Jesus said I could come!

 

By; Carole L. Haines 

³⁹ One of the criminals who were hanged there was hurling abuse at Him, saying, “Are You not the Christ? Save Yourself and us!” ⁴⁰ But the other responded, and rebuking him, said, “Do you not even fear God, since you are under the same sentence of condemnation? ⁴¹ And we indeed are suffering justly, for we are receiving what we deserve for our crimes; but this man has done nothing wrong.” ⁴² And he was saying, “Jesus, remember me when You come into Your kingdom!” ⁴³ And He said to him, “Truly I say to you, today you will be with Me in Paradise.” {Luke 23:39-43 NASB} 

I came across one of the most powerful snip-its from a sermon by Allistair Begg the other day. I was blown away by its simple yet powerful message. Click on the link below to hear it. 

The Man on the Middle Cross Said I Can Come | Alistair Begg – YouTube 

The Apostle Paul shows deep concern for the Corinthian Church and encourages them not to be drawn away from the “purity and simplicity of devotion to Christ.” 
{2 Cor. 11: 3 NASB} 

Right doctrine is crucial to our faith, and yet we must never forget the simple message of the gospel, as Alistair Begg has so powerfully reminded us. Yes indeed, the man on the middle cross tells us we can come. Truly, it is not by works that we are saved but only by grace. My heart is filling with joy as I write these words. Tears are gathering in the corners of my eyes. O, how can it be? How can it be that the Son of God, Lord of Heaven, Creator of all things, came down here for my salvation. He took on flesh and suffered the most gruesome of deaths in order to save me from the penalty of my sin. Rejoice with me dear believers. Let us praise our dearest Father for sending His Son for us. 

Father, Jesus, Holy Spirit, 

There just aren’t words strong enough to express our gratitude and joy and what you have done, are doing and will continue to do in our lives. We love you, Lord. Yet teach us ever to love you more. Amen!