Q: Is it true that those who die without knowing Christ in this life will have a second chance to know Him in the resurrection of the dead?  —Paul

A: The clear teaching of the Bible is that man does not get a second chance for repentance after death.  Hebrews 9:27 says that “each person is destined to die once and after that comes judgment.” In Luke 16:19-31, Jesus made it clear that when death comes, it is final and you are destined to go to heaven or to hell. A person’s state after death is permanent (Luke 16:22-26). A man’s eternal destiny is decided when he is still alive (Luke 16:27-29). There’s no hope for salvation once you die.

The Bible teaches that God “wants everyone to be saved” (1 Timothy 2:4). He does not want “anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.” (2 Peter 3:9, NIV). But you must not postpone the decision to believe in Jesus—thinking that you can do so later with a second chance.

Paul spoke of the urgency and the immediacy to believe in Jesus while one is still alive.  “We speak for Christ when we plead, ‘Come back to God!’ For God made Christ, who never sinned, to be the offering for our sin, so that we could be made right with God through Christ. As God’s partners, we beg you not to accept this marvelous gift of God’s kindness and then ignore it. . . . Indeed, the ‘right time’ is now. Today is the day of salvation” (2 Corinthians 5:20-21, 6:1-2). Now, today you must make a decision. There’s no second chance once you are dead.  —K.T. Sim

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