I recently talked with a Christian who shared the gospel with a coworker. The coworker’s response? “I’ll just turn to Christ right before I die.”
It’s not an uncommon response. But there are serious issues with the logic behind it.
Here are a few questions to ask such a person:
1. How do you know you will have the opportunity to turn to Christ?
Many people don’t know when they’ll die. You could have a heart attack and die in the next five minutes. You could lose mental abilities and be on a ventilator in your final days. Why would you leave your eternal destiny to chance?
2. If you don’t want Christ now, how do you know you will then?
If your heart is hardened toward Christ today, what makes you think it will suddenly soften at the very end? Why assume that years of resisting Him will make repentance easier later? This question is about desire, and I suspect most won’t have thought about this or have a good answer.
3. What do you think is humanity’s deepest problem, and why do we need Jesus?
You will want to follow this question with an explanation of what the Bible says about sin separating us from God. I suspect many people don’t truly know sin’s penalty and power in our lives. You may want to have Scriptures in your back pocket like Romans 3:23, Romans 6:23, or Isaiah 59:2 to show them the seriousness of sin and our need for a Savior.
4. What is it about following Christ now that makes you want to delay it?
That question helps uncover what may really be going on. Often, the delay is not intellectual but moral. Many people do not want to surrender to Christ’s lordship or turn from cherished sin (John 3:19).
5. Have you ever considered that knowing Jesus is more than just a ‘get out of hell free’ card?
Knowing Jesus means a loving relationship with our Creator. It means having found the meaning of life: knowing God and enjoying Him forever. It means forgiveness of sin and freedom from it. It means living hope for all of eternity. It means being welcomed into God’s family, and having brothers and sisters (the church) who can help bear our burdens and help us grow. There’s so much joy and satisfaction we experience in Christ on earth before we die.
Today Is the Day of Salvation
When you do hear the “I’ll accept Christ on my deathbed” excuse, push back. Be a pebble in their shoe. Share the true gospel. Patiently expose the false confidence behind that response, pointing them to the urgency of repentance and showing them the goodness of Christ. And pray for God to soundly save them.