Here is a great question I recently received regarding heaven and hell and who makes it to either place:
I get most of my thinking done while I’m trying to get to sleep. Well, last night I asked myself “Could Gandhi be in Hell?” According to the bible, you can’t go to heaven unless you accept Jesus as your lord and savior, which Gandhi did not do. However he essentially freed the entire sub-continent of India from British rule. He was a Martin Luther King to his people, but because he didn’t accept Christ, then he must be in Hell.
That then got me thinking about the other end of the spectrum (evil as opposed to good). I thought about Hitler and how he committed mass genocide of the Jewish people, however he believed in Jesus. So is it possible that if he was truly sorry, Hitler could have gone to heaven? If not, then does that mean that there are some sins that can not be forgiven? Is there a point at which God’s forgiveness wears out?
It seems that by that logic, a great person can burn in Hell, while an evil person can go to heaven. I just don’t think that God would do that to someone. What are your opinions? Does God’s forgiveness have an end, and if a person doesn’t believe in Jesus, can they still go to heaven?
This is a terrific question and it comes up quite a bit. This question has several complex parts, and so let’s break each part down and look at each question individually, starting with what is required to get to Heaven according to the Bible:
How Can a Person Get to Heaven? What Does God Require of Us?
Some think that a person can get to heaven by doing good “deeds” or by simply being a “good person,” even if they have broken a few of God’s laws at some point. This isn’t exactly true, and here is why:
We have all broken one of God’s laws at some point in time. None of us are “perfect.” Each time that happens, we are disconnected from God. We have “sinned” in other words. Each time we “sin,” we have broken a fundamental law of God.
Now, let’s back up for a minute and think about what happens in our life if we break a law. Suppose there is a great person. Yet, one day, they accidentally drive over the speed limit. A police offer sees them, and pulls them over. Would the police officer just let the person go? Or would he or she give them a ticket?
The police officer would give them a ticket. Why? Because they broke the law. It doesn’t matter if they were a great person, or even donated all of their money to charity. They still broke a law. The law holds us all accountable, regardless of how good we may be in other areas of life.
Okay, back to God. So we can be a great person in life, right? But if we have broken some laws, we are held accountable to those. God will pull those up in judgement day and show us. But the question isn’t do some people sin and others live without sinning. We have ALL sinned. Me, my wife, all of my friends, and even you. The question is, does God give us a chance to redeem our “sins” and forgive us? The answer is YES. But how?
What Do We Have to Do To Get Our Sins Forgiven?
First, let’s back up to the beginning of history before Jesus was ever born. How was a person forgiven for their sin? Surely Adam, Eve, Noah, Moses, and the others wouldn’t be condemned to hell just because Jesus hadn’t been born yet, right? Of course not. God gave forgiveness then, just like he does now. But back then it was different.
When a person committed a sin before Jesus was born, they could offer a sacrifice to get God’s forgiveness. So a person would typically offer up an animal sacrifice. This is interesting. After all, why would they kill an animal to get their sins forgiven? They did this for a few reasons. First, God commanded them to do this in the beginning (Adam, Eve, and their kids all offered sacrifices). An animal is seen as sinless, simply because an animal does not know the difference between right and wrong. Animals are driven on instincts. They do not have the ability to reason, critically think, and so forth to the degree we humans can. We humans are far superior to any animal or species on the planet (after all, we were created in the image of God). So because animals were “sinless,” they could offer the animals life in place of their own. So God accepted the animal’s life (sinlessness), in place of man’s sin, and the man or woman was forgiven. The animal died in place of the person.
Another reason why animals were used, is simply because the person who sinned had to give something up, to show they “repented” or “truly was sorry.” Think about what animals meant back then. Everyone had to eat. So by giving up their “food,” they gave up something that kept them alive. It is no different from us giving up a day’s food. Or perhaps money. They gave up something of value, and offered it to God as a “token” of repentance and forgiveness.
How Does God Forgive Our Sins Today? Should We Still Offer Sacrifices?
