Daily Devotional for Monday September 5, 2005

Could Dennis Rader aka the BTK Killer be in Heaven when He dies?

(John 3:16, Ephesians 2:8,9, Romans 10:9,10)

This is a question I have been asked lately and really puts to the test the words of Jesus, ?That whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life.? The answer is YES, Dennis Rader could be in Heaven when he dies. If it is impossible for Rader to be in Heaven when he dies, then it is impossible for you and I to be in Heaven when we die. You see my friend, Jesus died for the sins of ALL mankind. He died for the sins of Dennis Rader just like He died for the sins of you and me.

If you ask me to speculate on whether Rader is saved, only God knows his heart but I would say almost without hesitation that he is not. Dennis Rader does not worship Jesus Christ, he worshiped himself. If at some point prior to his death he gets on his knees and asks Christ to forgive him of his sins and invites the Lord into his heart by faith, then like the thief on the cross he most assuredly would be in Heaven for all eternity. However, it is clear that this man who committed these heinous and brutal murders over 3 decades has no remorse for what he has done and his heart remains hardened.

Some people have a very difficult time with the fact that someone like the BTK Killer could be saved. Every family has an Uncle Joe or Aunt Judy who are ?good people.? They don?t go to church, they don?t read the Bible, and they really don?t want to hear that ?Jesus stuff.? However, they don?t drink, smoke, or do drugs, they pay their taxes, they don?t kick their dog, and they give money every year to Jerry?s kids. They also help their neighbor or whoever is in need, don?t hurt anybody, and are the kindest, sweetest people you will ever meet. Yet, the Bible says that if they die without accepting Christ, they will spend eternity in hell!

Dennis Rader, a killer, can repent and ask Christ into his heart and be saved, however, Uncle Joe or Aunt Judy live good lives helping others but don?t believe in Jesus and they are cast into everlasting darkness. It doesn?t seem right. You see my friend, it is your SIN that separates you from God your Creator. God in His infinite love and mercy made a way for His fallen creation to be reconciled back into an everlasting relationship with Him. God?s plan to redeem fallen man was to send His Son Jesus Christ to this earth to die as the perfect one-time sacrifice for the sins of the world. That is why it is ONLY faith in Jesus that can save you, since it was ONLY Jesus who died for your sins.

There is no other way for man to be reconciled back to God but through faith in Jesus Christ. You can?t buy your way back to God. There is no amount of good works you can ever do to get back to God. The ONLY way back to God is by putting your faith and trust in Jesus Christ. That is why Uncle Joe or Aunt Judy can live ?good? lives but be lost for eternity. It is their sin that keeps them eternally separated from God. That is why a murderer like Dennis Rader can know God?s free gift of everlasting life. It is his faith in Jesus Christ that washes away his sins to allow him to be eternally with God.

I love you and care about you so much. I want you to hear what I am about to say to you loud and clear. There is nothing that you have ever done that God can?t forgive you for. One of the things I hear often in dealing with the lost is that they have sinned so bad, God could never forgive them. My dear friend, listen to me closely. There is NO SIN, NO THING, you have ever done that God can?t forgive you for. If you will humble yourself before the Lord, ask Him to forgive you, HE WILL in accordance with the promises in His Word.

One of those great promises is found in 1 John 1:9 where the Bible says, ?If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.? God?s grace and forgiveness is infinite. His mercy is endless. No matter what you have done, if you will simply go to the Lord right now, ask Him to forgive you, HE WILL!

Could Dennis Rader be saved? If he would confess his sins to God, asked God to forgive him, and invite Jesus Christ into his heart and life by faith, YES! Can YOU be saved? If you confess your sins to God, ask God to forgive you, and invite Jesus Christ into your heart and life by faith, YES!

If you have never done that before, or you don?t have the assurance that if you died you would be forever with the Lord, take a moment right now, pray and ask God to open your heart and read the words at this link: http://www.liveprayer.com/bdy_salvatn.html.