Why You’ll See Ellen DeGeneres in Heaven
Conservative talk show host Michael Savage calls her, “Ellen DeGenerate.” I call Ellen DeGeneres “heaven-bound.”
Why?
When describing the actions of those who will enter the Kingdom of Heaven, Jesus says,
For I was hungry, and you fed me. I was thirsty, and you gave me a drink. I was a stranger, and you invited me into your home. I was naked, and you gave me clothing. I was sick, and you cared for me. I was in prison, and you visited me.
Simply put, Jesus says the Kingdom of Heaven belongs to those who move with compassion. With mercy.
Jesus’ half-brother spoke clearly to what it means to be a “religious” person. James said, “Pure and genuine religion in the sight of God the Father means caring for orphans and widows in their distress and refusing to let the world corrupt you.” Seems pretty vague doesn’t it? Perhaps that’s on purpose.
Good Fruit, Bad Fruit
I just watched Ellen give $10,000 in cash to two struggling single mothers. She does this a lot. They went ballistic. Then they cried. Then they hugged Ellen and said, “God bless you.”
Last week, I watched her swap a single mom’s broken-down beater with a brand new car. Free. Needless to say, the mom was fairly pleased.
I’m willing to bet that if you asked any person on staff, they would tell you that working there is a dream. They probably love it. Generosity–mercy–has a way of attracting people like a magnet.
When you watch Ellen, you get the sense that she’s giving out of something greater than the need to inflate her own ego. There is a purity in her generosity. There is mercy in her actions.
Jesus also said that you can judge a tree by it’s fruit. You know what type of tree you have by the fruit on its branches.
Good tree = good fruit.
Bad tree = bad fruit.
Excuse Me, Sir? Your Kardia Is Showing
To be perfectly honest, I see more fruit–good fruit–being produced in Ellen’s life in one short hour on daytime TV than I do in the lives of many Christians. And if the Kingdom of Heaven belongs to those who produce the fruit of mercy, who’s to say that Ellen doesn’t have a seat at the table?
Is it because she’s married to a woman?
There’s a time and place to debate homosexuality and the consequences that come with it. But the more I read the words of Jesus, the more I realize this was a man motivated by mercy. He seemed to always point back to the heart (Greek: kardia–the center of your spiritual life). It’s as if Jesus continuously had to say to those who were so eager to point out the sins of others, “Yes, yes. I see the behavior. We’ll get to that. But first, let’s look beneath the surface and see what’s really going on.” Good fruit … or bad?
When Jesus looks at the heart of Ellen, I think he sees some really good fruit. And that’s why you’ll see Ellen DeGeneres in the Kingdom of Heaven.
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UPDATE 1: At the suggestion of a reader, I feel I should mention that I believe Jesus is at the helm of it all. 100% YES. Born. Died. Rose again. Affirmed.
UPDATE 2: Before you comment, please read “Ellen Part Two“.
These kind of questions and thoughts confuse, frustrate, and leave me wondering more…but I love them think about them. My problem is I want an answer, you know, is she going to heaven or not? Is that super christian at church going to heaven? Stuff like that. Then when I step back and realize that I would never want to have that burden of deciding who gets in or not I am thankful and the continue to try and follow the scriptures.
I think we will see a lot more “Ellens” in heaven then we will see “Michael Savages” in heaven.
Preach, preacher.
Good post.
Jesus cares more about the heart than behavioral modification? Strange.
I'm confused.
Are you saying anyone that does good things goes to heaven? Are you saying that only Christians are capable of doing selfless acts of kindness (and since Ellen does selfless acts she must therefore be saved)? Has Ellen ever professed her faith in Jesus as the Messiah? Has she ever repented of her sin and received Christ by grace?
I have no desire to point fingers at anyone – my questions aren't about Ellen as much as they are about your perception of what one must do to be saved. Just wondering how you see these things.
Ok, I am confused at your theological approach to this. Are you suggesting that good works get us into heaven? I agree that there are many good people, who do many good things on earth but Paul says in Romans 10:9-10 “that if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved; for with the heart a person believes, resulting in righteousness, and with the mouth he confesses, resulting in salvation.”
There are requirements, simple yes, but required nonetheless for salvation. I agree that we will see people that we never expected in heaven and we will be surprised to see who isn't there. But, let's not think that good works are all where it's at.
“Has Ellen ever professed her faith in Jesus as the Messiah? Has she ever repented of her sin and received Christ by grace? “
I don't know the answer to that. Do you?
I do know what her actions show. Good fruit.
B – Fair enough. You ask, “Are you suggesting that good works get us into heaven?”
No.
In regards to Romans 10, how do you know she hasn't done this? Ultimately, you can't know. But what you can see is good fruit. Ellen produces good fruit.
