Christians: An unbeliever believes God one second before he dies, he is forgiven, what about a second after?

Question

He dies, he sees God, feels regret
Will he be forgiven?
I know most answers will be that it is too late for him
So it is a matter of seconds, huh..
Isn't that meaningless and funny?
( Unbeliver says : I believe!! I believe!!
God says : Unfortunately,... you are "a second" late..)

Answer 1

I suppose that it is pointless to offer the rest of your life to God if your life is already over (you are literally offering God nothing), so it is probably too late.

A person who repents before he dies thinks that he is offering God something (since he really doesn't know how long that he will live), so that person is probably going to be accepted.

Answer 2

I will try to answer your question by scriptures. I believe in the last minute repentance, but I also believe your reward will be less, Because Revelation 19:7 last part of verse. And his wife hath made herself ready, Hath is a past tense word. So that lets me know that there had to be a time on earth in the last days that a process of getting ready have transpired, Now if a person is not sincere when they pray the last minute pray, then No, they are not saved, Because Jesus said that no man or woman can come unto him unless the father draws him. But if they are sincere, then YES because we have to look at the thief on the cross, Jesus said today you will be with me in paridise, why, Because that thief was sincere. But don't think that you are anyone else should go through life without asking God to forgive them, because it could be that the last minute alive, you would not have time to pray. A person could be taken out in a car wreck, or some other accident that you don't see coming, like maybe lightning might strike you, there is no way you will have a last minute prayer.

Answer 3

Well, there are many reasons for belief as well as unbelief, so motivations for such a conversion could be very varied.

There's also a problem in that human beings don't have all the data, and they might have even been taught misleading interpretations of the data.

So it's not like we get to make a "pure intellectual choice" in terms of our belief -- it's very possible that we actually could be aligned with a particular belief system [or would be willing to be] if we simply understood it as it really was rather than viewed it through a distorted lens.

Christians are fond of throwing around the concept of "the faith being a relationship, not a system of rules" -- but if that's true, then we have to play it out to its inevitable conclusions, don't we?

How does a relationship work? If the whole goal is for a person to be in a positive relationship with God for eternity, then why would a technicality (i.e., not saying the right words at the right time) override a heart that actually was repentent but simply misinformed?

The reason angels don't get a "shot at salvation" theologically is because they've already seen God. There was no "faith" involved in their decision to follow or rebel; they had perfect knowledge of God, the choice was clearly framed for them, and there is nothing that could be added for them to want to "recant" their decision.

People have not seen God. There's a faith element involved, and an incomprehension element as well. Again, when we finally truly "see" God (after death) and realize what He is and what He's up to, would we want to hate and flee him, or would we want to love and run TO him?

What would God do for those who, finally clearly understanding Him, would want to be in a relationship with him? I don't know.

I think your case is mostly theoretical and doesn't happen often, if it happens at all. Usually a lifetime of rejecting God because one doesn't like what He stands for would result in an afterlife where one would still want to reject God -- and the only reason to change would be out of self-interest, which is not signifying a real relationship (God would still be an "object" being "used" by the individual to avoid unpleasantness).

It would make a great Monty Python sketch, though.

Jones: But God -- I lov
[ding!]
God: Sorry, Mr. Jones, by the sound of the bell, I think you've managed to miss the cutoff for heavenly housing this quarter, I'm afraid you'll have to relocate elsewhere.
Jones: But I changed my mi --
God: THANK you! The rest of you will have to leave as well. All openings have been filled. Perhaps next time you'd all like to make reservations, as requested by the brochure.

Answer 4

The religion of Christianity is a religion of second chances why risk not waiting for the last minute to ask to be forgiven. St. John Vianney in France years after the French revolution said this about a Anti-Catholic philosopher,"The man preached against God and his commands but yet when he died he ask for a priest but God saw to it that no priest came in time.",or this one, There was an Athiest that was walking through the forest and a bear came up to him and was about to eat him and the Atheist yelled out God please save me, at that time and place time stoped and God said how can you say this when you say there is no God, but being loving and caring gave the bear the gift of speech, so that maybe the man could reason with it. At that time was once again as it was before the bear made the sign of the cross and said" Bless o Lord and these thy gifts which we are about to recieve through thy bounty through Christ our Lord. Amen."

Answer 5

The answer is yes! As long as you are alive and even a split second, if you still have it in your heart to want to consider repenting, God is merciful! There is no right or wrong way to repent. It only takes a simple sentence such as ,"Jesus! Save me!" because God judges you by what's in your heart. And if He sees true repentance, He will save you last minute.
Anyone who thinks that there is a certain way to get saved, a right or wrong, really don't have any faith. Unless your heart is completely hardened and you don't care .... you CAN be saved on your deathbed!

Scroll down on this website and click on the video, "To Hell And Back" and watch the testimonies of people who repented last minute and their experiences.
http://www.tbn.org/index.php/8/1.html

Answer 6

So let's assume this unbeliever is about 30 years old. Minus the 8 years of babyhood (before he becomes of age to reason), that leaves 22 years he's had to make up his mind ... and by the way it's not possible to "believe" after death, as faith is required for belief. After death, it's a known fact, not belief. And yeah, then it's too late.

Answer 7

If God don't forgive the late one. He must be a cruel one. He never stand in our shoes. Put us in the world, never show Himself to public even it's easy for Him, send His Son and angels to some jews. Send The prophet and angel to the arabic. The Bible and Quran still have some contraditions. Let the Christians fight with moeslems for many years. But He forces us to believe him? Wow

Answer 8

You are assuming that "God" as people have created him exists. Therefore the dilemma of your question. What IS may be completely different than all that fantasy-belief tale that you're talking about. Without that assumption, your question wouldn't even arise, and many "lost souls" would finally rest in this world and forever.

Answer 9

This scenario wouldn't happen because the unbeliever wouldn't see God at all and therefore wouldn't have the opportunity to change his mind.

On a lighter note, maybe if he hired a lawyer who did believe to follow him into the afterlife and plead his case, .....
Oh never mind, I guess the lawyer wouldn't have a rat's chance of seeing him either.....

Answer 10

in the teachings of the christian faith, it is too late.

that said however, if one started to truly repented just prior to death, and asked for salvation through Jesus Christ and did not finish the prayer, i think God would take that into consideration.

i would like to think that everybody would have the opportunity for a second chance, but the text book anser is "too late, buddy."

-eagle