In continuing our study, we now come to the words that Christ spoke concerning hope and confidence of salvation. We read these words as they were directed to the repentant thief that was dying beside Jesus. Luke records this event and tells us, “And one of the malefactors which were hanged railed on him, saying, If thou be Christ, save thyself and us. But the other answering rebuked him, saying, Dost not thou fear God, seeing thou art in the same condemnation? And we indeed justly; for we receive the due reward of our deeds: but this man hath done nothing amiss. And he said unto Jesus, Lord, remember me when thou comest into thy kingdom. And Jesus said unto him, Verily I say unto thee, To day shalt thou be with me in paradise.” (Luke 23:39-43 )

There are three principles that we can learn from these words of Christ to the repentant thief. (1) Jesus is the way to paradise. (2) The type of person that Jesus is willing to save. (3) Sadly, there will be some that will not be saved. Let us look at these three principles.

Seeing how that Jesus promises the thief a place in paradise, it comes to reason Jesus knows the way. As a matter of fact, Jesus says, “I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.” (John 14:6 )

For Jesus to be the way, the truth, and the life, there must be the ability to be lost, to be ignorant, and to be spiritually dead. If these unpleasant conditions didn’t exist, then there would’ve been no need for Jesus Christ. The conditions do exist and that’s why we need Jesus.

He is the way, or in other words the path. He is the road. There was a missionary who lost his way in an African jungle. He could find no landmarks and the trail vanished. Eventually, stumbling on a small hut, he asked the native living there if he could lead him out. The native nodded. Rising to his feet, he walked directly into the bush. The missionary followed on his heels. For more than an hour they hacked their way through a dense wall of vines and grasses. The missionary became worried: “Are you sure this is the way? I don’t see any path.” The native chuckled and said over his shoulder, “Friend, in this place there is no path. I am the path.”

Jeremiah tells us, “O Lord, I know that the way of man is not in himself: it is not in man that walketh to direct his steps.” (Jer 10:23 ) Without the word of God would we know what God wants from us. We cannot know by human understanding know what we need to do in order to be saved. No man could’ve conceived such a plan. David says, “Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path.” (Ps 119:105) God’s word is what shows us what God wants from us.

We see from the story of the repentant thief what type of person Jesus is willing to save. This thief has the qualities of what one must posses in order to be saved. Let us look at what he did.

He believed on the Lord at a time when even his leading disciples deserted him. He believed on him and confessed him as Lord while others mocked him and reviled him. He made the confession when he himself was in agony, suffering, death, and humiliation. He made the confession when he was surrounded by Christ’s bitterest foes at a time that looked as if they may be triumphant. He made the confession when Christ was at his lowest point. He acknowledged that he was deserving of his punishment. This thief may have been one of the noblest men ever to be saved.

We see from the story of the repentant thief that tragically some will not be saved. Jesus told the repentant thief that he would be with Jesus in paradise. He said nothing to the other thief. There was no promise of salvation. No hope. No confidence. That thief had the same opportunity as the one that received salvation, but he let it slip through his fingers. He died that day and was utterly lost.

Let us not let this happen to us. Let us not let the salvation that Christ is giving slip through our fingers!