Republican nominee Donald Trump told a crowd of gathered pastors that winning the election may be his ticket to heaven.
“This will be maybe the most important election that our country has ever had,” Trump told the crowd. “So go out and spread the word, and once I get in, I will do my thing that I do very well. And I figure it’s probably maybe the only way I’m going to get to heaven. So I better do a good job. OK?”
Ironically, one of Trump’s biggest evangelical supports is pastor Robert Jeffress, who firmly espouses John 14:6 as the way to salvation.
Jeffress even recently preached pets won’t go to heaven because they can’t have a relationship with Jesus.
“Solomon says in Ecclesiastes 3:19-21, ‘Here’s how we’re different. The animal has no spirit, but man has a spirit that descends to heaven even after he dies,'” Jeffress preached. “That’s how we’re different from the animals.”
He continued: “Everybody’s spirit lives forever. Doesn’t matter what you believe—Jew, Atheist, Muslim, Catholic, Baptist—everybody’s going to live forever. Some are going to live forever in heaven with God. Others—the majority of people—are going to live in hell, separated from God.”
Trump previously told reporters he didn’t need to ask forgiveness, but he has changed his tune just slightly.
In an interview with conservative commentator Cal Thomas, “I will be asking for forgiveness, but hopefully I won’t have to be asking for much forgiveness.”
In his meeting with pastors, Trump praised their role as kingdom builders.
“As I’m driving over here, and I said, ‘In a way, you’re home builders too. But you’re home builders with the spirit. You’re spiritual home builders, which is actually more important when you think about it.'”
