In John 6:37 we have a promise from the Lord Jesus, Himself.  He says, “…him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out.”  What a promise!  The Lord will never cast out, or reject, anyone that comes to Him in faith.  There is no limit on who this is or when this person comes to the Lord.  Of course, the Lord desires that we put our faith in Him immediately.  “Behold, NOW is the accepted time; behold, NOW is the day of salvation.” (2 Corinthians 6:2).  Why the urgency?  We are instructed in Proverbs 27:1, “Boast not thyself of to morrow; for thou knowest not what a day may bring forth.”  We are not promised tomorrow, and we may not even be here tomorrow.  We simply do not know what a day may bring, so it is so important that we put our faith in the Lord Jesus today.

In the Bible, we have the perfect example of someone who repented and put his faith in the Lord only a few short hours before he died.  While the Lord Jesus was on the cross suffering for the sins of mankind, there were two others who were being crucified with Him for crimes they had committed.  Let’s allow the scripture to tell us of this event.  Luke 23:39-43 says, “And one of the malefactors which were hanged railed on him, saying, If thou be Christ, save thyself and us. But the other answering rebuked him, saying, Dost not thou fear God, seeing thou art in the same condemnation? And we indeed justly; for we receive the due reward of our deeds: but this man hath done nothing amiss. And he said unto Jesus, LORD, REMEMBER ME WHEN THOU COMEST INTO THY KINGDOM. And Jesus said unto him, Verily I say unto thee, TO DAY THOU SHALT BE WITH ME IN PARADISE.”  This dying criminal acknowledged the righteousness of the Lord when he said, “This man hath done NOTHING AMISS.”  He bowed himself, in heart, to Jesus and called Him LORD.  He asked for mercy by saying, “REMEMBER ME when thou comest into thy kingdom.”  How did the Lord react to this criminal who had previously mocked him?  He promised him that on that very day, that man would be with Him in paradise, which is heaven. (2 Corinthians 12:1-4).

Did that man, who was saved at the last minute, receive any rewards since he had no opportunity to live for or serve the Lord?  We read in James 1:12, “Blessed is the man that endureth temptation: for when he is tried, he shall receive THE CROWN OF LIFE, WHICH THE LORD HATH PROMISED TO THEM THAT LOVE HIM.”

We can joyfully answer both of your questions with a resounding YES.  YES, the Lord will save those who come to Him by faith, no matter what they have done or how long they have to live.  YES, each one who accepts and loves the Lord will receive the CROWN OF LIFE.  (CC)  (732.2)