LastMinute

Written by cycleguy on September 4th, 2014

Don’t you just love questions? Especially those “easy-to-answer” ones kids ask.

“Who made God?”

“Why did Adam and Eve sin?”

You know…easy ones.Β  πŸ™‚

One of the hardest-to-answer questions often comes at a funeral- before, during, or after. The question, or variation of it goes something like this: “Will that person be in Hell/Heaven?” (depending on whose asking). Frankly, that is a hard one to answer. For one, I am not God. Two, because I am not God I do not know what transpired in the time that person realized (if they did) they were dying and when they took their last breath. I know what I used to say, but I am ashamed of that so I will not mention it. Let’s just suffice it to say my answer is more grace-filled now that it used to be. πŸ™‚ I do believe a person who has failed to come to terms with Jesus as Savior will be in for a shock at death, but what about the person who reaches out just before breathing that last breath?

The parable I am using for Sunday’s message helps with that answer. Matthew 19:30-20:16 sure give a great picture of the fairness and justice of God (even though we often begrudge fairness and justice…even His). It is an admittedly strange situation Jesus presents with a businessman paying the late comers the same amount as those first on the job, the ones who labored all day in the hot sun. As can be expected, the day-long laborers brought what they thought was an inequity to the owner. His answer may very well be the answer we can use in our answer to those who ask about last-minute conversions, i.e. deathbed confessions. Did you know there was a pastor on the Titanic who spent his last hours going to people, even swimming after the ship sank, asking them if they knew Jesus and telling them, “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and you will be saved” if their answer was negative? No one is going to tell me those folks are not in heaven if they did.

We may think it is unfair for some to live like the devil all their life and at the last moment to believe on and confesses Jesus and be told by aΒ  merciful and grace-filled God, “Welcome home. Enter into the joy that is yours.” It is NEVER TOO LATE unless/until the last breath has been taken.

Thanks for your prayers this week.

 

 

21 Comments so far ↓

  1. Daniel says:

    A calmer post today than yesterday (smiles) … Anyhow, this is an interesting topic. If you approach it mathematically, forming a ratio of your time on this Earth after accepting Jesus relative to time in heaven, the ratio comes out to be zero regardless of when we said yes. So the point is as long as you come to know Jesus at some point, we all are the same.

  2. Great prompt here, Bill.

  3. the Old Adam says:

    The parable of the workers in the field (as well as the Prodigal Son parable) are good for this question.

    The Lord will judge. He knows our hearts…and better than we know our own hearts.

    It is comforting to know that the One who will be judging us, is the same one who died on the Cross for us.

    • cycleguy says:

      He is our judge and I prefer to keep it that way. πŸ™‚ And I find it definitely a comfort knowing the same One who died is also judging. Thanks Stephen

  4. jeff says:

    I think the only true and honest answer to that question is “I don’t know and neither does anyone else.”
    What someone believes is quite a bit different than what someone knows. The belief can change, as yours has, but the truth doesn’t.
    Mormons even baptize dead people. Now that’s a strange one.

    • cycleguy says:

      On the money Jeff about the honest answer and the truth. And yes, it is a strange one. Very strange.

      • jeff says:

        So, at the funerals, do you give them the honest answer, or do you suggest that you “know” there is a heaven they go to.

        • cycleguy says:

          I take a neutral approach if you can call it that. For those I know were followers of Christ, I do talk about heaven, but still try to give comfort for their loss. For those who I am not sure about, or for funerals I have been asked to help out with, I do a pretty non-descript funeral. I try to say something which helps the family cope with loss.

  5. Zee says:

    I think that even after the last breath is taken, it’s not too late. We’ve got no idea how God’s grace works.

    • cycleguy says:

      My only thoughts are true we don’t. But I also have to go to the Scripture which says, “It is appointed unto man once to die and after that the judgement.”

      • Zee says:

        Right, but it doesn’t say how much “time” passes between the death and the judgement…

        It bugs me that I cannot know some things, but I guess some things I’ll know in due time… when it will be my time.

  6. Kari Scare says:

    Thief on the cross. What more needs said?

  7. Betty Draper says:

    My Dad was like the thief on the cross Bill. Ace led him to the Lord the night before he died. The grace of God pursues the lost up to their dying breathe. It’s us that let God down when we don’t allow Him to be our mouth piece like that man on the Titanic and we don’t have to be a pastor to seek the lost. You post has convicted me, for why wait till a Titanic…stirring post and I am sure it will stir hearts when you share it at your church.

  8. Ceil says:

    Hi Bill! I think we all, as humans. have an ingrained sense of fairness. “You do it this way, it comes out that way.” Anything that messes with that line of thought becomes super-confusing.

    It’s my hope that every person thinks the best of their brothers and sisters and doesn’t enter into comparisons, or relies on human thought. As we know, God doesn’t think like we do, nor are his ways. We can be very happy about that!
    Hope your sermon goes well πŸ™‚
    Ceil

    • cycleguy says:

      Thanks Ceil for your comment. You are right about ingrained sense of fairness. Oh…so glad is God doesn’t think like I do. πŸ™‚

  9. Dave Arnold says:

    Well said, Bill: it’s never too late for a person, even on their death bed. We serve a merciful God. Look at the theif on the cross – he pleaded for Jesus to remember him, and Jesus said, “Today you will be with me in paradise.”