Brandyn Phillips

Guys, I am well aware of the thief on the cross. He accepted Jesus Christ with hours left to live and was saved. It’s a beautiful story of redemption and it shows us that Jesus cares more about our heart and circumstances than whether we were baptized or confirmed. This story is also the reason why I think an addict who dies in his or her addiction yet honestly converted is heaven bound; Jesus knows the heart and understands the flesh. All of that being said, I have also heard so many cop outs and excuses from people who say “the thief on the cross!” as some kind of explanation as to why the Christian walk isn’t necessary. If that is your takeaway from this story, I would not want to be in your shoes come judgement day. Yes, the thief wasn’t baptized. But if you have the chance, you SHOULD be baptized. The thief had little time to repent, but he still admitted his sins. You who have time should repent. The thief had little time to do good works and best fruits of the spirit. But he did stick up for Jesus amidst a taunting crowd. And finally, the thief was saved with hours left to live because he truly believed in Jesus. You, who are not currently nailed to a cross, can’t say that you wish to live in sin and convert on your deathbed. Jesus is calling and you must answer. Now. This isn’t something you can put off until you get old. How do you know that you’ll have the time to prepare for death? And what sort of an attitude is “I’ll get saved when I am dying!”, anyway? You want fire insurance, not a savior and lord. That’s not how this works. The thief on the cross is a beautiful example of Christ’s love and mercy. It is not some form of cheap grace to be abused.