A Fresh Look at "The Thief on the Cross"

[B-A-C]

Then what you're saying is when I led my friends dad to The Lord and prayed the sinners prayer with him telling Him he would be accepted in HEAVEN ,just before he died. ....I LIED ? We spend so much time looking at the legal we forget Gods grace ...works is fruit of the spirit but if accepted just before death does God tell us go back and do works then maybe.....it undermines the cross and Gods love for us ...that's so sad...!Rev

He was saved. God knows the heart. He knows the future. Maybe certain people don't have the opportunity to do a lot for the kingdom of God.
Maybe they don't have the opportunity to go through the chance for rewards and sanctification. But they are still saved.

1 Cor 3:13; each man's work will become evident; for the day will show it because it is to be revealed with fire, and the fire itself will test the quality of each man's work.
1 Cor 3:14; If any man's work which he has built on it remains, he will receive a reward.
1 Cor 3:15; If any man's work is burned up, he will suffer loss; but he himself will be saved, yet so as through fire.

Some will get fewer rewards in heaven.

 

[james1523]

Then what you're saying is when I led my friends dad to The Lord and prayed the sinners prayer with him telling Him he would be accepted in HEAVEN ,just before he died. ....I LIED ? We spend so much time looking at the legal we forget Gods grace ...works is fruit of the spirit but if accepted just before death does God tell us go back and do works then maybe.....it undermines the cross and Gods love for us ...that's so sad...!Rev

If God did not accept him into Heaven then I suppose it would be a false promise. It's best not to presume a person's final destination, in case we are like Job's friends making promises that are not true. Only God truly knows their heart.

Imagine if Jesus lived a life of faith on earth without works, he would have only believed he died on the cross..and believed he was resurrected..without actually doing it.. none of us would be saved today, His blood would not have been shed, only believed it has been shed. Imagine if Abraham had not tried to sacrifice Isaac on the altar but only believed that he would or could. What if Abraham, despite having faith, stayed in the one place all his life.

Faith contains evidence and substance (Heb 11:1). I'm afraid much of what we call "faith", may only be wishful thinking or mental comprehension without much evidence and substance.

Do we really think that living a life of faith only without works is "following Christ"? When Christ did so many things for us, living as our example.

 

[Rev T.S.Perkins]

Doing works in Christ name in a act of love on our part that thank God I have enough life in me to do so.being compelled to show all how wonderful a walk with God is .if works played into it as part of salvation why would Gods word have told us many will say I've done this and that in you're name ,to which God will tell some depart ,i never knew you..God says it's matter of the heart and as far as my friends dad ..if God didn't accept him in grace than I'm serving the wrong God and I'm sure ill burn for it .What an image of Christ that He wouldn't accept a dying man because He didn't do works first ......I'm crushed....and my prayers to The Lord at that time with him for salvation were ignored as he confessed Christ as savior and Lord..it's a sad day for me thank you for sitting me straight ....but I'll still take my chances on A loving God full of Grace and mercy who welcomes me and any who would accept Him as Lord ...and we will see who crosses the gates first ..!we need to be careful of the stumblings blocks that destroy ones faith .......Christ alone is enough..!any thing else detracts from the power of the cross unto salvation..... Rev

 

[B-A-C]

Abram believed God and that was counted as righteousness.
Did Abram repent or have remorse that he could not produce a son?
Are Abram's sins even mentioned in the transaction that resulted in Abram disappearing and Abraham
taking his place?

Heb 11:8; By faith Abraham, when he was called, obeyed by going out to a place which he was to receive for an inheritance; and he went out, not knowing where he was going.
Heb 11:9; By faith he lived as an alien in the land of promise, as in a foreign land, dwelling in tents with Isaac and Jacob, fellow heirs of the same promise;
Heb 11:17 By faith Abraham, when he was tested, offered up Isaac, and he who had received the promises was offering up his only begotten son;

Jas 2:21 Was not Abraham our father justified by works when he offered up Isaac his son on the altar?
Jas 2:22 You see that faith was working with his works, and as a result of the works, faith was perfected;
Jas 2:23 and the Scripture was fulfilled which says, "AND ABRAHAM BELIEVED GOD, AND IT WAS RECKONED TO HIM AS RIGHTEOUSNESS," and he was called the friend of God.

