The Blessing of Salvation Later in Life

Luke 7:36-47 (NASB)
“Now one of the Pharisees was requesting Him (Jesus) to dine with him, and He entered the Pharisee’s house and reclined at the table. And there was a woman in the city who was a sinner; and when she learned that He was reclining at the table in the Pharisee’s house, she brought an alabaster vial of perfume, and standing behind Him at His feet, weeping, she began to wet His feet with her tears, and kept wiping them with the hair of her head, and kissing His feet and anointing them with the perfume. Now when the Pharisee who had invited Him saw this, he said to himself, “If this man were a prophet He would know who and what sort of person this woman is who is touching Him, that she is a sinner.
And Jesus answered him, “Simon, I have something to say to you.” And he replied, “Say it, Teacher.” “A moneylender had two debtors: one owed five hundred denarii, and the other fifty. When they were unable to repay, he graciously forgave them both. So which of them will love him more?” Simon answered and said, “I suppose the one whom he forgave more.” And He said to him, “You have judged correctly.” Turning to the woman, He said to Simon, “Do you see this woman? I entered your house; you gave Me no water for My feet, but she has wet My feet with her tears and wiped them with her hair. You gave Me no kiss; but she, since the time I came in, has not ceased to kiss My feet. You did not anoint My head with oil, but she anointed My feet with perfume. For this reason I say to you, her sins, which are many, have been forgiven, for she loved much; but he who is forgiven little, loves little.”

This passage explains clearly why many people who get saved later in life have a deeper understanding of God’s love and grace.

One of my professors in Bible college said one day in class that he believes that people who are saved at an early age benefit more as a Christian than those who are saved later in life. He claims that people who accept Jesus as Lord and Savior later in life continue to carry a great deal of spiritual baggage and have developed unhealthy habits and are usually “bleeding heart Christians,” who need extensive counseling.

I disagree with this arrogant professor. First of all, any true conversion experience will result in that person becoming a new creature. They will repent of their sinful lifestyle and consciously strive to live their lives in the will of God. Second, a person who becomes a Christian later in life can usually have an awesome testimony filled with life experiences that can be shared with many others who need to hear from someone they can relate too. This person, when saved, realizes the abundant grace and love that God has for him as he looks back at the sinful life he lived.

The experiences in this persons life is dramatically different than that of a person who was saved at an early age. It is easier to relate to someone who is hurting and searching for help, when you have walked in their shoes and have similar experiences. There is something to be said for the old saying, “Been there, done that, and got the tee-shirt to prove it.” It is easier and more comforting to listen to and take the advice from someone with similar experiences, not just head knowledge, but someone with understanding and wisdom. There is only so much you can learn from a book. Head knowledge is good, but wisdom comes from understanding knowledge and experience.

Every person benefits from being saved, no matter what the age at conversion. Jesus did not discriminate. He did not ask anyone their age before He would grant someone salvation. He says that today is the day of salvation and it is for everyone. God in His divine wisdom, places the burden on our hearts to come to know and accept Jesus as Lord and Savior. Through our repentance and the forgiveness of our sins, we can have a relationship with Jesus and be granted eternal life. Through this relationship, God has a plan for all of us. He allows us to be saved at different times than others, so we can have different life experiences, so each of us can relate to different people. All this is to glorify God. Everything that has happened in your life, every experience you have had, God has allowed so you can share your testimony to someone you can relate to. Everything that has happened in your life, good and bad, is to be used to glorify God.

If you were saved at an early age, use that salvation experience to glorify God by telling others how God has worked in and through you and your life since then. If you were saved later in life, use that experience to glorify God. Share with others how God interceded in your sinful life and how God changed you through the work of the Holy Spirit. No matter what your age at the time of your salvation experience, share with others the love and grace God had for you and how He continues to work in your life. Tell others how God wants to do the same for them, just as He has done for you.

God’s plan for you is the same as everyone else’s and it is different than everyone else’s. God’s plan for everyone is the same, in that, we are all called to use our salvation experience and our relationship with Christ Jesus to share the love of Christ to others, in spreading the Gospel to all peoples around the world. God’s plan is different for everyone. Your life experiences have been and will always be different than anybody else’s. We have all come to know Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior in a different way, in a different experience, in a different situation, and at different times in our lives. Now we are all called to tell an unbeliever about our Lord and Savior, who will generously give His love, grace and mercy to every genuinely repentant person; just as He did for you.

To sum this up, I do not believe that Luke 7:36-47 insinuates that becoming a Christian at an early age makes that person less of a Christian. But I do believe that the text proves that a person who truly experiences salvation at a later age has a deeper understanding of God’s love for them at the time of their conversion compared to a person who is saved at an early age. The reason for this is the older the person is when he is saved usually has a greater realization of the multitude of sins that have been forgiven compared to a much younger person. We can only understand God’s love by how He has proven His love for us in our own personal lives. This is not to diminish the salvation experience of anyone. What truly matters is the fact of your salvation experience and how you use it during your remaining time here on earth.

Use your testimony to glorify God and to share with others.