Jerry Falwell's Eternal Destination

This letter to the editor in today's Des Moines Register ticked me off:

I thought that Brian Duffy was being very open-minded to assume that Jerry Falwell went to heaven (May 17 cartoon).

- Connie Yates

Conrad.

Why wouldn't he go to heaven Ms. Yates? Because he was politically active? Because as a pastor he encouraged his flock (and Christians beyond his church) to be responsible citizens and vote their values? While he was not a perfect person, no one is, he loved Jesus Christ and was sincerely serving Him in the way in which he felt he was called. While I am sure I don't agree with everything he believed theologically (the minor points, not major doctrine), I do respect his ministry, his legacy and the contribution he made in the body of Christ.

Ms. Yates, how are you determining who gets in? We all deserve hell. The Bible tells us that, "all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God." That includes Rev. Falwell, you, me and everybody on the planet. The Bible goes on to say that "the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord." Jesus took our punishment, what we richly deserve, so we would not have to. The Bible says that all we have to do is believe that Christ died and rose again, turn from our sin and by faith receive Him as our Lord and Savior. That is the only way one can be sure of heaven. That is the message that Rev. Falwell preached and I'm confident believed and lived. I'll look forward to seeing him when God says my time on earth is up.