If a man like Adolph Hitler sincerely repented of his sins and a lady like Mother Teresa didn’t repent but did the good works she did, who would go to heaven?
QUESTION: If a man like Adolph Hitler sincerely repented of his sins and a lady like Mother Teresa didn’t repent but did the good works she did, who would go to heaven?
ANSWER: Most people cringe at the idea that a man like Adolph Hitler could possibly make it to heaven. At the same time, most people would never consider that a woman like Mother Teresa (Agnes Gonxha Bojaxhiu), with all the wonderful works she did for the poor, could possibly not make it to heaven. 1 Samuel 16:7 tells us that, “…man looketh on the outward appearance, but the LORD looketh on the heart.” Too often, we think nice people go to Heaven while bad people go to Hell. Let’s look into God’s Word to help us answer your good question.
Let’s hear the words of the Lord Jesus in John 6:37, “…him that cometh to me I WILL IN NO WISE CAST OUT.” The Lord will NEVER reject someone who comes to Him in repentance and faith, no matter how bad they were. The Apostle Paul said of himself in 1 Timothy 1:15, “This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that CHRIST JESUS CAME INTO THE WORLD TO SAVE SINNERS; OF WHOM I AM CHIEF.” He further stated that he was, “less than the least of all saints.” (Ephesians 3:8). Yes, Paul was a sinner. Adolf Hitler was a sinner. Mother Teresa was also a sinner. Mary, the earthly mother of Jesus was a sinner. King David was a sinner. Pilate was a sinner. All these were sinners. Indeed, everyone has sinned and therefore is a sinner. The good news is that Christ Jesus came to save sinners. Sinners like Hitler. Sinners like Mother Teresa. Sinners like you and me. 1 Corinthians 15:3 states it clearly. “For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that CHRIST DIED FOR OUR SINS according to the scriptures.”
What about Mother Teresa, or any of the thousands whose lives are testimonies of benevolent works? There are many who give their lives to the betterment of others. Will our good works save us? Will they win us a place in Heaven? What does the Bible have to say about this? Titus 3:5 says, “Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost.” For someone to work hard to earn salvation without putting their faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, their efforts are useless. Their ‘works of righteousness’ are an offense to the Lord. “But we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags; and we all do fade as a leaf; and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away.” (Isaiah 64:6). We also read in Ephesians 2:8-9, “For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast.” Salvation comes by grace through faith. Our works cannot save us. If they could, we could boast about saving ourselves, rendering the death of the Lord Jesus on the cross as unnecessary.
Did Adolf Hitler ever get saved? I have never heard that Adolf Hitler accepted the Lord Jesus as his savior, but had he come to the Lord seeking salvation, the Lord would have gladly redeemed him.
Was Mother Teresa saved? I don’t know, but if she depended on her good works, rather than on the finished work of the Lord Jesus Christ on the cross, she was not saved. In one of her last personal letters, Mother Teresa wrote, “Where is my Faith—even deep down right in there is nothing, but emptiness & darkness—My God—how painful is this unknown pain—I have no Faith—I dare not utter the words & thoughts that crowd in my heart—& make me suffer untold agony.” This just does not sound like one who knew the peace of God as she faced her death.
Perhaps we just do not want to think that terrible people can be saved. Perhaps we like to think that all ‘nice’ people are saved and going to Heaven. As we noted at the beginning of this topic, 1 Samuel 16:7 tells us that “…the LORD looketh on the heart.” He knows what is in our hearts. He knows our desires, our intentions, and our innermost secrets and thoughts. My dear reader, the Lord knows your heart. In spite of all your actions and claims, the Lord knows if you have trusted Christ as your savior. Remember no one is so bad the Lord won’t save them. No one is so good they don’t need to be saved. (CC) (686.4)