In Luke 16:19-31, Jesus shared an account about two men who went to different eternal locations upon their death. One was a rich man who went to hell, and the other was a poor beggar named Lazarus who went to heaven.
Upon reading this story, some may assume or conclude that material wealth automatically results in eternal damnation, whereas suffering on earth guarantees eternal life in heaven. However, Jesus did not teach about salvation or unveil a doctrine about redemption in these passages. He conveyed a true story about two men who died and described what transpired immediately afterward.
The fact that Lazarus was poor but went to heaven and the other man was rich but went to hell does not insinuate, teach, or even imply that their financial state played any role in determining their eternal destination. In fact, this account does not provide any information on “why” or “how” each man ended up in different eternal abodes. Therefore, we must ascertain that information from other Bible passages to understand the "why" or "how" aspect.
The Bible teaches that nobody earns salvation through good works, godly behavior, or other similar means. Rather, it clearly and consistently proclaims that redemption is undeserved, and God graciously credits His gift of grace to sinners when they trust Him by faith for it (click here for Scripture references). Therefore, based on Scripture’s unmistakable declaration that salvation is "by grace through faith" and the fact that Lazarus immediately went to heaven after his death, he clearly trusted God for his salvation while alive on earth, which is the only thing that qualified him for heaven.
On the contrary, the rich man rejected God and His gift of salvation, resulting in his eternal separation from Him in hell. He was not sinful for possessing material wealth but was sinful (in part) for allowing his material wealth to possess him as the unrelenting object of his affection to his dying day. For as Jesus said in Matthew 6:21 and 24, “For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also,” and “No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and wealth.”
I hope this information clarifies the roles of wealth and poverty in a person’s eternal destination.
