101-The Seven Words of the Cross (2)#
The Seven Words of the Cross (Part 2)
Sharing the second lecture on the Seven Words of the Cross, from Luke 23:33-43,
33 When they came to the place called the Skull, there they crucified him, along with the criminals—one on his right, the other on his left. 34 Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.” And they divided up his clothes by casting lots. 35 The people stood watching, and the rulers even sneered at him.
The soldiers came up and mocked him. They offered him wine vinegar 36 and said, “If you are the king of the Jews, save yourself.” 38 There was a written notice above him, which read: “This is the king of the Jews.”
39 One of the criminals who hung there hurled insults at him: “Aren’t you the Messiah? Save yourself and us!” 40 But the other criminal rebuked him. “Don’t you fear God,” he said, “since you are under the same sentence? 41 We are punished justly, for we are getting what our deeds deserve. But this man has done nothing wrong.” 42 Then he said, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.” 43 Jesus answered him, “Truly I tell you, today you will be with me in paradise.”
Let us pray together:
Heavenly Father, we especially thank and praise you for your grace. Today is the day we receive your provision, for our Lord Jesus has prepared abundant blessings for us on the cross, and your precious blood has granted us forgiveness for all our sins. We are in your blessings, in Jesus Christ. We will be renewed here, receiving the supply that the Lord Jesus has for each one of us. May the Holy Spirit personally guide our hearts, so that we can understand clearly. Thank you and praise the Lord! In the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, we pray. Amen!
Brothers and sisters, peace in the Lord! The doctrine of once saved, always saved is a theological teaching that tells us that if you believe in Jesus, your salvation is eternal, and no one is qualified to change the salvation you have received. Jesus said, "I will not lose any of those the Father has given me." This refers to our salvation. Brothers and sisters, since you are children of God, it is absolutely impossible for you to be left behind when entering the kingdom of heaven; that is impossible.
Continuing with the second lecture on the Seven Words of the Cross, last time we shared that Jesus' first words on the cross were, “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.”
Immediately following, Jesus spoke his second word: “Truly I tell you, today you will be with me in paradise.”
Every time Jesus says, "Truly I tell you," the original text uses another word, Amen, which means "I am telling you with certainty; do not doubt." When Jesus says, "I am telling you with certainty," the following words are very important and should not be doubted.
If it is a promise from God, it is definitely for you. Amen! “Truly I tell you, today you will be with me in paradise.” This is a promise Jesus gave to the thief. That man was deserving of death, indeed guilty. But Jesus gave him a promise, saying: "I tell you with certainty, today you will be saved; you will enter paradise with me." Jesus on the cross not only brought us forgiveness of sins but also conveyed a message: we can be with Jesus in the kingdom of heaven.
This is a message of salvation. When Jesus says "today," it refers to salvation being in the present tense. No one can take your salvation away. Jesus' promise to this man is very certain; it is a very reliable promise and is what we refer to as the doctrine of justification by faith. Amen!
Justification by faith was first preached not by the Apostle Paul, but by our Lord Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ tells us that if you believe, you will surely be saved. Those who believe in the Son have eternal life, but those who do not believe do not have eternal life because they do not believe in the name of God's one and only Son. Amen! Therefore, their sins are already condemned. The Bible does not say that because he did not repent thoroughly or confess comprehensively, he is not qualified to enter the kingdom of heaven. There is only one condition: because he does not believe in the name of God's one and only Son. Amen, just this one condition.
Jesus said to the thief, "Today you will be with me in paradise." This is a certainty of justification by faith. What do we rely on for salvation? We rely on believing. Hallelujah! Brothers and sisters, do you have assurance of salvation? Do you believe you can enter the kingdom of heaven? What if you sin? Can you still enter the kingdom of heaven? Are you sure?
I have been to many churches and asked them, "What kind of person can enter the kingdom of heaven?"
They say, "The righteous can enter the kingdom of heaven; those who do not sin can enter the kingdom of heaven; those whose sins are forgiven can enter the kingdom of heaven."
I ask, "What about you?"
They find it hard to answer.
"Why not?"
"Because I just sinned, and I haven't had time to confess yet, so I can't enter now, but later I can."
Brothers and sisters, is salvation so uncertain?
There is a person who has believed for more than ten years and asked me: "Is it really once saved, always saved?"
I said, "Have you really believed for more than ten years?"
Do you understand what this means? If you have believed for more than ten years and are still uncertain about once saved, always saved, what exactly have you believed in?
Brothers and sisters, do not be confused, because salvation cannot be a future tense. For us, salvation already exists. Amen! Salvation was accomplished two thousand years ago. Salvation cannot be a future tense. Salvation has nothing to do with our behavior; it is about believing in Jesus. Amen! But what if I have committed many sins? I am still sinning; what should I do? Can I still enter the kingdom of heaven?
