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Ask Brother Pete

Deathbed Conversions - 01

Arlene asked...
I know people who think that they can live their life anyway they want and on their deathbed, if they say they are sorry - all will be forgotten !!!! Since I don't know much about this - Pete would you say to someone that has that attitude?

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It's a mighty dangerous attitude to have according to God's Word. Here's one reason why: Isa 55:6 -- "Seek ye the LORD while he may be found, call ye upon him while he is near:"

While God most certainly is everywhere, because of our hardened conscience we might not be able to sense His presence. One's heart might be too too hardened at death to even sense the true convicting power of God.


She also wrote...
I tell those that I hear that from that I did not believe it was that easy. If it were, would it not be assumed that "everyone would go to Heaven" also assuming "most people don't want to burn in Hell so "at the last minute they would beg for forgiveness?"

They may beg, and not that God is a meany, but they, and all of us, need His Spirit of sorrow - not just our own sorrow to truly repent. One might not be able to acquire that due to built up hardness of heart and soul.

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True, godly sorrow that brings true repentance and salvation will center upon what our sin did to Jesus Christ causing us to view ourselves as ungodly sinners and embrace the sacrificial death of Christ as the remedy and permit His victorious life to live through us.

To put it simply, having the attitude, "I'm dying and I don't want to go to hell, forgive me God" is not true repentance, but hopefully if they live long enough they can soften to the point where their thoughts will include true sorrow for sending Christ to the cross for our sin and a decision to make a full commitment to Him.

Please keep in mind we do not go to heaven or hell for what we do, but because of what we are - either a child of God or not a child of God. All sins can be forgiven at anytime, even at death, but as noted above, it must be godly repentance.

If you know of such a deathbed case, ask God to soften their heart that they will sense this true spirit of forgiveness. Make an effort to personally bring them to Christ before they die.

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