(Then one of the criminals who were hanged blasphemed Him, saying, “If You are the Christ, save Yourself and us.” But the other, answering, rebuked him, saying, “Do you not even fear God, seeing you are under the same condemnation? And we indeed justly, for we receive the due reward of our deeds; but this Man has done nothing wrong.” Lord, remember me when You come into your Kingdom.” And Jesus said to him, “Assuredly, I say to you, today you will be with Me in Paradise.”~Luke 23:39-43)
There were two men crucified along with Christ one on His right and one on His left. One of these men was saved from judgment and entered into the Kingdom the other did not and would face the wrath of God. Both of these men had committed the same crime both the gospels of Matthew and Mark said they were robbers. (See Matthew 25:38 and Mark 15:27) Now what did the criminal that went to heaven have that the other criminal didn’t have? He had Knowledge of three truths and he accepted those truths and did not deny them! It was these truths that caused him to repent and put his trust in Jesus Christ.
First he understood that he broke the law, that his crime was wrong. Have you broken God’s laws? (For all have sinned and come short of the glory of God ~Romans 3:23) What is sin? 1 John tells us what sin is. (Sin is lawlessness ~ 1 John 3:4) Sin simply put is anything that breaks God’s laws. What are God’s laws? You know the Ten Commandments: (Exodus 20)
1. You shall worship no other God’s but God the creator (the God of the Bible)
2. You shall not worship false God’s (a God you make up, if your God is anything other than the God of the Bible your worshiping a false God.)
3. You shall not take the Lord’s name in vain.
4. You shall honor the Sabbath and keep it Holy.
5. You should honor your mother and father.
6. You shall not murder. (The Bible says: “Whoever hates his brother is a murderer, and you know that no murderer has eternal life abiding in him ~1 John 3:15.”)
7. You shall not commit adultery. (Jesus said: “But I say to you that whoever looks at a woman to lust for her has already committed adultery with her in his heart ~Matthew 5:28.”)
8. You shall not steal.
9. You shall not lie.
10. You shall not covet the things that belong to your neighbor.
This man’s crime was that he was a thief. What is yours? No one can look at these commandments and be guiltless. (Therefore by the deeds of the law no flesh will be justified in His sight, for by the law is the knowledge of sin ~Romans 3:20.)
Second he had knowledge and accepted the fact that there is a price to be paid for breaking the law. (He said: “we indeed justly, for we receive the due reward of our deeds ~Luke 23:41a.”) He broke the law and knew it because he had knowledge of the law; he also had knowledge of the penalty for breaking the law. He knew because of the crime he committed that death was the penalty. Death is also the penalty for us breaking God’s laws! (The wages of sin is death ~Romans 6:23.) You earn a wage for doing something and the wage you earn for breaking God’s laws is death. Now we know that our bodies will one day stop to function but the Bible talks about a second death the death of your soul. (“All liars shall have their part in the lake which burns with fire and brimstone, which is the second death ~Revelations 21:8.”) That is hell. The penalty for breaking God’s laws is the death of your soul in hell!
He had a third knowledge and acceptance. He believed who Jesus was! He knew that Jesus was sinless. (But this Man has done nothing wrong ~Luke 23:41b.) He knew that Jesus was Lord and knew that He had a Kingdom in Heaven, he believed and accepted that. Now what did this man do that caused Jesus to tell him: (“Assuredly, I say to you, today you will be with Me in Paradise ~Luke 23:43.)? He did the same thing you most do to escape judgment; he Repented and put his trust in Jesus Christ! Repented: (But the other, answering, rebuked him, saying, “Do you not even fear God, seeing you are under the same condemnation? And we indeed justly, for we receive the due reward of our deeds ~Luke 23:40-41.) Then put his trust, his faith in Jesus Christ:(Lord, remember me when You come into your Kingdom ~Luke 23:42.)
Don’t kid yourself without doing this you will face judgment from God. (It is appointed for men to die once, but after this the judgment ~Hebrews 9:27.) At some point your body will stop functioning and the bible tells us when that time comes we will face judgment. When people say they are saved do you know what they are saved from? They are saved from God himself; they are saved from the wrath of God. The bible tells us the penalty for sin is the death of our souls in eternal torment in Hell! Wouldn’t you like to escape that; Paradise or Hell? You have a choice to make just like the two criminals on the cross. What must you do to be saved?
Repent: That means to acknowledge that you have broken God’s laws and what you deserve for your sins is punishment. Apologize to God and confess your sins to Him. Then turn away from sin no longer desiring sinful pleasures but hating sin itself.
Trust in Jesus: Believe that Jesus is the perfect Lamb of God, that He lived a sinless perfect life, allowed himself to be crucified in your place for your sins then rose from the grave defeating death forever. Put your trust in Him alone and then follow Him; not your own desires but His, do what he says, the bible describes it as dying to self. (He died for all, that those who live should live no longer for themselves, but for Him who died for them and rose again ~1 Corinthians 5:15)
If you will Repent and Trust in Jesus you will be saved! Please do so today your very life depends on it.
