A friend of mine shared this on Facebook: I LOVE IT!!! I stand with this message and preach this message!!! PTL!!!“How does the thief on the cross fit into your theology? No baptism, no communion, no confirmation, no speaking in tongues, no mission trip, no volunteerism, and no church clothes. He couldn’t even bend his knees to pray. He didn’t say the sinner’s prayer and among other things, he was a thief. Jesus didn’t take away his pain, heal his body, or smite the scoffers. Yet it was a thief who walked into heaven the same hour as Jesus simply by believing. He had nothing more to offer other than his belief that Jesus was who he said he was. No spin from brilliant theologians. No ego or arrogance. No Shiny lights, skinny jeans, or crafty words. No haze machine, donuts, or coffee in the entrance. Just a naked dying man on a cross unable to even fold his hands to pray.”
For God so loved the world he gave his only begotten son so that whosoever believed in him would not perish but have everlasting life. John 3:16
I read this today and was reminded of the simplicity of the Gospel.
Who wrote this quote originally??
Author Unknown Sir
No, no, a thousand times, no! I am sure you are well meaning in posting this, but in doing so, you have revealed a primary reason why our nation is covered in darkness. The vast majority of American churches are preaching half of the Gospel which is no Gospel at all.
The thief was not redeemed merely because he “believed.” Even demons “believe that Jesus was who he said he was.” The difference here is that the thief believed AND repented.
If there is no repentance it’s not the Gospel. Scripture could not be more clear on this.
What do you get when churches across America no longer preach the real Gospel? You get a nation in crisis headed for judgement, unless we repent!
Matthew 4:17; Matthew 11:20; Matthew 21:32; Luke 13:1-3; Luke 5:32; Acts 2:37-38; Acts 3:19; Acts 17:30; Acts 26:19-20; Romans 2:4; 2 Peter 3:9; James 2:14-18; Revelation 3:1-3
I am struggling to find a written scriptural account stating the thief on the cross did any more than “believe”.
He did repent…of his unbelief….
The first and foremost reason Luke put the thief in his narrative was because his purpose was to tell us all that Jesus was in fact the Messiah, the very Son of God that was crucified for the world’s redemption. The Thief bore witness to that when he testified, “this man has done nothing wrong”. This has to be one of the most misused scripture as it is applied against the necessity of baptism and deathbed conversions. Those are the farthest things from the mind of Luke. Read the whole chapter and you will see Pilate trying to get Jesus Christ released and he refers them to Herod who also found nothing in Christ worthy of death. You aslo have the centurion testifying, “truly this was the son of God”. That’s what this is all about, that Jesus was the So of God, the innocent Lamb that was slaughtered for us.