Thanks for all the great questions. I’m about half way through the list of questions already submitted. Feel free to continue submitting your questions.
Today’s question is an interesting one:
If we are all going to Heaven, and our sins have been paid for, how are bad people made accountable?
In one sense, this is a tough question to answer because of how it’s worded. If the statements made prior to the question are true, then it is hard to answer. The key is if.
You see, I don’t believe the initial statement is true. I don’t believe that we all go to Heaven. I’d even have to add a “yes, but …” to the second statement, “all our sins have been paid for …” Heck, since I’m on a roll, I would even challenge the perspective of the actual question!
Let me explain.
Universalism
The idea that we are all going to Heaven is one of the core teachings of Universalism. The teaching basically suggests that in the end, everyone is saved. After all, a loving God would never send anyone to an eternal hell. Because Jesus paid the price for all sin, everyone is saved, whether they know it or not.
However, I don’t believe the Bible teaches that. A careful reading of the New Testament seems to suggest that not everyone will experience Heaven. While there are many Scripture passages I could quote, let me point to a story Jesus told. In Luke 16:19–31, Jesus tells the story of a poor beggar named Lazarus and a rich man. Both men died, however only one went to Heaven. In the story, the rich man begs Abraham to allow Lazarus to get him some water to quench his thirst. However, he is told that there is a great divide between the place where the rich man dwells and where the beggar is in Heaven. At the end of the story, the rich man pleads for someone to be sent to tell his relatives about this terrible place and warn them of what awaits them after death. It is clear from the story that Jesus is suggesting that not everyone will make Heaven their home.
But how can a loving God do that? To be honest, that’s the wrong question. A loving God doesn’t do that. We do. You see, we are born sinful. Ask any parent of a child going through their “terrible two’s” and they’ll tell you that we don’t have to teach people to be bad. It’s in our nature. We are broken, sinful, and under the power of our sin. And yet, in the midst of our state, God provides a way to freedom. He does that through his son, Jesus Christ. When Christ died on the Cross, he took the penalty for all sin. He paid the price. In that sense, the second part of today’s question is accurate: all our sins are paid for.
However, many people never receive that gift of having their sins paid for. We must apply it to our lives by acknowledging our own sinfulness and receiving the gift of what Jesus did for us. I often refer to this act as accepting that He’s God, I’m not. It a nutshell, it’s recognizing that I when I rule my life, I screw up. When I submit my life to God’s will, I flourish.
Bad People
So, in that sense, “bad people” are held accountable for their wrong deeds. But here’s where we need perspective. What do we mean when we say bad people? How do we define bad? Are we talking about serial killers? Child abusers? Murderers? Or are we talking about the people who do bad things to us personally? What about the person who lies about what they’re declaring at the border? Are they bad people? Is the person who tells their boss they are sick because they want to go riding all day a bad person?
You see, as soon as we decide we want to see bad people held accountable for their wrong doings, we find ourselves on a slippery slope. If I truly understand that I am a sinful person in need of God’s grace given to me through Jesus Christ, then I acknowledge that I am a bad person. If it wasn’t for God’s grace, I should be held accountable for my bad deeds. In fact, I am held accountable. That’s the amazing news of the Bible: I am accountable for my sin. The penalty for my sin is separation from God. However, Jesus paid the price for my sin when he died on the cross. When I apply his gift of grace, my slate is wiped clean and I am forgiven of my sin.
That good news is for everyone. Even the people we deem to be bad people.
Many years ago, a well known serial killer claimed to become a Christian while in jail. He had no hope for parole, and so his conversion wasn’t a “jailhouse conversion.” He knew he would die in jail. And yet, he claimed to have found forgiveness through God’s grace. Many people were offended that he would make such a claim, including many Christians. They struggled with the idea that this man could claim to have found peace with God. And yet, if we truly believe what the Bible teaches, then we must accept that even the baddest of the bad can find forgiveness. In fact, the Apostle Paul claimed he was the “chief of sinners” and yet God offered him grace.
Thought provoking, yes? I’d love to hear what you think in the comments section.