We do not need to offer an animal sacrifice or money to be forgiven of our sins today. Why? The reason is Jesus. Jesus changed all of this, and also changed man’s relationship with God. Why? Jesus did something that no one in the entire history of the world did: He was sinless in God’s eyes, and yet was murdered, ridiculed, and more.
Jesus was unique, because he felt all the temptations that we all feel in life. He felt sexual temptation. He felt the temptation of greed. He felt the temptation of lying, or stealing, etc. He felt all of these things that we feel. Yet Jesus is the only one in the history of the world that said, “NO.” He did not sin. He rejected all temptations in his entire life.
This is a big deal. Animals don’t sin, but they don’t feel temptation. They know of no concept of “right or wrong.” They simply act according to their instinct. Jesus KNEW the difference between right and wrong. He felt the temptation, yet did not sin.
Not only did Jesus not sin, but Jesus was charged with a crime (for claiming to be the messiah), beaten, spit upon, punched, hit, whipped, and then hung on a cross for dead. He endured all of that torture, and yet did not 1 single thing to deserve it. Even the criminals hanging on the cross pointed this out.
He died for our sins, and was a perfect ”human” sacrifice in God’s eyes. Because Jesus knew right from wrong, did not sin, and was murdered, God allows our sins to be forgiven if we seek forgiveness from Jesus’ sacrifice.
So now, we simply ask for forgiveness, and call upon the eternal sacrifice of Jesus. God forgives all of us from our sins if we do this. Jesus’ sacrifice is more important than any animal sacrifice ever was.
So What About People Who Have Never Heard of Jesus? Will They Go to Hell?
Some “Christians” claim that if you have never heard of Christ, you will go to hell. They base this on a scripture where Jesus said the following, “Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” (John 14:6)
What is Jesus really saying here? Does he mean we must literally go through him? Like he forms a hoop with his body and we dive through it on the way to heaven? No, of course not. He means through his teachings (the way God wants us to live) and his sacrifice (death on the cross). That gives us the opportunity to please God, and to be forgiven from our sins. He is saying the formula for heaven is 2 things: Forgiveness, and obedience. We must follow God’s laws, and when we sin, we must get forgiveness, and then continue to follow his laws. That is the requirement to get to heaven. Jesus provides us with the ultimate sacrifice, so we may seek forgiveness from God.
But as I pointed out, many lived before the time of Jesus, yet God was pleased with them and forgave them of their sins when they offered a sacrifice. Not only that, but even during Jesus’ lifetime, some on other parts of the planet may not have heard about him, or even heard incorrect information about him.
So does a person have to know about Jesus to go to heaven? Not exactly. As I just showed above, it is not a requirement for God’s mercy and forgiveness in all cases. However, if someone has heard the complete gospel of Christ, and rejects that, they could be in danger of judgement.
Remember, we have all sinned, and therefore must be forgiven when we “sin” in order to enter heaven. Jesus represents “atonement” or “forgiveness.” If they reject Jesus, then they aren’t asking for God’s forgiveness based on his sacrifice. In that case, they must have some kind of sacrifice worthy to God that will forgive them of their sins in life.
What About People in Remote Islands Who Never Heard of God at All? Or Children? Or Mentally Challenged?
God is a compassionate and forgiving God. In fact, God is much more forgiving than our own legal system. Did you know that if you don’t know a law in your state, but break that law, you will still be punished? It is true. If you don’t believe me, don’t ever pay your income taxes. They will certainly come and take your possessions away and throw you in jail-whether you knew about them or not.
The concept in our legal system is called, “Ignorantia juris non excusat.” What this means (translation), is that ignorance of the law is no excuse. In other words, just because you didn’t know about a law, that doesn’t excuse you from the punishment of breaking it.
But does God also do this? Wouldn’t that be unfair and evil of God, to never let some people hear about him, yet hold them accountable? Of course it would. But throughout the whole Bible, we are given a very clear message that God loves us, has mercy on us, and cares for us.
Even though almost everyone has heard of God (look at all the tribes in the history of the world, and almost all of them worshipped a God), some may not have heard of Him. So what would God do in this case? The Bible gives us a clue.
