Stand to Reason Weekly Podcast

Host: Greg Koukl
Episode: Why Does God Limit Our Opportunity to Repent and Believe to This Lifetime?
Date: September 3, 2025

Episode Overview

This episode tackles the philosophical and theological challenge: Why does God limit the opportunity to repent and believe to this lifetime only? Greg Koukl addresses the question with both practical apologetics tools and theological insights, equipping listeners to thoughtfully engage with skeptical objections. The episode also features answers to listener questions on biblical contradictions and the nature of the soul.

Main Discussion: Why Is Repentance Limited to This Lifetime?

[09:11 – 28:07]

Framing the Challenge

• Greg Koukl recounts a novel challenge he encountered online: “Why does God limit our opportunity to repent and believe to this lifetime? Why not after we die?”
  • The scenario used to illustrate this involves someone planning to convert at church but dying before getting the chance, or someone being murdered before conversion—appearing to make their eternal destiny hinge on accident or malice.
  • “Isn’t it odd, because it creates in his mind an unusual circumstance... the murderer that is the one who’s deciding effectively whether that person goes to heaven or to hell?” [10:59]

Initial Apologetic Tactics

• Greg’s advice: When stumped by a tough question, admit you don’t know, don’t try to bluff, and ask clarifying questions about its importance.
  • “It’s best for you to immediately admit that... That’s all that’s needed to take the discomfort out of the pause.” [13:54]
  • “Is this really significant?... does this somehow undermine the truthfulness of Christianity?” [16:21]
• De-fang the challenge: Many “why did God” questions aren’t answerable because they relate to God’s undisclosed reasons.

Philosophical Counterpoints

• The “moving the goalposts” insight:
  • No matter where God sets the deadline for repentance (at death, a year after, a century after), the same question can always be asked—why here, not there?
  • “Wherever that happened to be, that final point, you could always ask, why is it there and not somewhere else?” [18:38]
• This reveals the objection isn’t actually a substantive critique, just a philosophically unresolvable curiosity.

Theological Reflections on Death as a Terminus

• Analogy to justice:
  • Like a criminal’s life of crime ends upon capture, a person’s time for repentance ends at death.
  • “Now their life of crime is over. We have a terminus... Death is like that.” [21:59]
• Not arbitrary:
  • “Death does represent a non-arbitrary point because the life of crime is over.” [26:30]
• God’s offer of pardon is an act of grace, not obligation:
  • “God grants a pardon to anyone is not an obligation… It is not obligatory.” [23:48]

On the Sincerity of Approaching Faith

• If someone is sincerely planning to convert, that likely reflects genuine belief already.
  • Personal anecdote: “When I said that I already was one [a Christian], if I’m saying I want to become a Christian, it’s because I actually believe the things about Christianity are true.” [25:10]

Memorable Quotes

• “Don’t go deer in the headlights... Say, ‘Wow, I never heard that one before. I’m gonna have to think about it.’” [26:10]
• “Maybe this has been something helpful to you as well.” [27:33]

Listener Q&A

1. Alleged Contradiction in Genesis 1 vs. Genesis 2

Caller: Tricia, Arkansas [28:16 – 47:30]

Question

How do we resolve the apparent contradiction between the order of creation in Genesis 1 (all vegetation before Adam and Eve) and Genesis 2 (trees come after Adam)?