Abraham was tested to see if he believed God. Abraham had to do some things that proved he believed God.

 

[spirit1st]

Rom_5:15 But not as the offence, so also is the free gift. For if through the offence of one many be dead, much more the grace of God, and the gift by grace, which is by one man, Jesus Christ, hath abounded unto many.
Rom_5:16 And not as it was by one that sinned, so is the gift: for the judgment was by one to condemnation, but the free gift is of many offences unto justification.
Rom_5:18 Therefore as by the offence of one judgment came upon all men to condemnation; even so by the righteousness of one the free gift came upon all men unto justification of life.

Rom_6:23 For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Eph_2:8 For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:

2Pe_3:9 The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.


1Jn_2:17 And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever.

Rom 10:9 That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.
Rom 10:10 For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.

I do not know for a fact the thief got Born -Again ? But i would gues when He saw He was on the good side of hell ? He knew the Lord was the LORD ! and Sure He heard Him preach His gospel there ! I think I will see Him in New Jerusalem !

But they both talked evil to the Lord on the cross! but the thief , Knew Jesus had done nothing and was Someone important ! different than other men ! And many were there crying over Him !

Many good posters here on this site! I think if a person wants to grow in Truth and understanding ? this is a Good place!

 

[james1523]

Sometimes we don't know if a person's deathbed conversion is genuine or not, it could be out of fear of dying rather than genuinely encountering the living Lord. Normally the Lord calls us much earlier in life since he has a plan and purpose for us on earth not merely to die and to heaven go. There are no examples of deathbed conversions in the Bible, apart from the thief on the cross (possibly). I think in general if God wants to save us He will give us that opportunity well before our time is up. The bible talks about wise and foolish virgins, those who were ready to meet the Lord and those who weren't, and ran out of time to buy more oil. Maybe conversion on death bed is too late and maybe it isn't, only the Lord knows that.

 

[Rev T.S.Perkins]

Amen brother ...the word tells us .now that ye be reconciled unto God ,go and reconcile others as you were .! That's our command from God ,our first and primary work ...if we as Christians don't hold up the Faith than how can we bring others to The Lord ....too many opinions and beliefs But not enough belief in an Almighty Living and Forgivig Savior and Lord..in love seek the lost , win them to Christ and believe that the words whomsoever will confess Jesus is Lord shall be saved still has power in this Day just As it did when spoken first by Christ..in love ...Rev

 

[james1523]

But they both talked evil to the Lord on the cross! but the thief , Knew Jesus had done nothing and was Someone important ! different than other men ! And many were there crying over Him !

Right, you are the first and only person so far to highlight this, I think? and this is possible and best proof that the thief repented and believed while still on the cross. Two gospel accounts state that both thieves insulted Christ, but the one in Luke shows a different kind of man. Unless we believe there is an error in the scripture.. putting all gospel accounts together..this can only mean that the 'good thief' was also insulting Christ with the 'bad thief', but at some point whilst on the cross, or even whilst walking with Christ to the cross, had a change of heart, repented and was accepted by Christ!

 

[Rev T.S.Perkins]

The only thing I would add is the word of God is with out fault ,correct and right ,the final athouity no matter what we believe ! Our beliefs will fade and blow way but the word of God will endure even after the world ceases to exist ,Gods word will remain...Amen !...Rev

 

[papajim]

Abraham sinned by forgetting God's promise, thinking God was late in his promise, and had a child by his slave. This child grew up to be a problem to Israel, and hence this is God's punishment for his sin. This is an example of salvation by works, and leads to bondage, captivity. But there are also works for righteousness according to God's promise. One work Abraham did was to offer Isaac on the altar. It was not just the belief but also the works that made Abraham righteous (see James 2:23).

