There are some people who spend their whole lives either ignoring God or mocking Him. So when evangelist Billy Graham was once asked by a concerned Christian if God ever has a limit on forgiveness, or if death bed salvation really works, he provided an honest answer.
"God welcomes anyone — absolutely anyone — who sincerely turns to Him in repentance and faith, even at the last minute. The Bible says, 'He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance' (2 Peter 3:9)," Graham once shared on his website.
Graham recalled Jesus' crucifixion and the two criminals who were executed with Him. They all had hours left to live before facing God's judgment in eternity. One of the criminals continued to mock Jesus and wanted nothing to do with Him, while the other one expressed his faith. He asked Jesus humbly to save his soul and grant him eternal life, and Jesus did.
Jesus told him in Luke 23:43: "Truly I tell you, today you will be with me in paradise."
Graham said God can save anybody, save for those who refuse to be saved.
"When a person repeatedly turns his or her back on Christ, their heart grows more and more hardened toward God. As a result it becomes easier and easier for them to resist God's call, and — like that unrepentant criminal — they are in danger of refusing to turn from their stubborn unbelief," he said.
At that time, Graham encouraged Christians to pray for people who had built barriers against God, as well as pray for strength and wisdom to become the people who will bring those who have been lost back to Jesus. His words remain just as valid today as they did then.