Greg’s Response

• Genre & Literary Device Insight:
  • The ancients didn’t expect a strict chronological structure; sometimes accounts are thematic or zoomed in for detail (like a detailed instant replay in football).
  • “These writers did not intend to put everything in strict chronological order. Sometimes they ordered them thematically.” [39:18]
• Analogy to Gospel genealogies:
  • Just as genealogies of Jesus differ in Matthew and Luke but didn’t bother early readers, so too these creation passages were not seen as problematic.
• Central point of Genesis 1 & 2:
  • The focus is not on the order but that God is Creator, which distinguishes biblical cosmology from ancient myths.
  • “It is after they are released that then Moses has an opportunity to reacquaint them with their own history... and also to correct this cosmology where they're worshiping objects in nature that God is the one creating.” [44:21]
• Encouragement to focus on the main thing:
  • “Let’s stick with the main things are the plain things... Not what happened on which days, but who did what to make what.” [43:04]

Caller’s Takeaway

• Tricia appreciates the emphasis on reading with the “eyes” of the original audience and keeping the resurrection central.
  • “As long as the resurrection happened, then whatever else doesn’t matter.” [42:55]

2. Do Miscarried and Aborted Children Miss Out on Spiritual Growth?

Caller: Andrew, Houston [47:30 – 57:46]

Question

If “our growth happens in this life,” what about miscarried children or aborted babies who had no chance to grow physically or spiritually?

Greg’s Response

• Affirms they’re with the Lord:
  • Miscarried and aborted children (and infants who die) don’t develop spiritual maturity here, but that’s not their fault and doesn’t hinder their salvation.
  • “Those who die young, miscarriages, whatever babies, they go to be with the Lord.” [48:51]
• Points out that spiritual development is unique for each—some become Christians late, some never get the chance; both are spiritual infants in eternity.
  • “My dad became a Christian about a year and a half before he died… and so he kind of went into the kingdom naked and smelling of smoke... he was saved in virtue of his faith in Christ, but as a spiritual infant.” [49:18]

Follow-Up: Origin of the Soul

Traducianism vs. Creationism

• Traducianism: Body and soul are both generated by parents at conception.
• Creationism: God creates a new soul for each individual.
• Greg prefers traducionism due to issues about original sin and inherited human characteristics:
  • "If God's going to create the soul ex nihilo, it can't be fallen because then he's responsible for the fallen soul." [53:02]
  • Suggests soulish traits (like musical ability) may be inherited, supporting the idea that soul is produced by parents.

Memorable Quote

• “I’m a traducianist, principally for the reasons that I gave you… a person is born from fallen parents and so his soul is going to be fallen too.” [56:03]

Standout Moments & Quotes

• On handling tough questions:
  • “When somebody asks you a question and it just stops you cold in your tracks... it’s best to immediately admit that.” [13:54]
• On theological humility:
  • “Most of the questions that start out ‘Why did God’ or ‘Why didn’t God’ can’t be answered because they’re in the mind of God and he hasn’t told us.” [17:17]
• On spiritual babies in heaven:
  • “If the point is sound… this is the life where spiritual growth takes place, not the next life… My dad became regenerate very late in life, so he was a spiritual babe. And children who die through miscarriages are also spiritual babes.” [50:03]

Key Timestamps

• 09:11 – Introduction of the main challenge: Why can’t we repent after death?
• 13:54 – How to respond when stumped by an objection.
• 18:38 – The boundary problem: Why not move it?
• 21:59 – Analogy: Death as the end of a criminal career.
• 25:10 – Personal story: Sincerity and timing of conversion.
• 28:16 – Genesis 1 vs. 2 contradiction question.
• 39:18 – Ancient literary style and thematic organization of biblical texts.
• 44:21 – Genesis’ purpose: True cosmology vs. ancient myth.
• 47:30 – Q: Do miscarried/aborted children miss out on spiritual growth?
• 53:21 – Traducianism vs. creationism discussion.

Summary

Greg Koukl provides a masterclass in responding to philosophical and theological challenges, modeling intellectual humility, careful reasoning, and theological insight. He addresses the “deadline for repentance” objection by showing its arbitrariness is not a real challenge, discussing death as a fitting terminus, and affirming God’s sovereign, gracious offer of forgiveness. Listener questions about Bible contradictions and the origin of souls are handled with the same clarity and charity that define Stand to Reason’s mission.

For Christian defenders seeking to sharpen their thinking and responses, this episode is both encouraging and practical.