Do you go to hell for stealing?

Answer 1

You go to Hades for sinning, not repenting, and not trying to follow God. And, yes, stealing is one of those things that you can use for that purpose. Even if you go to confession and are forgiven in confession for stealing, you still must make restitution - always. Discuss this with your confessor. Let me add to the first commentator. You have a good point but the question is always which comes first - the chicken or the egg? There is really only one sin that seperates us from God which is disobediance as found in the book of Genesis. Adam partook of the fruit of the tree of knowledge and he willfully disobeyed God. This is the original sin which reflects the condition of the human heart. It is not the outward sin which seperates us from the love of God in Christ Jesus. It is the condition of the heart which can not be changed without an inward cleansing by the Holy Spirit. We must be born again of water and the Word. The Word was made flesh and dwelt among us as the second person of the Trinity. His name is Jesus! He is the perfect God-Man who is in total oneness with the Father. We are disobediant by nature and have lost our relationship with God who has breathed into us the very breath of life! Jesus Christ is obediant to the will of the Father in every aspect of His nature and in the Garden of Sorrows said "not my will by thine be done". He accepted the cross of Calvary for our salvation and He suffered for our disobediance. Through one man (Adam) we were lost in sin but through the one Man, Jesus Christ, we are saved from this condemnation. What I am trying to say is that if you never steal you will still go to hell unless your heart has been changed by the Holy Spirit and you have repented of your sins. You will still sin because you are born a sinner - a child of the human race. Our salvation is not dependant upon avoiding sin altogether but rather it is in turning to God with humility and accepting the sacrifice of Jesus Christ who gave his life that we might have life everlasting! For by grace are you saved, through faith, and this is not of yourselves. It is the gift of God, not of works, less any man should boast! If you follow all the rules of the church and live a good life but do not trust in Jesus Christ alone you can still go to hell if you do not live by faith. The sacraments and the disciplines of the church are designed to bring you to faith but they are not faith in and of themselves. You must find the message of faith which they present to you everyday. Listen for the inner voice of God which calls you to repentance. You can be saved if you trust in the Lord Your God and rest upon His promises alone. If you do steal, repent now and seek God's forgiveness. Confess your faults one to another that you might be healed. Try to make it right with the one from whom you have stolen whenever possible. You can not be perfect in this world but you can set your heart on things above rather than on those things that will only seperate you from the love of God. The Word of God and the message of faith will keep you from sin but sin will will keep you from the Word of God and from the sacraments that lead you to faith in Jesus Christ. Always remember the words of our Lord Jesus Christ in the Garden "not my will, by thine be done". True humility and obediance will lead you to a place of repentance through the grace and will of our Lord Jesus Christ. This also is the work of God which you alone can not do but God will give you the strength to do it. Trust in the Lord with all thine heart, lean not unto thine understanding, in all thy ways acknowledge Him and He will direct thy paths!