Lk.23 : 32-33, ‘Two other men, both criminals, were also led out with him to be executed. When they came to the place called the Skull, they crucified him there, along with the criminals—one on his right, the other on his left.’
Jesus, our Lord was crucified between two criminals. Though all the four gospels have mentioned about the two criminals crucified on the either side of Jesus, only the gospel of Luke has mentioned about their spiritual status. One of them mocked Jesus saying, “Aren’t you the Messiah? Save yourself and us!” But the other thief said, ““Don’t you fear God,” he said, “since you are under the same sentence? We are punished justly, for we are getting what our deeds deserve. But this man has done nothing wrong.” Then he said, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.”
These two thieves represent the two groups of mankind, standing on the either side of the cross of Jesus. One group rejects Christ, while the other group receives Christ. One group is condemned while the other group is saved. One is promised paradise, while the other faces the fearful silence of the divine one. One is ruptured into eternity with Jesus while the other is left behind.
On the other hand, both were accused as thieves. Both deserved to be punished. Both were sentenced to be crucified. Both walked the same way to the Calvary. Yet at the last moment, just a little before the dead end sign posts of their lives’ journey, the cross of Christ separated them forever. One was forgiven and the other condemned. Both slept the sleep of death, but one, with the hope of waking up to behold the face of the Lord in righteousness, while the other with no hope.
Today or tomorrow, each of us will be at this cross road. Death is a reality. It comes in every life, whether we like it or not. It’s as true as birth. But death is no death for a child of God. It’s passing on to another phase of life eternal. But even for a child of God, death is a separation from those who are not in Christ. Though death in Christ is joining Christ eternally and literally, it is still an eternal separation from all those who are not in Christ.
Math.24:40-41, ‘Then shall two be in the field; the one shall be taken, and the other left. Two wom-en shall be grinding at the mill; the one shall be taken, the other shall be left.’
Lk.17:34-36, ‘I tell you, on that night two people will be in one bed; one will be taken and the other left. Two women will be grinding grain together; one will be taken and the other left.’
People staying in one home, walking the same ways, working together, resting together or even suf-fering together is no guarantee of having an eternity together.These facts point out to certain basic truths about salvation.
1. Salvation is a lone decision : The thieves on the cross might have stolen things together. They might have consulted each other and worked out a plan together. But when they were on the cross, the saved thief did not consider it important to consult with his friend and partner about putting his trust in Jesus. He took the decision alone. Putting our trust in Jesus as our Lord and Saviour is not a decision which is to be taken after consulting our life partners or anyone else who has authority over our lives in any way. It’s a lone decision, completely led by the power of the Holy Spirit.
Jesus, our Lord was crucified between two criminals. Though all the four gospels have mentioned about the two criminals crucified on the either side of Jesus, only the gospel of Luke has mentioned about their spiritual status. One of them mocked Jesus saying, “Aren’t you the Messiah? Save yourself and us!” But the other thief said, ““Don’t you fear God,” he said, “since you are under the same sentence? We are punished justly, for we are getting what our deeds deserve. But this man has done nothing wrong.” Then he said, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.”
These two thieves represent the two groups of mankind, standing on the either side of the cross of Jesus. One group rejects Christ, while the other group receives Christ. One group is condemned while the other group is saved. One is promised paradise, while the other faces the fearful silence of the divine one. One is ruptured into eternity with Jesus while the other is left behind.
On the other hand, both were accused as thieves. Both deserved to be punished. Both were sentenced to be crucified. Both walked the same way to the Calvary. Yet at the last moment, just a little before the dead end sign posts of their lives’ journey, the cross of Christ separated them forever. One was forgiven and the other condemned. Both slept the sleep of death, but one, with the hope of waking up to behold the face of the Lord in righteousness, while the other with no hope.
Today or tomorrow, each of us will be at this cross road. Death is a reality. It comes in every life, whether we like it or not. It’s as true as birth. But death is no death for a child of God. It’s passing on to another phase of life eternal. But even for a child of God, death is a separation from those who are not in Christ. Though death in Christ is joining Christ eternally and literally, it is still an eternal separation from all those who are not in Christ.
Math.24:40-41, ‘Then shall two be in the field; the one shall be taken, and the other left. Two wom-en shall be grinding at the mill; the one shall be taken, the other shall be left.’