As much as I love and admire Ellen (and I do, she's one of my fave celebs) for her humanitarian efforts, aren't me missing something? Like a confession of Christ as Lord? Otherwise, how can a person be Christian without actively acknowledging Jesus as their Saviour and the motivating factor for why they do what they do? A humanitarian isn't necessarily a Christian, and a Christian SHOULD be a humanitarian – but the failure of some people who profess themselves to be Christian but don't represent Christ at all should not be the benchmark for which to judge the level of helping the poor. Christ is the benchmark, not humans who fail, repeatedly. And those who don't really have a relationship with Christ, whether they call themselves Christian or not, will have to answer for their decisions with the Big Man Himself, not with me.
Jesus came to reconcile mankind with God, it's the basis of Christianity – to provide us with a way to be in relationship with Him, through His absolute sacrifice. But He asks us to follow Him. How do we follow Him if we don't acknowledge Him as God? I am fully aware of the grace of God that can do amazing things, but I'm sorry, I don't see repentance, salvation (& by default, being ambassadors for Christ & acting for Him on this earth) as negotiables.
So no, it's not because she's married to a woman, that's kind of beside the fact. I really do hope I'd see Ellen in heaven, in fact I make a point of praying for that daily.
Jesus does point to the heart, but I think the more valid question He asks is “Am I there?”
You're right, we don't know if she has accepted Christ. But if you apply the same kind of logic, you're only going to see what you perceive as 'good fruit', not anything negative – you don't know her, so to comment on her presence in heaven by her good works is a moot point. You don't see what happens in private. You just may not know the whole story well enough to make such a broad judgment in your post about her position in Christ or outside of it.
We're dealing with someone we only ever see through the filter of Hollywood. You don't know their life behind closed doors, so shouldn't you apply the same logic to your opinion on this as much as you ask the commenters to do the same?
Good fruit only comes from a healthy plant. We have to be careful to not assume the inside of a plant is healthy. Some plants and fruit simply look 'good' on the outside. Justin, to say 'that's why you'll see Ellen DeGeneres in the Kingdom of Heaven” is a bit presumptive.
There's only One who can create make a plant healthy and good enough to be fruit-worthy.
I have quite a bit of respect for you, Justin, but some of this is based on assumption. I think you're opening the door to a conversation about Islam and Mormonism and working your way towards heaven.
Of course, I still dig your blog though. You hooked me into the conversation.
Titus 3:5 – not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us, through the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit,
Romans 3:10 – There is none righteous, no, not one;
You're basing your statement that she's going to heaven by taking one verse out of it's context. If you're going to do that, then what about this verse? 1 Corinthians 6:9 – Do you not know that the wicked will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: Neither the sexually immoral nor idolaters nor adulterers nor male prostitutes nor homosexual offenders.
You can say almost anything by reading just one verse out of context.
Justin, this is an honest question… Did you title this post and stake out a position to be intentionally misleading, therefore “controversial,” in order to generate blog traffic?
This theology is not only messy – it is dangerous. Faith in Jesus is THE way to God. No one gets to the Father, except through Jesus.
I understand writing provocative titles works. Readers come. Comments come. But either I question your theological maturity, or I question your judgment with this post.
Is there another option? Let me know. Usually I go out of my way to encourage bloggers, and I am not out to jump into fruitless arguments. I subscribe to your posts and appreciate your skill as a communicator and a thought-provoking fellow brother. But I had to press back on this.
I'd say the title was probably intentional. But not really misleading.
The title of the post is explained in the body of the post…it's not like writing something along the lines of “FREE SEX!!” and then the post being about how to obtain Spectacular Elephant Xrays.
Always late to the party, but here goes…
I don't think anyone is suggesting a works based righteousness as some have protested… but neither does the bible REALLY say that all you have to do is mentally believe in Jesus and say with your mouth “Jesus is Lord” and you will be in heaven someday! Plenty of people confess because they are scared of hell and never produce fruit… which is the crux of this post. I think what Justin is saying and I whole heartedly agree is, fruit is a better indicator of God's grace in ones life than confession. And reading some comments helped me see that some people have that twisted. Most Christians think if you just say the magic words of the “sinners prayer”, presto your going to heaven, while Jesus makes it pretty clear that neither good works nor magic prayers get you into his kingdom… knowing God is the only thing that heaven requires, and following Jesus is the only way to know God… “I and the Father Are One!”
So the question remains, is Ellen following Jesus…
We don't know, but neither do we really know if the preacher on TV is really following Jesus or playing God's people for their money, yet he “confesses”…
Peace n Blessings…
On a side note, check out this guys song about Ellen, its awesome… he also has the best version of Pants on the Ground hands down!!!
http://www.youtube.com/user/BMorgan1088#p/u
Well said, Tony. Thanks for clarifying some of my thoughts. I appreciate it, bro!