An interesting thing here James, through Abraham"s unbelief he sinned and through his faith he performed an act that was pleasing to God. This shows that our actions are subject to our faith, or our unbelief.

 

[Thiscrosshurts]

Doing works in Christ name in a act of love on our part that thank God I have enough life in me to do so.being compelled to show all how wonderful a walk with God is .if works played into it as part of salvation why would Gods word have told us many will say I've done this and that in you're name ,to which God will tell some depart ,i never knew you..God says it's matter of the heart and as far as my friends dad ..if God didn't accept him in grace than I'm serving the wrong God and I'm sure ill burn for it .What an image of Christ that He wouldn't accept a dying man because He didn't do works first ......I'm crushed....and my prayers to The Lord at that time with him for salvation were ignored as he confessed Christ as savior and Lord..it's a sad day for me thank you for sitting me straight ....but I'll still take my chances on A loving God full of Grace and mercy who welcomes me and any who would accept Him as Lord ...and we will see who crosses the gates first ..!we need to be careful of the stumblings blocks that destroy ones faith .......Christ alone is enough..!any thing else detracts from the power of the cross unto salvation..... Rev

Yes rev,may God forgive us if we err on the side of love in our understanding.
If works are compulsory then we can never work out of love and there will always be that nagging voice telling me I am only following God out of greed for good things or out of fear.

I refuse to act out of fear because perfect love casts out fear.

james1523
Sometimes we don't know if a person's deathbed conversion is genuine or not, it could be out of fear of dying rather than genuinely encountering the living Lord.

We don't know if anyone's conversion is genuine then do we.
If a person obeys out of fear or obeys to be accepted then they could do works for 1000 years and still not know him.

Philippians 1:28 And in nothing terrified by your adversaries: which is to them an evident token of perdition, but to you of salvation, and that of God.

Fear is not evidence of works of faith but if the only work available is the work of God which is believing on the one whom God sent
then I am truly free to act out of pure love and nothing else.
I have determined never to pray in fear or act out of fear.

if works played into it as part of salvation why would Gods word have told us many will say I've done this and that in you're name ,to which God will tell some depart ,i never knew you..God says it's matter of the heart and as far as my friends dad ..if God didn't accept him in grace than I'm serving the wrong God and I'm sure ill burn for it .

You already are brother,our God is a consuming fire and I feel the heat of that fire burning in you now.

 

[papajim]

If love is the motivation for our works and actions I don't believe that it is sin, and can be sin. Sure the results sometimes may not be favorable even though I can't see why they wouldn't be, but we cannot see the future unless God presents it to us. God is love and He imparts His love to us so that we can love as He loves. I believe the only heat that the people of God will recieve through acts of love, is being on fire for Him.

It is a wonderful God that we serve, may we give glory to Him in all we say, and in all that we do!

 

[Rev T.S.Perkins]

The last work needed was on the cross .the labor was more than we can carry so Christ carried it for us ..here's my point .Christ went the first mile for us to the cross out of Gods command and pourpose .His second mile out of love as His forgiveness on top of all we did to Him ! The law of works in gone and now we serve in Love and compulsion to serve an Alimighty God ..that's our second mile out of Love ....what a Great and mighty God we serve , full of compassion and mercy ,Grace at the the hearts breaking ,Counsel where it is needed ,to see the broken as whole and the wounded as healed in Jesus name.!...If the Greatest will lead the least will follow ...I know I did and wil continue to do so..Rev

 

[james1523]

We don't know if anyone's conversion is genuine then do we.
If a person obeys out of fear or obeys to be accepted then they could do works for 1000 years and still not know him.

Yes we can know if it is a genuine conversion by their fruit. A fearful person obeying God is better than a loving person disobeying Him.