Okay, so the title of our talk is Who Can Be Saved, Christ, the One Savior, and Non-Christians.

So on Good Friday, the church prays a series of petitions for those both inside and outside the church.

The intercessions formulated for the conversion of non-Christians and for atheists provide a fruitful opening for our discussion this evening.

The petition for non-Christians includes a prayer, and you have this on your handout, the two prayers I'm about to point to.

The petition for non-Christians includes a prayer that those who do not believe in Christ will be enlightened by the Holy Spirit in order

to enter on the way of salvation. We pray that by walking before God with a sincere heart,

they may find the truth. The church prays for the atheists or agnostic that following what is

right and sincerity of heart, they may find the way

to God himself. The prayer continues, Almighty ever-living God, who created all people to seek you

always by desiring you and by finding you come to rest. Grant, we pray, that despite every harmful obstacle,

all may recognize the signs of your fatherly love

and the witness of the good works done by those who believe in you.

And so in gladness, confess you the one true God and father of our human race.

The church has an ancient axiom, lexorandi, lex credendi, which means roughly the law of prayer

is the law of belief.

As we pray, so we believe.

In the light of this axiom, these intercessions are very instructive concerning the church's understanding of the hope

of non-Christians for salvation in Christ.

What precisely does the church pray for in these prayers?

These intercessions demonstrate the great hope of the church, which is the will of her savior

that all may be saved.

At the same time, both of these prayers are a bit reserved.

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