It’s Never Too Late
It’s never too late for someone to be rescued from hell.
This must have been what Jude was referencing when, while encouraging believers to show mercy in various ways, he painted the word picture of someone being saved at the last minute. Notice: “Save others by snatching them out of the fire…” (Jude 23).
This is soul-stirring news for those who know someone who has yet to turn to Christ in repentance and faith. After all, with between 70-80% of believers reporting they experienced salvation before the age of 20, it is more than encouraging to know that even if the physical statistics say it is less likely that those who don’t yet know Jesus will follow him the older they get, our spiritual hopes can remain high. It’s never too late for someone to be rescued from hell.
I witnessed this as a young college student when, while serving as a volunteer youth leader, my youth pastor’s father got saved quite literally on his death bed. He had been a devout denier of the gospel, refusing to believe and confess that Jesus Christ lived, died, and rose again. But in his final minutes, he responded to the truth of the gospel in faith, and was miraculously saved by the grace of God just hours before he died. It’s never too late for someone to be rescued from hell.
Centuries before that, the thief on the cross experienced the same thing—salvation at the last minute. Hanging on the Roman instrument of death called a cross, the guilty criminal of man realized the he was crucified next to the innocent Lamb of God. And that through his substitutionary death, he could actually be given life. So he believed, confessed, and Jesus, even in his own agony, promised him “today you will be with me in paradise” (Luke 23:43). It’s never too late for someone to be rescued from hell.
Keep believing this truth, fellow pilgrim. Those who are getting closer and closer to the gallows of judgment, their feet inching ever nearer to the flames of hell, still may experience mercy, even in the final minutes of their life. God saves the second one believes. It’s never too late for someone to be rescued from hell.
And keep sharing this truth, faithful traveler. Always praying, too. Grace can come even on death row. After all, you were on death row at one point, though perhaps not as close to your final breath as the ones for whom you’re praying and with whom you’re sharing.
Don’t quit believing. Sharing. Praying. Because it’s never too late for someone to be rescued from hell.
Pastor Todd