Why is it that a man who has committed terrible crimes but has accepted Jesus can go to heaven, yet a man...?

Question

..who has lived a good life cannot go to heaven unless he accepts Jesus? I understand about the whole true repentance thing, but surely it isnt fair? I'm sure i could have asked that question better, but i genuinely would like a serious answer to this.

Okay i acknowledge the fact that God wouldnt want someone in His "house" that didn't accept him, thats a fair comment. My query is that if someone lived a life whereby they tried their best to be a good person, not hurt others etc but for some reason or another didnt get to know Jesus (we'll assume this reason is due to trying and failing to get to know him?) where does that leave him on judgement day?

Is that person who tried their best to live a good life any less worthy than the rapist/murderer who became a born again christian in prison? I do concede that people change, i just dont personally see that its a 'fair' system.

Answer 1

This is what the bible preaches, seems unfair, doesn't it. I was raised as a christian, and because of these kind of teachings I fear to reject the theories taught to me, but I have alot of unanswered questions that in fact are answerable in studying other theories and religions. Some things I wonder about is all the people killed by christians in the name of christ. There's a holy war today where christians and muslims are killing each other believing both have gods blessings, and in fact have been doing it for centuries. Hilter was a christian (really) and searched the world for evidence that God favored the Nazi policies, and this was the root of the extermination of the Jewish people. Did he reaffirm his faith before he died and as a result he's in heaven now ? Alot of people would have a hard time understanding this. I think I believe in a energy that is god and we are all connected and religion in itself flawed and created to control a population through fear and intimidation, and in fact books like the bible were written by man and no one is the true bearer of the word of God. My God isn't one who punishes someone who lives a good life but never knew or accepted theories that have no proof of reality. Blind faith in anything can be dangerous, God gave us intelligence to determine the difference between right and wrong, good and evil, and maybe it's the condition of your soul that is important. Are you good or bad? What was your life worth and what did you learn and what did you contribute to the world and your fellow man? Maybe religion should include a study of all the worlds teaching and combine them , most have a common theme and if these teaching were presented together as a study of mans desire to explain God and weren't pitted against each other maybe we'd all be able to get along and be more the world God desired for us. As far as christ, I think alot of of people never understand his real message, which was for all of us to live lives in peace and harmony. He wanted us to accept his teachings by accepting him. But these teachings were rejected by the church and he was put to death. Gotta be a lesson in that that is missed.

Answer 2

One must first take into consideration what is heaven, what is hell, and what are the other places. Since the Bible only speaks of the kingdom of Heaven and the fiery pit is revealed primarily as a dream (or revelation), it is fairly clear that the Bible was never intended to be a roadmap to the afterlife (only a confirmation of it's existence). Christianity is largely based upon interpretation. They say you can't enter the kingdom of heaven unless you have been baptized, but there is no reason to believe that the baptisms given in the churches are what is meant by the Biblical verse. Nor is it easy to get your camel through the eye of the needle (a small door which your average Pro Football player could not pass through), but there are dynamite, chisels, etc.

IMHO the meaning of this scripture is that you must be baptized by the spirit to enter the kingdom of heaven. Just because some priest waves a cross over you and sprinkles some water doesn't mean that you are now a card carrying member of the Spirit in the Sky Club. Baptism, repentance, santification, accepting Jesus into your life, and most other church rites are simply pale shadows of the true spiritual acts of the divine. If you can't find the divine within you, you will never find it, no matter where you search. Accepting Jesus is a spiritual act of "going with the flow", so what makes you think that someone who has committed terrible crimes would actually be walking a spiritual path versus a farmer who has never heard the "word of God" (as taught by Pastor Billy Bob), but has lived his life with the love of God in his heart?

Answer 3

I'm not so sure that there is a clear cut answer to your question. I can only share with you my feelings on this matter and that is that I believe that God judges us by what's in our heart. So, if the lawbreaker (for the want of a better word) is truly repentant, then God alone can judge him by his heart. However, the same must also be said of the man (or woman) who lives a good honest and upright life. Their heart may not reflect the same humility as the other person. They may refuse to accept Jesus, for whatever reason.... Only God can see beyond what our eyes and ears can see and hear respectively. At the end of the day, either you believe what the Bible says or you don't. It's not a "reference book" in the literal sense and it's important to remember that although the scriptures were physically written down by "man", these men were spirit led to record God's word for all time. It's totally contrary to anything that we've ever been taught in the "world", but God's ways are not our ways and we could never even begin to comprehend his thinking. I'm just trusting in a hand that I can't hold ...... by faith!

Answer 4

Think of it like this,

You have two Children

1. is a handful and he's always playing in the street. You tell him to get out and he doesn't listen. He does it over and over and even makes fun of you when you scold him.

2. the other is pretty good kid every once in a while he goes in the street but for the most part he does the right thing and stays in the front yard.

One day a big truck comes zooming down the street, both kids on in the street for some reason the 1 st son listens to you this time and at the last minutes gets out of the street but the other one doesn't listen to you and gets hit by the truck.

It's not really fair that the son who usually obeys got hit by the truck, but as parent you'd still be glad the more disobedient son got out of the way wouldn't you?

Sin is the act of standing in the street. The truck is eternal separation from God (Hell), the parent is GOD. God can do all things but he chose to give us free will so just like the parent he can only ask us to get out of the street by way of Jesus Christ. No matter how long you were in the street or how many bad things you did there if you don't get out before the truck gets there (death) you're dead. If you do get out at the last minute you are saved.

