They're in a better place...or are they?

I was reading an article today about a guy that was killed while fleeing police.  A police officer tried pulling him over for failing to signal and he took off.  He eventually hit a concrete barrier and was either ejected from his vehicle, or he jumped from the bridge where he hit the barrier and fell to his death. (He may have thought he could hit the river and missed)  What got me thinking about his eternal fate was one of the comments written below the story by a reader. 

The comment stated that it was a "sad day" and "he's in a better place" and "he will be missed".  While it seems that the commenter knew this person, I can understand their sadness and how he would be missed, but I question the "better place" comment.  Not just in this particular instance have I pondered this thought, but in all instances when people make this reference.

As a Christian, I believe in a "better place" after we die, but it seems to me that many people have this idea that when you die you automatically go to Heaven.  This is just not the case.  We don't go to Heaven just because we died, or because we were nice, or because we had a rough life here.  The Bible tells us that we must accept Jesus as our savior and that we must be "born again".  There is only one way into Heaven. 

I am not judging this person, nor am I judging others in this world, but I do stop and think when I hear people say "They're in a better place", particularly when the person gives the appearance of not living a Godly life.  There is a difference between judgement and observation.  As it is written, "by their fruits you will know them." Matt 7:20.  You can tell a lot about a person by how they live their life.

I fear many people either don't believe in the possibility of hell, or that anyone could go there, but it does exist.  I would pray that the person that died did know Christ so that they could live in peace for eternity, but remember death does not equal eternity in Heaven.  You need to make the choice while here on Earth.  If you don't, you could be too late, and spent eternity suffering in hell.