Last Rites and a Christian’s Death Before Asking for Forgiveness

For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast (Ephesians 2:8-9)

You heard the gospel Tuesday morning and believed by faith that Jesus died to save you from your sins. That night as you ate dinner, you choked and instantly died. You didn’t have a chance to ask God’s forgiveness for the sins committed since you were saved. Do you go to Heaven or Hell?

Because God cannot allow sin in Heaven, the Roman Catholic popes created the ritual of Anointing the Sick (or Last Rites). Just before death, a priest can cleanse the dying person’s soul for entrance into Purgatory. In Purgatory, the soul spends the thousands of years performing good works to atone for his sins. Last Rites include “perfect contrition” (perfect sorrow for one’s sins) and confession of sin…