How authentic does deathbed repentence have to be for God to accept it?

Question

Someone just asked a question about Hitler going to heaven and I'm wondering how sincere he could have been if he had decided to repent on his deathbed. How sincere would he have had to be to convince God he meant it? How much do you have to believe in your heart? Faith the size of a mustard seed?

(However, Hitler committed suicide, so it's kind of a moot point, but maybe he had the chance?)

Answer 1

Only God knows the answer to this question.
Only God can see into the heart of a person.
It is not for us to say, judge or contemplate on
it is our belief that if he truly accepted Jesus
Christ before death he resides in heaven.
Jesus was on the cross next to someone else
who did that same thing and he said, you now
will be with me in the kingdom.

Answer 2

The Bible says that God doesn't see as man sees for man looks on the outward appearance, but God looks on the heart.

Voltaire the French Philosopher who wrote a huge compendium against Christ and Christianity was dying in a private room attended by a nurse. The nurse said, "I never want to be in a room with anyone again who died as he did. He was ranting and raving and screaming horribly and his last words were, Oh God, Oh God, I am lost, lost and without Christ and without hope." - and he died.

I have to believe that he had so hardened himself against the Lord that he could not repent even though he knew he should have. I don't know about Hitler.


I do know that if a person repents with a sincere heart God will forgive that person even on the deathbed. I also have to believe that this is the exception rather than the rule because when people harden themselves for an entire lifetime it would be much harder to turn to the Lord at the end of their life.

Just my opinion and observation. Hope it helps clarify the question for you.

Answer 3

True repentance involves a change of heart. Unfortunately, we aren't able to discern that. Fortunately, God is.

I suspect that deathbed repentance is rarely true repentance... I think more often than not, it's a symptom of fear... fear of the unknown, fear that what was done was wrong or "not enough," fear of meeting God and found lacking....

True repentance and a change of heart. Repentance involves acknowledging that what one has done has offended God. There is also a sorrow for the incorrect act. There must be a change in behavior (This is why I struggle accepting deathbed repentance... there's no chance to show this change in behavior.), not just a stopping of the wrong thing, but an effort to improve all areas of one's life.


But as I said, only God knows if there is a sincere commitment to changing for the better.

Answer 4

@Doc in dallas - Hitler was a Roman Catholic in good standing until his death--DEAL WITH IT. Unless you practice guilt by association, his crimes do not reflect on you.

Have you seen _Mein Kampf_? It's drenched with biblical allusions.

Hitler imprisoned/murdered *anyone* who opposed him--Christian or not. Since the vast majority of Germans were Xians, naturally most of his enemies were also Xians. It means nothing.

Hitler's stuggles with the Church were over power, not doctrine. In this, he was more like King Henry VIII than like Stalin, who actively suppressed Xianity. The _Hitler Diaries_ are pathetic forgeries, so don't come back with that.

Whether Hitler was into the occult is debatable. Some of his advisors were, certainly Himmler. But either way, it does not disprove his Xianity. How many Xians today believe in horoscopes and psychics?

P.S. Your account of Stalin is more plausible, although i haven't tried to verify it. As an atheist, Stalin had no basis for a deathbed confession. (To What would an atheist confess???) As a megalomaniac, he could very well have lashed out at finally meeting a power greater than he--namely, death.

@Jiloth7 - The Voltaire story is total fiction; for a deist like Voltaire, confessing to Jesus is an absurd concept. Legend has it that his last words were "Now, now, my good man, this is no time for making enemies," when asked by a priest to renounce Satan. I think the latter story is much more in keeping with Voltaire's personality and wry sense of humor.

Beware of deathbed conversion stories. They are almost always invented by Xians indulging in wishful thinking. (They told the same lie about Charles Darwin.)

Answer 5

Well, if we go by the response to the theives on the crosses... A death-bed repentence can be genuine, and will be accepted. To contrast one thief from the other, one was begging for mercy, the other was mocking and scornful.

I truly believe that there are those who will repent at the end of their lives.

Hitler, however, was willing to let a whole nation burn rather than admit he was wrong. That is more common in human nature. Stalin's last dying act was to shake his fist at the heavens...


Soli Deo Gloria


FYI: Hitler was not a confessing Christian. He actively worked for the corruption of the church, placed "Mein Kampf" next to the Bible, and imprisoned/murdered anyone in the church who opposed him. He was more of a pagan mystic, if anything. He was obsessed with the occult, believed in the warrior mythos, and was obsessed with the spear in Vienna that is reputed to be the spear that was used by the Roman soldier who stabbed Jesus

Answer 6

You need to understand that God knows the thoughts and intents of the heart. You can't pull one over on God. He knows us better than we know ourselves. So, if someone has truly turned and repented on their deathbed, then they'll go to heaven. If they're just saying it to fool God and get out of hell, it doesn't work. The Bible says that if you confess with your mouth and believe in your heart that Jesus is Lord then you'll be saved. If not, it doesn't work. If Adolf Hitler got saved and was genuine about it, God's forgiven him. If he then committed suicide, murder won't keep you out of heaven. You're just going to have to answer to God for why you did it. You can say "No problem." to that, but I think people will find out that they are mistaken about that. When you stand in His presence and answer for it, it's going to break your heart that you disappointed Him. Anyway, God knows who is sincere and who isn't. You can't fool Him.

Answer 7

basically some factors, cupcake: a million. Atheists do not think of Darwin became right into a prophet. 2. concept in god does not right away propose denial of evolution. 3. Darwin's evaluations or his place on something different than biology are immaterial to evolution. 4. The "deathbed conversion" tale has been debunked. 5. mendacity for Jesus continues to be mendacity. Now... what have been you babbling on approximately?

Answer 8

God knows our hearts. If Hitler or anyone else decides at the last moment they want to change their lives and follow God's teachings, then God will know their sincerity. And it will either be 100% authentic, or it won't. No such thing as 80% authentic.

I'm just glad we humans aren't the ones who will decide who is right with God and who isn't...

Answer 9

From the heart....completely sincere faith.

Anyone who attempts suicide has a chance to repent, provided they don't die right away. It only takes a few seconds....

Answer 10

It depends upon ones actual BELIEF, not their fear. On a deathbed, just what kind of repentance would he give, if it is just out of realizing he is dying and gets a panic attack? It is never good to wait this long before a decision is made on your eternal destination. God bless.