Lord, Remember Me

Luke 23:39-43 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.”

Our Pastor was on a vacation the other week, so our church was blessed and honored to hear a Sermon by visiting Pastor Rich Holt on Sunday, preaching on “Last Lines from the Cross”. He explained that when we hear last lines spoken, they are carefully picked words and instructions, meant to be understood and meant to be obeyed. We must always remember that Christ came for a purpose, and that purpose is “us”. And how we love Jesus’ beloved words here to the thief on the cross, that surely and immediately he would be in the presence of the Lord in Heaven, guaranteed that day, in the moment that he passed from this world to the next. But less noticed, yet as important to us, are the faithful words of the thief. Let’s take a look.

Romans 10:8-10 But what does it say? “The word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart” (that is, the word of faith which we preach): that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.

There was no “Sinner’s Prayer” of repentance for forgiveness of sin and salvation through Jesus … or was there? Let us see what we discover by his words from the cross to the other thief and to Jesus. (1) He believed that the soul didn't parish with the body. (2) He believed that there was another world for rewarding and punishing. (3) He believed that Jesus had a right to the kingdom of heaven and authority over it. (4) He believed that Christ’s kingdom was a better world than this evil world. (5) He believed that Jesus was the key to the kingdom. (6) He confessed that he deserved everything coming to him by his lawless thoughts, words and actions in life. (7) He believed that Jesus would bestow forgiveness, salvation and eternal life to those who repent, confess Christ as Lord and Savior with their mouth and believe in their heart sincerely. (7) He asks the Lord for that forgiveness, salvation and eternal life by His mercy and grace, in confident and sure faith, asking Jesus to remember him, when He came into His kingdom. And (8) He rolled his whole soul upon the Savior for that eternal salvation. His faith was credited to him as righteousness and the atoning blood of Christ covered him that day.

John 14:1-6 “Let not your heart be troubled; you believe in God, believe also in Me. In My Father’s house are many mansions; if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also. And where I go you know, and the way you know.” Thomas said to Him, “Lord, we do not know where You are going, and how can we know the way?” Jesus said to him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.

It is my prayer that we all know how to get to heaven, that we understand and agree, that we confess and repent our sins, that we confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead and be saved, as we, ourselves, say “Lord, remember me”.

In Christ, Brian