time. I'm interested in both.

Wherever there is an impulse of love and sympathy, wherever the heart reaches out to bless and uplift others, there is revealed the working of God’s Holy Spirit. In the depths of heathenism, men who have had no knowledge of the written law of God, who have never even heard the name of Christ, have been kind to His servants, protecting them at the risk of their own lives. Their acts show the working of a divine power. The Holy Spirit has implanted the grace of Christ in the heart of the savage, quickening his sympathies contrary to his nature, contrary to his education. The “Light which lighteth every man that cometh into the world” (John 1:9), is shining in his soul; and this light, if heeded, will guide his feet to the kingdom of God. [COL 385]

Why not simply quote or cite the Bible verses in Acts or wherever that show that the gospel was proclaimed in the way you've described?

I have no problem with Jack Sequeira's understanding. I agree with him on that point.

I am merely asking for evidence that the gospel was preached in the early church to the effect that people have already been justified and saved before they were born. Maybe there is no evidence of that. Can the evidence for this be found in the preaching of Peter or Paul or Silas, etc.?

Those are all good, and I agree with them.

Again, I am asking for clear Bible evidence that in the NT, and specifically, in the book of Acts, the gospel is proclaimed in a way that teaches all humanity has been justified and saved before people were born.

This is important because it goes to the issue of how God wants us to proclaim the gospel. Should we pattern our proclamation after the NT, or should we invent a new paradigm for preaching the Good News? In other words, does God want us to tell people, "You are already justified and saved. All you need to do is accept that fact"?

Is that how you believe the church ought to preach and teach the Good News? Is that how you do it personally?

I'm more acquainted with Paul's writing, so I'll stick with his letters....

What does the law require of you, John?

1] You must obey me in every detail with no mistakes,

2] but if you fail to obey me, even in one point, you must die the 2nd death.

Now are you telling me that when you believed the above two requirements became true? If so, when did you obey the law perfectly and when did you die the 2nd death for your failure to do so?

Now we can get down to the real issues....

Rob

One of the great challenges that faces the Christian Church today is how can God justify the ungodly [Romans 4:5] and still maintain His integrity to His holy law which condemns sinners [Galatians 3:10]? Because no law will allow an innocent person to die for the crime of a guilty one many sincere people, especially Islamic scholars, accuse Christianity of being an unethical religion. Their main argument is that the doctrine of substitution, as taught by Christianity, is based on a faulty Roman law which allowed an innocent man, Christ, to die in place of the guilty human race. Hence they accuse the Christians religion of “legal fiction.”

It is true that even the law of God clearly prohibits an innocent man dying for the guilty — “the soul that sins, it must die” [Deuteronomy 24:16; Ezekiel 18:1-20 emphasis supplied]. What than is the Biblical solution to the problem of “legal fiction.” The answer is the in Christ motif or idea, the central theme of the apostle Paul’s theology.

I have never said this is what I believe, Rob.

I believe exactly what 1 John says-- the whole book-- including 1 John 1 and 2.

It seems to me that you prefer looking at the gospel from the legalistic viewpoint rather than from the viewpoint of the New Covenant.

Believers in Christ-- if they understand the gospel and have the Spirit in their lives-- are not trying to earn merit with God by their obedience to law.

"Our old self was crucified with Him, that our body of sin might be done away with...." [Rom 6:6]

When did your old life from Adam die in the humanity of Christ? Not when you believed, but some 2000 years ago! In fact not only did you die "in Christ", but the whole human race died in Him:

"One died for all, therefore all died!" [2 Cor 5:14]

Rob

I know what Jack Sequeira teaches. I would like you to tell me, if possible, what you believe personally and give answers based on your thinking, not on Jack's.

Romans 6: 6 is plainly talking about believers in Christ who have put their faith in Him. See verses immediately before and after v. 6. I see no evidence there that it is referring to the entire planet. I do agree, however, that Christ did give His life for all of humanity.

Our old self is crucified with Christ by faith when we acknowledge Christ and put our faith in His saving acts. I do not see how the verse can be made to signify that this crucifixion happened before I was born and that Hitler's old self was also equally crucified with Christ.