Is there a "second chance" for salvation.

[SkyWriting]

I'm not the one doubting their assurance of salvation and to be honest there are times where I've even come to doubt my own just as everyone else has doubted at some point in their faith journey.

God can repair ones faith through answered prayer.

 

[SkyWriting]

Category 5 are judged by God, based on their life's works.

So...

Do people get a second chance after death, for salvation?

Jesus will judge everyone on the same day. Till then the dead are sleeping.
Jesus sees the heart and judges everyone then.

Psalm 34:18
The Lord is near to the brokenhearted and saves the crushed in spirit.

Hebrews 4:12
For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart.

Ezekiel 36:26
And I will give you a new heart, and a new spirit I will put within you. And I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh.

Jeremiah 31:33
But this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, declares the Lord: I will put my law within them, and I will write it on their hearts. And I will be their God, and they shall be my people.

Jeremiah 17:10
“I the Lord search the heart and test the mind, to give every man according to his ways, according to the fruit of his deeds.”

 

[KyleSpringer]

Salvation is a gift that is to be received through Jesus Christ and faith in his work on the cross. If you do not believe in his death and resurrection, but believe he was a good teacher, that is heretical and is not a saving knowledge of the person of Holy One of God.

 

[KyleSpringer]

“Jesus answered, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God.”
‭‭John‬ ‭3:5

I read this as saying without the Spirit of God and being washed clean of the old life, NO ONE will have salvation. Jesus came down from heaven that we would have a revelation of the heart of the Lord God. He is the only way.

 

[JacksBratt]

Yes, becasue He is the one doing the checking.
You need not even be grown up enough to read.

Matthew 19:14
But Jesus said, “Let the little children come to me and do not hinder them, for to such belongs the kingdom of heaven.”

Proverbs 4:23
Keep your heart with all vigilance, for from it flow the springs of life.

Romans 15:2
Let each of us please his neighbor for his good, to build him up.

Galatians 5:14
For the whole law is fulfilled in one word: “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.”

Matthew 7:12
“So whatever you wish that others would do to you, do also to them, for this is the Law and the Prophets.

Proverbs 3:29
Do not plan evil against your neighbor, who dwells trustingly beside you.

I would have to disagree with you there. Did God not say that "you shall have no other god's before Me?"

If we got to heave, based on how good our heart was.... what was the use of the work of Christ on the cross?

I know, and I have said this many times, in our human logic, we cannot fathom a kind, generous, selfless person being denied eternal life.

However, what they don't realize, as well as their peers, these acts that prove a "good heart" are from God.... and if the one with these traits denies the One from which their goodness flows.. then they are denying Christ.

Also, IF this "goodness" that they possess was enough for salvation.. Christ's work on the cross was pointless.

We need to realize that all Christ needs is recognition for the fact that we are sinners, He is the savior... Is that so hard? Is that so demeaning? Why can't people admit this?

I'll tell you.. PRIDE.. and pride kills. You are not doing all these good things...of your own power.. whether you are saved and a child of God... or a non believer.... all goodness is from God.

SO... bend the knee in this life.. and live... or chose eternal death....But.. you WILL bend your knee to the One worthy of all praise.

 

[CleanSoul]

Another forum member, and myself, hijacked another thread when we got off topic in regards to humans having a second chance at salvation, after death.

My argument was that, basically, people fall into 5 categories when they die.
1/ Those that heard the Gospel and accepted it.
2/ Those that heard the Gospel and refused to accept Christ's Kingship and worthiness of worship, and the fact that He is their only way to the father.
3/ Those that heard the gospel, or any Christian message and disregard it as myth and empty hope.
4/ Those that are never mentally capable of comprehending the gospel message, even if they heard it..nor reaching a cognitive ability of being held accountable for their actions.
And,
5/ Those that never heard the gospel. Whether due to when they were alive or where they lived, or who they were around.

If these 5 categories, numbers 1 - 3 heard the good news and made a choice in regards to what they would do with this information...Only #1 will enter paradise. There is no "second chance" for 2 or 3

Category 4 are given a pass due to the fact they cannot be held accountable for things that they were not aware of.

Category 5 are judged by God, based on their life's works.

So...

Do people get a second chance after death, for salvation?

Another way of looking at it is, this is our second chance; right here on earth, because of the redemption made available to us through Jesus. Every time we repent of a serious sin we have committed, we are forgiven by God, and then we have a second chance to remain in a state of grace. If we fall again, we get back on that horse.

 

[JacksBratt]

Another way of looking at it is, this is our second chance; right here on earth, because of the redemption made available to us through Jesus. Every time we repent of a serious sin we have committed, we are forgiven by God, and then we have a second chance to remain in a state of grace. If we fall again, we get back on that horse.

I am so sorry for those that think that we have to continue to go to Christ and ask for salvation. That it is a continual revolving door to eternal life and eternal death...

The stress and worry they must feel as they head out for each day wondering that if they die... will they have any lingering, unforgiven sins that are going to damn them if they were to die that day.

The continual worry of gaining and losing salvation.

