On Deathbed Conversions: Your Last Chance for Salvation may be Now.

Note: this post is a draft of sorts. I'm feeling too sick to continue for the moment. I'll complete it at a later time.

Many people are banking on the fact that they will have the chance at a deathbed conversion. It seems too good to be true right? According to the Bible, in order to be saved, you must believe in your heart and confess with your mouth that Christ is Lord. Think about that for a moment, an entire life's worth of sin can be forgiven just before death--that's the ultimate form of having your cake and eating it too. There are several problems with this idea, but I want to focus on one in particular and my experience.

Assuming there is no calamity, tragedy, or sudden and abrupt death, you will likely have some time to think and reflect prior to death--or will you?

On March 30, 2014, a day that shall live in infamy for me, I went to the hospital thinking that I had a severe case of the flu, mono, or pneumonia. I was in such a bad state that my kidneys and liver were failing. After a quick CBC, my white blood cell count was over 260,000 and the doctors could instantly tell that I had some form of leukemia. They instantly began administering morphine and rushed me to the nearest ICU (at this time I was living in an area where the VA was unequipped for oncology). I spent several weeks in the ICU, unconscious, hallucinating, and in a constant state of mental anguish and physical pain. During this time, the doctors repeatedly told my wife to "prepare for the worst." Nobody thought that I would make it. Even the doctors said that it was miraculous that I survived.

But let us suppose that I had not survived, that I died in the ICU as the doctors expected. Where was my deathbed conversion? You might be in such a state that even though you are alive, you are unable to think rationally. Although I slipped in and out of consciousness, I was far from cognitive thought. A deathbed conversion would have been impossible.

Physicians and hospitals are very good about treating pain. Unfortunately, the treatment for such pain usually has severe mental repercussions. The greater the pain, the greater the likelihood that you will not be awake to experience it, much less have deep thoughts about God and the after life.

I am going to post this for now and edit it later. I'm not feeling well right now and I'm unable to continue this at present.