Why do murderers and pickpockets go to the SAME hell?

  There are some widely held views of what people Think Christianity teaches that are not part of Christian teaching at all. For instance, many people believe that ‘good’ people go to heaven and ‘bad’ people go to hell. They also believe that we can be considered in the ‘good’ category if our noble deeds outweigh our evil.

   One of the greatest misconceptions is the notion that God sends people to hell for specific sins. They think if a person murders, they go to hell FOR murder; or if they lie, they go to hell FOR lying. Pickpockets, way indeed go to hell and they may indeed go to hell WITH murderers, but it is not because they are sent to hell as punishment FOR a specific sin.

   The truth is, that there is one and only one reason why anyone goes to hell and that is because they were not saved from going to hell. I have written extensively on the subject in the section on the home page called ‘The Whole Bible in one story’. One of the ideas addressed in that section is the concepts of ‘direct’ and ‘consequential’ judgment. Sending a soul to hell for this or that would be a direct judgment aimed at punishing a specific offense. But the Bible describes a situation, which is better understood as consequential judgment more than direct judgment.

   It is similar to the flow of a river. If a person is caught in the current of a raging river, they will end up going wherever that river is going ‘unless’ they get out of the river. The Bible makes it clear that ALL HAVE SINNED. There is none righteous, not even one. All have entered into the river as it were and the river will carry them into eternal separation from God in hell. God created hell for the devil and his demonic hordes; it was never created for humans. Adam and Eve, our first parents, declared independence from God and decided to be as gods themselves. This declaration of independence cut mankind off from fellowship with our creator and plunged us into ‘the river’ as it were. Since that time, we have all had our part in Adam and Eve’s great experiment and have lived cut off from God being carried along with the current and headed straight for destruction.

   God has made it so incredibly easy to be saved and taken out of that river that there is absolutely no reason why anyone should end up in hell, but sadly, MOST will. Listen to these Bible promises:

1)      Whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord SHALL be saved. (Romans 10:13)

2)      Yet, to ALL who believed received Him, to those who believed his name (Jesus, Savior) He gave the right (the power) to become the children of God. (John 1:12)

3)      Believe on the Lord Jesus and you shall be saved… (Acts 16:31)

When it comes down to it, a person only goes to hell because of his or her own attitude. Those who are stubborn and proud, who refuse to be saved or rescued from the river will continue on in that river until it plunges them into eternal destruction. It is not what God wants. It is not God sending them, but God has judged that He will not intervene and deliver or rescue a soul that does not expressly desire to turn away from mankind’s declaration of independence and ask to be brought back into fellowship with Himself.

   When we turn our hearts to the Lord and say, “I have had my part in mankind’s declaration of independence from you. I have lived for my Own goals, my Own dreams, my Own ambitions. I wanted to decide for myself what is good and bad and right and wrong. I never considered my creator. At best, I only thought of God when it suited me at the moment. I now realize my lost condition. I see my need for your love, mercy and forgiveness. Thank you for dying on the cross to pay for my part in man’s rebellion. I ask that you would apply the blood of Jesus to my account and save me. I now choose to live for you and will walk in your ways. Amen.

No one goes to hell for this sin or that sin and neither are they saved as a result of this good deed or that good deed. No man can rescue himself from the river of destruction. No religion works or efforts, no good deeds, no charitable acts, no amount of ceremony or ritual can bring a severed branch back into the tree. The ONLY way to be grafted back into the tree of life is to deliberately and intentionally confess to God that you have been cut off because you have had your part in the declaration of independence from God as a sinning soul in need of forgiveness and mercy and to simply ask to be grafted back in. In this, you will be restored to right relationship with God and will be guaranteed entrance into heaven.

   A Muslim, a Buddhist, A Hindu, or any other ‘religious’ person can ever say that. This is not an arrogant statement. It is simply the truth. If you were to ask a person from one of these religious background if they were going to heaven, they would ALL answer, “I HOPE SO.” They can only do their religious acts and HOPE that it is enough. I have lived and worked as a missionary in many countries and have personally asked this question hundreds of times and can tell you that this will ALWAYS be the answer. In there religious view there is no way to ever be sure.

   A real born again Christian will ALWAYS ALWAYS ALWAYS answer that he or she WILL ABSOLUTELY go to heaven. It can be no other way because it is about God keeping His promise and not about whether we naturally deserve it or have done enough to merit it. It is about believing God and receiving His free gift. If I were to not know that I were going to heaven, I would be making God out to be a liar and not faithful to His promises. Read the 3 promises above again. Notice the word ‘Shall’. It is not, ‘perhaps’ or ‘maybe’ or ‘might’.

   It has been said, “ ‘Religion’, is man reaching up to God. Jesus is about ‘Relationship’, where God reached down to man.” Accept the hand of the Lord who has reached down to pull YOU out of the river of destruction and you will never worry about hell again. The wide road that leads to destruction is the way most will choose to travel. They will be so stubborn and proud that they will refuse to humble themselves before the Lord and receive His love and mercy. The narrow road is to choose to accept His gift and from that point walk in His ways. No one ever goes to hell because God sends them there. They go because they refuse to be saved. How about you? What’s it gonna be? The choice is entirely up to you.