How Could the Thief on the Cross Be Saved? - Ask Pastor Tim

I'll Be Honest ^ | 12/3/18 | Tim Conway

[OddLane]

Some ask, “How was the thief on the cross saved if he didn’t live a righteous life?” Let us consider what this implies about how they believe a person is declared right before God.

Original question: Please clarify this for me. Regarding the theif on the cross. How do you compare his salvation with ours? I mean, he did not live a good life at all. He did not show any fruit of repentance. He did not live right, yet Jesus saved him anyway.

How was Jesus able to save him when we are clearly instructed to live right and to turn from sin? As I understand it, he was the only one in scripture who had this deathbed salvation so we can’t rely on that but you know what I mean?

[af_vet_1981]

Abraham told his men to have a seat and remain with the donkey until he and his son Isaac returned after worshipping.

[af_vet_1981]

Of course he inherited eternal life. The Messiah personally told him so. The thief had faith and works. By faith he believed in Him while he suffered a hideous death and maintained that faith to the end, joining Him in paradise.

Not sure what and who was meant by gain said comment though.

[MHGinTN]

Now lets try to teach you something:

Abraham was instructed by God to go and sacrifice on that mountain.. There was no animal provided in that little gaggle of sacrificers. Abraham could surmise he was to sacrifice Isaac yet he told the men to wait at the foot of the mountain and he and HIS SON would return to them. Dude! THAT IS FAITH BEFORE WORKS>

[af_vet_1981]

Faith and works;

The epistle to the Hebrews states he offered up Isaac and reasoned that God was able to raise him up from the dead. The letter of James indicates Abraham was justified by works when he offered up Isaac upon the altar and that hid faith was cooperating with his works. Abraham's men were not there, remaining with the donkey. It was God, the Angel, Abraham, and Isaac at the altar.

[af_vet_1981]

Faith and works;

The epistle to the Hebrews states he offered up Isaac by faith and reasoned that God was able to raise him up from the dead. The letter of James indicates Abraham was justified by works when he offered up Isaac upon the altar and that hid faith was cooperating with his works. Abraham's men were not there, remaining with the donkey. It was God, the Angel, Abraham, and Isaac at the altar.

[af_vet_1981]

Sorry for dupes, phone spelling mistakes

Faith and works;

The epistle to the Hebrews states he offered up Isaac by faith and reasoned that God was able to raise him up from the dead. The letter of James indicates Abraham was justified by works when he offered up Isaac upon the altar and that his faith was cooperating with his works. Abraham's men were not there, remaining with the donkey. It was God, the Angel, Abraham, and Isaac at the altar.

[Salvation]

2 Gn 22:1-18
God put Abraham to the test.
He called to him, “Abraham!”
“Here I am, “ he replied.
Then God said:
“Take your son Isaac, your only one, whom you love,
and go to the land of Moriah.
There you shall offer him up as a holocaust
on a height that I will point out to you.”
Early the next morning Abraham saddled his donkey,
took with him his son Isaac and two of his servants as well,
and with the wood that he had cut for the holocaust,
set out for the place of which God had told him.

On the third day Abraham got sight of the place from afar.
Then he said to his servants:
“Both of you stay here with the donkey,
while the boy and I go on over yonder.
We will worship and then come back to you.”
Thereupon Abraham took the wood for the holocaust
and laid it on his son Isaac’s shoulders,
while he himself carried the fire and the knife.
As the two walked on together, Isaac spoke to his father Abraham:
“Father!” Isaac said.
“Yes, son, “ he replied.
Isaac continued, “Here are the fire and the wood,
but where is the sheep for the holocaust?”
“Son,” Abraham answered,
“God himself will provide the sheep for the holocaust.”
Then the two continued going forward.

When they came to the place of which God had told him,
Abraham built an altar there and arranged the wood on it.
Next he tied up his son Isaac,
and put him on top of the wood on the altar.
Then he reached out and took the knife to slaughter his son.
But the LORD’s messenger called to him from heaven,
“Abraham, Abraham!”
“Here I am!” he answered.
“Do not lay your hand on the boy,” said the messenger.
“Do not do the least thing to him.
I know now how devoted you are to God,
since you did not withhold from me your own beloved son.”
As Abraham looked about,
he spied a ram caught by its horns in the thicket.
So he went and took the ram
and offered it up as a holocaust in place of his son.
Abraham named the site Yahweh-yireh;
hence people now say, “On the mountain the LORD will see.”

Again the LORD’s messenger called to Abraham from heaven and said:
“I swear by myself, declares the LORD,
that because you acted as you did
in not withholding from me your beloved son,
I will bless you abundantly
and make your descendants as countless
as the stars of the sky and the sands of the seashore;
your descendants shall take possession
of the gates of their enemies,
and in your descendants all the nations of the earth shall find blessing—
all this because you obeyed my command.”

[ealgeone]

The epistle to the Hebrews states he offered up Isaac by faith and reasoned that God was able to raise him up from the dead.The letter of James indicates Abraham was justified by works when he offered up Isaac upon the altar and that his faith was cooperating with his works. Abraham's men were not there, remaining with the donkey. It was God, the Angel, Abraham, and Isaac at the altar.

But all of this was predicated upon Abram believing God when the promises were made. That was when righteousness was accorded to him....not as a result of the above.