Let’s look at a passage from the Bible! 1 Timothy 1:15-16:
15 “Here is a trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance: Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners—of whom I am the worst. 16 But for that very reason I was shown mercy so that in me, the worst of sinners, Christ Jesus might display his immense patience as an example for those who would believe in him and receive eternal life.”
This passage can resolve your doubts. At first, you can be certain, but after a while, you start to doubt. Our salvation is absolutely not like that. The Apostle Paul wrote a letter to Timothy, mentioning that Christ Jesus came into the world to do what? To save sinners. What kind of people need Jesus? Sinners.
If you have not accepted Jesus, acknowledge that you are a sinner in need of Jesus. Amen! Because in Him there is life, and in Him there is righteousness that you can take to become yours. Therefore, the purpose of Christ coming into the world is to save sinners. When others say to you, "You have sinned again today; can someone like you enter the kingdom of heaven?" you can say, "I enter the kingdom of heaven because I believe in Jesus Christ; this has nothing to do with my behavior." Amen!
Then what about Christians who do not improve their behavior? When the Apostle Paul addresses this topic, he emphasizes it twice very clearly. The first is that the purpose of Jesus Christ coming into the world is to save sinners. This saying is trustworthy. This means it is something worth believing.
Then he says it is worthy of full acceptance. What does this mean? When you see Jesus, you realize we are nothing and can do nothing. However, our only object of admiration is Jesus Christ. Then Paul immediately shares his own issue: I am the worst of sinners.
What is the worst of sinners? The worst of sinners is the hand of sin, the king of sin, the one who has committed the most sins. Brothers and sisters, is it true that Paul committed the most sins? No, this is an adjective, not a verb; it does not mean he is still sinning. This is an adjective describing that we once had many sins; this is a noun. Thank the Lord!
Paul says, "I am the worst of sinners." Did Paul deny that we do not sin after believing? In the original text, this is in the present tense, meaning up to now, Paul does not dare to say he does not sin anymore. This tells us a fact: Paul admits that he is still sinning and acknowledges that he is the worst of sinners. But despite this, he was still shown mercy by God. Amen!
I do not know how many people pray like this, and they have learned this phrase from Paul very well.
"Lord, please forgive my sins; my sins are the most; I am the worst of sinners."
After praying, you ask them, "Are you sure God hears your prayer?"
They find it hard to answer.
They confess many sins, and in the end, they start to doubt God.
Brothers and sisters, this is a very certain matter. This phrase is not an ending; it only tells you that although you have committed many sins, although you have many sins, there is no ending after that, right? The ending is not a period; there is still a "but." In Chinese, what does "but" mean? It is a transition.
How about we make a sentence with this? Suppose your son made a mistake, failed an exam, misbehaved, and broke a neighbor's window. You say to your son: "Even though you scored zero on the exam and broke the neighbor's window, but, you are still my son." The first part says he has committed many sins, and the latter part says, "Despite this, you do not need to worry; even though you have made so many mistakes, you will not lose your identity as my son." You can understand this sentence, right?
Paul says, "Indeed, I have committed many sins; I am a persecutor of Christians, a person who has imprisoned many Christians and even killed other Christians. I did all these things, and when I think of these things, I truly feel I am the worst of sinners and feel unworthy. How could someone like me be accepted by Jesus?"
But, this "but" applies to everyone. Even someone like me has received mercy, because Christ Jesus wants to display all His patience in me, the worst of sinners. The focus of this statement is not on the front; it does not emphasize how many sins Paul committed but emphasizes the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ and His patience. Isn’t the latter part more important? Just like the sentence we just made, even though your son made many mistakes, he is still the son you love; that part cannot change. Because the focus is on what you want to tell your son is the latter part, not the former.
When he understands the latter part, he can overcome. Yes, even though I made such mistakes, my father and mother have already paid for the window I broke. I am still the most loved son of my father and mother. Next time he will not break windows; this is the power that helps him overcome sin. Amen! Pay attention to this verse; the focus is to tell us about the mercy and patience of Jesus Christ. When you do not believe in the Lord, you indeed complain against God, and even if you say you will not believe, even if everyone else in the world believes, you will not believe. Even if you have said such big words, however, God's patience is still upon you. However, the mercy of Jesus Christ is still upon you because He does not look at your behavior. Amen!
Because you, by believing in Jesus Christ, are the child of God. You will not lose this identity as a son because of your behavior. Hallelujah. This is what Paul emphasizes: the purpose of Jesus Christ coming into the world is to save sinners. Have you been saved? You have already been saved.
How were you saved? Do you remember when you were saved? You said, "Lord Jesus, I am willing to accept you as my Savior." At that moment, you were saved. Unless He died, Jesus has already risen from the dead and is alive forever!
