Helium
Old Mossy Horns
Isn't that pretty well settled at Baptism as well as the creed/prayer statement of beliefs? Its about the redemption, not everlasting life...
Everlasting life taken alone isn't the gift your initial premise seems to assume. Oddly enough, I remember a high school or Middle School class about Greek Mythology, and there was a character that said "The God's punished me with immortality." Eternity in Hell isn't exactly a gift, is it?
IE Apostles Creed, which is accepted by MANY different Western Christian traditions from Catholics to Anglicans to Presbyterians to Reformed Churches to Lutherans:
..."
conceived by the Holy Spirit,
born of the Virgin Mary,
suffered under Pontius Pilate,
was crucified, died, and was buried;
he descended to the dead.
On the third day he rose again;
he ascended into heaven,
he is seated at the right hand of the Father,
and he will come again to judge the living and the dead..."
Or the "traditional version" of the same creed:
"
conceived by the Holy Spirit,
born of the Virgin Mary,
suffered under Pontius Pilate,
was crucified, died and was buried;
he descended into hell;
on the third day he rose again from the dead;
he ascended into heaven,
and is seated at the right hand of God the Father almighty;
from there he will come to judge the living and the dead. "
Southern Baptist Convention:
"…He honored the divine law by His personal obedience, and in His substitutionary death on the cross, He made provision for the redemption of men from sin. "
For a more "Local" branch of Christianity, the Free WIll Baptists:
"He is the One once crucified for man’s sin, the now risen and glorified Savior and Lord who mediates between God and man and who gives us access to the Father through His intercession. "
Redeemed to live eternally with God.
Unredeemed is eternal fire