What Was His Name?
or
How Simple Is That?
As I have said here, I am no theologian. ‘Learned’ people, Catholics, ‘Born-Agains’, Christians, Protestants and others throw around many 'big' words. Words like justification, sanctification, imputed grace, imparted grace, imputed righteousness, imparted righteousness, dogma, doctrine, and propitiation are just a few… That is fine, but I am not a Bible scholar, these words often confuse me. Sometimes when these words are in use, I feel like “a hog looking at a wrist watch”.
Here at “Views on History, Politics & Religions” we have talked about the ‘need’ for ‘salvation’. We have talked about the fact “all have sinned” and shown how the Bible ‘proves’ it. We talked about the fact there is ‘no other way’ to be judged ‘not guilty’ than the gospel of Jesus Christ. We even offer ‘sample’ prayers of ‘salvation’.
I am a K.I.S.S. person. K.I.S.S. is the acronym Keep It Simple I am Stupid. So let us K.I.S.S. this whole salvation ’thing’, with a little history lesson.
Here is a little Bible history. What was the name of the first person to die a ‘believer’? Who was it that first died believing that Jesus Christ was the Son of God, and only through His crucifixion, death, burial and resurrection, one could be saved from being condemned and sent to hell?
Many people will say, “That is easy, it was Steven in Acts 7:60-8:2.” Um, wrong, Steven was the first martyr, that is the first person executed for believing it, and teaching it. However, he was not the first one to die believing it.
No, the first ‘believer’ to die was a thief. We do not even know his name. History and the Bible do not record his name… Just that he was the first.
Who was this guy and why is ‘he’ important to us?
When Jesus was crucified (hung on a cross), He was crucified with two other men. The Bible tells us that they were thieves (convicted criminals). We read ‘their story’ in Luke 23:39-43.
One of the thieves reviled and mocked Jesus.
The other did not, in Luke 23:40-41, he defends Jesus, “But the other, answering, rebuked him, saying, “Do you not even fear God, seeing you are under the same condemnation? And we indeed justly, for we receive the due reward of our deeds; but this Man has done nothing wrong.”
He goes on in verse 42, “Then he said to Jesus, “Lord, remember me when You come into Your kingdom.”
This in the simplest terms is the ‘gospel of salvation’!
Was this some kind of ‘special’ salvation (as some religions claim)? Alternatively, was this the entire ‘gospel’ message in the K.I.S.S. format?
This is the K.I.S.S. ‘gospel’.
Let us look the ‘elements’ of the thief’s declaration.
The thief admitted that he deserved to be condemned, that he deserved to die for his own crimes (vs. 40 & 41).
The thief recognized Jesus’ was blameless (vs. 41).
The thief recognized that Jesus was ‘his’ master by using the title ‘Lord’ (vs. 42).
The thief recognized Jesus was more than just a man and in fact ‘The King’ (which meant The Messiah) (vs. 42).
Most importantly, the thief asked to be ‘remembered’ (vs. 42).
The thief admitted that he was getting ‘what he deserved’. The thief ‘knew’ because of his own actions, there was nothing but a guilty verdict and death. The thief ‘knew’ that the only way ‘out’ of his condemnation was if Jesus Christ ‘remembered’ him. That is, nothing the thief could do was worth anything, only Jesus’ actions could save him.
How did Jesus Christ answer this thief?
“And Jesus said to him, “Assuredly, I say to you, today you will be with Me in Paradise.”” Luke 23:43.
Jesus Christ saved the thief. This unnamed thief was the first person to die ‘believing’ the ‘whole’ ‘gospel of salvation’. He was the first ‘Christian’ to die. Ephesians 2:8, tells us it is not of ourselves, it is a gift. Jesus Christ did not ‘owe’ the thief anything; He gave the thief a place in ‘Paradise’.
That is the Promise of the gospel of salvation - believe and you will be saved!
This unnamed thief is important to us because his ‘profession and belief’ was the definition of salvation made simple.
