Can I Be Forgiven on My Deathbed?

Can I be forgiven on my deathbed? That's just one of the questions we'll be answering on today's edition of CORE Christianity. Hi, this is Bill Meyer, along with Pastor Adriel Sanchez. This is the radio program where we answer your questions about the Bible and the Christian life every day.

And yes, we do get some doozies here. You can also post your question on our Facebook, Instagram or Twitter account. And you can email us with your question at questions at core christianity.com. First up today, here's a voicemail from one of our listeners in Philadelphia.

We'd love to speak a little bit about it, if you would, if generational curse is still happening in our families and the world today. And thank you that I can call into your show. And I hope that everything works out. I know that your office was broken into, and I really love that you prayed for that person. That is so profound. Thank you.

Bye-bye now. Hey, Lynn, thank you for that question. Yeah, may the Lord be with.

We were recently broken into and a couple cameras stolen, some computers. But we continue to pray for the people that broke in, that the Lord would cause his grace to break through into their lives, that they would come to repentance. Now, with regard to your question, Lynn, our generational curses around today, I think usually when people bring this up, they're thinking of some sort of spiritual affliction that passes from the mother or the father to their children and so on and so forth. And I think it is very clear that when it comes to addictive behaviors, that there is, I think, a sort of handing down that we see and can see. And some of it is nature, some of it is nurture, but I think it's good to be aware of those kinds of things.

We want to be careful that we don't over-spiritualize this. One thing I will say is that the Bible does speak of a generational curse that comes to every single person through Adam, our representative, if you will, outside of Christ. The Bible teaches in Romans 5 that through Adam, sin and death spread to the entire human race.

That's the generational curse, I think, that people need to understand and recognize and find the remedy for. And the remedy is Jesus Christ. Paul in Galatians chapter 3 said that Jesus became a curse for us when He was hanging on the cross. That is, He bore the curse for our sins so that we would no longer be cursed. And so for those who are concerned, afraid, oh man, is this curse, a generational curse looming over me, let me just say that if you are united to Jesus Christ by faith, you are a child of the true and the living God, and Christ has borne your curse so that you can have freedom. Now that doesn't mean that our families, our parents, sins that they struggled with or actively engaged in, that doesn't affect us and didn't affect us as a child. And I think it's important to get help, spiritual help, care, maybe even therapy and working through some of those things.

But there isn't this, I think, looming generational curse in that sense over you. You're free in Jesus Christ. And so God bless you, Lynn, and thank you for giving us a call. Some great counsel. Thank you for that, Adriel. I know that's a question that a lot of our listeners have had, especially if there's a lot of pain and grief in their family background and they're wondering, boy, am I set up for that in the future.

And certainly there's a lot of prayer that needs to go into situations like that. This is Core Christianity with Pastor Adriel Sanchez, and we want to say thank you to a group of wonderful people who support this program on a regular basis. They are called our inner core. So we're pretty excited. Maybe you've heard we're going to be joining many of our inner core members in not many days from now, April 13th at 8 p.m. Eastern time, 5 p.m. Pacific. We've sent out an invitation to join us for a virtual meeting where you can ask questions about the Christian faith, where you can learn more about Core Christianity, our organization, the mission that we have, and the hope to continue to spread the gospel throughout the United States, throughout the world. And so we'd love for you to join the inner core. And when you join, you will get an invitation to this meeting that we're going to be having.

It's a monthly donation of $25 or more, and it's part of the way we partner together to get the word out and to encourage others in their faith. And so if you're blessed by the broadcast, please consider joining the inner core and look forward to seeing you on April 13th. We would love to have you be part of that virtual meeting with Adriel as he answers your questions, tells you a little bit about the organization and kind of the backstory of Core Christianity. So if you haven't joined the inner core yet, why don't you do that right now? You can go to our website to find out more. Just go to corechristianity.com forward slash inner core, just all one word corechristianity.com forward slash inner core to learn more about becoming an inner core member and joining us on April 13th, as Adriel said, for that special online meeting.

It's going to be really, really cool. Well, we do receive voicemails here at Core Christianity, and you're welcome to call us 24 hours a day with your question. Here's our phone number. In fact, we're taking live calls right now as well for the next 15 minutes or so. So now's the time to jump on the phone.

If you have a question about the Bible, the Christian life doctrine, theology, how your Christian walk intersects with what's happening in today's culture, we're open to all questions. 833-THE-CORE is the number 1-833-843-2673. Jump on the phone right now. Let's go to a voicemail. This is one of our listeners named Zaini. Good afternoon.

