thir,

According to my Master, yes there is a difference. Jesus' sacrifice allows us to repent, which allows God to forgive us and let us into heaven. We were all born of original sin, so we were all going to hell. No matter how good we were were and blameless in life, because of the original sin doctrine. Fair? No. Kind? No. But that is God, from the Christian viewpoint. Jesus represents that forgiveness is possible.