Can you repent at the moment of death and still have the same salvation as someone who's been a Christian for many years?

[Justin Adams]

The two words 'GOD' and 'can't' do not belong in the same sentence.

[Alive]

God wishes that none perish. It seems to me that we should all also feel that way, think that way and act that way.

[Starise]

Matt 20:1-16

“For the kingdom of heaven is like a landowner who went out early in the morning to hire workers for his vineyard. ² He agreed to pay them a denarius^[a] for the day and sent them into his vineyard.

³ “About nine in the morning he went out and saw others standing in the marketplace doing nothing. ⁴ He told them, ‘You also go and work in my vineyard, and I will pay you whatever is right.’ ⁵ So they went.

“He went out again about noon and about three in the afternoon and did the same thing. ⁶ About five in the afternoon he went out and found still others standing around. He asked them, ‘Why have you been standing here all day long doing nothing?’

⁷ “‘Because no one has hired us,’ they answered.

“He said to them, ‘You also go and work in my vineyard.’

⁸ “When evening came, the owner of the vineyard said to his foreman, ‘Call the workers and pay them their wages, beginning with the last ones hired and going on to the first.’

⁹ “The workers who were hired about five in the afternoon came and each received a denarius. ¹⁰ So when those came who were hired first, they expected to receive more. But each one of them also received a denarius. ¹¹ When they received it, they began to grumble against the landowner. ¹² ‘These who were hired last worked only one hour,’ they said, ‘and you have made them equal to us who have borne the burden of the work and the heat of the day.’

¹³ “But he answered one of them, ‘I am not being unfair to you, friend. Didn’t you agree to work for a denarius? ¹⁴ Take your pay and go. I want to give the one who was hired last the same as I gave you. ¹⁵ Don’t I have the right to do what I want with my own money? Or are you envious because I am generous?’

¹⁶ “So the last will be first, and the first will be last.”

Read full chapter

Footnotes

1. Matthew 20:2 A denarius was the usual daily wage of a day laborer.

 

[enoob57]

On 9/4/2020 at 11:45 AM, Dinis said:

Some people say that it doesn’t make sense for somebody who has been a Christian all their life to be in the same state as somebody who did as they pleased all their life and waited until the last second to get their accounts square with God.

 

Can you repent at the moment of death and still have the same salvation as someone who's been a Christian for many years?

Reality of essence ... if your born of God within then you know the grief living incorrectly causes.

[Who me]

On 9/4/2020 at 5:45 PM, Dinis said:

On 9/4/2020 at 5:45 PM, Dinis said:

Can you repent at the moment of death and still have the same salvation as someone who's been a Christian for many years

 

In theory yes, but for a moment think, someone who has resisted turning to Jesus all there life, who has lived a sinful life, expects when they are dying to change the habits of a life time from hating God to loving God.

Have you ever tried to change a habit, was it easy?

 

This also ignores the issue of whether God is still offering that person salvation.

The Bible says Today is the day of salvation, not some date 60/70 years in the future.

This also assumes that this person is aware that they were dying.

[FrankIeCip]

And you never know when your time is up. Plus you can’t will yourself saved. Salvation is of the Lord. He will have mercy on whom He will and harden who He hardens. 

[FrankIeCip]

1 hour ago, enoob57 said:

Reality of essence ... if your born of God within then you know the grief living incorrectly causes.

And on the other hand, the joy and peace of walking in Him. 

[Adstar]

On 9/5/2020 at 2:45 AM, Dinis said:

Some people say that it doesn’t make sense for somebody who has been a Christian all their life to be in the same state as somebody who did as they pleased all their life and waited until the last second to get their accounts square with God.

 

Can you repent at the moment of death and still have the same salvation as someone who's been a Christian for many years?

I will post the parable Jesus gave..