I'm calling from California. My question is if a person keeps committing evil things day in, day out, and then when he's dying, or he's on deathbed, he asks for forgiveness. Is that acceptable?

Hi, Zaini. The simple answer to your question is yes. I mean, if somebody truly comes to repentance on their deathbed, they will be welcomed by the Lord. Now, none of us—I don't want anybody listening right now to think, oh, well, I'll just turn to God when I'm getting ready to die.

I'm going to do my own thing now. And I think that's what many people say to themselves. That would be foolish. We don't know what the future holds, and there is this hardening effect that sin has on us, blinding us from the truth of God and His goodness, His glory. So can somebody see the light on their deathbed?

Absolutely. I think the example that oftentimes people will go to is Luke chapter 23, the thief on the cross. One of the criminals who were hanged railed at him, saying, Are you not the Christ?

Save yourself and us. But the other rebuked him, saying, Do you not fear God, since you are under the same sentence of condemnation? And we indeed justly, for we are receiving the due reward of our deeds.

But this man has done nothing wrong. It's very clear that there's this repentance here. The thief on the cross is saying, Look, we recognize what we've done is wrong, and this person is innocent. And he said, Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom. And Jesus said to him, Truly I say to you, today you will be with me in paradise. And so the thing that we have to realize is the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ here, that it can extend to an individual, even a violent criminal, who with their final breath is crying out to God for mercy. If they're turning to the Lord, God's grace does even extend to them.

But let's not be presumptuous. I think for many people, as I already mentioned, they assume that they'll just sort of get right with God later in life. I'm going to live my life the way that I want to live right now, do the things that I want to do that I know are contrary to what the Bible teaches, have my fun, quote unquote, and then maybe later I'll add some religion to my life once it looks like, you know, I don't need these things anymore. Do you hear what the author to the Hebrews said in Hebrews chapter three, verse seven? Therefore, as the Holy Spirit says, today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts as in the rebellion. On the day of testing in the wilderness, when your fathers put me to the test and saw my works for 40 years, therefore I was provoked with that generation and said they always go astray in their heart.

I have not known my ways as I swore in my wrath they shall not enter my rest. Take care, brothers, lest there be in any of you an evil, unbelieving heart leading you to fall away from the living God. Today, right now, is the day of salvation. Don't put it off. Don't say, oh, you know what, when I get to my deathbed, that's when I'm going to call out to God. Don't know what today holds, what tomorrow holds. Right now, as you hear the truth of the gospel, that Christ died for your sins so that you might be forgiven, embrace it, receive it, trust in him, and follow him.

That's what we're all called to do, and not to put that off. And so, thank you for your question, sister, and may the Lord bless you. You're listening to CORE Christianity with Pastor Adriel Sanchez. We are always open to your calls if you have a question about the Bible or the Christian life. You can call us for the next 15 minutes or so at this number, 833-THE-CORE. That's 1-833-843-2673. We also receive emails here, and many people email in their questions, at questionsatcorechristianity.com.

Here's one from Robert. In regards to predestination, Romans 3, 10 and 11 says, There is no one righteous, and nobody has the ability in their sin nature to seek God and do good. If Adam and Eve before the fall were innocent and free of evil, how were they able to do evil by disobeying God? God gave them free choice. The sin had not entered the world yet, but they were in this sort of probationary period there in the Garden of Eden where God called them to obey his word, to be fruitful, and to multiply, to fill the earth, if you will, with the glory of the Lord, with the image of God reflected in perfect love and beauty, and not to eat of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.

Well, what happened? They turned away. They rebelled. They sinned against God, and because they sinned against God, death entered the world, and corruption, and sin, and we've been feeling the effect of that ever since. So that's what Paul talks about in Romans 5, verses 12 and following, but the simple answer is they were left to the freedom of their wills and chose to reject God's law.

They turned away from it, and so thank you for that question. God bless. You're listening to Core Christianity.

Let's go to Miguel from Olof, Kansas. Miguel, what's your question for Pastor Adrian? My question is, do Christianity really preach what our Lord Jesus Christ and the whole Bible is written? Do we really teach what Jesus taught?

