In Christianity, who goes to heaven?

Question

There is an atheist who is for all intents and purposes a good moral person, helps others, is generous and loving.
There is also a serial killer who has led a hard bloody life full of problems and addictions, but who finds before their death a love of Jesus and proclaims to have found God and asks for forgiveness.
Do both of these men make it to heaven, neither one, one and not the other?
According to the Christian belief system, who makes it to heaven or hell and how is it justified?
Serious answers only please.

Answer 1

NO ONE ON THIS EARTH IS GUARANTEED TO GO TO HEAVEN JUST BECAUSE THEY BELIEVE IN JESUS CHRIST OR BY GOD'S GRACE ALONE!

God's grace, alone, won't do it...

My faith, alone, won't do it...

How I live my life, by itself, won't do it...

I know that I can only get to heaven through Jesus. Also, it is not just by this faith in Jesus, nor just the Grace of God, nor just the works that I do. It is a combination of many things.

We receive God's saving and sanctifying grace in many ways, and Christ Himself, into our souls when we are baptized and through the sacraments. Yet we also know that Christ Himself has established certain conditions for entry into eternal happiness in Heaven.

"Jesus said to them, "Amen, amen, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you do not have life within you. Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him on the last day. For my flesh is true food, and my blood is true drink. Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood remains in me and I in him. Just as the living Father sent me and I have life because of the Father, so also the one who feeds on me will have life because of me. This is the bread that came down from heaven. Unlike your ancestors who ate and still died, whoever eats this bread will live forever."" (John 6:53-58)

We will be judged by this as well, so be warned...

"Therefore whoever eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord unworthily will have to answer for the body and blood of the Lord. A person should examine himself, and so eat the bread and drink the cup. For anyone who eats and drinks without discerning the body, eats and drinks judgment on himself." (1 Cor. 11:27-29).

We will also be judged by our faith, but not by this alone, we will also be judged by the works that we do (Justification by faith alone is a Protestant doctrine; it was unheard of in the Christian community before the sixteenth century.)...

If St. Paul meant that faith ruled out the necessity of good works for salvation, he would not have written:

". . . and if I should have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, and have not charity, I am nothing." (1 Cor. 13:2).

If faith ruled out the necessity of good works for salvation, the Apostle James would not have written:

"Do you see that by works a man is justified; and not by faith only'? . . . For even as the body without the spirit is dead; so also faith without works is dead." (James 2:24-26).

If faith ruled out the necessity of good works for salvation, the Apostle Peter would not have written:

"Therefore, brothers, be all the more eager to make your call and election firm, for, in doing so, you will never stumble. For, in this way, entry into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and savior Jesus Christ will be richly provided for you." (2 Peter 1:10-11).

If faith was the only necessity for salvation, the Apostle James would not have written:

"If anyone thinks he is religious and does not bridle his tongue but deceives his heart, his religion is vain. Religion that is pure and undefiled before God and the Father is this: to care for orphans and widows in their affliction and to keep oneself unstained by the world." (James 1:26-27)

Christ Himself stated:

"For the Son of man . . . will render to every man according to his works." (Matt. 16:27).

"‘Not everyone who says to me, "Lord, Lord," shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven’" (Matt. 7:21).

But, I need my faith as well...

"Who were those who rebelled when they heard? Was it not all those who came out of Egypt under Moses? With whom was he "provoked for forty years"? Was it not those who had sinned, whose corpses fell in the desert? And to whom did he "swear that they should not enter into his rest," if not to those who were disobedient? And we see that they could not enter for lack of faith."(Hebrews 3:16-19)

When I die, I will not enter the kingdom of Heaven immediately, either...

The Bible distinguishes between those who enter Heaven straightaway, calling them "the church of the firstborn" (Heb. 12:23), and those who enter after having undergone a purgation, calling them "the spirits of the just made perfect." (Heb. 12:23).

Christ Himself stated:

"Settle with your opponent quickly while on the way to court with him. Otherwise your opponent will hand you over to the judge, and the judge will hand you over to the guard, and you will be thrown into prison. Amen, I say to you, you will not be released until you have paid the last penny." (Matt. 5 :26).

And:

"I tell you, on the day of judgment people will render an account for every careless word they speak. By your words you will be acquitted, and by your words you will be condemned." (Matt. 12:36-37).

Answer 2

As christians claim, the serial killer who has led a hard bloody life full of problems and addictions, but who finds before their death a love of Jesus and proclaims to have found God and asks for forgiveness, will go to heaven. Because christians say that Jesus gave his life for the sins of the christians. According to christians all others will go to hell. Bad for me.