Wasn't last week just Easter? It tells you one thing: Jesus can never die again! Therefore, your salvation can absolutely not be lost again; isn’t that simple? This verse tells us that the purpose of Jesus Christ coming into the world is to save you, a sinner.
You say, "Lord, I am now a righteous person, but I am still sinning." You are still a righteous person; sinning has nothing to do with you being righteous. Amen! Just like we said earlier, a son who makes mistakes is still a son; you cannot say that because he made a mistake, he is no longer a son. You cannot say that because he made a mistake, he is no longer a son until he repents and becomes a son again. No mother would say that, right?
Our salvation is certain; those who are justified by believing in Jesus cannot have their identity as righteous taken away. Even if you sin again in the future, you are still a righteous person. Therefore, you must have assurance of salvation in Jesus Christ. The purpose of Jesus coming into the world is to save sinners.
When we sin, we should come before Jesus Christ; He has the power to save you. So Paul says, even I, the worst of sinners, can be saved; how much more can you? Do not underestimate our God; do not underestimate the power of our God. Jesus said, "Today, you will be with me in paradise." Tomorrow is a new day; the sun will rise, and you can say, "Today, I am also in the kingdom of God." No one can take this blessing from me.
Finally, what is paradise? Jesus said to the thief, "Today, you will be with me in paradise." Is paradise the same as the kingdom of heaven? What did the people in the Old Testament rely on for salvation? Did they rely on believing in Jesus? Is it two different things? The Old Testament relied on Jehovah, while the New Testament relies on Jesus?
If it were by the law, I can give you a direct answer: if it were by the law, no one could be saved. The Bible says very clearly, "You who are trying to be justified by the law have fallen away from grace, because by the law no one will be justified." Therefore, the law is absolutely not a means for the Israelites to be saved. What did the Israelites rely on?
The New Testament relies on believing in Jesus; it is faith. In fact, the Old Testament also relied on faith. The book of Romans tells us that Abraham was saved by what? The book of Romans clearly states that Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness. God did not say that because Abraham offered more cattle and sheep, He counted that as righteousness. Abraham was credited as righteous because he believed God. This proves that the Old Testament relied on faith, and the New Testament also relies on faith. It is just a matter of what you believe; you have not understood, have you?
Let me explain this to you, and you will understand why we talk about paradise and the kingdom of heaven. Where are we now? Are we in paradise? Or are we in the kingdom of heaven? After death, do we go to paradise or the kingdom of heaven? First, let’s clarify where the people of the Old Testament went.
Let’s make a hypothesis. As mentioned earlier, the Old Testament relied on faith, and the New Testament also relies on faith. What did the Old Testament believe? They believed in Jesus Christ; they just did not know that God's name is Jesus Christ. In the Old Testament, every time they offered sacrifices, they offered cattle, sheep, and doves. These were not the fundamental reasons for their salvation. They believed that the cattle and sheep they offered today would be the Messiah who would come later, the true Lamb of God who could take away all their sins. The Old Testament believed in a Savior who would come later to take away all their sins. Now, they were just offering a shadow, offering cattle and sheep, and later all their sins would be taken away. The sacrifices in the Old Testament could not take away their sins. Amen!
Therefore, Hebrews 10 tells us that although they offered cattle and sheep, the blood of cattle and sheep could not take away sins; it only covered their sins. Amen! It was just mentioned that can a sinner bring sin into the kingdom of heaven? No. Jesus had not come yet, and the people of the Old Testament had died. Where did these people go? These people could not enter the kingdom of heaven. Their sins had not been taken away; they were only covered by the blood of cattle and sheep, so they went to paradise.
Where do we go? The sins of the people in the Old Testament had not been taken away; they could not directly enter the kingdom of heaven, so they could only go to a place called paradise temporarily. Until Jesus said to the thief on the cross, "Today, you will be with me in paradise." Because at that time, Jesus would go to paradise to declare His victory. He would tell those who had believed in the past, "The sacrifices you waited for are me; my blood has taken away your sins; now I have taken away all your sins."
John the Baptist made a very great declaration about Jesus, "Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world." We believe in Jesus not to cover our sins with the blood of Jesus but to take away our sins with the blood of Jesus. Amen! One is to cover, and the other is to take away. Therefore, the Old and New Testaments are still different. The Old Testament used the blood of cattle and sheep to cover their sins, while we believe that the blood of Jesus Christ has taken away our sins. One is to cover, and the other is to wipe away. Therefore, we believe in one Savior; whether in the Old Testament or the New Testament, there is only one. However, the sins of those in the Old Testament who had not been taken away could not directly enter the kingdom of heaven. Therefore, the only place they could go was paradise, temporarily left in that place. Amen.
Where did the unbelievers of the Old Testament go? To hell, because they had not been judged. When will they be judged? What do we recite in the Lord's Prayer? Where did He go after He died? He descended into hell. What did He do in hell? Did He go to preach the gospel? He indeed went to proclaim the gospel, but it was not to let those people be saved; it was to declare that their sins had already been judged.
