Verified answer

That has to be some of the most stupid logic I've heard all day! I thought Jesus had said something about good fruits or something like that. I'll have to google it.

The Biblical conclusion is that Faith matters more than Deeds.

This does not mean that deeds are not important, it is a correct recognition that what we do is driven by what we believe.

The fact that Christians have the true faith, but still sin is consistent with the fact that we still live in a sin cursed world and have not yet entered into heaven proper. God recognises that we cannot achieve perfection as and where we currently are, so Jesus has paid in advance for sins. He did this because we believed and had faith in Him.

It should also be noted that the more a Christian is obedient to Scripture and the teachings of Jesus the better their behaviour. This is not generally recognised because (1) There are fewer true Christians than you might think and (2) secular, cultural and subjective standards of 'goodness' are inferior to what God's view of goodness really is - they are arbitrary and often self-serving.

Regarding heaven and hell, heaven is a place in the presence of God, hell is a place where God has removed Himself. When a person does not believe in God and rejects God, hell is where they are begging to go - a place without God. This is consistent with the teaching that Jesus does not condemn but we condemn ourselves. This is also in line with the Christian teaching of God's grace and mercy, for although people are currently unbelievers and rejecting God, he leaves then here on Earth (with some knowledge of his presence) for a time so that they might change their minds.

So again, doing deeds to gain recognition or to satisfy yourself does not deal with you sin. Sinful people cannot approach a Holy God. So they must choose to deal with their sin through Jesus or be eternally separated from Him.

HTH

“Going to heaven or hell has nothing to do with how good a person is.”

That's too limited of a statement. A Christian believes that they cannot get to Heaven based upon how "good" they are because all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God.

But at the same time they also believe that when a person is born again by God's Spirit that God changes them on the inside over time and they become what we might call "better" people.

They also believe that a "bad" person can go to Heaven when they repent of their sins and trust in the Lord Jesus to save them. But they don't believe that someone who lives an evil life while claiming to believe the gospel message is going to Heaven because they are mere "professors" of the Christian faith and not true Christians.

Ephesians 2:8 For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith--and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God-- 9 not by works, so that no one can boast. 10 For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.

1 John 3:7 Dear children, do not let anyone lead you astray. He who does what is right is righteous, just as he is righteous. 8 He who does what is sinful is of the devil, because the devil has been sinning from the beginning. The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the devil's work. 9 No one who is born of God will continue to sin, because God's seed remains in him; he cannot go on sinning, because he has been born of God. 10 This is how we know who the children of God are and who the children of the devil are: Anyone who does not do what is right is not a child of God; nor is anyone who does not love his brother.

A person in hell in life, could be awful, or one of the best people on earth, it depends on their behaviors. A good person isn't self-defeating, and tries to minimize defeating of others.

All people who believe anything are just wishing that what they want is true. Belief=Wishful thinking.

Anyone who believes that I am going to Hell, wants me there. If I am going to relate to the person, I am going to have to accept that he/she wishes me ill. Of course, they are willing to forgive me if I will join them in their delusion, so they are not completely controlled by their hate. The problem here is how to encourage them to open their hearts enough to swallow their dogma.

Kuma

They're crazy.

They believe in predetermination.

They don't believe in good and evil, right and wrong.

They're a JW.

They're more structural and less spiritual in their approach to such matters.

Um,,, I ran out.

That the god who created such has no Mercy, isn't Just, nor Loving... IS a respector of people... is Sadistic to even come up with "eternal torment"...

Another teaching that is connected to that, is the idea that anything good YOU do, "god" gets the credit... but if you do something bad - well, then YOU get all the credit.

That person apparently believes that hitler may be up in heaven right now.

The conclusion would be that this person believes a lie. Easy believeism is never taught in the Bible. In fact the opposite is, by Jesus Himself. Both faith and works resulting from that faith ARE necessary.

John 14:12 Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me, the works that I do shall he do also; and greater works than these shall he do; because I go unto my Father.

Acts 9:36 Now there was at Joppa a certain disciple named Tabitha, which by interpretation is called Dorcas: this woman was full of good works and almsdeeds which she did.

Eph 2:10 For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.

1 Tim 6:17-19 Charge them that are rich in this world, that they be not highminded, nor trust in uncertain riches, but in the living God, who giveth us richly all things to enjoy, that they do good, that they be rich in good works, ready to distribute, willing to communicate; Laying up in store for themselves a good foundation against the time to come, that they may lay hold on eternal life.

Titus 1:16 They profess that they know God; but in works they deny him, being abominable, and disobedient, and unto every good work reprobate.

Titus 2:14 Who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works.

James 2:26 For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also.

The key to the understanding is on the equivocation with the word “faith.” In the “faith without deeds [or works] is dead” line, “faith” is inauthentic faith.

Said another way, real faith will lead to real works – i.e., good works done for God’s glory. Inauthentic faith will lead to no works or works done for self-glorification. Either way, inauthentic faith isn’t faith at all.

But if you do good works but don’t have genuine faith, then you are just as spiritually dead, because the works aren’t really “good.” They are done for your glory and not for God’s. Works without faith is just as dead.

They said that in response to a specific question about an atheist doing good works but never believing in God.

They said that it doesn't mater what that atheist does, because if he/she never believes in God- it's meaningless.