Yet when God signed me up for His program He communicated what the end result would be. By His grace through faith I eagerly accepted the denarius that was offered. Because others who didn't toil as long as I get the same denarius, shouldn't bother me, because I got what was promised to me. But sin still holds some sway in a believer's life and the temptation to be bothered by the gifts others get is strong.
Matt 20:1-16 is the reference, but the last 7 verses apply here:
9 “The workers who were hired about five in the afternoon came and each received a denarius. 10 So when those came who were hired first, they expected to receive more. But each one of them also received a denarius. 11 When they received it, they began to grumble against the landowner. 12 ‘These who were hired last worked only one hour,’ they said, ‘and you have made them equal to us who have borne the burden of the work and the heat of the day.’ 13 “But he answered one of them, ‘I am not being unfair to you, friend. Didn’t you agree to work for a denarius? 14 Take your pay and go. I want to give the one who was hired last the same as I gave you. 15 Don’t I have the right to do what I want with my own money? Or are you envious because I am generous?’ 16 “So the last will be first, and the first will be last.”
Works are excluded from salvation: Romans 9:15
You have spoken well. The generosity of the Master with those hired late in the day is directly on point. But, God is All Just, so he isn’t arbitrary in his generosity. Consider the teaching concerning the Prodigal Son. The Faithful Son said, what gives? I’ve been obedient all my days. And when did you have a party to celebrate that? What did the father say? Did he say, Hey, this is my stuff and I can do what I will with it! Are you jealous because I am generous? No. In this instance he says all I have is yours.
One way to reconcile these two seemingly divergent teachings is that we who have been faithful will see and accept the Justice and Mercy in God’s Salvation. So, if Hitler is in Heaven (which I really doubt), we will understand and praise God for it. I also think it is instructive that the Bible says God hardened Pharaoh’s heart. I think this means that those who are truly evil God has judged them and will not allow them to repent. I say this because all the sinners I know, I among them, aren’t intending evil, but have human weaknesses in terms of ignorance and lack of will power. None of the sinners I have known have or had hardened hearts.
At least I can say this, everybody I have gotten to know, I would be very happy to see in Heaven and I pray for them, including those who have gone before me (because what is time to God). The man in the article who, after thirty years, sought to be forgiven by his son, who had become a priest, God did not harden his heart, but kept him alive so that he and his son could be reconciled with each other and also be reconciled with their Heavenly Father.