It really is that simple…
Here at “Views on History, Politics & Religions” we have talked about the ‘need’ for ‘salvation’. We have talked about the fact “all have sinned” and shown how the Bible ‘proves’ it. We talked about the fact there is ‘no other way’ to be judged ‘not guilty’ than the gospel of Jesus Christ. We even offer ‘sample’ prayers of ‘salvation’.
I am a K.I.S.S. person. K.I.S.S. is the acronym Keep It Simple I am Stupid. So let us K.I.S.S. this whole salvation ’thing’, with a little history lesson.
Here is a little Bible history. What was the name of the first person to die a ‘believer’? Who was it that first died believing that Jesus Christ was the Son of God, and only through His crucifixion, death, burial and resurrection, one could be saved from being condemned and sent to hell?
Many people will say, “That is easy, it was Steven in Acts 7:60-8:2.” Um, wrong, Steven was the first martyr, that is the first person executed for believing it, and teaching it. However, he was not the first one to die believing it.
No, the first ‘believer’ to die was a thief. We do not even know his name. History and the Bible do not record his name… Just that he was the first.
Who was this guy and why is ‘he’ important to us?
When Jesus was crucified (hung on a cross), He was crucified with two other men. The Bible tells us that they were thieves (convicted criminals). We read ‘their story’ in Luke 23:39-43.
One of the thieves reviled and mocked Jesus.
The other did not, in Luke 23:40-41, he defends Jesus, “But the other, answering, rebuked him, saying, “Do you not even fear God, seeing you are under the same condemnation? And we indeed justly, for we receive the due reward of our deeds; but this Man has done nothing wrong.”
He goes on in verse 42, “Then he said to Jesus, “Lord, remember me when You come into Your kingdom.”
This in the simplest terms is the ‘gospel of salvation’!
Was this some kind of ‘special’ salvation (as some religions claim)? Alternatively, was this the entire ‘gospel’ message in the K.I.S.S. format?
This is the K.I.S.S. ‘gospel’.
Let us look the ‘elements’ of the thief’s declaration.
The thief admitted that he deserved to be condemned, that he deserved to die for his own crimes (vs. 40 & 41).
The thief recognized Jesus’ was blameless (vs. 41).
The thief recognized that Jesus was ‘his’ master by using the title ‘Lord’ (vs. 42).
The thief recognized Jesus was more than just a man and in fact ‘The King’ (which meant The Messiah) (vs. 42).
Most importantly, the thief asked to be ‘remembered’ (vs. 42).
The thief admitted that he was getting ‘what he deserved’. The thief ‘knew’ because of his own actions, there was nothing but a guilty verdict and death. The thief ‘knew’ that the only way ‘out’ of his condemnation was if Jesus Christ ‘remembered’ him. That is, nothing the thief could do was worth anything, only Jesus’ actions could save him.
How did Jesus Christ answer this thief?
“And Jesus said to him, “Assuredly, I say to you, today you will be with Me in Paradise.”” Luke 23:43.
Jesus Christ saved the thief. This unnamed thief was the first person to die ‘believing’ the ‘whole’ ‘gospel of salvation’. He was the first ‘Christian’ to die. Ephesians 2:8, tells us it is not of ourselves, it is a gift. Jesus Christ did not ‘owe’ the thief anything; He gave the thief a place in ‘Paradise’.
That is the Promise of the gospel of salvation - believe and you will be saved!
This unnamed thief is important to us because his ‘profession and belief’ was the definition of salvation made simple.
It really is that simple…
posted by Unchained Slave at 5:15 AM
1 Comments:
I like the way you broke it down and kept it simple, and even gave an illustration of what you meant. The penitent thief could say, in a snese more literal than anyone else:
"I have been crucified with Christ, nevertheless I live".
The penitent thief also made his grave with Jesus (Is 53:9), and as you stated, he knew he would be with Jesus later, in Paradaise. Isn't this the 'literal' picture behind water baptism, as well?
I agree that the confession of the thief is an excellent example for us all.
Post a Comment
<< Home