Trump: ‘I don’t think there’s anything going to get me in heaven’

LifeSite News:  President Donald Trump said over the weekend he doubted that he would make it to heaven, prompting speculation as to whether he was attempting a self-effacing joke or sharing a genuine spiritual worry.

The comment came during a flight on Air Force One Sunday, in response to Fox News reporter Peter Doocy asking about whether brokering a ceasefire and hostage deal between Israel and Hamas would help with his previously stated desire to reach heaven.

“I’m being a little cute — I don’t think there’s anything going to get me in heaven, okay? I really don’t,” Trump answered. “I think I’m not maybe heaven bound. I may be in heaven right now as we fly in Air Force One. I’m not sure I’m gonna be able to make heaven, but I’ve made life a lot better for a lot of people.” Read More…

Opinion: My oldest friend who was a secular Jew passed away recently. It was unexpected. While we had many discussions on matters of faith, and for a time he was reading our blog, and Bible studies, one thought keeps coming to my mind about sin that I am not sure I got across.

Someone has to die.

Romans 6:23: “The payment for sin is death.“ Sounds simple. I knew that. The rest of the verse is even more important “but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

The sin debt is charged to every person who has ever lived. The death sentence they hung Jesus on was really my death sentence. Your sentence. But a pardon was issued by the sacrificial death of the only sinless Man, that would extend forgiveness to all who accept it.

To all who accept it.

“For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life“. John 3:16

Perhaps President Trump would benefit from an 1829-30 Supreme Court case about a convicted criminal named George Wilson, Supreme Court Chief Justice John Marshall, and then-President Andrew Jackson.

My wife editor posts this case every year at my request.

The year was 1829. A man by the name of George Wilson and an accomplice wounded a mail carrier during a robbery of the United States mail. They were arrested, tried and convicted of attempted murder and theft through the U.S. Mail.  Both defendants were sentenced to death. James Porter, the accomplice, was executed on July 2, 1830.

When Wilson was sent to prison, his family made appeal after appeal. Eventually, the appeals reached the desk of then President Andrew Jackson. After he reviewed the files, he offered a pardon to George Wilson. In other words, Wilson received a piece of paper that forgave his ‘sins’ and he didn’t have to die.

They took the news into the prison. Amazingly, George Wilson refused the pardon. He refused the pardon. That set forth a tremendous legal battle because this had never before occurred in American history. The legality of such an action was uncertain.

Eventually, the case worked its way up to the Supreme Court and the decision came down from Chief Justice John Marshall, who, writing for the majority said,

“A pardon is of no effect until it is accepted by the one for whom it is intended. Though it is almost inconceivable that a condemned criminal would refuse a pardon, if he does refuse it, the pardon is of no effect.”

“A pardon is an act of grace, proceeding from the power entrusted with the execution of the laws, which exempts the individual on whom it is bestowed from the punishment the law inflicts for a crime he has committed.”

“A pardon is a deed, to the validity of which delivery is essential, and delivery is not complete without acceptance. It may then be rejected by the person to whom it is tendered; and if it be rejected, we have discovered no power in a court to enforce it on him.”  http://caselaw.findlaw.com/us-supreme-court/32/150.html

In the end, Wilson was hanged.

In the case of law, the above decision stands.

In the case of free will and grace, it stands, also.

It would be best for President Trump, to not be ‘cute’ and to seriously find out how to be certain. I hope my friend found it.