“For I will forgive their wickedness and will remember their sins no more.”
Hebrews 8:12 (NIV)
Saints, the penitent thief recorded in Luke 23:39-43, acknowledged that Jesus is the Saviour King with a real Kingdom. He believed that Jesus was able to take him to His Heavenly Kingdom, despite the fact that there is no record in history that any king was ever crucified on a cross nor possessed any kingdom after his death. In this regard, he demonstrated that he possessed more faith and wisdom than the Jewish leaders and the majority of the Jewish community, who refused to acknowledge Jesus as the Messiah.
John 1:11 (NLT) states, “He came to His own people, and even they rejected Him.”
The account of the penitent thief gave credence to the fact that Salvation is a gift of God’s grace that we receive through faith and not by works (Ephesians 2:8-9). His mercy is undeserved forgiveness.
Remember, this thief had no time to perform good deeds to repay those he had stolen from (like us). He also had no time to attend converts’ classes, be baptised, or attend discipleship classes, but he satisfied the basic criteria found in Acts 16:31 (NIV): “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved – you and your household.”
Beloved, you may be experiencing health and financial challenges, grave situations with your spouse and/or children, problems on the job or your business, or not be in the right standing with God. But if you should cry out with a penitent heart, “Jesus, remember me,” He will hear and answer your prayers. You will be saved. Jesus has done it before.
Read: Acts 2:38; 1 John 1:9
Bible Reading Guide: Psalm 41:1-6; Luke 9:57-62; Luke 10:1-24; Deuteronomy 1; Deuteronomy 2:1-23