John 3 says, "For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life." The following says, "Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because they have not believed in the name of God's one and only Son." Amen.
So Jesus went to hell not to say, "I give you a chance; believe in me." Instead, He said, "Today your sins have been judged. Because you do not believe, you have rejected salvation; your sins have been judged." Hell is the place where the unbelievers of the Old Testament go. And today, we do not need to go there; we do not need to go to paradise. We can go directly to the kingdom of heaven. Amen! Because Jesus is now in heaven. Where Jesus is, we are also there. The issue of sin has been taken away, and we can go directly to the kingdom of heaven. Therefore, the Bible has two terms: one is the third heaven, and the other is paradise.
Let’s look at this; this is what Paul saw in 2 Corinthians 12:
I know a man in Christ who fourteen years ago was caught up to the third heaven. Whether it was in the body or out of the body I do not know—God knows.
In fact, Paul is talking about himself. Fourteen years ago, when he was in the wilderness for three years, he was spiritually trained, and God taught him directly. In the vision, he went beyond the third heaven. Now, I cannot fully explain it; you know the third heaven is the place where God is present. The first heaven is what our eyes can see; the second heaven is where the stars are. Behind the stars is the third heaven. Currently, humans can only reach the second heaven, where all the stars are, but cannot pass through. Because it is too vast, behind the vast stars is the third heaven, which is the place where the souls of Christians go directly after their bodies die. Paradise is a position between the third heaven and us; this cannot be clearly stated; it is a matter of the spiritual realm, and we will only know after we die.
Perhaps one day God may say, "Let you visit where the people of the Old Testament stayed," and you may know where paradise is. So do not ask me where paradise is; it is very hard to say clearly. Some people say paradise is the kingdom of heaven; I will not argue with you; if you think so, then it is. I really cannot say clearly. This is according to my personal understanding of the Bible; I give you an answer, and you can discern and receive it.
Paul heard things that cannot be expressed by man, so after hearing the secret words, he went back to preach the gospel and preached it crazily. Therefore, he said, "In my life, I do not know anything else; I only know Jesus Christ and Him crucified." Because all blessings, all salvation, all power, and all gifts come down from Jesus Christ. Amen.
So paradise and the kingdom of heaven are still slightly different. We should have a simple understanding that if our lives end, we will go directly to the kingdom of heaven to be with Jesus. When Jesus Christ comes again, our bodies will be changed; that is the redemption of our bodies. The Bible says that hell and death will be thrown away, thrown into the lake of fire. We cannot go to hell. Recently, I communicated with some people, and they said we would go to hell when we die. That’s terrible!
To recap today’s sharing, this thief did not have good behavior; he only believed that Jesus was his Savior, believed that his sins were borne by Jesus Christ, and believed that Jesus Christ would rise from the dead and bring His kingdom. Therefore, he said to Jesus, "Jesus, when your kingdom comes, remember me." He truly repented; he truly believed. Jesus gave him a very certain answer: "Today, you will be with me in paradise."
Those who accept Jesus as their Savior, remember, at the moment you accepted Him, you were already saved. Do not let anyone take away your assurance of salvation. Jesus can not only save you from death and bring you into eternal life but also wants to save you in every aspect of your life because Jesus means salvation. Amen!
When you are weak, seek Jesus Christ; He is your salvation; He has the power to strengthen you. When you are sick, seek this Jesus Christ; He has the power to make you healthy. Amen! When you are very weak and have no strength, seek this Lord; He is your strength. Jesus Christ is not only the Lord of our life’s redemption; He is the Savior in every matter of our lives.
Jesus Christ truly lives up to His name; even at the last moment of His life, He is still saving them. Therefore, as Christians, we should also do the work of salvation, which is to tell the gospel to everyone. You do not need to go far; just tell the people you encounter. Officially becoming children of God is what we should do, hoping that more people can be saved and receive the blessings of Jesus Christ.
Let us pray together:
Heavenly Father, we especially thank and praise you for your grace. Lord Jesus, we truly see your love, your mercy, and your patience. In the past, we indeed committed many sins, and we may continue to sin in the future, but this does not affect our identity as children of God. God has confirmed this for us; you have confirmed my identity, and no one can change it.
We believe that the words of the Bible are true, believing that my salvation is not based on behavior but on my belief in the precious blood of Jesus Christ, through which my sins are forgiven. Because He rose from the dead, I am justified. This assurance is forever in my heart, and no one can change it. I thank you for this, Jesus; you are my ever-present help and salvation. No matter what problems I encounter, you can save me and are willing to save me; you will use the best way to deliver me from all evil.
I am your child; grant me the strength to overcome all sins in life. You want me to be a victorious child, wanting me to glorify your name. I thank you for this, and I pray in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. Amen!