Question about saving people.

[Thinktank]

I was just wondering, if I rip two people off $50,000 each in my lifetime,
but I save three people and lead them to God, - do I still pass?

Or in other words, how many people should I save per dishonest dollar I earn,
to still come out ahead?

Let him know, that he which converteth the sinner from the error of his way shall save a soul from death, and shall hide a multitude of sins.
James 5:20

[kgcayenne]

Ask my ex husband & his clan.

[cliffy1]

Tank, you are one devious dude! :-)

1. Nobody can save anybody.
2. What are you saving them from?
3. Whose god are you saving them from?
4. Rules change from one religion to another. Whose rules are we talking about?

Dang, I could do this all day. So let's see who bites your line.

[Ranger66]

“do I still pass?”

If you believe in God you already know the answer, if you don’t believe in God it doesn’t matter.

[Glacier]

Matthew 7 (New Living Translation):

15 “Beware of false prophets who come disguised as harmless sheep but are really vicious wolves. 16 You can identify them by their fruit, that is, by the way they act. Can you pick grapes from thornbushes, or figs from thistles? 17 A good tree produces good fruit, and a bad tree produces bad fruit. 18 A good tree can’t produce bad fruit, and a bad tree can’t produce good fruit. 19 So every tree that does not produce good fruit is chopped down and thrown into the fire. 20 Yes, just as you can identify a tree by its fruit, so you can identify people by their actions.

21 “Not everyone who calls out to me, ‘Lord! Lord!’ will enter the Kingdom of Heaven. Only those who actually do the will of my Father in heaven will enter. 22 On judgment day many will say to me, ‘Lord! Lord! We prophesied in your name and cast out demons in your name and performed many miracles in your name.’ 23 But I will reply, ‘I never knew you. Get away from me, you who break God’s laws.’

24 “Anyone who listens to my teaching and follows it is wise, like a person who builds a house on solid rock. 25 Though the rain comes in torrents and the floodwaters rise and the winds beat against that house, it won’t collapse because it is built on bedrock. 26 But anyone who hears my teaching and doesn’t obey it is foolish, like a person who builds a house on sand. 27 When the rains and floods come and the winds beat against that house, it will collapse with a mighty crash.”

28 When Jesus had finished saying these things, the crowds were amazed at his teaching, 29 for he taught with real authority—quite unlike their teachers of religious law.

[Thinktank]

Glacier. Look at my avatar. do I look like someone who would be a false prophet?

[fluffy]

I was just wondering, if I rip two people off $50,000 each in my lifetime,
but I save three people and lead them to God, - do I still pass?

Maybe, providing you pay the first two back with the appropriate interest added on, you might get into one of heaven's cheaper neighbourhoods.

[Thinktank]

Sure - I'll pay back the people I ripped off.


When hell freezes over.

[fluffy]

Guess you have to burn then.

[OREZ]

I was just wondering, if I rip two people off $50,000 each in my lifetime,
but I save three people and lead them to God, - do I still pass?

Or in other words, how many people should I save per dishonest dollar I earn,
to still come out ahead?

Let him know, that he which converteth the sinner from the error of his way shall save a soul from death, and shall hide a multitude of sins.
James 5:20

Why do you ask? And why do you put James in bold?

[Glacier]

The question begs to be asked, "How does one turn a sinner from the error of his ways?" Surely it is not by being a dishonest hypocritical scumbag.

[Thinktank]

Why do you ask?

The bible says every time I save someone, I cover up a multitude of my own sins.

So I was wondering about these evangelists who have big meetings with thousands of people
in stadiums (like Benny Hinn) - it's possible they are saving people, or else the stadiums wouldn't be full.

I was wondering if those evangelists could then spend $hundreds of thousands of dollars on luxuries
for themselves with the money people give to God, and still be great guys, because they're saving people.

[fluffy]

If they think that all actions are entered into some cosmic ledger somewhere, and that it's possible to "buy" forgiveness for bad deeds by performing good ones, then they're missing the point. It's all about motivation, what's in your heart. If there is no repentance/reparation for the bad deeds there can be no forgiveness no matter how many good deeds are thrown into the mix.

"If you do the right thing for the wrong reasons, the work becomes corrupted, impure, and ultimately self-destructive."
- Lennier

[Hmmm]

The bible says every time I save someone, I cover up a multitude of my own sins.

You're incorrect, the Bible does not say that. "Love covers a multitude of sins". It is the sins of others that are covered.
If you love then you'll forgive others or "cover over". I hope this makes sense to you.

[Glacier]