Amazing Grace: Sunday Mornings and Deathbed Repentance
“There are none so good they need not be saved and none so bad they cannot be saved.”
“It’s always too soon to quit, but never too late to start.”
-Dr. Adrian Rogers
Dad’s spiritual heritage was not something any Christian would hope for. You’ve read how my dad’s parents did not follow God, and in fact, lived lives that were spiritually and practically dysfunctional. Alcoholism, adultery and hardness of heart were realities my dad faced through his childhood and early adulthood in his family relationships. The cycle of generational unbelief and rejection of Jesus impacted him. But thank God for His amazing grace!
Ephesians 2:8-9 says, “For by grace you have been saved through faith; and this is not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not a result of works, so that no one may boast.”
In spite of how Dad’s parents treated him, he desperately loved them both and longed for a relationship with them. He prayed for them and hoped so much they would turn from unbelief to a life of faith. And guess what? God heard his prayers.
Have you ever really stopped to think about the words to the song Amazing Grace, especially the first verse?
“Amazing Grace, how sweet the sound,
That saved a wretch like me,
I once was lost, but now am found,
Was blind but now I see.”
My grandfather had been married and divorced twice when he met his third wife, Hazel. She was a very quiet woman, very dignified, always gracious, and she treated my dad respectfully. Dad could not afford to purchase a suit for his high school graduation. Under Hazel’s caring and gentle influence, my grandfather relented and bought him a suit. She loved my grandfather very much, faithfully and quietly living out the Christ life in front of him. On Sundays, He would always decline attending church with her, and she, choosing to not make it a conflict between them, simply went alone to church. Her gentleness and consistency certainly left an impression on him - and me.
Eventually, when he faced a health crisis, he knew where to turn. Over the course of a few short weeks, he had nine heart attacks. His survival was a miracle, and I believe, caused him to consider the condition of his soul and life. Normal life resumed after his recovery, except now, something changed.
One Sunday morning, as Hazel was readying herself for church, she realized something out of the ordinary. He was up and dressed for an outing. She asked what he had planned and he announced, to her surprise, that he was going to church with her. And from that day forward, Earl attended church with Hazel. Eventually that led to a place of service in the church, carrying a Bible with him and trusting Jesus as Savior and Lord. He was saved and later baptized. This miracle is another reason we never stop praying for the ones we love who are living in unbelief!
The grandfather I remember was a quiet man who showed little emotion. He took me fishing, and as a child, I didn’t understand why I was not allowed to talk, which made him seem distant from me. We just sat there quietly in the boat fishing. But my mom’s memory is different. She, of course, knew of the difficult relationship Dad had with his family. She explains that she knew he liked her, but didn’t really know if he loved her. But after his salvation that changed. Mom tells the story of waking up in a hospital room after her cancer surgery and he was standing at the foot of her bed, crying over her. It was at that point she said, “I knew he loved me.” According to her and Hazel, he became tender and more gentle in his life. My grandfather met Jesus, broke out of unbelief and was saved!
“There are none so good they need not be saved and none so bad they cannot be saved.” My grandfather, a living example of this quote, had turned from a life of sin and shame to a life of faith and trust in Jesus. Even though I'm convinced he never really never knew how to relate to my dad with his disease, a peace came between them. My dad had to take the faith step of forgiving him. It is clear from Dad’s journals that he was grateful for Earl’s salvation. This forgiveness is another example of the cycle of generational unbelief being broken, and I am quite confident that my dad’s forgiveness was a testimony to his own dad.
It is not so clear however, when it comes to his mom, my grandmother. She spent her entire life living for self, rebelling against God and living a life of sin. I wish I could tell you with confidence that she was saved and trusted Jesus as Savior and Lord, but there is no spiritual fruit which would testify of her faith. Her life was miserable, and she made life miserable for others. On one occasion, in the early years of my parents' marriage, she secretly gave my dad some dangerous medication when he was very sick and in pain. She did it without the knowledge of anyone else, including my mom. And that very act nearly cost dad his life.
So you are probably wondering why I would refer to her story as an amazing grace story? In her last days of life she was visited in the hospital by an area pastor named Dr. Bobby Moore. Brother Bobby, who is now in Heaven, was an exceptional preacher and hundreds, perhaps thousands of people were saved in the Memphis area through his preaching and teaching ministry.
The day before she died, Brother Bobby, went to see her at the hospital and boldly but gently shared the gospel with her. And can you believe it, according to Brother Bobby, Dorothy made a death bed confession of faith in Christ. Dad never was able to visit with her after the pastor was there to ask her about trusting Christ. We simply have the story of Brother Bobby on which to base this.
As a pastor, I have been in the place of Brother Bobby. You make a visit to a hospital, you don’t know the patient personally, but the Holy Spirit opens the door and you share the gospel. When that happens, you walk out of that hospital room not knowing if it was real or not, but you do know God can and wants to save all sinners that will turn from unbelief. Perhaps what happened to Dorothy that day is what happened to the criminal on the cross, he trusted in God’s amazing grace and was saved. Regarding Dorothy, that is my hope and prayer. Am I certain of her decision? No. But I am certain that Jesus never turns down a repentant sinner who turns to Him in faith.
Can you believe it? Perhaps both people, who inflicted so much pain on Dad’s life, trusted Jesus and were saved. “There are none so good they need not be saved and none so bad they cannot be saved.”
Think About It
Have you broken the cycle of generational unbelief in your life?
We are not saved by our good works, by our church membership, by our successes or by our accomplishments. We are saved only when we believe on the name of the Lord Jesus Christ. To do that means to turn from sin, specifically the sin of rejecting Jesus, and turn to Him trusting in His amazing grace.
If you have never received the gift of salvation, would you allow me to help you with this today. Write to me at david@davidsmithministry.com and let me share with you what all it means to be saved and how you can be saved and know it.
Who can you share this faith with today?
The salvation of my grandparents tells us that we have a responsibility to be boldly sharing our faith. We are surrounded by lostness. Some are “good” people that don’t think they need to be saved. Some are “bad” people that we wonder if they can be saved. The truth is none of us are saved but by God’s amazing grace. Let’s recognize our role to welcome lost sinners and bring them to Jesus.
Who do you need to forgive for wrongs done to you? How can you take steps toward that today?
What generational legacy do you want to leave for your family? What can you do in your relationships today that would build that legacy with specific family members?
Are there people in your life who you have been praying for, but not seeing any movement of God in their life? Never give up. “It’s always too soon to quit, and never too late to start.” Don’t stop praying for them to come to know Jesus!
Pray
Ask God to move in your heart if you have not come to know Him personally, and break the generational cycle of unbelief in your family. Confess your sin, and believe that He will give you life!
Ask God to give you courage and strength to apply the beautiful forgiveness that you have received to the ones in your life who need your forgiveness. Ask God to free you from the chains of bitterness and resentment, and to open doors to the path of forgiveness and restoration in these relationships, breaking cycles of unbelief.