(Matthew 20:1-16) "For the kingdom of heaven is like unto a man that is an householder, which went out early in the morning to hire labourers into his vineyard. {2} And when he had agreed with the labourers for a penny a day, he sent them into his vineyard. {3} And he went out about the third hour, and saw others standing idle in the marketplace, {4} And said unto them; Go ye also into the vineyard, and whatsoever is right I will give you. And they went their way. {5} Again he went out about the sixth and ninth hour, and did likewise. {6} And about the eleventh hour he went out, and found others standing idle, and saith unto them, Why stand ye here all the day idle? {7} They say unto him, Because no man hath hired us. He saith unto them, Go ye also into the vineyard; and whatsoever is right, that shall ye receive. {8} So when even was come, the lord of the vineyard saith unto his steward, Call the labourers, and give them their hire, beginning from the last unto the first. {9} And when they came that were hired about the eleventh hour, they received every man a penny. {10} But when the first came, they supposed that they should have received more; and they likewise received every man a penny. {11} And when they had received it, they murmured against the goodman of the house, {12} Saying, These last have wrought but one hour, and thou hast made them equal unto us, which have borne the burden and heat of the day. {13} But he answered one of them, and said, Friend, I do thee no wrong: didst not thou agree with me for a penny? {14} Take that thine is, and go thy way: I will give unto this last, even as unto thee. {15} Is it not lawful for me to do what I will with mine own? Is thine eye evil, because I am good? {16} So the last shall be first, and the first last: for many be called, but few chosen."

What do you think this parable is saying about the topic at hand?

[Adstar]

On 11/28/2020 at 3:10 AM, Starise said:

Matt 20:1-16

“For the kingdom of heaven is like a landowner who went out early in the morning to hire workers for his vineyard. ² He agreed to pay them a denarius^[a] for the day and sent them into his vineyard.

³ “About nine in the morning he went out and saw others standing in the marketplace doing nothing. ⁴ He told them, ‘You also go and work in my vineyard, and I will pay you whatever is right.’ ⁵ So they went.

“He went out again about noon and about three in the afternoon and did the same thing. ⁶ About five in the afternoon he went out and found still others standing around. He asked them, ‘Why have you been standing here all day long doing nothing?’

⁷ “‘Because no one has hired us,’ they answered.

“He said to them, ‘You also go and work in my vineyard.’

⁸ “When evening came, the owner of the vineyard said to his foreman, ‘Call the workers and pay them their wages, beginning with the last ones hired and going on to the first.’

⁹ “The workers who were hired about five in the afternoon came and each received a denarius. ¹⁰ So when those came who were hired first, they expected to receive more. But each one of them also received a denarius. ¹¹ When they received it, they began to grumble against the landowner. ¹² ‘These who were hired last worked only one hour,’ they said, ‘and you have made them equal to us who have borne the burden of the work and the heat of the day.’

¹³ “But he answered one of them, ‘I am not being unfair to you, friend. Didn’t you agree to work for a denarius? ¹⁴ Take your pay and go. I want to give the one who was hired last the same as I gave you. ¹⁵ Don’t I have the right to do what I want with my own money? Or are you envious because I am generous?’

¹⁶ “So the last will be first, and the first will be last.”

Read full chapter

Footnotes

1. Matthew 20:2 A denarius was the usual daily wage of a day laborer.

  I did not read any of the responces before i posted mine.. lol  Anyway it's good that we where both thinking of the same scripture..

 

[Tristen]

Hi Dinis,

I'd say that the answer is both yes and no – depending on what you mean by “same salvation”.

Yes – in the sense that it is possible for a dying person to sincerely surrender ownership of their life to Christ as a faith response to His Gospel just before death – and thereby receive God's pardon for sins and entry into eternal life with God. That is essentially the “same salvation” experienced by all Christians. There may be some questions regarding the 'sincerity' of the confession of someone who has rejected God's pardon all of their life – but that is up to God to decide (Who knows both our heart and its intent).

However, it will be 'different' in the sense that those who have lived as Christians have undergone more of the process of sanctification. That is, as we live as Christians, God separates us from the corrupted parts of our life; replacing and restoring those parts with godliness. Only the uncorrupted parts of us (i.e. those parts of us built on the solid foundation of Christ) will survive through the testing fire – and into eternal life (see 1 Corinthians 3:11-14). Therefore, a larger portion of the longer-lived Christian will survive the testing fire than the newer Christian. Nevertheless, the core self of the new Christian will survive the fire – which is also an excellent outcome (much better than the alternative).