Will a Deathbed Confession Suffice

Will a Deathbed Confession Suffice

Dear John:
Are deathbed conversions valid? Is the thief on the cross a deathbed conversion? Are deathbed conversions valid with or with out baptism?
--Tim

Dear Tim:
There are two parts to your question. The first is about baptism. God endowed Christ with all authority (Matt. 28:18). Jesus commissioned us to go preach the gospel to every creature. He said he that believeth and is baptized shall be saved (Mark 16:15-16). This verse alone should be sufficient to establish that baptism is essential to our salvation. But there are other verses that impact the second aspect of your question. The Lord told Nicodemus that a man cannot enter the kingdom except he is born of water and Spirit (John 3:3-5). The only time water is used in connection with the religion of Christ, it has to do with baptism. Absent baptism, no man can enter the heavenly kingdom. We are baptized into Christ (Gal. 3:26-27). Saul was told to be baptized to wash away his sins (Acts 22:16). I am sure you are familiar with these and other passages that teach the necessity of baptism in order to receive salvation. So clear is the teaching on this subject that our only two legitimate options are to accept it or reject it.

Now to the second part of your question. Can a man be saved on his death bed? Many who preach have assisted aged or terminally ill people in obedience to Christ in baptism. I have no doubt that God accepted their faith, repentance, confession and obedience. This is illustrated in the parable of the eleventh hour worker (Matt. 20:1-16).

As to the person who has reached the point where he cannot be baptized, I have not one scripture that promises him that he will be saved even though he did not do what Christ said he must do to obtain salvation. I dare not preach or imply that the person who has neglected his Lord's will for all his life can hope to slip in with his dying gasp. That said, we are not God and we do not do the saving of souls. If God should choose to save the person, who in his final hours calls upon Him for mercy, that is His prerogative and I would not protest His decision. God's grace is the most wonderful thing in the world, but we must not presume upon God's graciousness and neglect obedience to His will. Remember Christ is the author of eternal salvation to all that obey him (Heb. 5:9). Also obedience is the proof of our love for the Master (John 14:15).

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