By Ken Yates

INTRODUCTION

Every believer will live in the kingdom forever. Our works will be judged at the Judgment Seat of Christ to determine our rewards and the positions we will hold in the Lord’s kingdom. But good works are not the only criteria. Paul says that our motives when doing those works will determine whether they will be rewarded (1 Cor 4:5).

Some might say that a good work is a good work, and that the motive for doing it is not a big deal. Arthur Nebe provides a graphic illustration of the importance of motive. Without considering his reasons for acting as he did in conspiring to kill Hitler, some would say he was a hero. However, when those reasons are factored in, people conclude that he was a monster.

WAS ARTHUR NEBE A HERO?

Towards the end of World War II, a large group within the Nazi military attempted to assassinate Adolf Hitler. These men were disgusted by what Hitler was doing to the Jews and to prisoners of war. They wanted to end the war and the slaughter of thousands of innocent civilians that was happening every day.

The plot to kill Hitler failed. Hitler ruthlessly executed all involved. Leaders such as Stauffenberg, Tresckow, Olbricht, and Witzleben lost their lives. These men are universally considered heroes for their efforts and are honored as such, even in Germany.

Arthur Nebe belonged to that group of conspirators. He was to lead a group of twelve policemen to assassinate Heinrich Himmler, head of the SS and the man most responsible for the killing of six million Jews. Poor communication prevented Nebe from carrying out his assignment. He fled and went into hiding. When he was found, Hitler hanged him with piano wire. For years, Nebe was regarded as a national hero and a friend of the Jewish people.

TAKING A CLOSER LOOK

At the end of the war, Nebe appeared to be a brave humanitarian. But his earlier service in the German army paints a very different picture. He was in charge of a unit that killed Jews and other civilians. He reported that they had killed 45,000 and he seemed to relish his job.

Killing all these people with bullets proved more difficult than the Nazis had thought. It was slow, and the soldiers who shot women and children were experiencing some psychological issues. Nebe suggested quicker and more efficient methods. He experimented with explosives and poisonous gas. The executioners would not have to look their victims in the face.

What a contradiction! The man at the beginning of the war and the one at the end of it were opposites. How can this contradiction be explained?

His motives.

NEBE’S MOTIVES

Some who plotted to kill Hitler knew of Nebe’s earlier treatment of Jews and civilians. They excused his atrocious actions by saying that it was all an act. They maintained that Nebe was fooling the Nazi leadership. He wanted them to think he hated the Jews, when in reality, he loved them. He knew the Jews would need a man on the inside of German power to put an end to all the killing by assassinating Hitler. Nebe needed to gain the trust of Himmler and Hitler. In his job, he had to kill a few thousand to save millions. Saving the largest number of Jews possible was what motivated him. The enthusiasm he showed for killing children was nothing more than an act in an attempt to fool the Nazis.

I am way too cynical to believe that. The vast majority of historians agree with me. You must be blindly naïve to think that Nebe killed 45,000 people in hopes of eventually having an opportunity to kill Hitler.

Instead, Nebe came to realize that Germany was going to lose the war. He knew he would have to answer for his war crimes. If he helped kill Hitler and Himmler, the Allies would look upon him much more favorably. He could either argue that he had a change of heart or that he was previously pretending to be a dedicated Nazi while looking for a chance to put an end to the carnage.

Nebe lost his life because of his association with heroes like Stauffenberg and Tresckow. A few will say that his love for humanity motivated him and that his name belongs on the plaques placed around Berlin to remind people of what these men did. It is obvious, though, that he was, in reality, a monster motivated by careerism and opportunism.

Those motives will determine how we see the man hanging by piano wire.

OUR MOTIVES

None of us will impact the lives of others by our actions as profoundly as Arthur Nebe did. But the value of our actions, like his, will be determined by our motives.

The Lord will look at why we did the things we did. As with Nebe, people may look at how we act and be impressed. If they knew our motives, however, they might not feel that way. At the Judgment Seat of Christ, He will know what those motives were.

As believers, we can appear to be doing what is holy and pleasing to the Lord, but that may not be the case. Maybe we are seeking the applause of men or the opportunity for a financially successful ministry. Like Nebe, we can be opportunists looking for what we want. Perhaps we are trying to impress someone we want to date. Many people within our churches perform good works to prove to themselves that they are children of God. They are denying the good news of eternal life through faith alone. There are thousands of motives that are not pleasing to the Lord, and the works that spring from such motives are not pleasing to Him, either.

Nebe knew his motives. Sometimes we, as well, know our motives. At times, they please the Lord, and at times they don’t. We can have impure motives but convince ourselves that they are pure. Motives can be very tricky!

Every believer should make motives a matter of prayer. We should ask the Spirit who lives within us to conform us to the image of Christ (2 Cor 3:18). Part of that transformation will be the Spirit’s giving us godly motivations.

Nebe evidently fooled men such as Stauffenberg. We can fool others. We can’t fool the King. If we want to hear Him say, “Well done!” our motives must be good ones. May the Lord guide us to be properly motivated and to aim to please Him in all we say and do.

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Ken Yates is a retired Army chaplain (Lt. Col). He has many theological degrees, including a Ph.D. from D.T.S. in New Testament. He leads the GES international ministry, cohosts the daily podcast, and assists Bob in all aspects of the GES ministry. His new book, Mark: Lessons in Discipleship, is a wonderful explanation of Christ’s call to discipleship. He and his wife, Pam, live in Columbia, SC.