Facing Death Unprepared

Facing Death Unprepared

Luke 23:39-44

If you had only a few hours to live, and if you were not a believer in Jesus Christ, where would you look to find comfort or hope?

Every day, many people face death, but sadly, many of them do not know Jesus as Lord. However, some individuals, in a final act of spiritual acuity, accept Christ on their deathbed. You may argue, “But they can’t really be Christians then, can they? They sinned their entire lives and accepted Jesus only because they were scared of dying. They don’t get the same reward that I will get, do they?”

Well, think about the repentant thief on the cross next to Jesus. Scripture is clear that this was a vicious, violent, guilty criminal. There isn’t even a hint that he was wrongfully accused. He was tried, convicted, and sentenced to death by the most despicable means possible. Surely, he was not a person we would consider a “good guy.”

But as he hung on his cross, something stirred within him. The Spirit began to work in his heart, and in the moments before his death, he was for the first time made alive in his spirit. He accepted Jesus, and Jesus accepted him.

You see, the great salvation that is ours in Christ is 100 percent dependent on what Jesus did for us. This means that there is nothing you or I could ever do to “deserve” it. When we realize that His love is open to all people, even to those we despise the most, we can truly give Him all the glory for the great things He has done.

Daily Devotions with Dr. Charles Stanlley, InTouch Ministries