Have you ever considered the thieves on the cross? Are you and I any different? We have more in common with them than you think. Think about it for a minute. We are all sinners, and we all fall short of the glory of God.
One thief joined the crowd and mocked Jesus. We should be asking ourselves, which thief am I going to be? This thief said, aren’t you the Messiah? Save yourself and us.” I wonder how many gave into peer pressure that day and mocked Jesus? Regardless of the reason, one thief mocked Jesus and sealed his eternal fate.
The other thief’s life was changed. He saw Jesus as the Messiah, confessed his sins, and experienced a heart change while dying. Luke 23:43 says, “Truly I tell you, today you will be with me in paradise.”
It’s never too late to call out on Jesus’ name. Jesus saved the thief that was being executed right then and there. We don’t know what the thief did, why, or even his name. All we know is that Jesus saved him the moment the thief trusted in Him. Perhaps this should remind us that all it takes to be saved is faith in Jesus. Place our trust in Jesus and be with Him for all eternity.
Romans 6:23 says, “For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus.” We are powerless to save ourselves, but God can.
Will you trust today that God can give you everlasting life?
Today’s Challenge: Create a space for some quiet time. Listen for God as you’re quiet, or better yet, pray that he will help you trust that this gift of eternal life is real.