
Philip Yancey is quoted above as claiming - "the thief had converted out of plain fear". Is this true ? Or was the thief saved for some other reason.
Now Yancey is certainly correct in saying that the thief was saved by grace and grace alone.
Let is first examine the passage about the thief on the cross:
Luke 23 NIV
39 One of the criminals who hung there hurled insults at him: “Aren’t you the Messiah? Save yourself and us!”
40 But the other criminal rebuked him. “Don’t you fear God,” he said, “since you are under the same sentence? 41We are punished justly, for we are getting what our deeds deserve. But this man has done nothing wrong.”
42 Then he said, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.”
43 Jesus answered him, “Truly I tell you, today you will be with me in paradise.”
The thief confesses his sin - We are punished justly, for we are getting what our deeds deserve.
But then declares that Jesus is without fault - But this man has done nothing wrong.”
Quite a statement considering that the leaders of the church in Israel had stated that Jesus deserved to die for blasphemy. But the thief stands against their judgement of Jesus and states that Jesus has " done NOTHING wrong."
Even further the thief says this to Jesus - “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.”
Now Jesus is hanging on a cross and no one stopped this from taking place. So who would even think that Jesus was not going to die. The thief must have had something revealed to him by The Holy Spirit.
The thief must be saying that Jesus will rise from the dead and inherit His Kingdom. Was there even one other person in all of Israel that knew this about Jesus ? It seems the thief is declaring that Jesus is Lord.
Truly these words of The Lord are true:
Matthew 20: 16 “So the last will be first, and the first will be last.” - Certainly the leaders were first, but would go to destruction and be last. The thief , who had been last all of this life, would be enter the Kingdom ahead of them.
Certainly God does not reveal mysteries to those who seek knowledge for their own gain. But God reveals mysteries to those who seek to know Him.
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