Our summer meal was light: Chicken Caesar Salads. A sharp contrast to our heavy dinner conversation…..
“Do you mean to say that if Hitler had asked God’s forgiveness and received Christ, he’d go to heaven?”
I nodded. The expression on my guest’s face told me If that’s true, life’s not fair.
It’s True, based on scripture: “By grace, we are saved through faith; and that not of ourselves, it is the gift of God; not as a result of works, that no one should boast” (Ephesians 2:8,9). If we can earn our way to heaven, then why the Cross?
But I agree, it’s not fair if a man who exterminated people like cockroaches can be forgiven and receive eternal salvation. Who in his right mind would want to absolve Hitler or his henchmen? May they rot in hell….wouldn’t that be justice?
As we washed salad bowls, I thought about God’s grace — the power to save a human soul. Yes, even the souls of leading Nazis who were the most hated men of their time.
The Cross and the Swastika by F.T. Grossmith (Pacific Press Publishing Assoc.,1989) tells what happened to Hitler’s men during their last months in Nuremberg.
US Army Chaplain, Major Henry Gerecke was assigned to them as their spiritual adviser. Dealing with Hess and Goring wasn’t easy, but the chaplain prayed for the ability to love Hitler’s gang and share the hope of Christ. “He saw several of his ‘congregation’ come to Christ before he accompanied them to the gallows.”
This testimony of God’s all encompassing grace reminded me of a television documentary. Prison inmates dressed in starched white uniforms, clean-shaven, with cropped haircuts, stood onstage. Their voices rose in unison as they sang the Christian hymn Amazing Grace.
What hideous crimes had they committed to become society’s prisoners? And yet, by God’s grace, these men’s hearts were transformed from criminals to saints.
Nazis, Convicts, Myself….all guilty, to some degree, of breaking God’s law.
Trusting Christ as our Savior…..all pardoned and cleansed, by the blood of Jesus. And His finished work on the cross.
No one is beyond God’s redeeming grace. And that is amazing!
“Purify me with hyssop, and I shall be clean; Wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow” Psalm 51:7
“If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness” 1 John 1:9
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Even In This 
Sin is sin is sin…I keep forgetting and prefer to rank my sin so it doesn’t seem quite so wicked. Thanking my God for His wonderful and matchless grace of Jesus!!!
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oops – didn’t mean to capitalize his and he when I was talking about Hitler!
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When we think of God forgiving Hitler, we think of the arrogant and hateful that Hitler we know – not a completely broken Hitler, devastated by His sin, feeling horrible about HIs actions, being willing to give anything to not have done what He did. That’s the only Hitler God would forgive.
To me it shows how compassionate God is – that He’s willing to forgive anyone, including Hitler. And in truth – I’m a lot more like Hitler than I am like God.
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I’m so grateful for your truthful insights. You are absolutely correct. We associate forgiveness as a blanket pardon…but a repentant, humble heart precedes it. Psalm 51:17 “The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; A broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise.”
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so true…and sadly, such a hard pill for most of the world to swallow….I keep reminding myself that if God would forgive me…what right do I have to even consider that he might not forgive someone else? good read!
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Agreed! We love to use the name of Hitler as the ultimate evil man, but he is not alone when it comes to bloodshed. And because we use him as our standard of holiness, we tend to elevate our own worthiness. When in fact, the Bible says “There’s no one righteous. No not one.”
Thank you for the feedback. 🙂
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it’s hard for some to even consider that Hitler could have been forgiven…because they assume that forgiveness means the consequences of our actions will be erased…
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Well said. Justification by faith often hits a raw nerve. Unfortunately, it’s easier to judge others while accepting grace for ourselves.
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