Jesus spoke a very interesting parable concerning this:
“And that slave who knew his master’s will and did not get ready or act in accord with his will, shall receive many lashes, but the one who did not know it, and committed deeds worthy of a flogging, will receive but few. And from everyone who has been given much shall much be required; and to whom they entrusted much, of him they will ask all the more.” (Luke 12:47-48)
What does the verse above mean? Jesus is saying this: If a slave (worker) for a person knew what their boss wanted, but didn’t do it anyways, they will be punished. But if there is a worker who did not know what his boss wanted, and accidentally did wrong, he will not be punished the same way as the other.
This means that God will fully know the hearts and minds of all people. If someone truly didn’t hear the gospel or messages about God, or heard them incorrectly (or weren’t mature enough to understand) and yet broke God’s laws, they will be judged by a different set of standards. God is a very JUST God- far more than our own legal system!
So What About Gandhi and Hitler? Will They Both Go to Heaven or Hell?
First let’s talk Gandhi. Obviously, he was a man who tried to do a lot of good in his life. That being said, we also know that by default he committed a sin at some point (or multiple sins). The question is, did he follow God’s laws, and did he seek forgiveness and repent? That is the question we must all ask.
Unfortunately, only God can answer this question. Perhaps Gandhi, while being skeptical or unsure about Jesus, did ask for forgiveness and then followed God’s laws? We do not know. That is why it is so important for us not to judge others. Only God can fully know our minds and hearts. It may be that Gandhi does go to heaven. We don’t know. It is up to God, and only God can objectively look at his entire life and make that decision.
Okay, but what about Hitler? He was obviously an evil man. Just because he believed in Jesus, does that mean he is guaranteed heaven? Absolutely NOT! Belief alone doesn’t save anyone. The devil doesn’t have to believe, he KNOWS God exists. It is not a matter of belief. It is a matter of following God’s laws (obedience), and asking for forgiveness (repentance) when we break one of those spiritual laws.
This is true with many so called “Christians” who go around acting so perfect and judging others, yet sin and do terrible things. Jesus even talks about this in the Bible. Here is what Jesus said about these people who act like they are “Christians,” yet commit sins and do not follow God’s commands:
(Matthew 7:21-23) “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. Many 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?’ Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!’
I think that should clear up quite a bit. This is saying, even though some may “pretend” to be such high and mighty (and perfect) “Christians,” in truth they will not pass the judgement of God. Why? Because even though they may sit in church every Sunday, and call themselves “Christians,” they are not truly following the commands of God. That is why it is SO IMPORTANT to only look at one person to know how a Christian should act, and that is Jesus. Jesus was God’s son, and knew how to live a life that pleased God. There are real Christians, and false Christians out there. None of us are perfect. Jesus was. Look to him and him only. We all make mistakes, and we all must seek forgiveness for our sins.
Only God knows the fate of Hitler, and I certainly have no say over who goes to heaven and who doesn’t. But I am fairly confident that Hitler will NOT probably make it. Why? Regardless of whether he “Believed” in God or not, he clearly broke his commands by murdering millions of innocent people.
So some people who think they are Christians, but go around sinning without asking for forgiveness (and then trying to avoid that sin), will not make it into heaven. On the flip side, some may appear that they aren’t very religious at all (they might not attend church), but in reality follow all of God’s commands, and seek forgiveness when they sin. These people, according to the bible, will make it to heaven.
It doesn’t matter how much we attend church, how much money we donate, how many good deeds we do, or any other measure such as this. What matters to God is our obedience to his laws, and our forgiveness when breaking those laws.
How often will God forgive us? Every single time we genuinely pray and ask for it! Even if it is 1,000,000 times. God will forgive us each time. But when we ask, we must mean it. That means we don’t steal, ask for forgiveness, and then plan on stealing tomorrow. Instead, we ask for forgiveness, and make a SERIOUS effort to never steal again. Even if we slip up, that is fine. We just repent, and then try again.
Following the laws of God is a journey, not a destination. It is a daily battle we all have to fight.
That was a great question! Have a great day!
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Posted under Ask a Question, heaven
This post was written by Revelation on January 30, 2009
