"I WANT TO BE SAVED LIKE THE THIEF ON THE CROSS!"

Life defining moments, we’ve all heard about them

            Flight 93, one of the passengers says  “Let’s roll!”

            Rosa Parks refused to give up her seat and move to the back of the bus

            Rahab the prostitute

            David and Goliath 

Acts of extreme courage or simply jumping out of character-  What would you have done?

            Go back and recount each oneProbably none of us would want to be put into that position, but the rewards were great upon success 

Maybe it was something else, like winning the lottery

            Pick 6 numbers and live like a king the rest of your life

                        Or the number of people who died because of excess

                                    One I know (he was a factory worker) died wrecking his Ferrari at 140 MPH

                                    The fool from West Virginia

                                                He was a fool before he won, only now everyone knows it 

The great dream, win the lottery, live the good life, no struggle to get there, break all the rules of nature, become something you’re not, just by picking 6 numbers

The easy way, yet odds are 84 million to 1 that you will lose!

Yet people take these odds by the millions everyday to win that lottery

Sadder, is the one who has worse odds than that, and tries to use his “lottery mentality” to find the “easy” way to heaven 

1. The thief on the cross who was saved by Jesus has been appealed to by many in an effort to justify salvation by faith only apart from water baptism.
2. There is nothing said of the thief having been baptized before the cross.
3. How should we view this event? How does it affect the way people are saved today?

I. DEATH OF JESUS AMONG THIEVES FULFILLED PROPHECY - Isa. 53:12  And He was numbered with the transgressors,

(Mk. 15:27; So the Scripture was fulfilled which says, "And He was numbered with the transgressors."  

  A. Thieves Received Just Punishment ("transgressor," Lk. 23:41 And we indeed justly, for we receive the due reward of our deeds;

  B. At First, Both Thieves Reproached Jesus - Matt. 27:44. Even the robbers who were crucified with Him reviled Him with the same thing.     1. Change of heart - Lk. 23:39-41. (Repentance)

Then one of the criminals who were hanged blasphemed Him, saying, "If You are the Christ, save Yourself and us."  But the other, answering, rebuked him, saying, "Do you not even fear God, seeing you are under the same condemnation? And we indeed justly, for we receive the due reward of our deeds; but this Man has done nothing wrong." Then he said to Jesus, "Lord, remember me when You come into Your kingdom."  And Jesus said to him, "Assuredly, I say to you, today you will be with Me in Paradise." 

    2. Requested blessing (be remembered in kingdom) - Lk. 23:42.
    3. Saved because of his changed heart (repentance) & stated faith! - Lk.     23:43

Person who wants to be saved like the thief on the cross, isn’t usually the one who is looking for the short cut 

He is the false teacher, attempting to change the law of salvation because he doesn’t want to be changed by it

            Huron County Fairgrounds, other booth  Grace only

                  Ask him about the other scriptures, but he just said we want to argue and not look what it says

            Televangelists  looking for huge rewards and glory 

Yet, it God is NOT a respecter of persons, and 1 person WAS saved without baptism, why not me?

How do you answer this argument? 

II. THOSE WHO MAKE THIS APPEAL ARE ARGUING FROM THE SILENCE OF THE SCRIPTURES.           

A. If the thief was saved without being baptized, we can too!

            We Don't Have To Prove The Thief Was Baptized, Because:
                        1. While on earth Jesus often forgave sins as He saw fit -- He is God! (Lk. 5:20-21; 7:47).
                        2. Salvation of the thief occurred before the death of Christ on the cross (under old law)!
            B. Those Who Deny Baptism & Use This Approach Must Prove Thief Was Not Baptized! (1 Ths.  5:21)

[They assume what they cannot prove, then argue from silence that it is not necessary!]
                        1. John baptized many - Matt. 3:5-6.
                        2. Jesus baptized more -  Baptized into what?  The church? John 4:1

The Lord knew that the Pharisees had heard that Jesus made and baptized more disciples than John

III. ATTEMPT TO DENY CLEAR BIBLE TEACHING - Mk.16:16; Acts 2:38; 22:16; Gal. 3:27; 1 Pet. 3:21.
 

How many times in our classes have you heard me say, how many times do I have to see something was done in the NT for me to assume it was OK for me to do?  Just once

To use the thief as a lone exception to gospel obedience (baptism) admits that those converted by gospel preaching after the cross were baptized! [Acts - (Acts 8:12-13; 8:36-39; 10:48; 16:15; 16:33; 18:8; 22:16)].
 

IV. THE THIEF LIVED & DIED UNDER THE OT LAW.
            A. The OT Law Did Not Command The Gospel Plan Of Salvation.
                        1. Heb. 7:12 - The law changed.
                        2. Heb. 9:15-17 - NT became effective with His death.
            B. Thief Lived Under Different Law - One We Cannot Appeal To For Our Salvation - Col 2:14-15

having wiped out the handwriting of requirements that was against us, which was contrary to us. And He has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the cross.

1. Shall we reject the necessity of the blood of Christ, too (Lk. 5:20-21)? Of confession of faith? Believe in resurrection of Jesus (Rom. 10:9)? The ability of Gentiles being covenant people (Eph. 2:12)  that at that time you were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world.

2. Futile attempt to support a human doctrine of salvation!  

V. CHRIST HAD AUTHORITY WHILE ON EARTH TO FORGIVE SINS - Lk. 5:24.
            A. He Dispensed His Power & Blessings As He Saw Fit!
                        1. cf. Matt. 19:21 - Placed a condition on young man: Sell all & give to poor.

 (Why not be saved like rich young ruler?!)
            2. While on earth, Jesus dispensed His goods (forgiveness) as He chose.
            3. After His death, His will (testament) was put into effect –

His blessings are bestowed only according to the terms of His will - Heb. 9:16-17.

            B. Today, Same Requirements Of All - Acts 10:34-35.
                        1. One plan - Rom 1:16  For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes, for the Jew first and also for the Greek.
                        2. "Every one of you" - Acts 2:38.

A.     Who does “every one of you” mean? 

VI. WHAT IS THE PARADISE JESUS PROMISED? - Lk. 23:43
            A. Paradise: Place of Comfort & Rest.
                        1. Oriental word, first used by the historian Xenophon to denote

 "the parks of Persian kings & nobles." (Vine, 457)
    2. Place of comfort, rest & leisure - "…to the oriental mind it expressed the sum total of blessedness."
B. "Today" - At Death, Jesus Went To Hades - Lk. 23:46; Acts 2:27, 31.
    1. Realm of departed spirits - Lk. 16:22-25.
    2. Jesus gave thief assurance of comfort following torment of the cross

 - Salvation! The thief & Jesus went to place of comfort in Hades after they died.  

Conclusion
1. Rather than trying to escape obedience to Christ's plan of salvation, yield to it and be saved by faithfully obeying His will!

2. Until you find yourself living under the OT law, hanging on a cross next to Jesus: H-B-R-C-B -- Saved!