Most intriguing. In Acts 10:35, speaking to Cornelius and his household, Peter has had to get a direct vision from God to make him preach to Gentiles, but under pressure from Somebody Much Bigger Than He, he does it. He hears Cornelius say that a messenger from God told him to send for Peter. Suddenly it all clicks in Peter's head.

ἐν παντὶ ἔθνει ὁ φοβούμενος αὐτὸν καὶ ἐργαζόμενος δικαιοσύνην δεκτὸς αὐτῷ ἐστιν

In every people group, those who fear him and do righteous works are acceptable to him.

There's the famous story of the man in [insert your preferred country here] whose people worshiped a mountain. One guy thought, "I don't want to know the mountain. I want to know whatever made the mountain." That person is δεκτὸς, "acceptable," even "pleasant" to God. The Bible, both testaments, use this word in reference to things done for the Lord. In the Old Testament, it referred to the sacrifices that God accepted as valid before Him. In the New Testament, Paul used it to describe his ministry to the Gentiles (Phil 4:20).

So anyone who seeks God, whether they've heard the gospel of Jesus or not, is "pleasant" in God's sight. ANYONE. Salvation is by grace, to anyone who wants it, whether they fully know what they're doing or not.

God accepts and is pleased by anyone who seeks Him, and said anybody who comes to Him won't be turned away.

So: how many LGBTQ people do you have in your church? Do you consider them δεκτὸς like Jesus does?

So anyone who seeks God, whether they've heard the gospel of Jesus or not, is "pleasant" in God's sight. ANYONE. Salvation is by grace, to anyone who wants it, whether they fully know what they're doing or not.

Would that include people of non-Christian beliefs?

Would the man who worshiped the mountain be considered to be seeking God?

So anyone who seeks God, whether they've heard the gospel of Jesus or not, is "pleasant" in God's sight. ANYONE. Salvation is by grace, to anyone who wants it, whether they fully know what they're doing or not.Whatever your passage means, it cannot be contrary to the rest of scripture. So when Jesus says, "I told you that you would die in your sins; if you do not believe that I am he, you will indeed die in your sins," that has to be taken into account with your passage. Might add that Cornelius and his household find favor in God's sight in the same fashion that every other convert in the Book of Acts did, and that was by being allowed to hear and respond to the good news of Jesus.

I can add that your passage must also be in harmony with Acts 4 where we read, "This Jesusa (https://biblehub.com/esv/acts/4.htm#footnotes) is the stone that was rejected by you, the builders, which has become the cornerstone.b (https://biblehub.com/esv/acts/4.htm#footnotes) 12 (http://biblehub.com/acts/4-12.htm)And there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among menc (https://biblehub.com/esv/acts/4.htm#footnotes) by which we must be saved.”

In your view, how does repentance factor in to the act of salvation?

Athos,
I'm afraid going down that hole would take us too far afield of my original question. Sounds like a separate topic to me :)

jlisenbe,
Note that I said anyone who "seeks God." That should answer your question.

Athos,
I'm afraid going down that hole would take us too far afield of my original question. Sounds like a separate topic to me :)

Ok, to answer your question, Yes, I would definitely consider them pleasant to God.


jlisenbe,
Note that I said anyone who "seeks God." That should answer your question.

Good answer.

I will post my question as a separate topic in 'religious discussions'. I hope you will give us the fruit of your wisdom. (no pressure - smile)