This is not what Christ taught. Once the heart has changed and accepts that Christ is the only way to the father and that our sins were nailed to the cross... there is no need to worry. No need to continue to ask for salvation..

Yes, we should have a daily relationship with Him where we bring Him all our worries and our fears, our blessings and our gratefulness for all the things in our lives that He brings us..

But, Salvation is from the start and to our death.

Don't get hung up on getting "re-saved" every day or week. Worrying about stragler sins sending you to hell.

That is Satan's little lie that imprisons you to sin...after Christ has freed you from it.

 

[CleanSoul]

The stress and worry they must feel as they head out for each day wondering that if they die... will they have any lingering, unforgiven sins that are going to damn them if they were to die that day.

This is what Catholics would say about non-Catholics, too. We, however, have confession, wherein we are absolved of our sins in the confessional. We are told by a priest who is acting in persona Christi, or in the person of Christ, that our sins have been absolved. Non-Catholics do not have that.

This is the authority that came from God, through Jesus, to the disciples. It is in John 20:20-23.

Notice it says, in verse 23, "Whose sins you forgive are forgiven them, and whose sins you retain are retained." Why would Jesus give them authority to retain sins?

It is because these are not sins committed against the priest. These are sins committed against God.

I will admit that I tend to go to confession more often than many Catholics. Possibly as often as non-Catholics pray to God and ask for forgiveness.

 

[CleanSoul]

That is Satan's little lie that imprisons you to sin...after Christ has freed you from it.

Are you talking about guilty feelings? How do guilty feelings imprison us to sin? If anything, guilt makes us want to get rid of that feeling.

"Satan's little lie" is that it's okay that you were uncharitable to someone and you did it on purpose to get back at them, or whatever sin you committed. "It didn't offend God. Besides, Jesus died for your sins, so you're good."

It is called relativism. The belief that we make our own truth. Whatever we think is right, is right.

Our beliefs, through relativism, lead us down a path to destruction. This is one way people fall away.

They stop thinking they have sinned.

 

[CleanSoul]

I am so sorry for those that think that we have to continue to go to Christ and ask for salvation. That it is a continual revolving door to eternal life and eternal death...

We do not, "ask for salvation". We, like you, ask to be forgiven of sins. Why? Because sins can lead us to worse sins. I fall into less and less serious sins the more I go to confession. That did not happen before I became Catholic.

Through sacramental confession, we receive sanctifying grace which helps to keep us from falling into serious sin.

There are things I used to do that I no longer have a desire to do. Thank God.

 

[JacksBratt]

Are you talking about guilty feelings? How do guilty feelings imprison us to sin? If anything, guilt makes us want to get rid of that feeling.

"Satan's little lie" is that it's okay that you were uncharitable to someone and you did it on purpose to get back at them, or whatever sin you committed. "It didn't offend God. Besides, Jesus died for your sins, so you're good."

It is called relativism. The belief that we make our own truth. Whatever we think is right, is right.

Our beliefs, through relativism, lead us down a path to destruction. This is one way people fall away.

They stop thinking they have sinned.

I'm not talking about "guilty feelings".

I'm talking about the imprisonment of the idea that you can be all saved and repentant in the morning and die to eternal damnation on your way home. How sad.

 

[JacksBratt]

We do not, "ask for salvation". We, like you, ask to be forgiven of sins. Why? Because sins can lead us to worse sins. I fall into less and less serious sins the more I go to confession. That did not happen before I became Catholic.

Through sacramental confession, we receive sanctifying grace which helps to keep us from falling into serious sin.

There are things I used to do that I no longer have a desire to do. Thank God.

It's still sad that people think that heaven has a revolving door.. your in...your out....your in...your out.... How tiresome and stressful.

 

[CleanSoul]

die to eternal damnation on your way home. How sad.

When a Catholic realizes they have committed a serious sin, they say a perfect Act of Contrition, which will carry them in Gods grace until they get to confession as soon as they can.

So, instead of dying "to eternal damnation on your way home", they would be reassured that whatever sin they committed, (presumably at work or whatever according to your example), would be forgiven through the next, (soon) sacramental confession. This would again put them into a state of grace.

This is what a Catholic could do. This is what I would do.

What would people in your denomination do?

 

[Porpoise]

It's still sad that people think that heaven has a revolving door.. your in...your out....your in...your out.... How tiresome and stressful.

I think it is not disconnected and random like a revolving door, but more like a book. The final chapter is not an arbitrary point in time but the culmination of all one has done throughout one's life, how one has responded to the graces received.

 

[JacksBratt]

I think it is not disconnected and random like a revolving door, but more like a book. The final chapter is not an arbitrary point in time but the culmination of all one has done throughout one's life, how one has responded to the graces received.

Still sad... not knowing... what if you missed one?

 

[Porpoise]

Still sad... not knowing... what if you missed one?

It probably isn't like you think. It isn't like having no idea whether you're going to heaven or hell, like it's anyone's guess. It isn't discouraging. We have hope and faith and joy as we strive. We trust that if in any way we are lacking, through prayer and supplication, we can receive grace and guidance. "Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths." (Proverbs 3:5-6) We don't have to be afraid because we trust him to guide and lead us.

