How would you respond to someone dying who wonders if there is a god and where they stand in relations to God now that their dying?

Answer 1

Anthropological research indicates man has always believed in god, and that he was the creator of all. Who put the law of cause and effect together, that simply cannot be random? If you found a cell phone on Mars, would you believe through time a piece of dirt evolved into a phone or that it was designed and build and left there by some-one? Why then would a far more complex computer found in your DNA evolve via evolution from a blob?

C.S.Lewis called "right and wrong a clue to the meaning of the universe", each of us has a natural tendency to know what is right from wrong. He said "moral law cannot be a social convention; it is more like a mathematical law."

"God's law is not something alien imposed on us from without, but woven into the very fabric of our being at creation. There is something deep within us that echoes God's yes and no, right and wrong". (Romans 2:15)

If asked why should you be allowed into heaven, would your sentence start with " I have always tried to ….I have never….I do my best." Are you attempting to live a good life ? The problem is, where is the line, what is the standard, are you hacking it? It should be fair that you go to heaven when you do good, not so ? God is good, so he should let you into heaven? But what about bad people, should they then not go to heaven?

So how do we define good? We need a list, a set of rules. If God allows good people into heaven but he does not define "good" then how fair is God? Ok we know there is not strict set of rules set, every religion have some vague set of value, or rituals they came up with as time passed, will that hack it? Else, God gave us a conscience, so our conscience will tell us when are doing wrong not so?. So if you strictly follow all the rules of your religion, and you feel that you are doing the right thing in your conscience, then it is ok to blow up a couple of towers with an aircraft, or suffocate people in Japan with gas in a subway? Ok that might be a bit extreme, say you really are a good person, and you help in the community, and you follow all the laws, then what % rating will allow you into heaven 51% goodness, 70% good deeds?

Jesus on the other hand said "For I tell you unless your righteousness surpasses that of the Pharisees and the teachers of the law (very religious law abiding people of His time), you will certainly not enter the kingdom of heaven. (Matthew 5:20) . We all fall short of God's benchmark for how good we should be (that is why he never bothered to give us a fixed list, it will be impossible to keep anyway). Jesus therefore came, died and arose, to make us good in God's eyes. He said "I am the way and the truth and the life. NO ONE comes to the Father EXCEPT through me. (John 14:6).

But is that fair, fair that you are saved if you believe in Jesus, and others not? It certainly is not fair to God that He had to send His beloved son to die for our sins. Fairness would demand that we ALL die for our own sins we ALL commit. The good news is God opted for grace and mercy over fairness.

This righteousness from God comes through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference, for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus. God presented him as a sacrifice of atonement, through faith in his blood. He did this to demonstrate his justice, because in his forbearance he had left the sins committed beforehand unpunished (Romans 3:22-25)

He was delivered over to death for our sins and was raised to life to put us right with God. (Romans 4:25) 'Righteousness' will be reckoned to us who believe in him who raised Jesus our Lord from the dead, who was handed over to death for our trespasses and was raised for our justification." (Roman 4:24-25)

Personally I would point them to Jesus Christ, who Himself went through death for them, specifically to save them from both the fear and the power of death. Any person who knows Jesus Christ as their personal savior should be able to any further questions such a person might have. The above has some of the details. The very fact that a person wonders if there is a god out there demonstrates the fact that there is light given to everyone sufficient to seek after the true God, their maker, and to know Him. Such questions are natural and should be encouraged, eventually pointing to the sure hope available in Christ - since His work is perfect and complete.

If there are questions about the reliability of The Bible this is a big topic but there are over 5000 documented facts discovered by archaeological research which have proved many things in the Bible true, where they were previously thought to be in error. And, not one fact against the Bible. 5000 to 0. That record should help in the realization that what the Bible says about life and death should be taken seriously.

The New Testament was written either by direct eyewitnesses or by those who knew them and so this is also reliable testimony, although many choose to doubt it. The problem is thus with man, not with the Bible.

Final assurance and rest can only come through trusting in Jesus Christ, not in living a good life. Since we are all sinners, we all need to admit this and come to Jesus Christ for salvation. The following are some scriptures relating to this. The one from John 14 points out that Jesus is the only way. It is thus a false comfort to suggest anything else.

Romans 3:23 (King James Version)23For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God; Romans 6:23 (King James Version)23For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. Ephesians 2:8-9 (King James Version)8For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:

9Not of works, lest any man should boast.

John 14:6 (King James Version)6Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me. John 3:16 (King James Version)16For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.