Have you ever heard someone say, “Why don’t people just accept God on their deathbed so they can go to heaven but still live the way they want to for their entire life?”
There is a terrible problem with the way some people view deathbed conversions. Am I saying that all deathbed conversions are not genuine or fake? No, of course not. But we need to be careful how we evaluate our life and death and God and heaven. And do you not see the selfishness just dripping from the question above? Basically, the question is saying this:
“I am looking for the best life possible for myself. I want to live the way I want, do the things I want, and be the way I want. It’s my life anyway, and I have every right to. And although I know that this lifestyle is not exactly good and leads to God’s judgment and hell, it’s ok, because I can just accept God before I die, so I’ll go to heaven. I am concerned about giving my life what I think is best and most enjoyable, comfortable, and favorable. And I mean if heaven is an alternative option to hell, I can just say a prayer and go to heaven. Who wouldn’t do that? I can get the best of both worlds.”
In this case, no you won’t.
This view of “accepting God” could be translated to “mocking God” or “using God” or telling God that you are only concerned about yourself: your own security, comfort, pleasures, and desires. And if “becoming a Christian” simply means to obtain eternal security by escaping the fires of hell and living in paradise, then why not, right? In fact, “becoming a Christian” on your deathbed seems like the most logical and favorable method to further ensure and maintain your pursuit of giving yourself what you think is best, comfortable, and ideal.
But this idea is radically opposing to Christianity. In fact, it is like spitting in God’s face. You don’t want God at all. All you want is to sustain your comfort and pleasure and to live with the peace now that one day you’ll be fire insured and torture-free. You don’t want God. You want heaven. You don’t want God at all. What you are saying to God is that you want to rule and be the lord over your own life and afterlife — be in control of a life you think is yours — and keep yourself and your afterlife ensured with the highest comfort, position, power, status, and appearance — all the way to heaven and even in heaven.
In fact, this view has nothing to do with Jesus’ words of salvation, “take up your cross and follow me”, nor Paul’s response to that invitation: “nothing will ever compare to the all-surpassing greatness of knowing Jesus” (Php 3:7). Meaning, we are to count the cost, and be gripped by the reality that nothing else is more valuable than a life with Him — and accordingly, we will do whatever it takes to follow and be with Christ.
Rather, the view we mentioned above is self-absorbed and has no concern for God. But see, this is how we all are apart from God’s intervention and awakening us to the life and glory and value of Himself in Christ and in the Gospel. But we have this perspective because we are only focused on us! We need to direct our view to God and realize that our perspective is streaming with fallacies and stained by misconceptions about God and heaven–then we can see our destructive and lacking selfishness and embrace the reality of God’s presence as immeasurably desirable and valuable.
God loves you so intensely and died to be with you! He gave everything to be with you! He is wrapped up in love and passion and desire to be united with you now, and unitedeternally with you in heaven! How dare that we spit in His face and choose eternal pleasures and not Him! Its like a groom who is madly in love with his bride, and does whatever it takes to rescue her and win her heart and be with her. But once the groom has rescued her from the snares of evil, and endangered his life, and suffered much, and sacrificed all for the sake of love and to be with her, she turns on him and plunders his household, burns down his house, pours salt in his wounds, and poison down his throat, and runs off to make a great name and comfortable life for herself. And that is merely on a human level! How much more so with God!?
How much more did God go through to ransom us, his desperately loved people? How much more did He give, how much more did He sacrifice, how much did He suffer, how much more did He yearn! We sometimes compare the heart of God with our own heart, but this is a mistake. Though we are created in His image and bear His character, His emotions and power and love and hate and joy and desire are infinitely more than we can imagine! In fact, it makes sense to associate infinitely deep, complex, and powerful qualities with an infinite God.
For we are so selfish and natural enemies of God at the heart (Eph 2:1-3); but yet, while we were still sinners, Christ died for us (Rom 5:8). And this is the purest manifestation and demonstration of God’s deep love (Rom 8:31-39).
I thought John Piper’s quote in “God is the Gospel” would be perfect for the context and setting of this blog:
“Christ did not die to forgive sinners who go on treasuring anything above seeing and savoring God. And people who would be happy in heaven if Christ were not there, will not be there. The gospel is not a way to get people to heaven; it is a way to get people to God. It’s a way of overcoming every obstacle to everlasting joy in God. If we don’t want God above all things, we have not been converted by the gospel.”
To conclude, deathbed conversions are legitimate when they see that God is most glorious and supremely desirably and counted as a treasure that supersedes all they could ever want or desire. When God is counted as the treasure, you have been awakened to the beauty of the Gospel.
And thank God for deathbed conversions; it shows that He is constantly desiring us even to the last shades of life. Yet, it is a tragedy to not live with Christ and have fellowship with Him now in this life.
*We are only missing out on all that life has to offer when we are missing out on all that Christ has to offer – both now and forever.
For, “to live is Christ, and to die is gain” (Php 1:21).