 

[JacksBratt]

It probably isn't like you think. It isn't like having no idea whether you're going to heaven or hell, like it's anyone's guess. It isn't discouraging. We have hope and faith and joy as we strive. We trust that if in any way we are lacking, through prayer and supplication, we can receive grace and guidance. "Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths." (Proverbs 3:5-6) We don't have to be afraid because we trust him to guide and lead us.

Would it be better, then, to say that it is so sad to live as a saved child of God at one point and then... later.. be stressed out that, if you were to die at that moment or before you get atonement for some sin... that you will be damned?

Seriously.... living a life where your salvation is fleeting and fickle... is hell in itself.

Salvation is meant to be the blessed assurance.

 

[CaspianSails]

Another forum member, and myself, hijacked another thread when we got off topic in regards to humans having a second chance at salvation, after death.

My argument was that, basically, people fall into 5 categories when they die.
1/ Those that heard the Gospel and accepted it.
2/ Those that heard the Gospel and refused to accept Christ's Kingship and worthiness of worship, and the fact that He is their only way to the father.
3/ Those that heard the gospel, or any Christian message and disregard it as myth and empty hope.
4/ Those that are never mentally capable of comprehending the gospel message, even if they heard it..nor reaching a cognitive ability of being held accountable for their actions.
And,
5/ Those that never heard the gospel. Whether due to when they were alive or where they lived, or who they were around.

If these 5 categories, numbers 1 - 3 heard the good news and made a choice in regards to what they would do with this information...Only #1 will enter paradise. There is no "second chance" for 2 or 3

Category 4 are given a pass due to the fact they cannot be held accountable for things that they were not aware of.

Category 5 are judged by God, based on their life's works.

So...

Do people get a second chance after death, for salvation?

No, there is no scriptural reference to a second chance. Category 5 is the trickiest if you consider Romans chapter 1 and in particular verses 19 and forward.

Category 4, oh yes. I have a child, now with her heavenly father who was born with a genetic condition which affected her central nervous system. I won't get into it but her mental development ceased when she was three years old and regressed the remainder of her life. There is no scripture that categorically states that a person in that state is given a pass, if there is I have not read it. However, there is a scripture that says God will have mercy on whom He will have mercy. Romans 9:15. I only say this because if you believe Romans 5:19 then you would believe that all people are born into sin, there is none righteous no not one. Take into account 2 Samuel 12:23 where David's son had died because of David's sin. This verse clearly teaches that David would go to his son. There is enough evidence to support the idea that God's mercy is given where it is applicable. So your category 4 is not so much a second chance, I would reject that phrasing but is God's mercy and love. I don't really think you meant 4 as a second chance anyway, just wanted to clarify my response on that.

There is a case to be made that Category 5 could be affected by Romans 9:15. I will comment though, the basis is quite thin. I think you would be hard pressed to find a civilization today where the Gospel has never been shared.

In the end we are not God. God has given a path, a gate, a door which is the only way to salvation. Enter the gate and walk the narrow path and be saved.

 

[ViaCrucis]

I voted other to the question, "Do people get a second chance, after death, for salvation?". I simply don't know, and neither can anyone else. I am hopeful that, ultimately, even everyone will be saved; but I certainly can't say such dogmatically because I don't know.

All I can do is trust in God and place my faith, hope, and confidence in Jesus Christ.

-CryptoLutheran

 

[Der Alte]

begin

<CS>No, there is no scriptural reference to a second chance. Category 5 is the trickiest if you consider Romans chapter 1 and in particular verses 19 and forward.
Category 4, oh yes. I have a child, now with her heavenly father who was born with a genetic condition which affected her central nervous system. I won't get into it but her mental development ceased when she was three years old and regressed the remainder of her life. There is no scripture that categorically states that a person in that state is given a pass, if there is I have not read it. However, there is a scripture that says God will have mercy on whom He will have mercy. Romans 9:15. I only say this because if you believe Romans 5:19 then you would believe that all people are born into sin, there is none righteous no not one. Take into account 2 Samuel 12:23 where David's son had died because of David's sin. This verse clearly teaches that David would go to his son. There is enough evidence to support the idea that God's mercy is given where it is applicable. So your category 4 is not so much a second chance, I would reject that phrasing but is God's mercy and love. I don't really think you meant 4 as a second chance anyway, just wanted to clarify my response on that.
There is a case to be made that Category 5 could be affected by Romans 9:15. I will comment though, the basis is quite thin. I think you would be hard pressed to find a civilization today where the Gospel has never been shared.
In the end we are not God. God has given a path, a gate, a door which is the only way to salvation. Enter the gate and walk the narrow path and be saved.<CS>

end

Romans 4:15
(15) Because the law worketh wrath: for where no law is, there is no transgression.
Romans 5:13
(13) (For until the law sin was in the world: but sin is not imputed when there is no law.​

These vss. apply to everyone who has not heard or could not understand scripture; infants, small children, mentally challenged, etc.