About the Thief on the Cross
Categories: Bible Study LessonsThose who teach the doctrine of salvation by faith only frequently point to the thief on the cross that appealed to Jesus in his last moments. They claim that the thief was saved by faith without the need of being baptized or of any other work of righteousness. They go on to contend that since the thief on the cross was never baptized and that since he was promised a place in paradise that New Testament Christians likewise can be saved by faith alone.
The Thief on the Cross – Not Baptized?
Those who claim this fail to realize that there is not one verse of scripture that supports the assumption that the thief on the cross was not baptized. The thief knew who Jesus was and that He was innocent, (Luke 23:41). The thief appealed to Jesus calling Him “Lord” and the thief knew Jesus was coming into a kingdom that belonged to Him, (Luke 23:42). This man knew that even though he and Jesus were going to die, there was something beyond the cross for both of them. That is a lot of information for someone who has not been baptized to possess. Great multitudes of people had been taught and baptized prior to Jesus’ crucifixion, (Mark 1:4-5; Luke 3:21). It is entirely possible this man had been baptized prior this event.
The Thief on the Cross – Beneficiary of Jesus’ Power on Earth to Forgive Sins
Scripture teaches that when Jesus died on the cross His new covenant or testament came into force, (Hebrews 9:15-17). Jesus had not yet died on the cross when the thief made his appeal. This was not the first time Jesus forgave the sins of others before He died. In Matthew 9:6; Mark 2:10 and Luke 5:24 we read of Jesus demonstrating His power on earth to forgive sins. This was the account of the man with the palsy who had been let down through a hole in the roof into the presence of Jesus. Jesus not only healed this man but He forgave his sins as well. Hanging on the cross, moments from death, Jesus still had the same power to save a lost individual who had appealed to Him. The thief on the cross, having been saved before Jesus died, was saved under the old covenant, not the new. It is not possible for anybody today to be saved before Jesus died on the cross.
The Thief on the Cross – Saved by Faith Only?
Was the thief on the cross really saved by faith only? One must ask, would he have been saved if he had never made his appeal to Jesus? Would faith alone in his heart have been enough without anything else? In Luke 23:40 the thief openly rebuked his counterpart saying “Dost not thou fear God”? This man knew who God was and knew he was to be feared more than dying on that cross. That is a demonstration of faith in God. In verse 41 the thief acknowledged that they were receiving their just rewards for their deeds and he further proclaimed that Jesus was innocent. Repentance is contrition of heart that manifests itself in a change of action. The thief knew he was condemned, knew he was at fault and he knew there were consequences beyond the death that awaited him. This man regretted his former actions and this regret compelled him to change the way he was acting towards Jesus. Matthew 27:44 records that, at first, both of them were reviling Jesus. This man repented and Jesus accepted this mans repentance after having earlier been publicly reviled by him. The significance of this cannot be overstated. One of the terms of salvation today is repentance. Luke recorded the words of Jesus in chapter 13:3 (Luke 13:3) saying “unless ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish.” Would the thief have been saved without his repentance?
In Luke 23:42 the thief on the cross made an appeal directly to Jesus addressing him as “Lord.” In Luke 12:8 we see Jesus saying “Whosoever shall confess me before men, him shall the Son of man also confess before the angels of God”. This man knew who Jesus was and addressed him as Lord before everyone present including the other thief. The thief also asked Jesus to remember him when He came into His kingdom. This man was appealing to Jesus, a condemned man, hanging naked on a cross, gasping out his last breaths on this earth, for help. He recognized the hopeless lost state he was in and he turned to the only source of help alive on earth and found it. He found mercy just like the publican who begged for it in Luke 18:3. Can you imagine how comforting those words Jesus spoke to him at that time must have been? “Verily I say unto thee, To day shalt thou be with me in paradise.”
The thief on the cross repented, he acknowledged Jesus as Lord and asked for mercy. Was he really saved by faith only? Jesus taught in Matthew 7:21, “Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven”. Jesus further taught that those who do His will are building their houses on a foundation of rock which can not be shaken, (Luke 6:47-48). The thief on the cross knew who Jesus was while he was hanging with him at Calvary. But he wasn’t saved until after he gave the proper response to his faith.