A nameless man has blazed an historic trail. We have heard of a place—paradise: of its peace and cloudless joy; of its river of pure pleasure undefiled; of its inhabitants who never say, "I am sick." We know that in this place, if in none other in all God's vast universe, there is no death, no pain, no parting, no sorrow, no sin. Among its everlasting hills 'and pleasant valleys, in eternal sunshine, there is no cemetery, no madhouse, no hospital, no prison, no sound or threat of war, no siren, no bomb. If it is true that one man has already reached there, we would gladly take the same road.
But how do we know that he has reached it? In this materialistic age we want facts, not theories.
Paradise is a fact, for the Savior of the world, the Son of the living God, has made a solemn statement. He said: "Verily I say unto thee, To-day shalt thou be with Me in paradise," Luke 23:4343And Jesus said unto him, Verily I say unto thee, To day shalt thou be with me in paradise. (Luke 23:43). As surely then as Jesus Christ went into paradise when His eyes closed in death upon the cross, so surely did the man to whom He spoke.
Who was this man then, signally favored as to accompany the Son of God thither? You may be surprised at the reply. He had done nothing to merit such an astonishing reward. He was dying a cruel, well-deserved death. He was a rebel against lawful constituted authority, who had taken up arms in support of a murderous robber. He had a lifetime of evil deeds to his discredit; and it was useless for him to promise reformation, for he now had only an hour to live. He performed no penance, he passed through no purgatory, he received no dispensation. But he turned to the Savior of sinners, and on the basis of his simple faith in that One he went straight from a robber's cross to paradise.
If, then, he received such wonderful unmerited favor from the hand of God, may not we, too, have hopes of similar treatment when we remember that He is a God of love, not willing that any should perish? Indeed we may; and the paradise of God is open free to all who come in the same way the dying thief came.
How then, did he come? This evil man spent his waning strength and his gasping breath in blaspheming the silent Sufferer at his side. He expected a blistering retort; but as he railed on and on and no word of rebuke came from those kindly lips, no flashing fire from His compassionate eyes, the cruel venomous words trailed off into silence.
Then the conscience of the dying thief was awakened. Perchance he remembered that when he and his companion had been thrown upon their respective crosses, they had cursed their executioners; but that when the gentle King of the Jews had been rudely maltreated, roughly hurled upon His cross and nailed to it, He had ejaculated only: "Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do." Luke 23:3434Then said Jesus, Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do. And they parted his raiment, and cast lots. (Luke 23:34).
This could be no ordinary man! What if that were true which he had heard whispered in the byways of Jerusalem—that Jesus had claimed to be the Son of God? Miracles enough He had done to support that claim. None had ever heard Him say an unkind word or seen Him do a wrong. Never had He to recall a sentence or apologize for a misdeed. Could He be the Son of God? And now to think of those words of forgiveness for His enemies! Surely here was God, if ever deity had visited this sin-stained earth!
He heard the rabble screaming derisively: "The King of the Jews!" And as he listened, the Holy Spirit convicted him of his own sin. He thought: "I deserve my fate, but this Man hath done nothing amiss. If He really is the Son of God, if He really is the King of Israel, this cannot be the end. God may be silent now; but some day God will vindicate this just Man and give to Him HIS kingdom.”
All around Him thousands screamed out hatred against the holy Sufferer. In a lull, one voice was heard, the voice of the dying thief. It said: "Lord, remember me—when Thou comest into Thy kingdom.”
What joy these words must have brought to the broken heart of the Savior of the world! He recognized the simple faith behind them. Here was no recital of good deeds or promise of betterment. Here was a helpless, hopeless sinner casting himself unreservedly upon the Savior of sinners. How else could He respond save in His own princely fashion? This poor dying sinner need not wait for a kingdom which even now, more than 1900 years later, has not been set up. He should go with the Savior Himself into paradise!
So he died. As his eyes, glazing in death, closed upon a dim and dying world, they opened upon his Savior's face, and his ears heard his Savior's voice. For him there is endless joy, though he deserved the blackness of darkness forever.
And for us, may we too tread this path? The way is plain: "Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us." "By grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God.”
You pay nothing for a gift; you receive it in empty hands and thank the giver. So it is with salvation: "The gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.”
The thief offered nothing, promised nothing; he accepted as a gift Christ's promise of immediate entrance into paradise, and entered therein.
You too must come to Christ as a guilty sinner, acknowledging "I know that in me... dwelleth no good thing." Make no excuses for your past sins, no promises for the future. Do not attempt to bargain with God. Do not imagine you can turn over a new leaf or lead a better life or pay your way to heaven with good deeds or prayers. By His death on the Cross, Christ has satisfied all God's righteous claims against the sinner. God "hath laid upon Him the iniquity of us all." "Himself bare our sins, in His own body on the tree." He cried, "Finished!" and God now can righteously pardon the sinner who believes in His Son and His perfect work.
Christ has Himself promised, "Him that cometh to Me I will in no wise cast out." As you come in faith confessing your sin and guilt to Him, He receives you "without money and without price." He cleanses you from sin, for "the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanseth us from all sin." 1 John 1:55This then is the message which we have heard of him, and declare unto you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all. (1 John 1:5).
He makes you a child of God—"born again." And with your new birth into the family of God, you share with every other child of God the Father's Home in heaven.
That is the way; that is the only way. None who ever walk that path of faith in Christ can miss heaven, for they are "kept by the power of God through faith.”