The Bible is clear that your destiny after death is dependent on your response to the Lord God in this life. If you believe in Him and surrender to Him (which is basically two sides of the same coin), you will spend eternity in His joyful presence. If you reject His offer of a restored relationship and turn your back on Him during your earthly life, He will tell you: “Depart from me!” (Matthew 7:23; 25:41). That is a difficult but Biblical reality! The Bible is also clear in its call to every single human: “Be reconciled to God!” (2 Corinthians 5:20, among many similar verses). God does not want anyone to be lost. But what if someone does not pay attention to this call and only realizes after death that they made the wrong decision? Will they get a second chance to repent?
After death comes judgment
Hebrews 9:27, which states that “it is appointed for man to die once, and after that comes judgment,” is a crucial verse in this context. This is put even more succinctly in the Easy English Bible: “Everyone must die once.” God will judge everyone after death. This verse does not allow for any sort of break in the action where you are given another chance. God will evaluate you according to your life on earth.
There is a risk of being excluded from God’s presence
Jesus used a parable in Luke 13 to alert people to the fact that there will come a time when it will be too late to enter His kingdom. I’ll quote it here because it’s such a clear warning:
“Strive to enter through the narrow door. For many, I tell you, will seek to enter and will not be able. When once the master of the house has risen and shut the door, and you begin to stand outside and to knock at the door, saying, Lord, open to us, then he will answer you, I do not know where you come from. Then you will begin to say, We ate and drank in your presence, and you taught in our streets. But he will say, I tell you, I do not know where you come from. Depart from me, all you workers of evil! In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth, when you see Abraham and Isaac and Jacob and all the prophets in the kingdom of God but you yourselves cast out” (Luke 13:24-28).
Jesus does not say that because it is so hard to join [God’s kingdom], only a select few are able to do so. No, the issue is that these individuals only wish to enter after the door has been closed because they have disregarded God’s offer for far too long. It’s then too late!
The parable of the ten women
Another parable on this issue can be found in Matthew 25. There were roughly 10 young ladies who were waiting for the groom at a wedding they had intended to attend. Five of them were ready when he eventually showed there, and they accompanied him inside for the marriage feast. But there was still the matter of the other five women getting dressed. The door to the wedding was closed when they eventually made it there. “I tell you, I do not know you,” was the response they got when they asked to be permitted in (Matthew 25:11–12). It was too late for them! Jesus cautions us to always be prepared for His coming as He closes this tale.
The parable of Lazarus and the rich man
Another parable that should serve as a warning is found in Luke 16, where Jesus tells the story of a rich, cruel man who would not allow Lazarus to eat his leftovers. Lazarus is a faithful beggar. After they both passed away, the angels took the destitute beggar to heaven. But the wealthy man was in agony. He wished Lazarus could have arrived to ease his suffering, but it was not to be. According to Luke 16:26, he was informed, “A great chasm has been fixed between us and you, in order that those who would pass from here to you may not be able, and none may cross from there to us.” This fable also suggests that there is no second chance and that a person’s everlasting destiny is determined by their actions throughout their earthly life.
An important observation
Jesus describes individuals who had the chance to come to Him but chose to accept the invitation only when it was too late in each of these parables. This is significant because, to provide one example that frequently prompts challenging concerns, these parables are not about newborns who lack the mental capacity to understand God. Many Christians interpret the Bible as showing that [dead newborns] will not be condemned to an eternity of punishment and damnation.
“For although they knew God, they did not honor him as God or give thanks to him, but they became futile in their thinking, and their foolish hearts were darkened,” according to Romans 1:19–23, which defines those who “are without excuse.” This probably doesn’t apply to babies or other people who don’t have the mental ability to make that kind of decision. Although the LORD knows exactly how He will react to them, we can count on His mercy and compassion for them. Matthew 18:2–5.
Take Jesus’ warnings seriously
You are left with the option of how to react to the parables mentioned above. Your one chance to choose wisely and give yourself over to God is this life. After you pass away, there won’t be another chance.
Therefore, God is using us as his representatives and we are ambassadors for Christ. On Christ’s behalf, we beseech you to make peace with God! Corinthians 5:20
