One thing that makes me sad is that I respect some atheists and hedonists more than some Christians.
Some Christians get raised by the right family, have the right educators, etc — they believe in Jesus and go to heaven. Others lose out on that. Great people, but they are supposed to go to hell.
I have a wonderful relative. He wanted to be a priest. Went to seminary and changed — now an agnostic, but a wonderful humanitarian.
He goes to hell.
But suppose the Clintons repent on their death beds and go to heaven.
My relative goes to hell and they don’t?
You cannot profess to be a Christian, and simultaneously believe there is another way to heaven apart from Jesus. And this, logically, also means Hell is real, and the result of NOT believing in Christ.
To believe otherwise is to NOT be a Christian. Period. Things like The Rapture and timing are very debatable. The basic tenet of Christianity is not.
>>> I have a wonderful relative. He wanted to be a priest. Went to seminary and changed — now an agnostic, but a wonderful humanitarian.
>>> My relative goes to hell and they don’t?
If your relative truly gave his life to Jesus, then it doesn’t matter what is going on right now. If his name was ever in the Lamb’s book of life, it will never be removed.
This is a separate issue from what your relative will have to give an account for on current actions or beliefs. He will most likely suffer much loss of reward... but he will still be in heaven.
The sins of Hillary and Bill Clinton have already been paid for, just as the sins of your relative have been paid for.
Receiving that gift is their own choice. How is that not fair?
“They believe in Jesus and go to heaven.”
Belief in Jesus in itself is a necessary condition, but not a sufficient condition to gain entrance to heaven.
Remember, your relative can repent on his deathbed, as well.
Sin. It must be dealt with. We all are sinners.
The Holy God and Creator does not allow sin in his presence.
Jesus Christ gave his perfect and sinless human life as an offering, and as a willing substitute for the rejection and wrath that we are due, and his sacrifice is sufficient to save any sinner who will acknowledge it.
Any righteous acts a human does is not pertinent to whether one goes to heaven. Apart from Jesus’s work, on our own, all of our righteous deeds and good works are like we are clothed with filthy rags; they are not sufficient to hide or reduce our sinfulness. Therefore if we reject the redeemer, we retain our sin, and cannot enter into God’s presence.
Good works cannot get us into heaven; neither saint nor sinner.
Yep.
Salvation is not based upon human good or evil, but upon Divine Righteousness.
God’s Plan is brilliant.
All humans are condemned prior to being saved.
Look at it this way. Your relative in doing what is right only did what all should do, yet he is still a law-breaking sinner to sdome degree and thus in need of salvation on Christ's expense, as are the Clintons, though worse sinners. Your relative is drowning 10 yards off short and the the Clintons are hundred, but both need rescue. They both stand before a just judge at the end with their respective records, and will be sentenced according to the degree of light and graces they had.
If the Clintons could repent and do, then if they lived after that then they would be baptized and follow the Lord Jesus, but would be saved by such effectual faith, and on His expense and credit, while your wonderful relative, with all he did and his motives, would be exposed as a sinner, who for unjustifiable reasons rejected light that he had, and would not have Christ reign over him.
It may seem harsh, but your relative is not all he may seem, and ultimately has no real reason for rejecting Christ.
God is not looking for humanitarians...He's looking for people who will serve him...
Ya either believe what the book says or you don't - freely make up your OWN rules.