As he lay in the back of our gun-section’s 5-ton truck, PFC Hobbs refused to put on his gas mask this time. Over the past weeks during Operation Desert Storm, the M8 alarms, tripped by dust and wind, had been the cause of too many false alarms. So Hobbs blew off the warning, closed his eyes, and went back to sleep. Thankfully, it was indeed just another false alarm.

I can’t help but smile when I remember that scene. Yet my memory-triggered amusement is accompanied by the sadness of another warning which PFC Hobbs heard, but ignored. I was 18 at the time, but had been singled out fairly quickly as the quiet guy with the thick East Tennessee accent who liked to read his Bible. On occasion Hobbs sought me out and met with me in my foxhole for Bible study. He was scared, as were we all, about what we were being told might happen in the coming days and he seemed concerned about his soul. I will never forget standing next to the long tube of our 155mm howitzer and pleading with Hobbs to repent and trust in Christ. But his answer was something like “Not now. When I get back home I’ll get right with God.” And despite my efforts, he refused to heed the warning. Looking back, it seems as if Hobbs simply did not want to repent at this time. Maybe later in life, but not right now. I pray that he is not still waiting until the eleventh hour.

Is salvation possible in the eleventh hour? Can a man or woman repent and believe in Christ in the moments before their death? The story of the thief on the Cross in Luke 23 makes it the answer is a resounding “Yes”!

Two thieves were crucified beside Jesus – one on His right and one on His left. Scripture says that both began to hurl insults at Jesus. But something happened to one of the thieves. He literally had a change of heart. He began to realize that his judgment before God was impending, so he said to the other thief, “Don’t you fear God?” He acknowledged his own sinfulness and that he deserved to die. Yet at the same time he became aware of the sinlessness of Christ – “this man has done nothing wrong”. And by grace he realized Jesus was indeed the Messiah, the King of Kings – “Remember me when you come into your kingdom”. He understood in those dying moments that now was the time to heed the warning about the coming judgment, for the Scripture says “It is appointed to man once to die and then the judgment” (Hebrews 9:27). Aware of his spiritual bankruptcy and inability to save himself, he threw himself upon the mercy of God in Jesus Christ and cried out to Jesus, “Remember me”. And the Lord Jesus, suffering as He was, turned to this thief who had never done any good works in the name of Jesus Christ, and said to him, “Today, you will be with me in Paradise”. What unspeakable mercy! No time for good works or church attendance or baptism. He was simply saved from spiritual death by grace alone through faith alone in Christ alone.

Is this mere “easy-believism”? Scripture is clear that repentance and faith are essential for salvation. Jesus would not have told the man he was going to heaven had the man not truly repented and believed. One must conclude, had the thief lived after making this profession, that he would have expressed his faith in baptism and would have shown evidence over time of a changed heart through faith in Jesus.

And where would the thief go? Would it be to some place just outside of hell where he would not suffer torment, but he could still feel the heat from its flames? Would he go to some in-between place to be purged from his sins? Absolutely not. No such place exists. It is either to heaven or hell that you will go when you die. Jesus said to him, “Today you will be with me in Paradise”. The man died and went to be with Christ in Paradise. Heaven. The very presence of God. New Testament Scholar Robert Stein says, “The supreme irony is that the criminal rightfully being executed for his crime(s) was infinitely better off than Israel’s high priest, who by his rejection of God’s Son was eternally damned”.

What amazing grace and mercy is available through Jesus. Salvation in the eleventh hour is possible, but it is not certain. One should not ignore the gospel’s warning, presuming, like my old Army buddy Hobbs. that he or she will want to repent and believe at a later time. There is no guarantee that in the final hours of a person’s life he or she will even then desire to repent and believe in Christ. Unbeliever, do not dismiss the warning. And true believer, sound the alarm while there is time. Behold, today is the day of salvation.