Christians On The Rampage?

Q

What about someone who asks God into their heart and truly meant it but later got mixed up in the wrong kind of life … maybe, they are killers, pedophiles, thieves, etc. What about these folks?

This is always a tough one when explaining things to my daughter and even my husband for that matter. My daughter was abused as a young child and sometimes it’s difficult for her to understand that this pedophile could one day share a cloud with her in heaven.

Likewise my husband, will say things like, “my ex won’t be going to heaven” and I often remind him that she is no different than anyone else and if she asks Jesus into her heart and means it she too will be sharing a cloud in heaven.

Many people don’t quite grasp that they won’t feel this hurt and anger they feel here on earth in Heaven, they think it will carry on. I know in the Bible and I’m sorry I don’t know where but, “the wages of sin is death” isn’t this statement speaking of a physical death not spiritual?

A

I get this same kind of question from those who deny the Doctrine of Grace. They ask, “If we’re saved by Grace, then what’s to stop us from becoming murderers and rapists?.” I’ve honestly never heard of someone who has been saved, with the Holy Spirit being sealed inside them, then becoming a killer or a rapist or a pedophile. The reason of course is that when a person is saved, the Holy Spirit comes to live within them and begins helping them clean up their lives, not making them worse.

There have been a few sensational cases involving famous Christian personalities and sexual sin, but there were unusual factors involved there. For the most part, it just doesn’t work that way.

What I have heard of, many times over, is the worst sort of criminal becoming saved afterward, and even doing great things for the Lord. That’s because we’re saved because of our beliefs, not our behavior. The man on the cross beside Jesus had done something so bad that he was being executed for it. But when He asked Jesus to remember him, the Lord promised he would be in paradise that very day. It’s never too late to confess and be forgiven.

We should also remember that in God’s eyes the anger we feel towards the ones who hurt us makes us as big a sinner as they are. (Matt. 5:22 & Ephes. 4:26) If He can forgive us, why not them?

In Heaven, we won’t remember those things, (Isaiah 65:17 & Rev. 21:4) but we’re commanded to forgive each other on Earth because failing to do so leaves us in sin and interrupts our Fellowship with God.

The wages of sin is death comes from Romans 6:23 and relates to physical death.