Rather than fall into the legalism of trying to write out a wordy and white knuckled treatise to garner doctrinal agreement, this will be two examples from Scripture to show Our Savior does offer opportunistic means as a path to Salvation.
Even though distantly related to Abraham through Lot, David's Moabite Great Grandmother Ruth was far from being a pedigreed forebearer of Christ's Eternal Throne named after David. The Moabites worshipped Pagan entities of Chemosh and Baal, and with their Cousin Ammonites, were the bitter enemies of Israel from the first entry into the Promised Land. Corrupt and cursed Prophet Balaam plotted the sin and downfall of thousands of Israelite Men as he was paid by King Balak to do so.
The text has no indication of any Divine Appointment for Naomi and her husbsnd to emigrate to Moab. And certainly not for Ruth to decide to follow Naomi back to her home Bethlehem. In fact, Naomi repeatedly argued with Ruth she should not in principle follow her, stating that "The Almighty has dealt very bitterly with me" for the loss of her husband and both sons.
Every indication was that Ruth was an opportunist, even to catch her new husband Boaz by seducing him when "uncovering his feet." Yet, no person will deny she achieved saving faith.
A second example of opportunism is in the Syrophoenician Greek Woman of Mark ch. 6. Jesus was fatigued and in need of rest, leaving Galilee to escape in Gentile Tyre. Yet He could not hide, and when the Greek Woman "heard of him," she immediately came to beg Him at His feet. She had no previous plan to go find Jesus. Jesus first ignored her, but she being a true opportunist argued for "crumbs" from Him to deliver her daughter. She was far from submissive after any sort of theorized spiritual rebirth unto faith and obedience to a Lord.
She leveraged Jesus to change His mind about exclusively coming to His "Jewish Children," even as she was right there in front of Him and was being told to go away. With her adamant faith, she still was an unrepentant Pagan opportunist bringing her own plan to which Jesus showed Mercy.
Salvation through Christ shall not be scripted, sequenced, or confined to any sort of Systematic Doctrine.
Even though distantly related to Abraham through Lot, David's Moabite Great Grandmother Ruth was far from being a pedigreed forebearer of Christ's Eternal Throne named after David. The Moabites worshipped Pagan entities of Chemosh and Baal, and with their Cousin Ammonites, were the bitter enemies of Israel from the first entry into the Promised Land. Corrupt and cursed Prophet Balaam plotted the sin and downfall of thousands of Israelite Men as he was paid by King Balak to do so.
The text has no indication of any Divine Appointment for Naomi and her husbsnd to emigrate to Moab. And certainly not for Ruth to decide to follow Naomi back to her home Bethlehem. In fact, Naomi repeatedly argued with Ruth she should not in principle follow her, stating that "The Almighty has dealt very bitterly with me" for the loss of her husband and both sons.
Every indication was that Ruth was an opportunist, even to catch her new husband Boaz by seducing him when "uncovering his feet." Yet, no person will deny she achieved saving faith.
A second example of opportunism is in the Syrophoenician Greek Woman of Mark ch. 6. Jesus was fatigued and in need of rest, leaving Galilee to escape in Gentile Tyre. Yet He could not hide, and when the Greek Woman "heard of him," she immediately came to beg Him at His feet. She had no previous plan to go find Jesus. Jesus first ignored her, but she being a true opportunist argued for "crumbs" from Him to deliver her daughter. She was far from submissive after any sort of theorized spiritual rebirth unto faith and obedience to a Lord.
She leveraged Jesus to change His mind about exclusively coming to His "Jewish Children," even as she was right there in front of Him and was being told to go away. With her adamant faith, she still was an unrepentant Pagan opportunist bringing her own plan to which Jesus showed Mercy.
Salvation through Christ shall not be scripted, sequenced, or confined to any sort of Systematic Doctrine.