Hope this analogy helps.

Answer 5

Okay...I'll try to explain how this works according to the Bible. The best thing to do is to suggest that you look in the first few chapters of the Book of Romans.

There are two ways to get to heaven...
One is to live a perfect life and NEVER once make a mistake or a sin. Which means you go to heaven based on works. But once you make one sin, you're out of the running for this way into heaven, because you are making it on your own merit.

The other is to allow Christ to pay the admission for you. Which is through Grace.

You see, God knows that no one can be perfect 100% of the time and heaven is God's home.

As Christians, we are NOT perfect, we still make mistakes. But that's where forgiveness comes in. When we repent and ask forgiveness, Jesus pays our admission into heaven.

You see the beauty of salvation. EVERYONE makes mistakes. Everyone sins, even the best person in the world (you don't know their heart and their motives, only God does). And God realizes that every person deserves a second chance,
and a third chance,
and even a 70x7 chance.
He forgives people who sincerely are repentant.
And the beauty is that no matter how bad you think you are, God still loves you enough to allow you forgiveness.

Answer 6

Yo are not comprehending the holiness of God. No matter how good or bad a person is, we are all still guilty of some kind of sin. And ANY sin, large or small, disqualifies us from the presence of God. The only reason anyone can go to Heaven is that God has made provision for us as long as we accept the free gift of eternal life which was purchased by the work of redemption done by Jesus Christ.
Think about it. If after going through all the trouble of saving you, God sees that you are just plain ungrateful and too proud to take such a gift, why would He still invite you to His Home? But even that is wrong. God simply allows those who will have nothing to do with Him to go their own way, and serve themselves. God loves you, but He's not about to force His love on you. That kind of behavior has a name. And God is no rapist.

Answer 7

a sin is a sin, a trangression a transgression. If a by {human standard} criminal is judged guilty for a crime not just believes in Jesus but starts having a spiritual relationship with Him. The Holy Spirit will ultimately change that person. When he confesses to God Jesus blood will wash his sins away.

However a good man (by human standards again) still sins against God actively or passively (mind) and without acceptance of Jesus sacrifice he will still be under the Law of God.

Those under grace will live and those who don't, don't . It's not politically correct nowadays but I don't care about that. Nor did Jesus as He was here in the New Testament time.

Answer 8

Here's the "fair" thing again.

We need to take this one step at a time. The bible says there are none good, not one. No one is without sin. So the problem becomes, how does one "get rid" of sin? You can't. That is why God sent His son, to die on the cross. Jesus paid the penalty for sin, that any who believe will be washed clean, forgiven, saved.

This is the answer to your question. God sees deep within our hearts...we may look at the outside and say "oh, what a good person"...but God knows better.

That is why there is no other name under heaven, than Jesus, by which anyone can be saved.

Answer 9

Because heaven is God and Jesus' territory, they don't invite you unless you acknowledge them. Fair enough. A bad man can only enter heaven if he has accepted God into his heart, which I would imagine to mean that he has repented and is trying to do what is right. But if you are a good man that doesn't accept, or doesn't know, Jesus, you will end up in purgatory, which I believe is not permanent. If you are evil and you don't repent or find Jesus, then you will end up in hell, which is not only unpleasant, but permanent. It all comes down to, if this system is real, it is God's game and you will play it by his rules.

Answer 10

You need to study more about sin, repentance, and salvation!!!

You will soon see that dying, and getting through Heavens gates: has ‘NOTHING’ at all to do with: being a good, kind, generous, loving, caring, person: You can’t work your way to heaven, with good deeds: Believing in God: or the Bible, even the devil does that: & you can guarantee you wont be seeing him there: Joining a religious group: going to church every day, & twice on Sunday!!

I know this will upset a lot of people: as they think the above things and more, makes them deserve a place in heaven: and have all their hopes & beliefs pined on it!! Sadly wrong… A place in heaven is secured or lost: only by an individuals making of a ‘Personal Choice’: of his/her own ‘Freewill’!!

And it is ‘FARE’ as it is a personal choice open to ANY & every human on earth: young, old, black, white, yellow, rich, poor, beggar, thief, murderer, terrorist: EVERY ONE!!

Take a look here and learn for yourself!!

http://christiananswers.net//directry.html

Answer 11

God is a completely holy being, and cannot tolerate ANY sin/wrongdoing at ALL. Zero, none whatsoever. That means normally, we'd all have to be banished from God and none of us would be able to be with Him in Heaven, because none of us are perfect at all.

Now, God does in fact love us, so He sent Jesus, His only son, down to live a completely perfect life. Jesus is able to do this because He's the Son of God. Jesus lived the perfect life, and was sacrificed on the cross. Jesus willingly sacrificed himself and died for everyone.

Now, for those that have truly accepted Jesus as their Savior, when it comes time for us to be judged, God will willingly accept Jesus' death as punishment for our sins, and replace our sinful life with Jesus' perfect life, so we can be with God in Heaven.

For those who haven't accepted Jesus and have refused His offer to be our Savior, well... they can't have their life replaced, and so even the slightest sin will cause them to be banished...

God has made it really easy for us, all we have to do is accept Jesus and live according to the Bible the best we can. But He still leaves us a choice, for those who don't want to accept the offer. He doesn't want to force anyone to be with Him.

I think that should explain everything... if it's confusing, ask again or something. Or I'm sure someone else can answer it better and fill in any holes, lol.