6Then he believed in the LORD; and He reckoned it to him as righteousness. Genesis 15:6 NASB

[MHGinTN]

It appears they are not open to learning. Sad to see such willful blindness, but there are so many whose pride will not let go, to absorb truth of the Gospel ... Not by works of righteousness but by His Grace ... all the glory belongs on Jesus, but so many have been taught the lie 'faith plus my work', and thus they soil The Grace.

When Abraham told the servants that he and the son would return to them, Abraham spoke his faith in the God of our salvation ...

[editor-surveyor]

.
Your twisted ‘interpretations’ are the work of the adversary. Cast him out.

“Doing” is faith.

We “do” because the commandments are written on our hearts.

Your position is literally “The mystery of Iniquity” that Paul said is working against us. Iniquity is living in absence of Yehova’s laws.

Yeshua made it clear that christians (the people he described in Matthew 7:21-23) are workers of iniquity, and that he does not know them.

He died to wrap his laws around us that we might be saved if we “endure to the end.”

Those that cannot keep his loving “perfect law of Liberty” do not have the Holy Spirit working in them.

[editor-surveyor]

.
Yehova’s grace is only for those that willingly do his acts of righteousness because they are written on their hearts.

(is paul’s epistle to the Romans missing from your Bible?)

[af_vet_1981]

Abraham's faith worked in concert with his works. Every instance of his faith in Hebrews is accompanied by his deeds. He continued in his faith and works, passed the test as it were, and his legacy is in our scriptures.

Consider incorporating this with the NASB passage:

When a righteous man turneth away from his righteousness, and committeth iniquity, and dieth in them; for his iniquity that he hath done shall he die. Again, when the wicked man turneth away from his wickedness that he hath committed, and doeth that which is lawful and right, he shall save his soul alive. Because he considereth, and turneth away from all his transgressions that he hath committed, he shall surely live, he shall not die. Yet saith the house of Israel, The way of the Lord is not equal. O house of Israel, are not my ways equal? are not your ways unequal? Therefore I will judge you, O house of Israel, every one according to his ways, saith the Lord God. Repent, and turn yourselves from all your transgressions; so iniquity shall not be your ruin. Cast away from you all your transgressions, whereby ye have transgressed; and make you a new heart and a new spirit: for why will ye die, O house of Israel? For I have no pleasure in the death of him that dieth, saith the Lord God: wherefore turn yourselves, and live ye.

Ezekiel, Catholic chapter eighteen, Protestant verses twenty six to thirty two, ,
as authorized, but not authored, by King James

[ealgeone]

When Abraham told the servants that he and the son would return to them, Abraham spoke his faith in the God of our salvation ...

One of the most moving passages in the Word.....Abraham believed that even if the sacrifice were completed, God would restore Isaac. That is tremendous faith.

[ealgeone]

Context, af....context.

Abram was declared righteous because he believed God. His faith was first....then came his "works" when he was willing to offer Isaac.....because he believed God.

Notice that even after he believed God, Abram still sinned...yet, he is in the Hebrews "Hall of Fame".

[rollo tomasi]

“He did not show any fruit of repentance.”

Thief was being executed for his crimes.

Thief humbled himself and admitted he was a sinner and deserved to die (Not many on death row do and if they do, would brag about their crimes).

Thief had a contrite heart and no doubt was sorry for all the harm his actions caused others.

Plenty of “fruit” there, especially the first point, the others, Christ sees.

[af_vet_1981]

Context, af....context.

Abram was declared righteous because he believed God. His faith was first....then came his "works" when he was willing to offer Isaac.....because he believed God.

Notice that even after he believed God, Abram still sinned...yet, he is in the Hebrews "Hall of Fame".

In context, it is a simple Hebrew text. It does not say that Abram had faith (that passage, alluded to in your post, comes later in Genesis, after perhaps 25 years, when Abram was living in the land of Canaan and prayed to the LORD about being childless). In this first text it says that he did what God told him to do. The LORD told Abram to leave, promised him the blessing, and Avram obeyed (left). His faith was accompanied by, and evident in, his works. Faith without works is dead. We further know from the epistle to the Hebrews that Abram did this first work of obedience (the big move) by faith.

Now the LORD had said unto Abram, Get thee out of thy country, and from thy kindred, and from thy father's house, unto a land that I will shew thee: And I will make of thee a great nation, and I will bless thee, and make thy name great; and thou shalt be a blessing: And I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him that curseth thee: and in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed. So Abram departed, as the LORD had spoken unto him; and Lot went with him: and Abram was seventy and five years old when he departed out of Haran.

...

By faith Abraham, when he was called to go out into a place which he should after receive for an inheritance, obeyed; and he went out, not knowing whither he went.

Genesis, Catholic chapter twelve, Protestant verses one to four ,
Hebrews, Catholic chapter eleven, Protestant verse eight,
as authorized, but not authored, by King James

[ealgeone]

Yet it is only in Genesis that it notes Abram believed God and then the text notes righteousness was accorded to him.

[MHGinTN]

Buzz off, cultist. You contradict The Word from God and think you have credulity. Go worship your roodian idol.

[editor-surveyor]

.
Cultist you are!

I can say with great confidence that I have never contradicted the word of Yehova.

I can say with equal confidence that every Saved by Gracer constantly contradictss his word, some by ignorance and some deliberately.

Grace will permit the salvation only of the obedient.

You may now quote the same old deliberately twisted passages dutifully.
.

[editor-surveyor]

.
>> “His faith was accompanied by, and evident in, his works. Faith without works is dead.” <<

Absolutely!

This fact is evident throughout all of scripture; the reward comes only after the obedient action.