Dude. This made me laugh out loud.
No. I promise you …. I have learned my lesson the hard way that sensationalism rarely works.
That being said, was the headline designed to attract readers? You bet. And it worked. But that is standard fare for any sort of writing–you embody in one sentence what the post is about. Sensationalism would have been if I said something like, “Michael Savage Hates All Lesbians”. I briefly mention Savage in the first sentence and then nowhere else. That title would have been designed purely to grab attention with no tie-in to the rest of the article.
See the difference?
Hopefully “part two” will help clarify some of your concerns. Make sure to check it out. Thanks!
Glad to be a part of the conversation… the real question remains, did you check out the Ellen song?
I think Nate Beaird is more concerned with Ellen's “homosexual lifestyle” than God is.
Think about Ellen before you vote to ban her from having the same right to marry who she loves that you have.
Ellen spreads kindness, compassion, and love. What do most Christians give her back? Discrimination and laws banning her from having the same rights as everyone else.
Yet STILL Ellen smiles and marches on and her compassion only grows, no matter how many laws Christians pass against her and how many of life's joys they ban her from.
Ellen has an amazing spirit.
I agree with the judgement that many Christians, including myself, give to the homosexual community. We are not supposed to judge the sinner, that is reserved for God, but we are supposed to acknowledge the sin and let known what God is clearly against. Christians are not creating laws against same-sex marriage, it is already God's law, which we as Christians are supposed to uphold and stand up for.
The joy that Ellen (and all sinners) feel is not the fullest of joy that God wants us to have. She can have an amazing spirit, but it's not as amazing as the Holy Spirit that lives in me.
Let me clarify, I agree with @Steven on his statement that there is judgement towards the homosexual community, not that I agree with it
The Bible never calls on you to force “Gods law” onto others. Preach it? Yes. Share it? Yes.
But ban other people from following their beliefs? No. The Bible never calls on you to do that.
Why do you deserve more legal rights than Ellen? Why should you be able to follow your beliefs of marriage, but she should not?
Shouldnt it be ELLEN's choice who she marries, and let God be the judge?
Banning gay people from having the same legal rights that you have is part of that judgement.
I view marriage as a gift from God, not a human right. That being said, if I believe that marriage is only a gift given by God, then I know he only gives that gift to a male and female because that's what his word says.
God did not put you in charge of handing out his gifts.
You are entitled to follow your beliefs of marriage, but why shouldnt Ellen be able to follow hers, too?
Who a person marries is one of the most important and personal decisions you make in your entire life. That is intensely personal.
If Ellen makes the “wrong choice,” then that is between her, her spouse, and God. Its not between you and Ellen.
Granted, I haven't read all 87 previous comments thus far, but I certainly agree that one's sexuality is not indicator of one's eternal trajectory. That being said, the is a strong postmodern temptation to to substitute a certain level of good works/fruit/righteousness in exchange for Jesus' sacrifice, whereby majority of the Gospel would then lose its coherence. And unlike sexual orientation, fruit is a good indicator of eternal trajectory, but how reliable of one it is I wonder is Justin pushing for it to be?
Fair question. Some thoughts. . . . .
In Matthew 7, Jesus clearly indicates that good fruit is bound to spring from good trees. It is inevitable, in the same way an apple tree is bound to produce apples. An apple tree can't help itself–it produces apples.
More specifically, the context of verses 15-23 indicates that Jesus is speaking about the road that leads to life. He then states, plainly in fact, that “by their fruit you will recognize them.” Who is them?
Those that have found life–the narrow gate.
Those that are bound to produce good fruit in a way that cannot be stopped.
This is bookended by Jesus speaking those who “do good works” (prophesy, drive out demons, perform miracles) in his name. In characteristic fashion, Jesus states plainly that “[he] never knew [them].” To which he punctuates with a terrifying conclusion, “Away from me, you evildoers!”
Yikes. Seems he means business.
All that to say, your question is “how reliable is the fruit Justin is pushing for it to be?” My answer, ultimately, doesn't matter. What I've tried to make clear in the posts and here in this comment is that Jesus is pretty sold on the concept of good fruit.
How does that resonate?
Dude. I don't know who you are or where you've come from, but you are a breath of fresh air.
Sheesh. Now if ALL readers left comments like this….
Well, I didn't know such wicked cool things/ideas/websites could come out of Iowa, and I'm from Oklahoma! lol. Allow me to misquote something that comes to mind for you here at Be Deviant: “if you build it, they will come.” I think you're on to something here in this new world where God and media mix, Mr. Wise. I'm a producer for Listen Up TV in Canada. We do current affairs from a Christian perspective, but we target a national mainstream audience through the network, Global TV. They could surely learn a thing or two from what you're doing here. How old are you anyway?! Good grief…*shakes head*
Iowa …. Where good (or quasi-good) ideas go to grow.
