2.

Word of Salvation
Luke 23:43 "Truly I tell you, today you will be with me in paradise."

Two kinds of thieves:

1. The one received him
2. The other rejected him

Luke 23:39-41
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? 41 We are punished justly, for we are getting what our deeds deserve. But this
man has done nothing wrong.”

The two malefactors were crucified together. They were equally near to Christ. Both of them
saw and heard all that transpired during those fateful six hours. Both were notoriously wicked;
both were suffering acutely; both were dying, and both urgently needed forgiveness. Yet one
of them died in his sins, died as he had lived - hardened and impenitent; while the other
repented of his wickedness, believed in Christ

Justification is by faith alone

The dying thief had no good works either before or after conversion. Hence we are shut up to
the conclusion that if saved at all he was certainly saved by sovereign grace.

The incident is one of the greatest biblical illustrations of the truth of justification by faith.

Luke 23:42 - Then he said, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.”
This man had done nothing to merit salvation. Indeed, he was in no position to do anything
meritorious. Already gasping in the throes of his own death agonies, he had no hope of
ever earning Christ’s favor. But realizing that he was in an utterly hopeless situation, the thief
sought only a modest token of mercy from Christ:

His request was a final, desperate, end-of-his-rope plea for a small mercy he knew he did not
deserve. It echoes the plaintive cry of the publican, who “was even unwilling to lift up his eyes
to heaven, but was beating his breast, saying, ‘God, be merciful to me, the sinner!’” (Luke
18:13).

The destination of the saved at death

Luke 23:43 - Jesus answered him, “Truly I tell you, today you will be with me in paradise.”

"Today" is the emphatic word. In our Lord’s gracious response to the thief’s request we have a
striking illustration of how divine grace exceeds human expectations

That was all Christ said to him. But it was all the thief needed to hear. He was still suffering
unspeakable physical torment, but the misery in his soul was now gone.

For the first time in his life, he was free from the burden of his sin. The Savior, at his side, was
bearing that sin for him. And the thief was now clothed in Christ’s perfect righteousness. Soon
they would be in Paradise together.

The promise of God

John 14:2-3 - My Father’s house has many rooms; if that were not so, would I have told you
that I am going there to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will
come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am.

By committing your life, like the thief on the cross you will have the same assurance.