The Unfair Scandal of Deathbed Conversions
February 2025
Diagnosed with lung cancer, Alex* was nearing the end of his life. He had spent his whole life living like God didn’t exist, and now he wondered if it was right to turn to Him at the last minute. Could he really ask Jesus for salvation after decades of living without Him? It just didn’t seem fair.
It’s an understandable feeling. For many, the idea of a “deathbed conversion” feels scandalous. Imagine someone who’s spent their life running from God suddenly being welcomed into His arms at the eleventh hour. Meanwhile, others spend their whole lives striving to follow Him, sacrificing and serving, only to share the same reward. How could that be fair? Alex wrestled with this, but thankfully, God led a partner church in Aix-les-Bains, France, to minister to him. During the COVID-19 lockdowns, this church committed to loving the vulnerable in their city as much as they could. Determined to embody the love of Jesus, they decided, “We won’t hide. We’ll serve this city and share God’s love.” That’s how Thierry met Alex. Thierry and his team walked with Alex through the hardest days of his life, delivering food, offering encouragement, and simply being present. Alex was open to the gospel but couldn’t shake the feeling that coming to Jesus at the end wasn’t fair. Thierry responded by reading him the story of the thief on the cross. The story resonated with Alex.
Last fall, Thierry visited Alex for the final time. By then, Alex had found peace. “I’m taking care of my relationship with Jesus,” he told Thierry. In his last days, Alex had finally understood the beauty of grace—it’s not something we have to earn, but is freely given to us. For those of us who’ve followed Jesus for a long time, it might be tempting to feel slighted by this kind of radical mercy. But consider this: if you look at the thief on the cross and say, “That’s not fair,” you might have a “work for salvation” mentality. But if you have a “Jesus is everything” mentality, the thief might look at you and say, “No, that’s not fair. You got to spend your life enjoying Jesus while I was busy squandering mine.” Salvation doesn’t come from the hard work we do; it comes from the work Jesus has already done. Grace isn’t fair—it’s scandalous. It doesn’t operate on human terms. And thank God for that, because if salvation were based on fairness, none of us would qualify. We all rely on the same grace that saved the thief, that saved Alex, and that’s available to you and me today.
*Name changed for security
It’s an understandable feeling. For many, the idea of a “deathbed conversion” feels scandalous. Imagine someone who’s spent their life running from God suddenly being welcomed into His arms at the eleventh hour. Meanwhile, others spend their whole lives striving to follow Him, sacrificing and serving, only to share the same reward. How could that be fair? Alex wrestled with this, but thankfully, God led a partner church in Aix-les-Bains, France, to minister to him. During the COVID-19 lockdowns, this church committed to loving the vulnerable in their city as much as they could. Determined to embody the love of Jesus, they decided, “We won’t hide. We’ll serve this city and share God’s love.” That’s how Thierry met Alex. Thierry and his team walked with Alex through the hardest days of his life, delivering food, offering encouragement, and simply being present. Alex was open to the gospel but couldn’t shake the feeling that coming to Jesus at the end wasn’t fair. Thierry responded by reading him the story of the thief on the cross. The story resonated with Alex.
Last fall, Thierry visited Alex for the final time. By then, Alex had found peace. “I’m taking care of my relationship with Jesus,” he told Thierry. In his last days, Alex had finally understood the beauty of grace—it’s not something we have to earn, but is freely given to us. For those of us who’ve followed Jesus for a long time, it might be tempting to feel slighted by this kind of radical mercy. But consider this: if you look at the thief on the cross and say, “That’s not fair,” you might have a “work for salvation” mentality. But if you have a “Jesus is everything” mentality, the thief might look at you and say, “No, that’s not fair. You got to spend your life enjoying Jesus while I was busy squandering mine.” Salvation doesn’t come from the hard work we do; it comes from the work Jesus has already done. Grace isn’t fair—it’s scandalous. It doesn’t operate on human terms. And thank God for that, because if salvation were based on fairness, none of us would qualify. We all rely on the same grace that saved the thief, that saved Alex, and that’s available to you and me today.
*Name changed for security
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