If all I have to do to enter heaven is accept Jesus on my deathbed, why lead a moral life in the interim?

Question

Doesn't this indicate religion cannot be an effective force for morality? Especially if you're letting Hitler and anyone else that opens their heart to Jesus on their deathbed into heaven? Does it make sense that a lifetime of evil can be magically washed away on one's deathbed? Doesn't this loophole diminish humanity's morality?

""You're born. You suffer. You die. Fortunately, there's a loophole."
— Billy Graham

Rowdy: Good point, I hadn't thought of that. Of course, that'd be a big thing to forget, don't you think?

Dana H: I never said I was insincere about accepting JC on my deathbed. I'm sure when you're breathing your last breath, it'd be a lot easier to throw caution to the wind and sincerely accept JC into your life - or not?

Christian believers: I'm hearing a LOT of contradictions in your explanations. Let's assume one is sincere on his deathbed. What's your ticket to heaven: leading a moral life or excepting JC as your savior. Don't say both because they are NOT the same. thanks.

Coffee_pot: Well, when you put it THAT way! :-) Does caffeine fall under that list too?

Outstanding answers everybody. Really got me thinking, especially the idea of a sudden, unexpected death: car accident, in one's sleep, etc. which would negate being able to "sincerely" accept JC in your heart.

Answer 1

Wow, I can't believe it. A bunch of Christians have answered this question and none of them have mentioned the OBVIOUS thing which is that NOBODY goes to heaven or hell until judgment day! And then . . . everyone gets another chance at redemption. Everyone. Even people who didn't lead a "moral" life. Which of course arguably gives even less reason for following the "rules" during life, I suppose . . . .

Answer 2

Religion is not an effective force for morality. Love for Jesus and His love for us is the reason for our morality. It is not up to us to allow or disallow anyone into heaven. Yes, a lifetime of evil can be wash away by Jesus at any time. Read about Paul in the book of Acts. He was an evil dude.

There are many benefits in accepting Jesus Christ early on in life. There is the personal relationship with Jesus as your Lord and Savior and because you have become God's child, He answers your prayers and intervenes in your life. Jesus told us that He has come to give life and to give it more abundantly and that means here and now and everlasting life, in the future. There can also be years of loving and helping other people in His name, which Jesus told us to do

"You're born. You suffer. You die. Fortunately, there's a loophole." Billy Graham. This means that Jesus is our loophole that makes it all worth while. Without Jesus there is no purpose.

Answer 3

Yep that's pretty screwy isn't it. We always hear about people on Death Row who suddenly "find Jesus" lolol.

Whether or not their repentance is sincere or not, and what happens with them after they die, who knows? Nobody has come back to tell us.

By the way, I don't believe in jesus whatsoever, and I never will, thank God. When I am on my deathbed I will know that I did the best I could in this lifetime, and hope to do better the next.

Yes, I think the loophole you're talking about about does diminish humanity's morality - not collectively but individually for those who take advantage of it to live a life of causing pain to themselves and others. Yeah. If ENOUGH people did this, then yeah I think it would go collective at that point. Maybe it has, who knows.

Answer 4

How will you know that you will have the time to 'accept Jesus' right before you die? What happens if you are 'swept away and drowned' in a flood or tidal wave. What if you are struck by a vehicle when you are crossing the street? What if you are in a car that goes over a cliff, and you are so busy trying to 'escape' that you forget to 'accept Jesus' before you die?
So ... I think that 'loophole' doesn't mean much ... and I also believe that even if you 'accept Jesus' on your death bed, if you have been 'bad' your whole life, that you'll have to do some time in Purgatory/Hell to 'learn the lessons' you'll need to know before you can enter Heaven to join the rest of us, who having been 'as good as possible' go straight to Heaven when we die. Oh, I do believe that EVERYONE will get to Heaven, whether they 'accept Jesus' or not ... but the 'truly bad ones' will have to spend some time in Purgatory/Hell before they get there. I'm sorry ... I choose to live this life in as 'good' as God's grace lets me be ... what about YOU?

Answer 5

Yes it works that way. Jesus even had a parable about it (the one about the workers in the vineyard - if you're interested).

The rules about leading a moral life are ultimately about helping us live more fulfilling lives, not about getting into the clubhouse. (Just like parents have rules for their kids. You might be called a big meanie for not letting them eat Chocolate Frosted Sugar Bombs for every meal every day, but don't you do it b/c you know they'll be healthier and happier in the long run?)

Foe millennia people have tried to somehow 'loophole the loophole' if you will, by saying things like 'The heaven moral people go to is better than the heaven immoral people go to' or dividing heaven up into circles (like in Inferno) and by ideas like purgatory. These are all views unsupported by the bible.

But yes, the murdering rapist who repents on his deathbed (genuinely repents and turns to God - it's not a magic spell after all) gets to go to heaven, the same heaven that good little church ladies go to. Is that fair? Probably not. But I wouldn't change it.

Answer 6

I have a horrible suspicion that some bad sorts who believe in Jesus think this exact thing.
As far as dying suddenly goes; it is a quick thing to just cross yourself and accept Jesus habitually, so even if you die suddenly the chances are you won't have committed a mortal sin in between.
For instance-you just kill someone, and then accept Jesus immediately afterwards, so you're ok whether or not you have a deathbed.

Answer 7

." Any sincere Christian who repents, whether at death or before, God forgives, but He will not forgive the one who has never become a Christian. "Now we know that God does not hear sinners; but if anyone is a worshiper of God and does His will, He hears him." (John 9:31). "One who turns away his ear from hearing the law, even his prayer is an abomination." (Prov. 28:9).

Repentance alone is not what makes one a Christian. Acts 2:38 teaches that repentance and baptism are necessary for remission of sins. Mark 16:16 makes faith and baptism necessary. In Rom. 10:9 a verbal confession is essential. Thus, all of these things are required and since baptism is the last act of obedience for conversion, one is saved at its point, not before.

Answer 8

There's so much more to it than just "saying you accept Jesus". It's about living the life God has directed us to live; loving Him, wanting to do His will, being baptized into Christ, and having Faith. This can't happen in the last instant of your life. When your time comes, you don't think God will look back on your life, look into your heart, and know whether or not you're sincere? I would bet that most people who believe there is a God, don't consider themselves Christians; yet in their final hour, they are calling on God to save them.

Answer 9

It's interesting that you assume that living a moral life will cause you to miss something or to have less fun or less fulfillment.

The opposite is true.

Opening your heart to Jesus will give you MORE life, not less.

I hope you don't equate living a Christian life with never having any fun. That's a myth made up by the manipulative fundamentalists whose only god is a litttle sock-puppet god they make up to scare people.

"The glory of God is man fully alive." said St. Augustine.

True Christianity NEVER "forces" people into morality. For one thing the definition of what is moral is way too often society-based and not Holy Spirit-based.

Fundamentalism tries to force people into "good behavior" and tries to scare people into God's arms with threats of hellfire and brinstone.

Remember to always ignore those sad ignorant people.

Answer 10

Hey! Brian,I like you live in Hawaii,I question my morality on a daily bases ask yourself do you believe there is a jesus?Never mind if Hitlers up there,it really doesn't matter you don't wait til you're on the deathbed and wonder whose in heaven.Eventually we all pay for the evil things we do,nothing disappears.evil haunts you ,it's only on your deathbed when one remembers,and ask for forgiveness. Here's my amswer to your question do the best you can on a daily bases.