Your comment hints of eternal salvation made possible by man's good works. There is only one way that the un-regenerant person can be delivered to heaven and that is, while the un-regenerant is still spiritually dead in his sins, God by his sovereign grace, quickens him to a spiritual life (Eph 2:1-5.)
some how in our denial of God He gives most of us several chances to change. i don't know how many chances i had before finally saying i choose to follow God, but i do know the idea my dad was praying that whatever it took really bothered me. so when something did actually happen, i had enough and just said no more of this.