Answer 3

If they both ask forgiveness, repent of their sins , and ask Jesus into their hearts then they both can go to heaven. Like the criminals that hang beside Jesus on the cross. One was mocking Him saying if you truly are the Son of God why don't you call for Him to take you down. The other told him to more or less shut up because they had lived their lives in such a way they deserved to be there. He then ask Jesus to remember him when He came into His kingdom. Jesus told Him that today they would be together in paradise. All He ask you for is your true belief and love. They must be sincere in their hearts and He know s the difference. Even the best of people have sinned but I'm sure for those who make it we may be surprised at who begged forgiveness in their last moments of this life.

Answer 4

In your case scenario, the serial killer who finds forgiveness for his sin would be the only one to make it because he found salvation. The Scripture teaches that "....no man cometh to the Father but by ME. (Jesus's words)" Morals alone won't get you into Heaven. One must follow God's salvation plan outlined in Acts, the 2nd chapter, and thereafter live a sanctified and holy life. God can forgive a multitude of sins.

Answer 5

Well Ultimately, it is up to Our Heavely Father To Judge the hearts of both individuals. Not us.

In Catholic Christianity, we believe there is a third state after death, besides Heaven & Hell. It is called 'Purgatory'(others may call it Limbo). This is kind of like being put on waiting list, until all your sins are attoned for, & after the waiting period is up, the soul is admitted into Heaven.

In all likelyhood, the souls of both of the afore-mentioned individuals will go here before being going to Heaven.

You should also post this same question about Islam, & see what kind of answers you receive.

Answer 6

Only Christians go to "heaven", however, that is only for a period of time. The Lord will return WITH them to fulfill the book of revelations, then everyone will be resurrected on earth.

Those whom God has written in "the book of life", will live here eternally in the new paradise, and those who are not, will be cast into a lake of fire and be consumed.

They will not be there eternally, suffering.

God is a righteous judge.

Answer 7

The Christan belief is simply this. That only those that call on the name of Jesus as their Lord and Savior will go to heaven. All the things others do on earth while in our eyes are good or bad do nothing to compare to the denial of God. While he cares about our daily lives a person that does good but denys him is worse. Imagine you had two children. One is "Bad" and one is "Good". The Bad one does things that you do not approve of but in the end of his life calls on you and makes things right with you. The other "GOOD" child does things that are good in the worlds eyes but not once accepts you. They in their entire life pays you no respect or even accknowledges your even there! Who do you pick? one that was BAD but in the end came to you and gave you LOVE and Honor all be it little in the end or one that never did? That is what it might be like when someone on this earth goes on their life and not once calls out to his/her Father.

Answer 8

no man is good, "for all have fallen short of the glory of God," you can't be good anough to enter into heaven, you must be perfect (never lie(a lie is a lie), steal (size does not matter) covet thy neighbors postions, lust(same as adultry), hate(same as murder), blasphem the name of God, have any other God before the one true God(also known as the Trinity), disrespect your parents, disrespect the Sapeth day, make Idols, comit any sexual immorality, practice witchcraft, or in any other way dishonor God and His Law) but sence no one can do this (oh, and don't forget the sin of Adam) you need to be forgiven by the blood of the Son, Jesus Christ, "the wages of Sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal Life," Jesus paid for your sins, but to answer your question, the only way to heaven is through belief in Jesus Christ and the repentence of sins. So, repent now and you will be forgiven.

Answer 9

Since the bible says there are none good....the first person in your example isn't good, even though he may do nice things. The second person in your example has as much a chance to be saved as the first person if he truly repents of his sins and asks God to forgive Him...and accepts Christ as savior.

Salvation is not dependent upon how good a person you think you are. The bible says all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God. God is the judge of a truly repentent heart, and only those who confess His son as savior will be granted entrance to heaven.

Hell, unfortunately, will be the final destination of everyone who rejects Jesus Christ. This also is for people who think they are a "good enough person" on their own and don't need Him.

Answer 10

21"Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. 22Many will say to me on that day, 'Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and in your name drive out demons and perform many miracles?' 23Then I will tell them plainly, 'I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!'

Also many "Christians" will not make it to heaven. The criteria is simple. To know Christ. That is not an issue that we are capable of judging. We don't know what is in a person's heart. It seems to me that a lot of people want fire insurance. They go to church and do the rituals just in case. This passage shows what really matters. This is a scary passage. Are we really entering into a relationship with Jesus ?? Are we allowing Him to know us?? (yes, He knows everything- the idea is that we willingly pursue this relationship)

"All have turned away, they have together become worthless; there is no one who does good, not even one."

So according to the Bible, no human is good. Our definition of good is not God's definition.

"Jesus answered, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. "

That is the criteria for being a Christian. You must go through Jesus. He doesn't say "a way" he says "the way."

Answer 11

Those who repent their sins, acknowledge them to Jesus as the Savior and ask His forgiveness goes to heaven. But you need to repent for the right reasons. Not because your scared of dying, or want to know where you are going, but because you are truly sorry for the sins that you committed. "And anyone who believes in God’s Son has eternal life. Anyone who doesn’t obey the Son will never experience eternal life but remains under God’s angry judgment.” John 3:36