Are there Provisions for the Salvation of the Mentally Incompetent,
if so, is Belief in Jesus Necessary?
By Pastor George D. Cutler
Orthodox Christendom mostly avers that for anyone to be saved, such one must “accept Jesus as ones Savior,” which forms their conception of the act of their salvation. From this assertion has arisen certain inquiries, i.e., how can someone void of the capacity (through no doings of oneself) to disseminate the truth of the gospel “make a decision to accept Jesus and get saved?” More specifically, how or can the mentally infirmed be saved? Also if this is not possible, how can God be just if He condemned those not responsible because of the incapacitations of their minds? Because most ministries do not possess proper comprehension of the Eternal Doctrines of Salvation, they are ill-prepared to scripturally respond to these types of questions. Hence, gross inconsistencies that are ingrained in the doctrines embraced by them mostly obscure and only induce other questions without adequately explicating this conflictual observation.
Inevitably it is impossible to validate that which legitimately exposes objections to the propagation of unscriptural specificities of salvation in Jesus Christ. In these matters, various questions need to be consistently addressed, which require their absolute scriptural analyzation in lieu of the traditional assumptions foisted. The first and most basic truths that must be asserted are both the Holiness and Sovereignty of God. God is Holy and sovereign, which translate into the fact that He had and has the perfect right to do with His creation, as it has pleased Him to do. God can not and does not sit before the judgment bar of human reasoning or sense of what is right and wrong. Instead, informed cogitation must be attuned to what is scripturally clear: “high praise (to) the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, having blessed us in every spiritual blessing in the Heavenlies, in Christ; according as He did choose us in Him before the creation of the world, for our being holy and unblemished before Him; in love, having foreordained us to the adoption of sons through Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will.”
Psalm 135:6 complements this eulogy statement: “The LORD has done whatever pleased Him, in the Heavens and on the Earth..." The basic error in attempting to address these types of questions is depicted in stating that God somehow “owes everyone an equal chance at salvation.” This error is so orthodox that many have unquestionably accepted it as factual. It is absolutely ridiculous to construe that God “owes” either His creation or creatures anything …… the least of such being salvation, which is strictly the results of His grace ……hence, grace is never “owed." God is nor ever has been obligated to save anything nor anyone and could have justly allowed ALL to eternally reside in ruin under His judgment and wrath. He did not have to implement His mercy, grace and love but He did in bestowing salvation upon His elect.
The most important thing that should be comprehended is that God did not have to provide salvation for anyone in order to certify His justice! Given this premise, the chief indicium in such questions is based on the false assumption that God owes everyone a “chance to either accept or reject salvation.” This is basically what induces questions concerning those who are Mentally Incompetent, thus lacking the capacity to rationally respond through “hearing the gospel.” Hence, these are the constant irrelevant issues raised, i.e., would God possibly condemn someone who might have heard; yet is not mentally capacitated to rationally discern the Gospel? The Scriptural answer is Yes …… He can, has and does because neither salvation nor judgment was or is determined on the basis of whether such one has or has not heard the Gospel nor anything else evidenced in the various circumstances of Grace Recipients in the sphere of Time.
Sin is the exclusive criterion indicium; for all have sinned and were condemned regardless of whether having heard or not heard. Only God’s grace and mercy made possible the proclamation of the Good News of Jesus Christ. Hence, the Gospel’s implant is relegated to manifestation or testimony of God’s Grace and revelations that document His mercy to some but not to all. If His Sovereignty is truly comprehended, how can any complain about His selective apportionments of God’s mercy to some but not to all? (Romans 9:15). “Finding faulting” infringes on God’s prerogative to pardon those escaping eternal damnation. Is it therefore proper to challenge Him saying "He pardoned some so He is unfair because He did not pardon all who were condemned?” Of course not, since God was nor is under any compulsion to pardon those that He did (Romans 9:15). In this sense, God was nor is under any allurement to save nor condemn other than as such has pleased and does please Him.
What must be scripturally comprehended is that none of what one has or has not, does or does not, is or is not, offers or withholds is relevant in the purest sense of God’s Sovereign Grace. The bottom line is: everyone received either justice or mercy but none receive injustice. The aforementioned questions assume a dialog of bargaining or negotiating, which indeed would engender the ability or capacity of both parties in concomitantly contributing to formulating the transaction. In this view, each of those participating is required to communicate some input, thus the issue “of accountability” would definitely be the determinative factor. John 6:44 corroboratively states, “…no one is able to come unto Me, if the Father who sent me may not draw, having not drawn him.” This confirms the fact that ability and capability were non-factors in the determination of those who received salvation. These types of questions will continue to plague doctrines that champion the premise of human rationale functioning as a viable consideration in the salvations process. The bottom line is: NONE are capacitated to make a conscious decision “to accept Christ” so ones frame of mind does not ultimately determine salvation. Hence, Mentally Incompetent is irrelevant in contemplating who God’s elect are!