Eleventh Hour Repentance....

Eleventh Hour Repentance...

Many People, whenever they hear of the conversion of the thief on the cross, remember that he was saved in the very last moment of his life, and they dwell upon that fact, and that alone. He has always been quoted as a case of salvation at the eleventh hour, and so, indeed, he is. In his case it is proven that as long as a man can repent he can obtain forgiveness. 

However, that is not everything which the story teaches us, and it would be a pity to look exclusively at one point, and thus to miss everything else—perhaps miss that which is more important. 

I have heard people say, “Well, you see, the thief was converted, but he was not baptized. He never went to communion, and never joined the church!” He could not do either, and that which God Himself renders impossible to us He does not demand of us. He was nailed to a cross, how could he be baptized? 

The thief first of all confessed the Lord Jesus Christ, and that is the very essence of baptism. He confessed Christ. Did he not acknowledge Him to his fellow thief, and all that were gathered around the cross who were within ear shot? 

Yet many cowardly people claim to be Christians, though they have never confessed Christ to a single person, and then they quote this poor thief as an excuse? Are they nailed to a cross? Are they dying in agony? No, and yet they talk as if they could claim an exemption from this thieves circumstance. The fact is, our Lord requires an open confession as well as a secret faith, and if you will not render it, there is no promise of salvation for you, but a threat of being denied at the last. 

The apostle puts it this way, “If thou shall confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shall believe in thine heart that God hath raised Him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.” It is stated in another place this way—“He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved”—that is Christ’s way of making the confession of Him. If there be a true faith, there must be a declaration of it. If you are a candle, and God has lit you, “Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.” You are required to do what you can do, to make as distinct and open an assertion of the Lord Jesus Christ as may be suitable in your present condition. 

I do not know what the unconverted thief had been blasphemously saying, but his partner in crime spoke very honestly to him. “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.”

 In these last days Christians should not allow sin to go unrebuked, and yet a great many of you do. “Other men’s sins” make up a great deal of our personal guilt unless we rebuke them. This the Lord expects us to do. The dying thief did it, and far exceeded large numbers of those who hold their heads high in church. He also, made a full confession of his guilt. He said to him who was hanged with him, “Dost not thou fear God, seeing thou art in the same condemnation? And we indeed justly.” Not many words, but what a world of meaning was in them—“we indeed justly.” “You and I are dying for our crimes,” he said, “and we deserve to die.” When a man is willing to confess that he deserves the wrath of God—that he deserves the suffering which his sin has brought upon him—there is evidence of sincerity in him. When all other voices were silent, one suffering thief spoke out, and said—“This man hath done nothing amiss.” See this man’s faith. He prays, and his prayer is directed to Jesus. “Lord, remember me when thou comest into thy kingdom.” True faith is always a praying faith. Prayer is one of the surest tests of the new birth. In ad