Ask the Pastor: Can Someone Be Too Far Gone to Be Saved?

Ask the Pastor: A Question from Matt Garcia

One of the most heartbreaking lies the enemy whispers into the ears of people is this: “You are too far gone for God to save you.” Maybe you have heard it yourself. Perhaps you have thought, “After all I have done, how could God ever forgive me?” It is a heavyweight, a lie that chains people to shame and despair. However, the truth of Scripture reveals something very different. 

No One Is Beyond God’s Reach

The Bible is clear: no one is so lost that the grace of God cannot find them. The Apostle Paul, who once persecuted the church and approved of Christians being killed, said these words:

“It is a trustworthy saying and deserving full acceptance: that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, among whom I am foremost.” (1 Timothy 1:15, LSB)

Paul called himself the foremost of sinners, yet he was redeemed, forgiven, and used mightily by God. If God can take a murderer and turn him into an apostle, then He can take anyone and make them new. That includes you! 

The Power of the Cross

When Jesus cried out on the cross, “It is finished” (John 19:30), He declared that the debt of sin was fully paid. That means there is no sin too great, no past too dark, no history too broken that the blood of Jesus cannot cover. The cross was not for perfect people. It was for the broken, the guilty, the ashamed, and the hopeless.

Isaiah the prophet paints the picture beautifully:

“Come now, and let us reason together, says Yahweh, though your sins are as scarlet, they will be as white as snow; though they are red like crimson, they will be like wool.” (Isaiah 1:18, LSB)

That is the power of the gospel: God takes scarlet-stained sinners and washes them white as snow.

The Danger of Believing the Lie

When someone believes they are “too far gone,” they cut themselves off from the very hope that could save them. It is like drowning in the ocean and refusing to grab the life preserver because you think you do not deserve to be rescued. That is pride disguised as despair. But the gospel is not about what you deserve. It is about what Christ has done.

Jesus Himself said: “The one who comes to Me I will never cast out.” (John 6:37, LSB)

Did you catch that? Never. Not “sometimes,” not “if your past isn’t too bad,” not “if you clean yourself up first.” He will never cast you out.

The Warning of a Hardened Heart

At the same time, the Bible does warn us that a person can continue to resist the Lord to the point of hardening their heart. Hebrews 3:15 says,

“Today if you hear His voice, do not harden your hearts, as when they provoked Me.”

God’s mercy is vast and His grace is freely given, but when a person continually rejects Him, ignores His Word, and refuses His Spirit, their heart can become calloused. This does not mean God cannot save them, but it does mean that they may reach a place where they no longer desire repentance. Pharaoh in Exodus is a sobering example of this truth—he hardened his heart against God again and again, until judgment came.

That is why the urgency of the gospel matters so much. The day of salvation is not tomorrow. It is not someday. It is today.

Hope for the Hurting

So can someone be too far gone to be saved? Absolutely not. The very heart of the gospel is that Jesus saves to the uttermost those who come to Him (Hebrews 7:25). No matter how dark the past, His light shines brighter. No matter how deep the pit, His arm reaches lower. No matter how far you have wandered, His grace runs farther still.

But here is the warning: do not wait. Please don't assume there will always be time later. Respond to His voice while you can still hear it. Respond to His Spirit while your heart is still tender. You never know what tomorrow will bring! 

If you are reading this and wrestling with that lie, hear me clearly: you are not too far gone. The cross proves it, the empty tomb confirms it, and the Word of God declares it. Run to Jesus. Fall into His mercy. Let Him make you new, before your heart grows too hard to care.

Soli Deo Gloria,

Pastor Jody