Dear Lurker you posted the following by an athiest:
I am completely confused as to why christians believe that Jesus died for them & their sins.
What is it exactly that I'm supposed to gain by Jesus dying? And what about the people who lived before Jesus' time?
I would tell that person that the gain is the elimination of one's 'pride' and 'ego', because by accepting that Jesus died for them, a person has to accept that they are sinners in need of redemption. It is that acceptance of oneself as being a sinner in need of redemption that differentiates Christianity from all other religions, and it is that acceptance that opens one's heart to our Lord's Grace.
As for the people that lived before Jesus' time, one can only assume that God sent His Son, (the Word of God) at the fullness of time. In other words, at a time when people were prepared to receive Him within their hearts.
Will those that lived before Jesus came be able to grow spiritually, we do not know. We do know from the Fathers, that we who have accepted His Grace will continuously grow in perfection within the afterlife.
We also know that our God is a God of Love, and He will not deny Himself to anyone that wants to be with Him. But humanity has been given a free will, and so it will always be a person's choice.
Zenovia