Is that what you're asking, Miguel? Well, look, Jesus said when he sent his disciples out, go into all the world and make disciples. Preach the gospel. Baptize in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching everyone to observe everything that I've commanded you. And so I can't speak on behalf of every Christian church, but I can say that's the Great Commission. That's what the church from the very beginning has been called to do, to make disciples through the proclamation of the Word of God, bringing the voice of Jesus, the truth of Jesus to people. That's the job of the church.

It's to placard Christ. It's what Paul told the Galatians in Galatians chapter 3. He placarded Jesus Christ and him crucified before them.

That's it. I mean, this is why he says elsewhere, you know, when I came to you, I didn't come with wisdom of words. I didn't know anything but Jesus Christ and him crucified, Paul told the Corinthians. That's the central message of the Christian faith. And so if churches aren't proclaiming Christ crucified for the forgiveness of our sins, then, Miguel, no, they aren't. They aren't being faithful to the Word. And if they're following some other commission, if it's not making disciples of Jesus, but maybe making disciples of an individual or, you know, some social club or something like that, well, that's a problem, too. Jesus made it very clear that there were going to be false teachers and even false churches out there. He warned the churches in the book of Revelation chapters 2 and 3 about the importance of being steadfast and faithful to him and to his word, saying, if you're not, I'm going to remove your lampstand. And I think there are a lot of churches out there that maybe are still in existence, you know, they got the building and all that, but the lampstand isn't really there.

The Spirit isn't at work because the Word of God is not being faithfully taught and Jesus is not being honored. And so it's up to us to know the Word of God and to make sure that we're in churches, Miguel, that are faithful to the teaching of Jesus Christ. And I hope that you are. Thank you for that question. Thank you, Miguel. And thanks for listening to CORE Christianity. We appreciate that.

We appreciate all of our listeners. And if you are a regular listener to this program and you believe strongly in what this ministry does, we would love to have you and invite you to join our inner CORE, which is that group of people that support us here on a regular basis. We were mentioning earlier, we have a special online meeting coming up in April with Adriel, and he'll answer your questions in person and also tell you more about this ministry. You can find out more about inner CORE by going to corechristianity.com forward slash inner CORE.

Let's go to Phyllis from Lincoln, Nebraska. Phyllis, what's your question for Pastor Adriel? Yes, just studying the end times and says it'll be like the days of Sodom and Gomorrah and also says like in the day of Noah. And God just didn't get mad because people were marrying and giving in marriage and partying and all that stuff, but because of the Nephilim, the contamination of the blood. So are we to assume that in the last days, which I believe is now, if we're going to have Nephilim present? We know that the evil one is at work and that the spirit of the Antichrist is already on the move, on the prowl. It has been since John wrote in First John.

I mean, John says this very clearly. We are, as you said, and I agree with you, Phyllis, we are living in the last days. Now, the text of scripture that you're referring to is Matthew chapter 24, where Jesus said in verse 36, concerning that day and hour, no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, nor the Son, but the Father only. For as were the days of Noah, so will be the coming of the Son of Man. For as in those days, and this is how he draws the parallel, this is the correlation, for as in those days before the flood, they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage until the day when Noah entered the ark, and they were unaware until the flood came and swept them all away, so will be the coming of the Son of Man. In other words, I don't think that the emphasis there specifically, Phyllis, you know, that the return of the Nephilim, you know, part two, that's not what Jesus is indicating here. And of course, there's debate about the Nephilim in Genesis and who exactly they were, their identity, but setting that aside, it seems to me like the focus of our Lord Jesus here, he's saying, look, it's gonna be like the days of Noah.

Well, in what sense? Well, in the sense that when the judgment comes, people are gonna be totally unaware. You know, Noah's warning them about the flood that was coming, just like preachers today say, hey, turn to Christ. The Lord is coming. There's a flood of judgment, if you will, not rain. God promised never to flood the earth again like that, but there will be a judgment that's coming. And people hear that, and they think, yeah, no big deal.

When's that gonna happen? I mean, it's what Peter said in 2 Peter. In the last days, there would be scoffers, you know, following their own lust, saying, where is the promise of his coming?

Everything's happening the same way it's been happening for years and years and years. And so that's what Jesus is saying. He's saying, look, when the judgment comes, there are gonna be a lot of people that are just sort of living their lives, you know, unaware, marrying, giving in marriage, enjoying, you know, parties and that kind of a thing.

They weren't watching. And, Phyllis, that's one of the things that's repeated throughout the Gospels. When Jesus talks about his coming, he says we need to be vigilant. We need to be watching.

