If the Son therefore shall make you free,
ye shall be free indeed.
John 8:36
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, today shalt
thou be with Me in paradise"
Luke 23:39-43
Yes, I am departing today from the study of Revelation and turning for the moment to do what this blog is all about: Changing from the inside/out. We have learned that Authentic Christians are overcomers and will not have to have the judgment of God that He gives to those who will not accept Him as their Savior. God, when making man from the dust of the ground did something to man that He did not do for any other living creature: Man was made in His image, (Genesis 1:27). Man, we, are designed to have a great capacity for God, but it is sin that keeps us from becoming all that God designed us to be and that for eternity. Our natural life must be transformed into a spiritual life by obedience: then you are changing from the inside/out. We must bring every thought and imagination into captivity: we must do it: God will not do it for you. Stop listening to yourself and listen to God. Yes, God will chastise us, but God will not discipline us: we have to discipline ourselves. We must be crucified with Jesus Christ and be energized into identification with Him.
This we must know and accept: Jesus Christ has the power, and not just the power, but the willingness to save sinners. The thieves on the cross with Jesus were wicked men and deserved to die and they were on their way to Gehenna. Were they too wicked to be saved? No! When the one thief ask of Jesus to be saved, to be taken with Him into His kingdom: Jesus saved him. You do not need to despair of all the bad you have done: no! Jesus is still the same today as He was on the cross and He has the keys of death and Gehenna in His hands. Those bad things we may have done are bad but Jesus can forgive and heal you and change you, but you must discipline yourself to be changed. Jesus can make you whiter than snow even though your sins be as scarlet. The call to the world is still sounding loud and clear today as when it was first sounded, come, come, and when you do and become an overcomer, you will have the blessing of eternal life with Him, and not Gehenna. As an Authentic Christian our glory is not in ourselves by in Him. Jesus is the merciful Savior and we exalt Him by our lives.
The one their believed in Jesus and the other did not even though apparently Who Jesus was and what He had done known by both, only one would see his need to be saved. The thief did not ask to be saved from death, no, he asked Jesus to take him to paradise with Jesus. Some are saved, some are not. This account is written for our warning. It is never too late to repent!
The Spirit of God always leads saved souls in one way, but we must not despair even though we must, as all men do, have to go through this life and its experiences, and we see that faith, this strong faith of this thief who called Jesus "Lord," is a great example for us, no matte what Jesus saves.
When our day comes to die will we leave behind the knowledge of a changed man, changed from the inside/out to be obedient to God, or not? Give solid proof of your repentance, your faith, and your holiness. You do this by your obedience to God's commands, the precepts left for us to follow, not a man's opinion, or speculation, or some anecdote, not proven, but to follow God as it is simply left for us to read in His word. When that day comes, and it will, will you die in the Lord? Do you believe in the promise of God that when you die and leave this world that you will enter into a new world, and eternal world? You leave this earth to enter as did that thief on the cross who believed in Jesus, you enter paradise. As an Authentic Christian you are nearer to heaven than you may now think for you leave this earth and enter paradise. This all began, this journey began, when you put your faith in Him and believed that He saved you, now, not when He comes again, but NOW!
If you have not accepted Jesus as Savior, do it now! Age does not matter, your past does not matter, repent NOW! and be saved. So not be satisfied with this world and it standards, be satisfied with Jesus, with our God, and allow Him Who resides in all Authentic Christians, the Holy Spirit and allow Him to guide you. He will! Are you mourning? Take comfort from this example, rejoice that you will be and are now, if you accept Jesus as Savior: FREE! FREE INDEED!
Yet say ye, Why? doth not the son
bear the iniquity of the father?
When the son hath done that which
is lawful and right, and hath kept
all my statutes, and hath done them,
he shall surely live.
Ezekiel 18:19
Have you repented of your sins? If not: do it now!
Richard L. Crumb
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