Why do some people wait until they are on their death bed to try to repent and accept the Lord? Do you think God accepts them?
Listen: 58 Question 1
I suppose there are many reasons that people might use to put off accepting the Lord Jesus Christ as their savior. Some may think that by accepting the Lord, they will have to give up the activities they enjoy. Some may think that they just don’t need the Lord. However, there is no good reason to delay putting your faith in Christ.
It could be that some, who are faced with death, may be more sensitive and open about their need of a savior. A few years ago, I spoke at the funeral of a man that had died when he was 75 years old. He had accepted the Lord as his savior when he was 74 years old. It seems that throughout his life, this man would not get serious about his eternal existence. It was only after he got sick and realized he would not live much longer that he finally thought about eternity. It was then that he realized his sinfulness and need of a savior. He put his faith in the Lord Jesus Christ less than a year before he passed away.
That is not what the Lord wants us to do. 2 Corinthians 6:2 says, “…behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation.” We learn in Proverbs 27:1, “Boast not thyself of to morrow; for thou knowest not what a day may bring forth.” Not everyone is given notice of their death. So many people die instantly from accidents, sudden heart attacks, or other such things. We are warned in James 4:14 which says, “Whereas ye know not what shall be on the morrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapour, that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away.” None of us know what will happen tomorrow. It is so important that anyone that is not saved should put their faith in the Lord Jesus Christ today.
Let’s look at a few comments about Moses in Hebrews 11:24-26 which says, “By faith Moses, when he was come to years, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh’s daughter; Choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God, than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season; Esteeming the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures in Egypt: for he had respect unto the recompence of the reward.” Moses was in a position to rise to high authority in Egypt. He was truly enjoying all that the world had to offer. Yet, he realized that eternity was more important, so he chose not to enjoy the pleasures of sin which only last a while. Through faith in the Lord, Moses chose to suffer for the Lord, realizing that there would be an eternal reward.
Now let’s look at a parable the Lord taught in Luke 12:16-20 which says, “And he spake a parable unto them, saying, The ground of a certain rich man brought forth plentifully: And he thought within himself, saying, What shall I do, because I have no room where to bestow my fruits? And he said, This will I do: I will pull down my barns, and build greater; and there will I bestow all my fruits and my goods. And I will say to my soul, Soul, thou hast much goods laid up for many years; take thine ease, eat, drink, and be merry. But God said unto him, Thou fool, this night thy soul shall be required of thee: then whose shall those things be, which thou hast provided?” This is the story of a man that only wanted present, material wealth. He mistook his body for his soul; he also mistook many years for eternity. The Lord called him a fool. In this parable, this man died without the Lord; what a tragic ending.
What about those that do wait until the last minute to accept the Lord as their savior; will the Lord still offer salvation to them? Of course He will. We have the perfect example of this in Luke 23:39-43, a portion that tells about the Lord Jesus hanging on the cross, along with two other men. It says, “And one of the malefactors which were hanged railed on him, saying, If thou be Christ, save thyself and us. But the other answering rebuked him, saying, Dost not thou fear God, seeing thou art in the same condemnation? And we indeed justly; for we receive the due reward of our deeds: but this man hath done nothing amiss. And he said unto Jesus, Lord, remember me when thou comest into thy kingdom. And Jesus said unto him, Verily I say unto thee, To day shalt thou be with me in paradise.” With only a couple of hours left to live, this man put his faith in the Lord Jesus Christ and was promised to be with the Lord in paradise that very day. So, the Lord will accept all those who come to Him in true faith. Just remember…there was another man hanging on a cross that day. That man did not accept the Lord as his savior. Perhaps because of years of rejection, his heart was too hard. Perhaps, he felt no conviction for his sins and, because of this, passed into an eternity of suffering in Hell.
The Lord assures in John 6:37 that, “…him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out.” If you come to the Lord in faith, He will not turn you away. However, so many put off their salvation so long that they grow hard hearted, or they die unexpectedly without an extra opportunity of accepting the Lord. We have a very serious warning in Hebrews 2:3 which says, “How shall we escape, if we neglect so great salvation?”