Lk.17:34-36, ‘I tell you, on that night two people will be in one bed; one will be taken and the other left. Two women will be grinding grain together; one will be taken and the other left.’
People staying in one home, walking the same ways, working together, resting together or even suf-fering together is no guarantee of having an eternity together.These facts point out to certain basic truths about salvation.
1. Salvation is a lone decision : The thieves on the cross might have stolen things together. They might have consulted each other and worked out a plan together. But when they were on the cross, the saved thief did not consider it important to consult with his friend and partner about putting his trust in Jesus. He took the decision alone. Putting our trust in Jesus as our Lord and Saviour is not a decision which is to be taken after consulting our life partners or anyone else who has authority over our lives in any way. It’s a lone decision, completely led by the power of the Holy Spirit.
2. Salvation is an immediate decision : Salvation is today, not tomorrow. The saved thief on the cross did not wait to see if Jesus would indeed save Himself from the cross, or if anything special is happening to him. The very moment his spiritual eyes were opened, he asked the dying and suffering Jesus to remember him in paradise. When our eyes are opened to see Jesus as our Saviour, we make Him our Lord and God on the same spot of time. It’s a decision which cannot be postponed. Saul, while travelling to Damascus, was the one who persecuted the church of Christ Jesus (Acts 9:4-6). But when his inner eyes were opened, the very first thing he said was, ‘Lord, what wilt thou have me to do ?’ Even in this time gap between a question and an answer, a heart got transformed…..a Saul got converted to Paul. He asked his Lord as to what he should do next.
3. Salvation is a faith decision : The saved thief saw Jesus as the king of His kingdom in faith, and thereby requested him to remember him. The power of the Holy Ghost works over the word of God which we hear and gives birth to a new life. Nothing is seen through our physical eyes. But the eyes of faith opens up, which sees things in faith as clear as our physical eyes……so much so that we even make decisions and commitments about our life on the basis of what our eyes of faith sees.
4. Salvation is a priority decision : The thief on the cross requested Jesus to remember him in paradise, rather than asking him to save him from cross. Putting complete trust in Jesus as our Lord and Saviour is a unique decision. It’s a priority decision, immaterial of one’s surroundings or circumstances. It changes the priorities of our life. It makes one to focus on eternal things, even when the surrounding circumstances might seem to need more at-tention.
5. Salvation gives one a unique insight : The insight of seeing cross as a blessing was re-ceived by the saved thief on the cross. Had it not been for the cross, he would have been condemned both by this world and the King of Kings. The other thief, on the other hand kept aspiring to be saved from the cross, even as he hung on the cross. The saved thief embraced the cross while the unsaved thief hated it.
6. Salvation is a lone commitment : Even when the unsaved thief on the cross, the soldiers and the people around mocked Jesus, the commitment of the saved thief did not stagger. Though his trust in Jesus did not remove the cross from him, his commitment remained till the last breath of his remaining of his life. Putting trust in Jesus as our Lord and God is a commitment to be submissive to our Lord and His word in all situations and under all circumstances. It’s an unconditional lone commitment. It’s not influenced by the spiritual status of people with whom we live and rest, nor by any situations or circumstances. Even when other’s commitment staggers, our commitment ought to remain firm. No other person is responsible for our commitment…..not even the one’s who leads us or guides us in spiritual matters.
7. Salvation is with Jesus alone : Lk.23:43, ‘And Jesus said unto him, “Verily, I say unto thee, today shalt thou be with me in paradise.”’ Jesus did not promise a paradise full of angels or saints that have gone before. He promised His own presence. Acts 4:12, ‘ Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to mankind by which we must be saved.’ My dear friends, salvation is available only in the name of Jesus Christ.
Cross – A uniting and a separating experience.
