Topic:  Can old though confessed sins keep a person from going to heaven?

Source of this posting: Moderator response

Date originally posted: July 29, 2004

Moderator who originally posted this source: Father Phillip

Question:  Hello there! I've been thinking about this recently and I would love a response. I've beeen fearing the fact that hell exist and I might go there because of my past sins. So here is my questions, can God hold us accountable for old sins that has already been confessed (even the REALLY bad ones)? For example....if a serial kill who is in jail now and is sorry that he killed all of those people decides to confess these sins and promise not to do it again (which he probably cant since he is in jail)...can he still journey into heaven someday or is his old sins of killing hold him back since its such a horrible sin?? Thank you!

Answer: 

God is not an accountant Who tabulates sins and decides on the basis of past accounts who goes to heaven and who goes to hell.

Jesus reveals the essence, as it were, of the Divine Self as the ultimately and infinitely loving, compassionate, forgiving God.

Jesus taught us to call God "Abba," that is "Daddy." Just as in a healthy human family a child would trust her/his Daddy completely, so Jesus invites us to trust our Divine Daddy utterly.

God doesn't want to send anybody to hell. Rather, God wants to have us enjoy eternally the glory of heaven. Otherwise, why would God have gone to "all the trouble" -- so to speak -- to send Jesus Who died for us and Who rose so that we might have eternal life?!?

God is not looking for a chance to "nail" us for past sins. Instead, God is constantly looking for opportunities to give us grace and forgiveness.

So, every sin that is confessed in the Sacrament of Reconciliation is forgiven. Period. It's over. Done. Past. "As far as the east is from the west," the Scriputres say that is how far God puts our sins away from us.

And even if -- through some kind of omission that was not intentional -- we have forgotten to confess sins, God still wants to offer and does in fact give us the grace of mercy and forgiveness.

Remember the thief who was crucified beside Jesus: that theif did not -- technically -- go to Confession. Yet Jesus Himself assures the thief that he will be with Jesus in paradise -- because the thief had opened his heart to Jesus. So, we can even say that a person -- perhaps with his/her very last breath -- who opens his/her heart to God without availing him/herself of the Sacraments can be forgiven and can enter the eternal kingdom.

So, loosen up! Trust God! God loves you and wants you to experience the fullness of that divine love.

Blessings!