
“One of the criminals who were hanged railed at him, saying, “Are you not the Christ? Save yourself and us!” But the other rebuked him, saying, “Do you not fear God, since you are under the same sentence of condemnation? And we indeed justly, for we are receiving the due reward of our deeds; but this man has done nothing wrong.” And he said, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.” And he said to him, “Truly, I say to you, today you will be with me in paradise.”Luke 23:39-4.
If you are reading this and it connects with you, know that the Holy Spirit placed this on my heart for you. Too many of us are walking around with doubt in our hearts about God’s forgiveness and will for our lives. We are destroyed by our failures, our contradicting ways, and our hypocrisies, even toward others. We know in our hearts we struggle and have asked for forgiveness before, only to fail to grow from what we repented of time and time again, and we do not believe there is any more forgiveness left. Many of us look at others as better off and more successful in these areas, and we think we are alone in our failures. We revisit our old sins in our hearts and in our guilt, things long since forgiven, and yet we see ourselves through those same eyes and as that same person He has called us away from.
Just like the thief hours before his death, he had a life deserving of judgment. How many times must he have felt guilty or even sought forgiveness in order to arrive at the point of forgiveness in that hour? The context of the scripture and the words show a man who had not just messed up once but had a life of transgression, one who, like you, felt he deserved punishment. And yet, he was seeking another way hours before his death. He showed faith that despite his failures, despite his circumstances even that very minute, after already being judged by all who looked upon him and even his own friends or family possibly, he might yet be forgiven and allowed another chance at redemption and salvation. And it was accounted to him, not because he proved himself, not because he made amends with those he had done wrong. No, his salvation was granted to him because of the mercy of the Lord Christ.
“On this day I tell you, you shall be with me in Paradise!” This is the actual quote, despite many Bibles and people believing he said that they would be in Paradise that day. In fact, I submit to you he said, “On this day I tell you, you will be with me in Paradise,” not saying that today you will be with me in Paradise. Why? Because first, the commas and periods were never there in the original scripture, and second, we know that Christ did not go to Paradise, and the word there means Heaven, not Abraham’s bosom as some try to say. No, Christ went to Sheol for our sins, and he did not go to Heaven until long after he had already risen and showed himself to thousands. It was there that Christ took back with him those who had fallen asleep, or died, that were of his Kingdom to Heaven from Abraham’s bosom, or Sheol for the prophets and righteous. That place was not a Paradise. Paradise always referred to Heaven, and it is there that the thief was granted rest and his final resting place. Just like the thief, who did not stop and just give up on who he had always been, even after being judged by others, so now are we. It is not too late, and no, Christ is not done with you. I tell you this day, you will be with him in Paradise if you do not give up, if you continue to seek repentance and seek a better result on this day, at this hour, and in this very minute. We can fight knowing that he is still willing to tell us that very thing: “Today I tell you that you shall be with me in Paradise.”!