Math.10:35-38 , “Do not suppose that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I did not come to bring peace, but a sword. For I have come to turn ‘a man against his father,
a daughter against her mother, a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law —36 a man’s enemies will be the members of his own household.’ “Anyone who loves their father or mother more than me is not worthy of me; anyone who loves their son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me. Whoever does not take up their cross and follow me is not worthy of me.’ Cross is a uniting and a separating experience. Though the cross joins God and man, it does separate each of us from every one who does not carry their cross. It separates us from every iniquity that stands as an obstacle in being union with Christ. The cross joins us to Christ and separates us from the world. Union with Christ is joyous while separation causes pain. The joy, being much more abundant than the pain of separation is what makes us endure the pain of every separation.
a daughter against her mother, a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law —36 a man’s enemies will be the members of his own household.’ “Anyone who loves their father or mother more than me is not worthy of me; anyone who loves their son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me. Whoever does not take up their cross and follow me is not worthy of me.’ Cross is a uniting and a separating experience. Though the cross joins God and man, it does separate each of us from every one who does not carry their cross. It separates us from every iniquity that stands as an obstacle in being union with Christ. The cross joins us to Christ and separates us from the world. Union with Christ is joyous while separation causes pain. The joy, being much more abundant than the pain of separation is what makes us endure the pain of every separation.
The saved thief saw how Jesus united to the will of His Father by going through the untold and unjustified sufferings on the cross. Apostle Paul said that the cross can never be preached in the wisdom of words, for it is the demonstration of the Spirit and power (1 Cor.1:17, 2:4). The gospel was not preached to the saved thief that day by any apostle, pas-tor or evangelist……not even by the very Son of God. But the cross was preached in complete demonstration of Spirit and power. The saved thief knew that Jesus was innocent, but it was not His innocence that touched this criminal. Rather the unjustified suffering of the innocent one in silence and meekness touched him and caused him to put all his trust on dying Jesus. Hence, he said, “We are punished justly, for we are getting what our deeds deserve. But this man has done nothing wrong.” Even before the very disciples of Jesus could believe in the resurrection of their master, this thief saw the resurrected Jesus in faith. Hence he said, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom”.
My dear friends, we, being children of God, have a unique calling of going through unjustified suffering. When the world suffers, they question the justice of God, and express their innocence. But a cross bearer suffers quietly and meekly….fully believing that all things happen for good for those who love the Lord……fully hoping that one day, we will be justified in literal aspect too. Embracing cross is a fire experience, purifying us, just like silver is purified in fire.
When the saved thief saw the unjustified suffering of Jesus, and His accompanying quietness and meekness, he did not have anything to complain about his own cross, which was the result of his own doings. Deep meditation of the cross of Jesus silences our complaining tongues.
If this unjustified silent suffering of Christ attracted the condemned thief , putting on Christ will give us the same attitude, which in turn can attract many to Christ. Our Lord, who suffered unjustly has been exalted to be the God of all justice. Through His unjustified sufferings, He has justified us. Thus, has He become our judge and lawyer.
On the cross, the physical eyes of the saved thief closed for ever, but his spiritual eyes opened to see Jesus in paradise. Experience of cross is completely personal. It cannot be shared with anyone in this world. Salvation is completely personal. Though we can share innumerable testimonies about it, it’s experience is completely personal.
As we are coming closer and closer to our eternity, we ought to ask ourselves as often as possible as to, ‘Are we saved ? Are we bearing our cross ?’ May this message strengthen each of us to examine our spiritual status.
May God bless you !
My dear friends, we, being children of God, have a unique calling of going through unjustified suffering. When the world suffers, they question the justice of God, and express their innocence. But a cross bearer suffers quietly and meekly….fully believing that all things happen for good for those who love the Lord……fully hoping that one day, we will be justified in literal aspect too. Embracing cross is a fire experience, purifying us, just like silver is purified in fire.
When the saved thief saw the unjustified suffering of Jesus, and His accompanying quietness and meekness, he did not have anything to complain about his own cross, which was the result of his own doings. Deep meditation of the cross of Jesus silences our complaining tongues.
If this unjustified silent suffering of Christ attracted the condemned thief , putting on Christ will give us the same attitude, which in turn can attract many to Christ. Our Lord, who suffered unjustly has been exalted to be the God of all justice. Through His unjustified sufferings, He has justified us. Thus, has He become our judge and lawyer.
On the cross, the physical eyes of the saved thief closed for ever, but his spiritual eyes opened to see Jesus in paradise. Experience of cross is completely personal. It cannot be shared with anyone in this world. Salvation is completely personal. Though we can share innumerable testimonies about it, it’s experience is completely personal.
As we are coming closer and closer to our eternity, we ought to ask ourselves as often as possible as to, ‘Are we saved ? Are we bearing our cross ?’ May this message strengthen each of us to examine our spiritual status.
May God bless you !
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