Deathbed Conversions — E.A. Johnston

False Assurance Through Superficial Profession

I remember when my father lay dying that a friend of mine from church came to his house and entered his bedroom where my father was and made an EE presentation to him. Evangelism Explosion was popular in Baptist churches back then, and if you're familiar with it, it's a canned program, a man-centered presentation of the gospel that the end result is to get a person to accept Jesus as their Savior.

I was a senior EE trainer myself, and I was an unsaved man, and I led a lot of folks into a false assurance with that program, but getting them to accept the little Jesus I was offering them. Anyhow, this friend of mine went through that canned process with my father, and he came out of my dad's house with a grin on his face, telling me my father had accepted Jesus.

The problem was, my father was a hardened old sinner who was now shaky and scared, for he knew he was dying, and he did what my friend told him to do, and that was to say, yes, I accept Jesus, and for a while I believed my father had accepted Jesus until I visited him close to the end in the hospital, and I listened to him cuss and swear and say the filthiest things imaginable, and it shocked me, and I saw with my own eyes that my dad wasn't changed.

He had not been transformed by the Spirit of God through the new birth, and deep in my heart I knew my dad was still an unsaved man, and he died that way, even though with his lips he had accepted Jesus that was offered to him.

He accepted it like you take a piece of chewing gum that was offered to you, because he wanted a free ticket to heaven so he wouldn't go on to hell, and then I watched my wife's father nod his head, yes, to accept Jesus on his deathbed, and I watched her mother on her deathbed accept this same little Jesus so they wouldn't go to hell.

An unsaved family member or unsaved person from a Baptist church would get them to agree that they should go to heaven, and got both of them to accept their brand of Jesus just before they died. I witnessed all of this, friends, as a lost church member myself, and now that I'm saved and I look back on those individuals and their so-called deathbed conversions, I doubt any one of them stayed out of hell, and only believe gospel will only send you to hell while you clutch in your hand your phony free ticket to heaven that gets burned up with the rest of you in that region of flames and misery.

Biblical Salvation and the Penitent Thief

Now that's the introduction to my message today, friends. We have to be honest with ourselves as to what biblical salvation is as opposed to what an unsaved gospel worker tells us it is. I want you to turn in your Bibles to the Gospel of Luke as we look at a genuine deathbed conversion.

We will be in chapter 23, beginning in verse 39. The title of my message today, friends, is Deathbed Conversions with a Question Mark. For a fear, many who lay dying swallowed a false gospel presentation and were given a false assurance of their salvation by an unsaved loved one, or an unsaved friend of the family, or an unsaved pastor.

Let me read us our passage of scripture at this time, and we will be in verses 39 -43. Here now is the word of God, and may the Spirit of the Lord be pleased to attend the reading of His holy word. And one of the malefactors which were hanged railed on him, saying, If thou be Christ, save thyself and us.

But the other answering rebuked him, saying, Dost not thou fear God, seeing thou art in the same condemnation? Let me pause here, friends. Here is a criminal on a cross near Jesus. He's nailed up there for his crime, which was probably being a thief like his companion.

Although he is dying, his nearness to the only one who can save his soul does not help him but condemn him for his hard, unrepentant heart. Let us continue with our text. And we indeed justly, for we receive the due reward of our deeds, but this man has done nothing amiss.

Genuine Repentance and Confession of Sin

Let me pause again, friends. This thief, who is a genuine penitent, reminds me of the story told by D. O. Moody when he preached one time in a prison. Moody said he stood at the end of a long cement hallway that was a cell-block, with hardened criminals in each cell, and he preached to them the gospel story of one who came down here so we could go up there.

He could not see their faces as he preached, and stared down that cement hallway. And when Moody was through with the gospel, he walked slowly by each cell, and softly spoke to each prisoner. Every man had the same story.

Every man was innocent, they told him. They were each wrongly accused for their crime, and did not belong in that prison. That's what each prisoner told him as he walked by each one down that corridor.

Moody said every man defended himself, and said he was not guilty. But I heard a man sobbing at the last cell. I went to him, and saw a man on his knees crying. He told me he was guilty of his crime, and he knew he was a sinner, and he needed a savior from sin.

Here was a version of the penitent thief on the cross, and this man came humbly to Christ for salvation. That story of Moody, friends, sums up this penitent thief on the cross near Jesus. Listen to verse 32 and following.

Christ’s Promise to the Dying Believer

And he said unto Jesus, Lord, remember me when thou comest into thy kingdom. And Jesus said unto him, Verily I say unto thee, Today shalt thou be with me in Paradise. I want to read you, friends, the comments of Matthew Henry, the Bible commentator, in regard to this text, for it rings with clarity as to the genuineness of deathbed conversions.

Here now are his words. Lord, remember me. This is a prayer of a dying sinner to a dying Savior. While there is life, there is hope, and while there is hope, there is room for prayer. This malefactor, when just ready to fall into the hands of Satan, was snatched as a brand out of the burning, and made a monument of divine mercy and grace.

Satan was left to roar as a lion disappointed at his prey. This does not give encouragement to any to put off their repentance to their deathbed, or to hope that they shall find mercy. For though it is certain that true repentance is never too late, it is as certain that late repentance is seldom true.

The Rarity of Genuine Deathbed Conversion

Did you hear that, friends? I myself doubt the genuineness of the majority of deathbed conversions, and I fear many are led into a false hope before they die by an unskilled and unsaved gospel witness.

But for all true penitents who admit their guilt and feel their need of a remedy for sin, there is a Savior from sin and the person of the Lord Jesus Christ. Let this message be a guide as to how we ourselves deal with the soul of one who lays near to death, that we plainly preach the full counsel of God to them, and clearly show them their duty of true gospel repentance, as we lift up a blood-stained Savior from sin, who died so we may have life.

The Necessity of Faith and the Wrath of God

You must get under the blood and be born from above. John 3 .36 declares,. He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life, and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God abideth on him.

Two thieves, one Savior. The Lord Jesus is near them both, and able to save. One dies in his sins, and goes on to hell and its torments. The other thief goes to heaven, to enjoy the presence of his Savior forever.

Seeking the Lord Before It Is Too Late

Isaiah 55 declares,. Seek ye the Lord, while he may be found. Call ye upon him, while he is near. Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts, and let him return unto the Lord, and he will have mercy upon him.

And to our God, for he will abundantly pardon. Let us pray.