One last chance?

Mustang

Member
This may sound a bit out there but, from time to time I think of people I knew throughout my life and have died. I'm not sure at all about some of them being saved and I hope they all were, but I also know that's pretty naive thinking on my part. I also know God is strict and does not bend his own rules for anyone, sooo I have thought, what if the instant a non believer died the Lord gave them one last chance to come to Jesus?
It would be like hitler for example died and god says to him, I know what you've done but right now do you accept Jesus, or the person that always kinda thought about it but just wasn't sure yet, waited too long and died.
I don't think the bible says anything about this and I'm surely no expert there. I guess I just have a soft spot and hope all will make it.
It was just something I thought of one night trying to sleep and coudn't.
Thinking about that got me thinking of here, so I wanted some of your valued opinions.
 

paidinfull

Well-Known Member
And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment Heb.9:27

The order is quite clear and is appointed not to change. We die and then the judgement is made to decide if we are going up or down.

If it was any other way then the Gospel is not urgent. If we were to preach you can reject Jesus now and live life in rebellion because on death you will get a final chance to be saved, then we would not be saved by faith at that stage after death. We would be saved by sight having seen the afterlife and angels and heaven and hell awaiting our decision.

The fallen angels were privileged to see and hear God and yet rebelled. Now they have no way to be saved and only await their final end. We on the other hand can be saved if we place our faith in Jesus Gospel. It is by grace through faith we are saved and faith is not by sight.

8 For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God Eph.2

7 For we walk by faith, not by sight. 2.Cor.5
 

Watchin'

Member
If it was any other way then the Gospel is not urgent.

Not only that, but Jesus' sacrifice on the cross would have been completely pointless. We get saved because we accept His sacrifice and believe on Him - not because we meet Him face to Face and realize He's real after all - oh darn, better quickly choose for Him! No... it doesn't work that way... Also, due to man's sin nature, I doubt it would make a difference for many people. Just look at the Millenium - people will have lived with Jesus right there and they will still reject Him.

I understand you though, Mustang... One of the things that causes me much heartache is the thought of the lost... the kind people who wouldn't hurt a fly and have helped many many people... the tragically deceived where it seems like they never stood a chance... the young people who 'kinda believe' but thought they could put it off until tomorrow... and even evil people who are just determined to be stubborn and not listen to the Gospel... they will all suffer for eternity because they never chose Jesus... it's hard to grasp with our mortal minds. :(

Jonshaff you could be right... great point there. I think it would be heartbreaking to see who all is missing, if it wasn't for Jesus Himself stepping in and wiping away our tears. I always thought the wiping away of tears would be because of all the things we went through here on earth, yet at the same time I've always believed we wouldn't remember/care about any of that at all anymore the moment we meet Jesus face to Face. I just now realized I can't have it both ways, lol. It really makes sense what you're saying.
 

Hol

Worships Him
Let us apply our hearts to wisdom and beg God for such a compassion for the lost that it would compel us to Share the Gospel every chance we get. Lord have your way with us!
Amen ❤️

Mustang, I have felt similar feelings & had difficult mental wrestling matches over anyone going to hell. I have an adult son who gets much of my prayer focus & fasting. But I learned something. Our Heavenly Father isn't willing that ANY perish, so trusting His judgement is all that really matters, I finally agreed with Him that He knows best. He loves my son even more; so I want to make myself available 100% in a trust that He may use me to reach a lost soul.

But in my case, disliking the thought of hell was a matter of me trying to get comfortable by wishing it away. When I confessed it as a doubt, scripture began to open up more. Christ's gentle loving self and sheer fearfulness began to become real so that I began to yield more.

I still have so much to learn - yet assurance that He truly is worthy, faithful, just, loving, always right; that kind of focus overtook my feelings on hell ❤️
 

mattfivefour

Well-Known Member
And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment Heb.9:27

The order is quite clear and is appointed not to change. We die and then the judgement is made to decide if we are going up or down.

If it was any other way then the Gospel is not urgent. If we were to preach you can reject Jesus now and live life in rebellion because on death you will get a final chance to be saved, then we would not be saved by faith at that stage after death. We would be saved by sight having seen the afterlife and angels and heaven and hell awaiting our decision.

The fallen angels were privileged to see and hear God and yet rebelled. Now they have no way to be saved and only await their final end. We on the other hand can be saved if we place our faith in Jesus Gospel. It is by grace through faith we are saved and faith is not by sight.

8 For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God Eph.2

7 For we walk by faith, not by sight. 2.Cor.5
Not only that, but Jesus' sacrifice on the cross would have been completely pointless. We get saved because we accept His sacrifice and believe on Him - not because we meet Him face to Face and realize He's real after all - oh darn, better quickly choose for Him! No... it doesn't work that way... Also, due to man's sin nature, I doubt it would make a difference for many people. Just look at the Millenium - people will have lived with Jesus right there and they will still reject Him.

These two responses nail the issue.
 

Kem

Citizen
Let us apply our hearts to wisdom and beg God for such a compassion for the lost that it would compel us to Share the Gospel every chance we get. Lord have your way with us!

