"I don't like you Christians, because you get to repent last minute on your deathbeds and be saved!"

Recently I was in a pub with a friend.  Me and my friend were having a
beer at the bar while a guy next to me was listening to what we were talking about
We were talking about Christian summer camp, church, Jesus and such.  So the
Guy turned to me and said "If you don't mind, can I tell you what I don't like about
Christians?"  I say "of course, Id love to hear it."  He said "you Christians get to
repent on your deathbed.  You can live your life however you want and then
at the last minute bam! there you go right into heaven.  As a Jew I find this offensive
because people like that don't deserve to be forgiven and let into heaven. 
This would mean that even Hitler could have repented last minute in his bunker!!!"

I said to him, "I find this very surprising to hear from a Jewish person." which made his face
light up in surprise.  "Israel's story is a story of grace. Why did God save his people out of Egypt in the Exodus?"  He said "what do you mean?" "I meand id he save them because they deserved it? Because of their good works?  Because of their long term commitment?  "He then said "Uh, I don't like where this is going"(I wont forget that one) I said God saved his people because they cried out to Him, and he saved them
because of His grace.  (Exodus 3)

We had a good laugh and we spoke a bit more over a beer and have spoken a couple times since.  What I think is important here is the idea that people say the New Testament is about Grace and the Old Testament about works and the law.  This is not true, the Bible is one story.  God's story.  I also often hear that people like the NT God  rather than the OT God.  He is the same, yesterday today and tomorrow.  The OT is a story of grace, the NT is a story about grace.  God's grace abounds and is amazing.




People are uncomfortable about the idea of terrible people becoming Christians at the last minute.  Why? because they don't deserve to be saved?  What if a murderer or a rapist got saved last minute? or a regular person who lived in rebellion to God? or a person who never even cared? or you or me?  Whether we are following God for 50 years or 5 minutes, God has grace for all.  It is Amazing Grace.  We love that song, but do we remember who wrote it? John Newton, former Slave Trader! Yes I just said Slave Trader.  No way he deserved it.  Why was he saved?  Because he cried out to God in the same way God's people called out to him in Egypt.

No one deserves it, no one.  I often ask Christians if they know if they are saved and if so how?  A
common response is "yes I am saved and I am trying my best to live a good life".
While this is good, salvation is because of Gods grace alone.  We cannot live
a good enough life to deserve it.

So that a short entry from a story from a little while ago, I thought I should do a quick blog about it.