Therefore Jesus had died first.
So Jesus was waiting for the "Good Thief" with open arms, and, yes, with all of the myriads of the saved, streaming into Heaven from the Abode of the Dead --- Adam and Eve too ---he rejoiced!
Posted on 12/03/2018 3:45:53 PM PST by 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?
If he died before Jesus that is likely true but still would have been that day. However if you recall Jesus was already dead when they broke the legs of the other two crucified with Him. Jesus was waiting for the thief and what a joyous meeting that must have been
The evidence from the New Testament simply does not support the existence of purgatory.... In fact, the Biblical doctrine of Salvation eliminates the need for any for any type purgatory.
Jesus’ work on the cross (His blood) purifies us from ‘all’ sin... For this reason, there isn’t a lingering sin problem requiring the existence of a place like purgatory....believers will not be subjected to the continuing wrath of God; they have been justified in spite of their sinfulness.
The Bible tells us WITH CERTAINTY we cannot earn our salvation with good works because Jesus’ death on the cross paid for all our sin... Jesus purged us from our impurity, and He doesn’t need any additional help from us....
When we are united with God, we will not suffer God’s wrath if we have accepted the ‘free’ gift of Salvation through Christ; we will join God the moment we die, and the ‘finishing work of Jesus’ will be more than sufficient to ‘guarantee’ our place at the table.
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John’s first epistle is the full explanation of salvation and the rule book of life.
We do two things from which our salvation flows:
We set out to live as Yeshua lived, and when we fail, we confess and repent.
Interested in better understanding the point you’re making with the prodigal son. My understanding is about the father’s forgiveness, not what the son or the brother necessarily did - outside of the son begging for forgiveness that is.
Therefore Jesus had died first.
So Jesus was waiting for the "Good Thief" with open arms, and, yes, with all of the myriads of the saved, streaming into Heaven from the Abode of the Dead --- Adam and Eve too ---he rejoiced!
I hope this question wasn’t posed by a Christian. If so, they’ve completely missed point. None of us lead fully righteous lives. We try, we fail. It really doesn’t matter; all that does is faith - and the thief had faith.
Now I’ll await the bombarding from the “faith alone isn’t enough” crowd.
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You don’t know whether or not the thief had good works. That having been said good works do not get you into heaven, good works only prove your faith. The thief proved his faith by addressing the lack of worthiness of himself and the other person on the cross but acknowledged that Jesus did not deserve His punishment. Right then he asked Jesus to remember him when He came to His kingdom. The thief realized who Jesus was. That was apparently enough.
The only part that I have a hard time with - Jesus didn’t go to Heaven (paradise?) the day that he died. He went to Hell. I’ve heard some say that it would seem like “today” when the thief got to heaven - no notice of the missing time.
I wonder if it is just like anybody that accepts Christ. That day is when you have eternal life, and begin to live in the Kingdom.
Romans 8:10-11
If Christ is in you, though the body is dead because of sin, yet the spirit is alive because of righteousness. But if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who dwells in you.
Well, consider this. Recently while I’ve been studying the Bible the Lord has been making me notice that true children of God are people who are “just” in the sense of justice.
The thief mentions justice here:
“Do you not even fear God, since you are under the same sentence of condemnation? And we indeed are suffering justly, for we are receiving what we deserve for our deeds; but this man has done nothing wrong,”
(Luke 23:40-41).
Being just certainly goes hand-in-hand with having faith, so much so that they seem to be nearly the same thing. Having faith in God means to trust that all of His decisions, or judgments, are right, and agreeing with Him completely, including on what sin is. Having faith and being a just person also requires humbling oneself before God.
David was a man of great faith, and though he was in essence guilty of murder by bringing about the death of Uriah the Hittite, he was still just and humble before God in that when Nathan the prophet came to him, he didn’t reject him and possibly throw him in prison or kill him. He admitted to Nathan that he’d sinned against God and was willing to accept whatever punishment the Lord meted out.
The believers in the New Testament weren’t without sin, either, but the ones we can see that God was pleased with had faith and were both just and humble before God. Zacchaeus, like the thief, showed that he had turned away from sin and become just.
Here are some New Testament passages about being just:
“THE WISDOM OF THE JUST”: “And he shall go before him in the spirit and power of Elias, to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the disobedient to the wisdom of the just; to make ready a people prepared for the Lord.”
Luke 1:17
“JUST PERSONS WHICH NEED NO REPENTANCE”: “I say unto you, that likewise joy shall be in heaven over one sinner that repenteth, more than over ninety and nine just persons, which need no repentance.” Luke 15:7
“THE SPIRITS OF JUST MEN MADE PERFECT”: “But ye are come unto mount Sion, and unto the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to an innumerable company of angels, To the general assembly and church of the firstborn, which are written in heaven, and to God the Judge of all, and to the spirits of just men made perfect, And to Jesus the mediator of the new covenant, and to the blood of sprinkling, that speaketh better things than that of Abel.” Hebrews 12:22-24
Despite all the years that I’ve been reading that passage, I’m still not quite sure what we’re to make exactly of “just persons who need no repentance.” But again, in mind, just people agree with God and will admit their sin. They’re clearly not sinless. Jesus called His own disciples evil, as we’re all naturally evil at heart. And only His sacrifice on the cross for us, and our believing that He is who He said He was and that He died to pay the penalty for our sins, can make “just men perfect.”
Baptism of Blood
Not supported by Scripture.
Not per the Roman Catholic definition of penance.
The thief on the cross was being executed for a crime he committed against the Roman Empire.
His execution had nothing to do with his confession...other than he realized the hopelessness of situation and appealed to Jesus for forgiveness.
Amen, bro!
He didn't go through a priest.
He didn't appeal to Abraham or any other person from antiquity.
He didn't appeal to Mary, who was right there, to "put in a good word" to Jesus.
He didn't wholly devote himself to Mary....or appeal to her in any way.
The lesson of the thief's confession and appeal to Christ, and only Christ, is one to look to.
yep
To what "Roman Catholic definition of penance" do you refer?
Etymologically, the word "penance" comes from a Latin root meaning "punish" or "punishment". Pretty sure crucifixion would qualify.
What a ridiculous post. He didn’t even know who Mary was.
My understanding of Roman catholicsm, if you confess, then you receive your punishment of things to do to make yourself right again.
A non-Biblical position.
Do you know for sure?
She was there.
But standing by the cross of Jesus were His mother, and His mother’s sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene. 26When Jesus then saw His mother, and the disciple whom He loved standing nearby, He said to His mother, “Woman, behold, your son!” 27Then He said to the disciple, “Behold, your mother!” From that hour the disciple took her into his own household. John 19:25-27 NASB
Ping to 57.
Yep....you're right, bro!
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