Perhaps our own failure in this area might account for some of those tears that our Lord will have to wipe away also. I agree with your prayer completely, may our Father grant us unfailing persistence in praying for Him to lead them to the Lord Jesus.
 

Heistheway

Member
I believe God is SO great, I can pray for one already gone, and ask God to reach out in a way that that person HAS to choose God, or perpetual death. How God honors that faith request is not mine to argue, but when asked in Jesus' name, I believe He does honor it. I cannot imagine Hitler accepting God, but he could have!

I do have an understanding however, that many people we now deem "good" will miss their "ark of Christ" and drown in the darkness of ego-centrism. Sad, but our exposure to unbounding joy of being in the presence of the Lord, forever, will dry those tears for lost loved ones by focusing us on the wonderment that is our Creator.
 

mattfivefour

Well-Known Member
I agree in large part with what you have said, Heistheway. But I do have to add a comment for tho9se who may misunderstand what you wrote. Yes, God IS great ... but His Word is fixed and He will not violate it. He CANNOT violate it, for His Word is the expression of Himself and to alter it would be to change ... and the one constant in all things is that God is unchangeable. Therefore, His Word immutable. Nor will God force ANYBODY to accept Him. That would violate His sovereign will that man have free choice. I believe that what Heistheway is saying is that God can and will bring a person to the point where they will either consciously accept Christ ... or consciously reject Him. Thus their choice will be a clear matter.

Now, theologically, since God lives outside of time and knows the end from the beginning, it is possible that just as we can pray for things yet to come, theoretically we could pray for things in the past and God would honor that prayer ... even before it is prayed because He knows it WILL be prayed at some point. Hence our prayers now—for one already dead—are theoretically not useless. I am torn on this. While the Bible says that man lives once and after this the judgment, prayer based on the facts of my first sentence in this paragraph does not violate that at all. therefore, why not pray for the dead? On the other hand, God gives no second chances following death; anyway, our focus is to be on the living on this earth.

I would not ever tell someone not to pray in the way of which Heistheway speaks. But I would definitely offer a caution— such a prayer can only be in this manner: "Lord, before they died, I pray You gave them a clear choice and that by Your Holy Spirit You did all that You could to bring them to You. Lord, I consequently pray that they made the right decision and did not go into eternity lost."
 
This may sound a bit out there but, from time to time I think of people I knew throughout my life and have died. I'm not sure at all about some of them being saved and I hope they all were, but I also know that's pretty naive thinking on my part. I also know God is strict and does not bend his own rules for anyone, sooo I have thought, what if the instant a non believer died the Lord gave them one last chance to come to Jesus?
It would be like hitler for example died and god says to him, I know what you've done but right now do you accept Jesus, or the person that always kinda thought about it but just wasn't sure yet, waited too long and died.
I don't think the bible says anything about this and I'm surely no expert there. I guess I just have a soft spot and hope all will make it.
It was just something I thought of one night trying to sleep and coudn't.
Thinking about that got me thinking of here, so I wanted some of your valued opinions.

We are all living in a paradox...

Some are predestined (Rom 8:29).... yet must chose of their own free will.

All are called (John 3:16) .... yet must chose of their own free will.

Who is able to understand...the mind of Lord.
 

Kem

Citizen
Now, theologically, since God lives outside of time and knows the end from the beginning, it is possible that just as we can pray for things yet to come, theoretically we could pray for things in the past and God would honor that prayer ... even before it is prayed because He knows it WILL be prayed at some point. Hence our prayers now—for one already dead—are theoretically not useless.

This is an interesting concept, not sure what to think of it. I have always felt it useless to pray retroactively but I do see your point here.
 

Hol

Worships Him
I came to Christ eight months after my dad died, so am clueless if he may have had a last minute conversion. If he'd told me so, I would not have understood he accept Christ ❤️ but I can't help but pray he did.
 

Watchin'

Member
This is an interesting concept, not sure what to think of it. I have always felt it useless to pray retroactively but I do see your point here.

Me too... like when someone dies and people say "praying for them" (for the actual person that died, not their loved ones). I always think "no point now...." But this thread is giving me food for thought. I'll really have to think and pray about this, not sure what to think about it right now.
 

jonshaff

Fellow Servant
Maybe I'm wrong, but isn't what is being discussed above the subject of the Apostle ' s admonishment?

1 John 5:16 If any man see his brother sin a sin which is not unto death, he shall ask, and he shall give him life for them that sin not unto death. There is a sin unto death: I do not say that he shall pray for it.
 

Mustang

Member
Thanks for the replys, some very interesting comments I haven't thought of that's why a forum.
Not only that, but Jesus' sacrifice on the cross would have been completely pointless. We get saved because we accept His sacrifice and believe on Him - not because we meet Him face to Face and realize He's real after all - oh darn, better quickly choose for Him! No... it doesn't work that way... Also, due to man's sin nature, I doubt it would make a difference for many people.
Thanks watchin, this makes sense to me.
Thank you all for again as usual, excellent veiwpoints.
 
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