To Be Remembered

 Luke 23:42-43

"Then he said, "Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom. Jesus answered him, "Truly I tell you, today you will be with me in Paradise"

This scripture is personally one of my top favorite verses. 

Maybe it's because of the representation of the thief and the illustration of God's love even down to His final breaths that wins me over every single time. 

The display of His sufficient grace still reaches out to us even when the last bit of sand is pouring into the hourglass.

The thief, the sinner; the one who had been condemned, but God gave him a second chance before he died.

Oftentimes, we hear people say they got saved on their sick beds, or before they die they gave their lives to God. 

I am no judge and I can not tell you if these people get into Heaven on these kinds of technicalities, but this story is a bit similar to it. 

Now, I am not telling you to live your life full of sin in hopes to get Jesus when you are about to die and He will accept you. 

There are way too many factors in place for you to live at that risk. 

Plus the scripture says to always stay ready for the hour of the Lord will come when you least expect it. (Matthew 24:44)

To take such a dangerous risk may not only put you in the place of insincerity, but it can also put you in the place where the next thief who sat on the cross was. 

He was so far gone that recognizing Jesus on his deathbed didn't even occur to him. 

He was not only loaded down with sin, but he had allowed the enemy to cover his eyes from even realizing salvation was right next to him. 

But, the other thief!

The other thief, regardless of how dirty he was still reached out for God's graceful hand, and because of the Great Saviour that we serve, He didn't think twice about accepting it. 

This is the exact replica of what God and our relationship are. 

His grace is forever abounding even when we may be too far out. 

The thief realized who Jesus was, a savior, and believed. 

I encourage you today to trust in His grace that it reaches you!

Trust that although you may not be perfect and still a work in progress that He still wants you to be with Him in paradise.

The transaction of forgiving the thief wasn't long. It happens in that moment of recognition, confession, and repentance. 

The moment he repented, God's forgiveness snapped into action. 

Keep on with your repentance. 

God is always ready to forgive!

The thief's sin was great enough to condemn him to death, but to God that was nothing God's mercy couldn't cover. 

When you accept God, you become insured with His grace. 

There is no accidental or intentional sin that can override the grace that is your insurance.

~TheRay