Kelli Trujillo Supporter Loving Wife, Mother, Grandmother, Teacher, Musician

I think most people can relate to your gut reaction to find it difficult to imagine sharing the rewards and blessings of heaven with people who, in our human estimation, won't "deserve" to be there. Here's what we have to remember: Not a single one of us deserves the gift of eternal life, and the sins that we consider to be "small" sent Jesus to the cross just as much as the sins of murder, rape, adultery, and all of the other sins that we usually categorize as "big."

Remember Romans 3:22-24,

This righteousness is given through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference between Jew and Gentile, for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and all are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus.

Notice vs. 24: ...all are justified freely by his grace...

As we view others, we need to seek to embrace the mindset of God toward others. Romans 12:2 says,

Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will. 

To God, everyone who belongs to Him is clean, and we must view them as He views them. Acts 10:15 says,

The voice spoke to him a second time, "Do not call anything impure that God has made clean."

Part of the process of being able to see others the way God sees them is to embrace humility so that we can see our own fallenness and desperate need for God. Philippians 2:5-8 reminds of the example that Christ set for us:

In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus: Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage; rather, he made himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to death— even death on a cross!

Again, I completely understand your struggle with this, and so does God. Pray and ask for His heart in this matter, and He will help you to receive it. God bless you!

October 05 2013 • 6 responses • Vote Up • Share • Report

Paul Jass Supporter

We have to remember, to God, a sin is a sin, and all men sin.  Yes, you will be in Heaven with people that are committed all sorts of sins, including you.  Sins are not on a gradient scale.  And yes, if Hitler received Jesus as his personal savior, ask for his sins to be forgiven, and sought repentance, Hitler will be in Heaven with you.  Hard to understand, isn't it.

October 05 2013 • 0 responses • Vote Up • Share • Report

Alfred Vella Supporter

In heaven there will be no more sorrow, no tears, no judging of your loved ones and no marring. Not even knowing of those who went to hell, or else you would be disappointed and would not be in peace in the presence of God . There will be continuous worship and praising of God in perfection. 

That is why I don't believe that the heavenly saints and Mary the mother of Jesus will intercede from there to the earthly human beings. Only Jesus Christ is the mediator between God and man. At the cross Jesus saved the repentant thief that admitted that he (the thief) deserved the punishment of the cross, but trusted in Jesus for his salvation. We all deserve hell, but we are justified by His blood and death on the cross and the resurrection victory of our savior Jesus Christ Amen.

October 11 2013 • 0 responses • Vote Up • Share • Report

Natalie Mcbroom Supporter

First thing's first. Go back to your Bible and read about the life of King David. Adulterer, murderer, let his daughter be raped by one of his sons and did nothing about it, yet the Bible proclaims that he was a man after God's own heart. The Psalms are chock full of his pleadings for God to forgive him of his sins. 

Lets not forget Paul who helped Jews murder Christians and hunted Christians down to be thrown in prison or killed.

Then fast forward to James 2. We are not to show favoritism toward any believers nor discrimination toward any believers. James 2 says "v.10 For whoever keeps the whole law and yet stumbles in one point, he has become guilty of all. 11 For He who said, “Do not commit adultery,” also said, “Do not commit murder.” Now if you do not commit adultery, but do commit murder, you have become a transgressor of the law. 12 So speak and so act as those who are to be judged by the law of liberty. 13 For judgment will be merciless to one who has shown no mercy; mercy triumphs over judgment." 

It says it right there. Judgment will be merciless to one who has shown no mercy. Mercy triumphs over judgment. God's mercy trumps any judgment that those "odious" people may deserve. They may not get great rewards in heaven and only escape hell with the shirt on their back, but if they sincerely repent and obey God's will according to the Bible, then they have that much more to be grateful for. The debt that they would have had to pay was so huge that I am certain in Heaven they will have much more to be thankful for than even I will. 