We need to be ready. And, of course, that's something that he's getting out there in Matthew 24 as well. So thank you, and may the Lord bless you. And we can all say, come, Lord Jesus, as the New Testament says. We look forward to his blessed appearance, and we do so with great hope as those who belong to him. God bless.

Amen. A great future to look forward to for every one of us who is in Christ. This is Core Christianity with Pastor Adriel Sanchez, and we would love to hear from you if you have a question about the Bible or the Christian life. Our phone lines will be open for the next five minutes or so. 833-843-2673.

If you want to spell it out on your phone, it's 833, the core. You can also leave us a voicemail 24 hours a day. We have some radio stations that air this program on a tape delayed basis. So if you're not hearing this at 1130 a.m. Pacific, 1230 Central, 130 I'm sorry, 1230 Mountain, 130 Central or 230 Eastern Time, that means you're listening on a delayed basis. So call us at those times if you want to get to the studio live each day. Here's a voicemail from one of our listeners named Veronica. Hi, God bless you.

I'm calling from New York City. God bless you for your program. I listen to you every day. Could you please explain to me in Genesis, in the garden, when God clothes Adam and Eve in skins, preachers are saying that he had to kill to put skins on them. Isn't God omnipotent?

Would God have to kill to put skins on them? Thank you. God bless you. Have a blessed day.

Bye. Thank you for that question. So we're thinking about the fall again here and the need for forgiveness. Obviously Adam and Eve recognized when sin entered the world that they were naked, that they had this guilt, this shame because of their rebellion. And at first, what did they do? They did what we often try to do, Veronica, when our sin is exposed. They tried to cover it up, to conceal it, to hide, to minimize even, you know, Adam blame shifts. This is frequently what happens when we're confronted with our sins.

I always say as a pastor, you know, there are two things we often will do. We'll minimize them. We'll say, oh, it's not really that bad. What's the big deal?

Why are people making a big deal about this? That kind of a thing. Or we'll blame shift. How often does this happen in relationships and marriages where we're confronted with sin, maybe by our spouse, and we say, well, I did this because of you.

This is your fault, or this is the fault of someone else. Those are ways we keep from coming to God in repentance, truly, honestly, confessing our sins, owning up to them. And that's what Adam and Eve were doing initially, but that wasn't sufficient. The fig leaves that they had, you know, got together to clothe them, so that wasn't enough.

That didn't work, and neither do our, you know, justifications and blame shifting. What we need is genuine forgiveness, and it seems like that's what's provided there in Genesis chapter 3. In fact, that's exactly what's provided. In verse 20, we read, The man called his wife's name Eve because she was the mother of all living, and the Lord God made for Adam and for his wife garments of skins and clothed them. Now, we're not told, you know, specifically about a sacrifice that took place, but it seems like it's presupposed there, doesn't it? Garments of skins. Well, where does that come from? It comes from an animal. And so it seems like here you have the first sacrifice, if you will, animal sacrifice.

For what purpose? For the purpose of covering the nakedness of Adam and Eve, for the purpose of covering sin. So right there in Genesis 3, verse 21, you have a picture of God's redemptive love, of the cost for forgiveness. What are the wages of sin? The wages of sin are death, Paul says in the book of Romans. The sin leads to death. An animal had to die, and its skin was used to cover the nakedness of this first couple. And of course, that points us forward to Jesus, who John the Baptist said is the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world.

Friends, you need to know this. Your nakedness, your shame, your sin, no matter how bad it is, no matter what it is, sometimes we think, oh boy, there's no way God could forgive me or would forgive me. Well, there is a way, and that way was Jesus. And it's His righteousness that clothes those who come to Him in faith and in repentance.

And we're given a picture of that there in Genesis chapter 3. And what a great hope we have, what a great hope you have, that no matter what you've done, no matter how many times you've failed, the blood of Christ is sufficient for you. If you will but come to God in humble confession, repenting of your sins, turning to Him and saying, I believe, have mercy upon me, the Lord will and promises to have mercy upon you and to forgive all of your sins.

And that's a hope that we have, isn't it, Bill? What a great promise, and it is a hope for every one of us if we come to Him in true repentance. As you said, regardless of our past, regardless of what sins we committed, God forgives us through the blood of Christ. Yeah, and if you are a forgiven sinner, as we oftentimes say on this broadcast, you're not in it alone. You're united to a family, the church, and you want to make sure that you're in a good church where you're reminded of these truths and encouraged in your walk with Christ. Explore the truth of God's Word together.