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"Today, You Will Be With Me In Paradise" Series
Contributed by Kevin Cummins on Nov 28, 2017 (message contributor)
Summary: We can always learn lessons from a thief, usually it’s what not to do. But in this case this thief teaches us four lessons that are worth following if we want to hear those words someday for ourselves, "Today, you will be with me in Paradise."
The last lesson and one of the most important lesson that this thief teaches us is this: He showed us that it’s never too late to turn to Christ. This was a man who most likely had not lived his life for God. He was a criminal, a thief, a person who violated other people by taking their property. Here he was at the last hours of his life and he turned to Christ. Christ didn’t say, “You know I’m sorry, I wish you would have turned to me earlier, I could have maybe done something for you if you had.” No, Christ saw the genuineness in his heart and he said, “Today, you will be with me in paradise.” We need to know as well that it doesn’t matter what we have done in our past, it doesn’t matter how long we have lived life for ourselves and did what we wanted to do. Even in the last moments we can still turn to Christ and if we are sincere He will give us the gift of salvation. There is not one thing that you could have done that puts salvation out of reach for you. But let me make something very clear. You are playing a dangerous game if you decide that you will just wait to the waning hours of your life. First of all if you make that conscious decision to put it off, one would have to wonder how sincere you would really be. You must understand that this thief did not plan it like this. He didn’t say I will live my life like I want and then at the end I will give it all to God. He never expected the encounter with Christ that he had. And when he did, he just hoped that all of his past wouldn’t matter and he sincerely turned to Christ. I encourage you this morning that if you have had an encounter with Christ that you not put it off, that you turn to him know while your heart is being convicted by His spirit. It’s doesn’t matter what you have done, even if you have given up on yourselves, God hasn’t given up on you.
In closing I want to say this about Jesus statement. Jesus told this thief that “today you will be with me in paradise.” I believe today means today. When life is finished on this earth our bodies go in the ground but I believe this says to us without a doubt that our souls go to be with Christ right away. Jesus didn’t say anything about the future he simply said, “Today you will be with me. Jesus used the word paradise. It is a Persian word meaning a walled garden. When a Persian King wished to do one of his subjects a very special honor he made him a companion of the garden which meant he was chosen to walk in the garden with the king. That very day, this thief was treated to a special walk in the garden with Christ.
Don’t you want to take that special walk in the garden yourself. This morning I pray that you realize your guilt and the innocence of Christ. I pray that you have faith that death isn’t the end and Christ indeed has a kingdom. I pray that you realize that it’s not too late for you. No matter what you’ve done no matter what consequences you are suffering. It’s not too late for you. Take it from a thief, it’s never too late!