The Heaven Answer Book

Can you repent for the first time just before you die and still go to Heaven?

O ne of the Bible’s greatest truths is that God stands ready to forgive us whenever we turn to Him in repentance and faith—even at the end of life. The Lord wants all people to come to repentance. The Bible says, “He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance” (2 Peter 3:9). The Bible repeatedly warns us, however, not to wait until the last minute. For one thing, we do not know what the future holds; life is uncertain. Death can snatch us from this world in an instant, before we could even cry out to God. If a person is dying of a heart attack and, out of fear, prays for God’s salvation, is that repentance sincere? Only the Lord knows. My question for such a person would be this: If you didn’t want anything to do with Christ while you were living, why would you want to spend eternity with Him?

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THE HEAVEN ANSWER BOOK