I like it. It's catchy. I petition it should be your new state motto.
I agree she has a lot of good works in her life and we know that faith without works is dead. God is working through her, no doubt. But the Bible also tells me that no sin will enter Heaven. Her lifestyle and the spirits that lead her into that are sinful. Don't underestimate God's view of sin and his judgment of it.
I agree she has a lot of good works in her life and we know that faith without works is dead. God is working through her, no doubt. But the Bible also tells me that no sin will enter Heaven. Her lifestyle and the spirits that lead her into that are sinful. Don't underestimate God's view of sin and his judgment of it.
My bible says that works aren’t sufficient to get you to heaven…
My Bible says that you’ll know a tree by it’s fruit. Sounds like a paradox, doesn’t it?
aaaaaand, this is the kind of comment that leaves people snarling at christians. my bible says a lot of things that i fall short on. i sure hope god has enough mercy to let me into heaven – and you, sam.
I think the crux of your misunderstanding lies in the vague and misleading definition of “Fruit”, as being something as simple as giving money to people in need…
Does Jesus teach his followers to give, and share, and help the needy?
Of course… I doubt anyone in this thread would debate that…
But for you to say that this is not the proper place to debate sexuality?
“But among you there must not be even a hint of sexual immorality, or of any kind of impurity, or of greed, because these are improper for God’s holy people.” [Ephesians 5:3]
and then a little further down:
“…For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Live as children of light (for the fruit of the light consists in all goodness, righteousness and truth) and find out what pleases the Lord. Have nothing to do with the fruitless deeds of darkness, but rather expose them” [Ephesians 5:8-11]
How can you even think that question of sexual perversion would be a seperate issue?
“The acts of the flesh are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God.
But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit.” [Galatians 5:19]
It is not enough to just make some vague observation about “fruit” being in someone’s life, because they do some pretty nice things…
But the Bible talks about fruit that is “in keeping with repentance”…
Sam is absolutely right. Without repentance, without faith in Christ, then all of our “acts of righteousness (i.e. our fleshly “fruit”) are like filthy rags; we all shrivel up like a leaf, and like the wind our sins sweep us away”… (Isaiah 64:6)
Justin, I differ with your take on “fruits” as being evidence to justify qualification for heavenly citizenship. Simply because Helen helps others with her generosity does not give her or anyone else for that matter, entrance into heaven. Scripture is very clear…Jesus warns us that anyone who comes before him at the Judgement and offers his works, his covenant faithfulness, or his life as his defense will be sent to Hell. Far from teaching that our works are necessary for our salvation, Jesus teaches that all our works contribute not one whit to our salvation. Our works, our doing, the Bible teaches, contribute nothing whatsoever to our salvation. They are neither an instrument for our justification nor a condition of our salvation. Mt 7:22-23 “Many will say to Me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name, and in Your name cast out demons, and in Your name perform many miracles?’ And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you, depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness.’”
While Christians believe the homosexual behavior is a perversion and social menace, we are not against homosexual persons themselves. All people are valuable in the sight of God. They do not lose their value because of any particular sin, right? While Christians respect homosexuals as human beings, we do not condone or accept their behavior as morally benign. To the contrary, we believe this choice in sexual orientation to be deviant and destructive to the family as God designed it.
Therefore, for you to represent Ellen’s acts of generosity as qualifying her for heavenly citizenship is intrinsically fraught with error.
“Ellen’s acts of generosity as qualifying her for heavenly citizenship is intrinsically fraught with error.”
On that note, her qualifications for heavenly entry are not up to us as humans. There is no one on earth that any of us can claim for certain is headed for Heaven. That is for God alone to know and decide. But as Christians we should be happy with the fact that Ellen brings happiness to thousands of people and that the world is a better place for her. It is not our place to judge her good works. Let’s just be happy that she produces good works.
You know what’s really going to make everyone in this discussion freak out? When they find out that people who haven’t, in their lifetime, confessed that Jesus Christ is Lord make it into heaven. I, on the other hand, will not be shocked. I’ll just stand there and smile. When heaven is full of homosexuals they aren’t going to be too happy either. What I will never understand is why we can’t spend our time working hard to make sure we’re in the right with God, and then just love everyone else. We’re just a bunch of Marthas. We can’t stand the idea that Mary is laying at the feet of the lord and doing no “work” and we’re slaving away preparing for the master, and she’s getting all the face time. We feel that if we suffer and struggle to be near the Lord then everyone else should have to too or it’s “not fair.” I have news for everyone, salvation is not “fair.” All I can say is, I can’t wait for the day when we all learn the truth.