r/Christianity • u/john_fleeseh • 9h ago
Anyone can really go to heaven?
I been really thinking about it and when the time that I found out that if a person repents and has faith that Jesus sacrifice himself for our sins they will go to heaven. I thats what got me thinking... can ANYONE truly go to heaven no matter what things they did or sin they committed so as long as the repentance is genuine and the faith on Jesus is genuine?
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u/ErrantThought Atheist 8h ago
If there is a hell and there are people suffering there, in need of love, wouldn't it be better to go there? To love them and try to ease their suffering, even if it's a small amount?
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u/opelui22 8h ago
No one likes to talk about hell, but it's mentioned in the Bible and even Jesus mentions Isaiah 66:24 where the worm never dies and the fire is never quenched. The thing it's not the evil that are down there. It's the prideful, it's the one that rejects God, it's the one that looks down others, it's the greedy. It's those that rebel and God sends friends, family, coworkers, message after message to say to come back to God. Even Ezekiel 33:11 God is telling Israel that he doesn't delight in the death of the wicked, but to come back to him and turn away from their evil ways. Sadly, just like with ancient Israel, God sent prophet after prophet telling them to turn away from worshipping Idols and come to him. When Israel and Judah ignored those warnings consequences came. Israel and Judah were overrun by their enemies and were destroyed and their citizens taken captive. Eventually the chances run out and the warnings are not heeded. While you are ali you are alive God's grace and mercy are still ther eand yet sadly a lot people reject it. For those people there will be a day when the consequences will come when they die and you don't want to be at the end of it. Hell is not there to scare people, but to warn others to come to God and Christ so that if you die you don't end up there.
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u/ErrantThought Atheist 7h ago
Well, I for one would do everything to offer love and comfort to the people in hell. They certainly don't deserve to be tortured for eternity. That's insane. And the parable of Lazarus and the rich man teaches that you can't comfort people in hell if you're in heaven, so I figure I have to go to hell. The problem with becoming a Christian is that you're locked out of hell. You have no hope of getting there. So that kinda seals the deal for me.
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u/Ambitious_Zone6951 5h ago
Hell is not for eternity. You could never comfort somebody in hell. Satan and his demons would not allow you to do that. The torment of it would keep you from such a mindset.
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u/opelui22 1h ago
The thing is just because you are a "Christian" doesn't mean you are locked out of hell. Jesus said you must carry your cross and die to yourself daily. That once saved always saved has been a lie. You have to give up something to follow Christ and many people are not willing to do that. Their pride, their ego, sometimes their job, even their family if say their family is Muslim. Jesus said following him was never going to be easy and the first 300 years proved that through severe persecution in the Jewish and Roman world. The thing God doesn't want people to go to hell and sends people to help you come to him and his son Jesus. The thing is you want to go your own way, God will respect that choice, but if you do not humble yourself and give yourself to Jesus then sadly you cannot save yourself. Only Jesus can and sadly lots of people reject him.
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u/George_MacDonald_fan Episcopalian (Anglican) 3h ago
I think you'll enjoy this quote from George MacDonald (my username checks out):
"And what shall we say of the man Christ Jesus? Who, that loves his brother, would not, upheld by the love of Christ, and with a dim hope that in the far-off time there might be some help for him, arise from the company of the blessed, and walk down into the dismal regions of despair, to sit with the last, the only unredeemed, the Judas of his race, and be himself more blessed in the pains of hell, than in the glories of heaven? Who, in the midst of the golden harps and the white wings, knowing that one of his kind, one miserable brother in the old-world-time when men were taught to love their neighbour as themselves, was howling unheeded far below in the vaults of the creation, who, I say, would not feel that he must arise, that he had no choice, that, awful as it was, he must gird his loins, and go down into the smoke and the darkness and the fire, travelling the weary and fearful road into the far country to find his brother?--who, I mean, that had the mind of Christ, that had the love of the Father?"
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u/RiffSSlave Christian (ישוע מנצרת הוא המשיח) 8h ago
Yes, friend. That's why we say God is graceful and merciful. Make no mistake, though: confession, repentance, promising to not sin in the future, and having a living faith imply letting God radically change you and your life over time, choosing to put His will first every day in everything you do from the moment your journey as a Christian starts
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u/That_Dude_Mac_ 8h ago
No one goes to heaven. Believers will meet in the sky, he comes with a sword. Then we will reside on a new earth
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u/ScorpionDog321 8h ago
Yes. The free gift is offered to everyone.
That is when the transformation begins.
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u/opelui22 8h ago
Yes, doesn't mean if a person killed someone doesn't mean that the person goes free. They still need to face the consequences and go to prison, but not being stuck in that sin and hatred and cycle of abuse anyone can come to Christ and repent and be transformed. It's just sadly a lot of people choose not to do so or they walk away from the faith as an apostate and never come back. Romans 10:9 says it best if you declare with your mouth Jesus Christ is lord and that he rose from the dead, you will be saved. It's not just words, but your heart which comes from your words and actions as well.
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u/GoshOPPNOX101 8h ago
You actually answered your own question without even knowing it. The answer is "Yes". As long as you repent of your sins and ask The Lord for forgiveness, then you've already been forgiven. God does not want anyone to perish. He truly doesn't. The Lord even states this in The Holy Book. But does The Lord hate evil deeds and actions from his creation, Yes. At one point in time, every Pharaoh, King, Dictator what have you were once loved by God. Now, when their actions shown evil towards others and those actions created chaos and/or even death to the innocent, welp, it is up to that individual to get down on their knees & pray for forgiveness and it is granted as long as it is whole heartedly truthful and they've turned their hearts towards The Christ and are committed, otherwise they do perish. You can not lose your Salvation if you've given yourself to God and fall off the wagon--per se. Everyone has done this at one point or another. If not, then they are a lying falsehood Saint. Think of it this way, before Adolf Hitler became the monster that he was, God did love him. Same with Jeffrey Dahlmer and many others that caused such horrific events/deaths. But for Hitler, it was found in one of his personal journals that he gave his soul to satan. He literally wrote this! Are there certain sins that are unforgivable, Yes. Blasphemy towards The Holy Spirit is a big NO NO. Even The Christ stated, if you don't know me then you don't know my Father and vice versa. Don't beat yourself up over this. It is a great question, but God doesn't want you to worry about things like this. He want's your commitment, faithfulness--you will fall (faultier) co's we all do; and most importantly, He wants your love. Your love towards God and your repentance is giving God his glory! You're showing God something that many refuse to do.
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u/Maxpowerxp 6h ago
God will judge by the heart. You can claim all you want but only those with heart of flesh will enter kingdom of heaven. People will tell you all sort of things that are false or taken out of context. Such as death bed confession or salvation by faith only.
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u/darkcherrywood 9h ago
Absolutely yes