Can someone be saved at the last second after a life of crimes?
In short: Yes, if the repentance is real, not theatrical. The good thief shows that God's mercy can work even at the last second. But no one should turn that mercy into a strategy for postponing repentance.
The Orthodox nuance
The Gospel is radical: the thief crucified beside Christ receives the promise of Paradise. He had no time for a whole life of good works, but he had a broken heart, truth, humility, and recognition of Christ. This shows that salvation is grace, not accounting.
But there is a trap here. Last-minute repentance is not a magic formula. One cannot plan to do evil all one's life and then use a religious sentence at the end as insurance. God is not fooled by words. Real repentance is a turning of the heart, even if it happens in the final breath.
And forgiveness does not automatically erase the historical consequences of one's acts. A criminal forgiven by God remains responsible for the evil committed and, if he lives, must accept justice, repair what he can, and humble himself. Mercy is not the denial of justice, but a healing deeper than human justice.
Sources
- Luke 23:40-43
- Ezekiel 33:11
- Psalm 50/51
- Saint Isaac the Syrian (on God's mercy)