I am not a Theologian yet as a believer you must come to the conclusion that there is a heaven and hell, one with fire & brimstone, one with angels singing the praises of God. In the end it comes down to what you believe doesn’t it. On your deathbed you are going to be hoping that you have lived your life according to the will of God and followed the great commandment (John 13:34). Hoping your name is written in the book of life at day’s end. I firmly believe some will even reject and spit at God on their day of Judgement.

No one knows and it is not written, some believe in it. That when you are about to die God comes to you. People have been known to die and have come back to the living. Some have seen a light, some see darkness. I think that even in this time there is an opportunity for you to bend the knee to Jesus and confess with the spirit he is the Christ. Some have been radically changed.


What of Lazarus the poor man who was a beggar and was infected. (Luke 16:19-31)
Is Jesus being figurative in this story

(Luke 16:22) When the poor man died, he was carried away by angels to the bosom of Abraham. The rich man also died and was buried, [23] and from the netherworld, where he was in torment, he raised his eyes and saw Abraham far off and Lazarus at his side.

(Luke 16:24) And he cried out, 'Father Abraham, have pity on me. Send Lazarus to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue, for I am suffering torment in these flames.'

Abraham replied;
(Luke 16:26) Moreover, between us and you a great chasm is established to prevent anyone from crossing who might wish to go from our side to yours or from your side to ours.'

These may be nefarious but they are merely a thought process that points to a logical conclusion.

Even when my father passed away my prayer was that he had a chance to confess his allegiance to Christ, I would not wish an eternity in hell a place to be for anyone. My father may have rejected the offering [if it is there at all] when he was alone on his deathbed.

Is this place Jesus talking about a possibility. The point where we are all given a chance to accept or reject on our deathbed. Or is it like the rich young ruler; his decisions whilst breathing brought him to a place of suffering?

I am always open for new ways to look at things. Please help.

I think one of the biggest dangers in this life is to become a Theologian.

One becomes so wise they forget to run to God like a child. When I read or study the bible or speak to another believer I look for the simple truths, the sure and steady ones.

When we die our body goes to the earth, it returns to where it came from . Our spirit returns to God or to hell. Or the places we understand but do not fully comprehend. So even in the waiting time while the spirit is separate from the body one cannot enjoy all with God, or be totally aware of the total pain of hell. But at the resurrection when the body is returned to the spirit....then there is the complete joy or the awful hell.....one or the other.

None of us know the exact mind of God , and none of us know the exact mind of a fallen loved one. This is Gods job so to speak to know .

So in all the discussions about being saved, not being saved, being condemned and all that.........with a great understanding that the human side....us. are ones to condemn .......I have one solution to it and another reinforced this to me just recently.

So the answer is so simple.......God is good. Whatever happens, whatever the judgement is, God is full of compassion and mercy and he is not the God of condemnation that we humans make him out to be sometimes......so I hold to that......and relax.

The one thing to not do is to assume. Yes we all hope for the very best...and it may be or it may not be.......there are no words in the Bible that says.........at the very last moment, after a life of sin and spitting at God......you can be saved.......now I do not put it beyond God in his mercy......but no one knows........but my very soul tells me maybe.....as God is good and merciful.

May he pat us on the head and comfort us.

Kit

From Another thread Kit, hope you don’t mind me using it.

This is the point I was trying to make. Not being a theologian and knowing the full mind of God. Can it be a possibility?

No I do not mind. I prefer it.

To me it is not complicated. To me the mind of God that I do understand is mercy and compassion and forgiveness with great understanding of many things.

It is us, who make it complicated.

I try to view the world, life and all things through the teachings of Jesus. To me this is the truth and light in it all. Some other things I see as tradition, culture and old laws......well I will not go there......

I hold to what I see......mercy and compassion and hope.

Kit

Believe in Jesus and you will be saved.

all the rest is result of man being what he is. but when some one comes to God to believe in savior the faith changes him...

rich man had cold heart , and somehow as child of abrahamn (like all jews are) he was blind to the idea that he should help anyone... this is like many people's heart, even religious people which the rich man represents because he was a Jew and obeyed the Law (because they all had to) and he must have looked at the law thinking he's good because law never condemmed riches though it says to love your neighbour but many people probably didnt understand what neighbour meant so he didnt bother with lazarus. (Jesus explains who is neighbor: Luke 10:29-37)


he should have followed after what moses said and find God which would have opened his eyes, maybe he didnt follow any of the law but point is he was missing God which moses pointed to. so its not like you can earn heaven by good works or something it's more like never seeking God and the end result is always bad. there are some "good" people too without God but rich man may have just thought that he doesnt need to "be good" since he is a Jew and child of abrahamn which Jews held at high value because God chose abrahamn to be father of many nations.
(And this is something jews are proud of even today.)

its not trivia that get us to heaven. only faith in Jesus does. joh 3:18 He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.

Salvation is Gift of God: Joh 4:10 Jesus answered and said unto her, If thou knewest the gift of God, and who it is that saith to thee, Give me to drink; thou wouldest have asked of him, and he would have given thee living water.

Believing in Jesus as savior and way to heaven is more than any obedience of law because no matter how well you obey law you still need savior and faith is what starts relationship with God.

God bless...

I believe scripture shows us that as long as we are breathing we are able to come to God, even on our deathbed. The parable of the land owner (Matthew 20:1-16) is one example of this.

And scripture is ubiquitous with examples of God's amazing long-suffering, patience, love and compassion to His creation, not willing that any should perish.

So based on this, I would agree with your statement : No one knows and it is not written, some believe in it. That when you are about to die God comes to you.

I bet He gives us chances even up to our last breath. But like you said, we don't know, although we trust in His goodness.

Incidentally, my elderly grandma, while surrounded by relatives on her deathbed, told them she saw Jesus in the room holding His arms out to her. She said to them, "look!, Jesus is here, can you see Him?". She died not long after.