Okay, yesterday we determined that Hitler could make it to heaven if...?

Question

...he sincerely repented and didn't commit suicide.

Don't believe me? Check the answers to the question:
http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index;_ylt=AuDmT_oiWNmlzoo9F0w9BMnsy6IX?qid=20060819083132AAnHp42

Having determined that despite what Hitler did, he could get into heaven if he sincerely repented, and despite what Gandhi did, he could not get into heaven as long as he remained a non-Christian, here's the question:

Where is the incentive to do good if a quick, fervent, sincere prayer at the end gets you off the hook as far as God is concerned?

I grant that someone might be playing with death to postpone forgiveness till the end, but they could ask for it, sincerely, every day, every hour, and still do all the things Hitler did in between.

The question remains, why do good if you can get into heaven with a quick, sincere repentance?

Robert, how someone is known isn't the issue here. it's about getting into heaven.

Seth: agree with the last part, disagree with the first.

Sinyckel: Thanks for bringing that up (I notice no one else has).Bbear in mind Lutherans and several other protestant denominations believe you get to heaven by -grace- alone, good works don't count. Ergo Hitler gets there by fervent prayer while Gandhi doesn't because of disbelief.

Answer 1

It falls back onto their idea of grace, or should I say Paul's idea of grace. James says faith without works is dead, Jesus said in Matthew that "Not all men who say to me, 'Lord, Lord' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven"

Answer 2

People sometimes get all upset about the fact that people can lead depraved, lawless lives and yet be saved at the end of the road, thereby having gotten to do what they wanted to do for however long and then repent it all away. This isn’t the deal, though. The deal is that the repentance must be genuine, and you must believe that he to whom you are repenting is the savior of the world. This belief is not something you can fake; it is not something you can con God into thinking you think. Folks tend to gloss over this fact that you need to believe, and that there is no way you can believe if you do not, in fact, believe. God is not the judge of your fourth judicial district court, who you may be able to con once or twice. God is the searcher of souls. What is in your heart, he knows. Your words mean nothing to him, unless they are true.

So if I start believing that Jesus is the savior of the world when I am 13 and I live until I’m 86, or if I start believing that Jesus is the savior of the world when I am 86 and I die when I’m 86, it makes no difference. (Time, by the way, is an illusion, and is thoroughly irrelevant to God.) The only important thing is the truth and humility of your heart.

So is it “no fair” if I plod away serving God for those 73 years while someone else “plods away” for 73 seconds? No, it’s not unfair. Why ain’t it unfair? Because we’re assuming here, with this question, that serving God is some kind of sacrifice, instead of the wonderful and joyful thing it is. If anybody got ripped off in the earthly realm, it’s the 86-year-old who believed for 73 seconds and then immediately died. People who ask these types of questions think that it is a chore to go against their human nature and seek to rid themselves of impurity. They think they’d be missing out on all the fun—which would include all manner of things, such as rampant fornication, drunkenness, arrogance, intolerance, condemnation of others, greed, lording your alleged greatness over other people … all that stuff. The secret is that that stuff isn’t fun. The weaver of the grand illusion just makes you think it’s fun, and he makes you believe that that is what life is. He’s a simple liar, though. He tells lies, and people believe. (Oh yes, these people have faith in something; they just don’t know what, or who, is holding their soul captive [it’s Satan]. They have faith in themselves and the world, which are tragic, doomed-to-failure places to put any faith whatsoever.)

So what you're saying is that Hitler got to have a grand old ride and then repent to go to Heaven. Hitler's ride--directed by the devil--was hideous and awful.

The "incentive" to do good is not to live in death, sin, hideousness, and awfulness.

We are judged by our fruits. Look at Hitler's fruits. Tell me that he enjoyed his long, atrocious ride. He did not.

Answer 3

If you believe your death wont be quick, I suppose there is none. Most evangelicals believe that heaven has differing qualities depending on the life you lived, therefore the long-time christian would get a better deal than the late repenter. As for the Ghandi reference, that hoses about 2/3 of the religious folks in the world including Jews.

Answer 4

It does not matter how much Hitler repented, The question is did he ask Jesus to come into his heart and life and save him, (Romans 10:9-13). Your second question, (Romans 3:10) and (Ephesians 2:8). And no you can not go around doing evil just because you are a Chistian (11Corinthians 5:17)

Answer 5

I was part of the debate you mention and I don't feel included in your "we." A few disclaimers are needed. If this is the way you interpret life then you should stop worrying about heavy stuff. You want to find Hitler in heaven? Go ahead! Act like him. You want to see Gandhi in hell? Go ahead! Become a nonviolent peacemaker. You don't find incentives to do good. Relax. You haven't done any good yet. Why worry now?

Answer 6

To address one above me, If all sins are forgivable, then blasphemy is also forgivable. You contradict your own statement (sounds a lot like the bible). And so what if Hitler was in heaven? He might be an alright guy. Nobody alive knows him personally. And if everything is forgivable, then shouldn't we all forgive him? Look, I'm not saying that Hitler was a great person, I'm only bringing the Hypocrisy to view.

Answer 7

What if you didn't have time. What if your heart stopped at this moment- and it was too late.
And who says Ghandi did not get into heaven.
We do not know- only God knows what is in a person's heart.
In every person there is a God shaped hole- and even those who have never heard the name of Jesus, know in their hearts, there is something more than themselves.

Answer 8

Grace unto you and peace,
from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

Yester day is past, and as a watch in the night.
Let's go on to day, and to watching in the day.
Which is to say "let there be light", not lights.
Let there be light (only), not light + darkness.
Let there be understanding void of ignorance.
Let there be God's grace void of such law law.

As for the dividead God on "high" in plural and divided "heavens", such LAWED-Grace, well, there is no 'getting off' (clearing of guilt) with such a merciless law law God, as is noted in Exodus 34:7: "Keeping mercy for thousands(not for all), forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin(it law imputed in the first place), and that(such law) WILL BY NO MEANS CLEAR [the guilty]; visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children, and upon the children's children, unto the third and to the fourth [generation]". Hebrews 10 confirms the law can NEVER make the comers thereunto perfect, nor can sacrifice for sin (which is of the law and by the law) ever purge the conscience of (law imputed) sin.

So we look to the higher "God" in "heaven": "higher than the heavens", His Grace: "the only true God" of false/true Gods, "the only wise God" of foolish/wise Gods, "the living God" of dead/living Gods, "that God" of this/that Gods, "the blessed and only Potentate" of law/grace, "the God of all comfort"(no discomfort at all), "the God of all grace"(no law at all), the higher God of high/higher Gods.

To wit: "that God"(of this/that Gods) was in "Christ"(the end of the law) reconciling the world(not some only) unto himself(the God of all grace), NOT imputing their trespasses(sins) unto them: 2Cor 5:19. Why not? Because law imputed sin makes sinners all, none righteous, no, not one. And "God is one". So law imputed sin would make His Grace no more grace, but grace + law, which is as life + death, which is a dead end rather the end of the law, which is a living end for you all, which begins with you.

The "grace" of our Lord Jesus Christ with you all. Amen.

Answer 9

Never mind if there is a God or a Heaven. Would you prefer to be known (and remembered) as a gentleman, a good guy or a general and total asshole?

Answer 10

I don't know who all gave you the positive answers, but evidently they haven't read the bible. There is no way Hitler could have gotten to heave after he comitted suicide. Sorry about the rain on your parade. Why not talk about something you know about.