From Luke 23…
Two criminals on punishing crosses were next to the one which held the Lord. One of the men rebuked the other, saying they were receiving a due reward…
for the other had blasphemed Jesus, ridiculing Him because He hadn’t saved…Himself and them—words which showed no fear of God but were, instead, depraved.
The criminal who defended the Lord must have known of His ministry of peace–saying, “This Man has done nothing wrong,” though, for Christ, there’d been no release.
Then he, with humility, asked Jesus simply to remember him at the time, later…when He would come into His kingdom—he knew, in his heart, it was eternal and greater.
“Lord, remember me,” a simple, reverent plea, but so very wise…for Jesus gave him the promise that that day, he would be with Him in Paradise.
P. A. Oltrogge
“For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.” Romans 10:10
“And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life. For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved.” John 3:14-17
“But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), and raised us up together, and made us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, that in the ages to come He might show the exceeding riches of His grace in His kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast. For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.” Ephesians 2:4-10
“…and after he brought them out (of the inner prison), he said, ‘Sirs, what must I do to be saved?’ And they answered, ‘Believe in the Lord Jesus (as your personal Savior and entrust yourself to Him), and you will be saved, you and your household (if they also believe).” Acts 16:30-31 AMP
Billy Graham called it the hour of decision–a wonderful one it is!
http://www.billygraham.org/classics
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“And an inscription also was written over Him in letters of Greek, Latin, and Hebrew:
THIS IS THE KING OF THE JEWS.
“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.'” Luke 23:38-43
