If You Were To Ask Today, "If You Were To Die Tonight..."

Here are a few of my random thoughts about this question. To remind you, the question to consider from a previous post is this:

If you were to die tonight and stand before God and He were to ask you, "Why should I let you into My Heaven?", what would be your answer?


My questions about this question were these:

Is this a good question? Is this a good "evangelistic tool?" Do you use this when you witness to people? Why or why not?

Now, my thoughts - as I said - VERY random and VERY brief.

1. The dangers I find with this question:

A. The whole scenario of God asking this question of the deceased at the gates of Heaven is found nowhere in Scripture.
B. I agree with Tami (read her comments here), that it's often associated with less than biblical evangelistic efforts which tend to focus on the sinner more than the Savior.

2. The benefits I find with this question:

A. It is a good question to determine in what/whom the person is trusting. If the person begins his answer with the words, "Because I..." then it lets me know that they may very well be trusting in something they have done. They may not necessarily be trusting in any good works or behavior, they may understand that salvation is "not of works of righteousness", but they might be putting an unrealized, and yet dangerous trust in their decision to trust Christ. I've heard a dear friend - who claims to know the Lord - say exactly the same thing that Tami mentioned, "Because IIII chose Christ." This question cuts right to the heart of the object of one's trust and hope.

B. It is a good question to set up a great answer. Again, Tami has stole my thunder by giving the right answer. "Why should I let you into My Heaven?" Answer: "You shouldn't. But because of what CHRIST has done (notice, not me, but Christ) in my stead and because His merit has been credited to me, I stand in the righteousness of Christ."

Now, let me end with one other thing.

Do I expect a new believer to be able to articulate this concept of imputation when asked the "If you were to die tonight..." question? Absolutely not. And, perhaps when they give the answer, "Because I..."; that's not necessarily a sure indicator that they're not regenerate. After all... would you have answered that question correctly during your early years of faith? I wouldn't. So whereas I personally have and will continue to use this question in evangelism, I will also continue to probe and ask questions to help me discern, by God's Spirit, just in what or in Whom one's hope is resting. That perhaps, is the more pressing question:  

Wherein lies your hope for Heaven?