Matthew 18:23 “For this reason the kingdom of heaven may be compared to a king who wished to settle accounts with his slaves. 24 When he had begun to settle them, one who owed him ten thousand talents was brought to him. 25 But since he did not have the means to repay, his lord commanded him to be sold, along with his wife and children and all that he had, and repayment to be made. 26 So the slave fell to the ground and prostrated himself before him, saying, ‘Have patience with me and I will repay you everything.’ 27 And the lord of that slave felt compassion and released him and forgave him the debt. 28 But that slave went out and found one of his fellow slaves who owed him a hundred denarii; and he seized him and began to choke him, saying, ‘Pay back what you owe.’ 29 So his fellow slave fell to the ground and began to plead with him, saying, ‘Have patience with me and I will repay you.’ 30 But he was unwilling and went and threw him in prison until he should pay back what was owed. 31 So when his fellow slaves saw what had happened, they were deeply grieved and came and reported to their lord all that had happened. 32 Then summoning him, his lord *said to him, ‘You wicked slave, I forgave you all that debt because you pleaded with me. 33 Should you not also have had mercy on your fellow slave, in the same way that I had mercy on you?’ 34 And his lord, moved with anger, handed him over to the torturers until he should repay all that was owed him. 35 My heavenly Father will also do the same to you, if each of you does not forgive his brother from your heart.” 

Luke 18:9 And He also told this parable to some people who trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and viewed others with contempt: 10 “Two men went up into the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. 11 The Pharisee stood and was praying this to himself: ‘God, I thank You that I am not like other people: swindlers, unjust, adulterers, or even like this tax collector. 12 I fast twice a week; I pay tithes of all that I get.’ 13 But the tax collector, standing some distance away, was even unwilling to lift up his eyes to heaven, but was beating his breast, saying, ‘God, be merciful to me, the sinner!’ 14 I tell you, this man went to his house justified rather than the other; for everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but he who humbles himself will be exalted.”

November 08 2013 • 1 response • Vote Up • Share • Report

Jeffrey Mclain Supporter

I would like to submit that you try to think of this slightly different Samuel, as I've found that a slight change in perspective can take a concern like yours that is very valid and glaring, and turn it into a reason to praise God for his salvation. 

We can all agree that rape and murder are ugly things, and the people who commit them are dark people. We can all also agree a great reference to Scriptures here would be Romans 3:23 "For all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God". The obvious first place to go, then, is that this puts on all on the same spiritual level. Certainly, though, sins like rape and murder are more obviously ugly in their outworkings.

So, instead of being upset at the thought that people that commit acts like that might be pardoned, think from the other direction. How incredible is it that God might forgive even those things! I am with you 100% in saying that injustices like rape are among the ugliest things that humans can do to one another. It just astounds me that God can look at something that terrible and destructive and forgive that thing.

What really helped me in thinking about how God forgives things like that is realizing what the Cross really means. The wrath that would be poured out on the rapist or the murderer in hell forever was instead poured out on Christ at the Cross. So every bit of suffering that could have and would have been had by that person was instead had by Jesus. God didn't just forgive rape. He suffered for it. So the forgiveness extended there is quite costly. 

Finally let me bring this thought back to the beginning. 
Matthew 5:21-22
"21 You have heard that it was said to those of old, 'You shall not murder; and whoever murders will be liable a to judgment.' 22 But I say to you that everyone who is angry with his brother will be liable a to judgment; whoever insults his brother will be liable to the council; and whoever says, 'You fool!' will be liable to the hell of fire. "

For all have sinned and fallen short of the Glory of God.
Murder is wrong, in very glaringly obvious ways. In some ways, though, perhaps it's easier to see the sin there. Jesus in this passage says that even to be angry with your brother puts you on the level of murder. That's where it starts. The hard part is looking in the mirror when you just can't stand someone and admitting murder. How beautiful it is that Jesus suffered for murderers. That he can even forgive something that terrible. How beautiful it is that he can even forgive me.

November 08 2013 • 0 responses • Vote Up • Share • Report