Just like the Thief

Just like the Thief
Luke’s gospel records this conversation between the two criminals that were crucified with Jesus, and Jesus. Luke records,
“One of the criminals who hung there hurled insults at him: “Aren’t you the Christ? Save yourself and us!” 
“But the other criminal rebuked him. “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.’” 
Jesus answered him, “I tell you the truth, today you will be with me in paradise.” Luke 23:39-43
The American evangelist Billy Graham once said,

“I'm going to Heaven 

just like the thief on the cross

 who said in that last moment:

 'Lord, remember me.”

                            Billy Graham.

On the day Jesus was crucified we have before us the choice that every individual needs to make.
On that day one of the criminals insulted Jesus and made it clear he didn’t believe who Jesus was. He demanded proof saying, “Aren’t you the Christ? Save yourself and us!’” 
On the other hand the other criminal 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.’”
The second thief got to heaven.
The Bible makes it clear how we get to heaven,
The apostle John writes,
“If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.  
If we claim we have not sinned, we make him out to be a liar and his word has no place in our lives.” 1John 1:9-10.
Confession of our sin to God as the second criminal did is the one step in getting to heaven. However in order to do that one must first believe Jesus is who he says he is. The apostle Paul stating,
“That if you confess with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.  
For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved.
As the Scripture says, “Anyone who trusts in him will never be put to shame.”  
For there is no difference between Jew and Gentile—the same Lord is Lord of all and richly blesses all who call on him,  for, “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved Romans 10:9-13.
Thus the question comes down to who do you believe Jesus is?
Please think about it.

Getting to Heaven... Just like the Thief

Getting to Heaven... Just like the Thief
Billy Graham the American evangelist said,
"I'm going to Heaven just like the thief on the cross who said in that last moment: 'Lord, remember me.”Billy Graham.
          Luke's Gospel records the incident between Jesus and the two criminals on the cross. Matthew notes,
“One of the criminals who hung there hurled insults at him: “Aren’t you the Christ? Save yourself and us!” 
But the other criminal rebuked him. “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.’” 
Jesus answered him, “I tell you the truth, today you will be with me in paradise.” Luke 23:39-43.
Illustrated here at the crucifixion of Jesus we have the way Christians believe you get to heaven.
The one thief rejected Jesus.
The other thief admitted he had been punished justly for his crimes. He admitted Jesus was not guilty of any crime.
 He confessed his sins to Jesus. He believed by faith that Jesus was the Son of God the Saviour of mankind and by doing those things he was forgiven of his sins and entered heaven.
The following is what I as a Christian believe each person must do in order to get to heaven.

Jesus said,

“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, 

that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.  

For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world,

 but to save the world through him.” 

John 3:16,17.

"Jesus answered,

 “I am the way and the truth and the life. 

No one comes to the Father except through me.” 

 John 14:6

  Paul writing to the Romans said,

“for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,

 and are justified freely by his grace 

through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus.”

 Romans 3:23,24.

        Sinning is falling short of what God wants for you life. Sin separates us from God.

Isaiah telling us, 

“All of us have become like one who is unclean, 

and all our righteous acts are like filthy rags; 

we all shrivel up like a leaf, and like the wind our sins sweep us away.”  

Isaiah 64:6

 The apostle John noting,

“If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins 

and purify us from all unrighteousness.  

If we claim we have not sinned, 

we make him out to be a liar

 and his word has no place in our lives.” 

1 John 1:9,10.

                The Apostle Paul make it clear salvation is not something we can work for. Paul writing to the Ephesians stating,

“For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith

and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God

 not by works, so that no one can boast.”  

 Ephesians 2:8,9

Ultimately salvation is an act of faith, Hebrews stating,

“And without faith it is impossible to please God, 

because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists 

and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him”

Hebrews 11:6 

Faith defined as,

“Now faith is being sure of what we hope for 

and certain of what we do not see.” 

 Hebrews 11:1

What do you believe?
Please think about it.

Just like the thief

Just like the thief
Billy Graham said,
“I'm going to Heaven just like the thief on the cross who said in that last moment: 'Lord, remember me.'”
           Billy Graham.
As far as I know Christians are the only one’s who believe that as the apostle Paul put it,
“For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—  not by works, so that no one can boast.” 
                                                                  Ephesians 2:8,9.
Paul writing to the Romans said,
“for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus. 
                                                          Romans 3:23,24.
C. S. Lewis said,
“The Christian does not think God will love us because we are good, but that God will make us good because He loves us.” 
                                            C.S. Lewis
Christians believe in a God that loves and understands us.
I firmly believe Jesus came into the world to show mankind how far in human terms God would go to reconcile man to himself.
I also believe because of Jesus coming to earth we can never stand before God and say you don’t understand what it is to be human because he does.
In coming to earth Jesus experienced everything a man could experience.
Many in the world today think that if the good you do out weighs the bad you do you get to heaven. The Christian believes that our good works are not good enough to get us to heaven. That is why Jesus came.
The apostle John writes,
“If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.  
If we claim we have not sinned, we make him out to be a liar and his word has no place in our lives.” 
1John 1:9-10.
Paul makes it clear,
“But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” 
Romans 5:8.
Christ died for our sins. The writer of Hebrews states,
“In the past God spoke to our forefathers through the prophets at many times and in various ways, but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed heir of all things, and through whom he made the universe.  
The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of his being, sustaining all things by his powerful word. After he had provided purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty in heaven."  
                                           Hebrews 1:1-3.
Jesus is God incarnate, God in the flesh. It is through faith in Him that we enter heaven. To quote the writer of Hebrews again,
“And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.”
                                                                                                   Hebrews 11:6.
Jesus speaking of Himself gave us a choice when he said,
“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.  
For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.  
Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because he has not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son”. 
                                                                                                              John 3:16-18.
The choice is yours.
Please think about it.