Dr. Mike Jones

Q: “We would like to know, if a sinner can ‘REPENT” in a desperate moment of a crisis, meaning, they’re on their death-bed, and still receive the same salvation as a person, who’s been a Christian most of their earthly life?”

 

A: I’ve been in many debates over this ‘tricky’ question with many noted Bible colleagues of mine, even during fellowship periods at conferences, because they too have been asked this same question, during Q & A Sessions with their members, family and friends.

And to be truthful about this so-called ‘Death-Bed Confession’, true (born again) believers get up and arms, when they hear this question (even) being discussed because, their consensus is always, “We endure to the end; we fight the good fight of faith; we’re persecuted for righteous sake; we’re hated by all because  of the name of Christ, … and some have even been kill; and YOU’RE going to tell ME, that someone who’s heard the Gospel for years, and basically rejected it, and now on their death-bed, with a few days of life left in them ask, God to save them, that they will get the ‘same’ SALVATION as a true believer?”

We have to acknowledge that Jesus knew this question would come up during our time, so, He gave us a glimpse of the answer in two passages of scripture that we’re all familiar with. Turn to Matthew 19:16-30, where Jesus encounters the rich young ruler – who went away from Jesus sad, after our Lord told him to go sell his goods and come follow Him.

After much conversation with His disciples who had given ‘all’ to follow Him, Jesus said, “But many who are first will be last, and many who are last will be first.” Our Lord reiterates this same truth later in Matthew 20, concerning the first group of laborers who were hired to go into the vineyard and work, for a specific wage, and the last group that was hired later that day, for the same wage. To be brief in my explanation, Jesus was simply pointing out that both groups would get the same pay in Heaven – ETERAL LIFE!

The second example that I want to use, would be how the thief on the Cross in Luke 23: 32-43, who was about to be crucified for his deeds, repented before Jesus, and asked Him to remember “Me” when you come into your kingdom. And Jesus said to him, “Truly I say to you, today you shall be with me in Paradise.”

So, we see here in these two Biblical examples that it is possible for a person with only a short span of breath left in their body to repent sufficiently, believe, and be justified, and to gain entrance into eternal life, in God’s kingdom.

In conclusion, I sincerely believe that this is a small number of individuals that come into the kingdom, this way, because we see throughout the Book of Revelation that, during the time of Tribulation, many who were facing death, cried out to God for mercy and repented: as soon as God applied His mercy and the catastrophes subsided, the Bible stated, they returned to their sinful ways. The point I’m attempting to make is, with Holy God, it is a “HEART” issue. He knows the cry of REPENTANCE from a sincere heart, as oppose to a heart that cries out from sheer terror/fear of not knowing what awaits them on the other side of this life.

And last but not least, earlier I indicated that those that make it into Heaven by the old saying, “the skin of their teeth,’ will receive what every believer receives, ETERNAL LIFE! But for those of us that have fought the good fight, kept the faith, and finished the course, there awaits us REWARDS in Heaven for being obedient to the call, according to Matthew 5:12; Luke 6:23, 35; 1 Corinthians 3:14; 9:18.

I hope this explanation has shared a little more understanding of this question!