Salvation and the Thief on the Cross Dilemma!
Q. Is there such a thing as death bed conversion. by that I mean a man can say a prayer and ask Jesus into his heart and go to heaven?
Can a man really live like a fool all his life and then on his deathbed at a grave old age ask God to forgive him! I say ‘No’ because the bible teaches us different. Here are the two statements for consideration here.
The thief on the cross: “Jesus, remember me when You come into Your kingdom!” 43And He said to him, “Truly I say to you, today you will be with Me in Paradise.” (Luke 23:42)
Jesus said to Nicodemus: Truly, truly, I say to you, unless someone is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. 6That which has been born of the flesh is flesh, and that which has been born of the Spirit is spirit. 7Do not be amazed that I said to you, ‘You must be born again.’ ( John 3:5).
A. Both of these instances are to do with the kingdom. There are not two ways into the kingdom. The Thief on the cross incident took place before Clavary and redemption. No one would enter the kingdom until after Pentecost and the giving of the Holy Ghost and Salvation. This is why Jesus told his disciple ‘pray thy kingdom come’ (Matthew 6:9-10). It had not come, but they were to pray that it would come!
Secondly note too that, the thief entered paradise. The prayers of the Saints were for us to enter the Kingdom. Let me say this, today, we don’t pray to go to heaven we pray to enter the kingdom! The kingdom is us on earth in Christ. This is why we are born again. We are not just born again to go to heaven we are born again primarily to access the kingdom here and now.
B. Jesus said ‘I am the door,’ So may are stuck at the door. They say things like ‘well I have given my life to Christ’!” No you dont give your life to Christ Christ gives his life to you!
The door provides access into God’s house. Jesus also said ‘I am the way.’ The way provides the path or road that leads to the house. Some think that the path is the ‘Roman road’ of salvation (Ro 10:9) others go the Calvary Road way the true way of salvation the water and Spirit way (John 3:5).
So there is a door and a way into the kingdom, you got to come into the house the right way. some try to get in ‘some other way, the same is a thief and a robber.’ Yes thief the same word that described the thief on the cross. sop may are thieves trying to enter in another way, today! and those that preach this easy believism way are the robbers too.
The door is a portal and the way is the path . The path is his name, the Jesus way the Jesus road, He said enter in through the gate. He who enters through me shall be saved he will come in and go our and find pasture… and life to the full (John 10:9-10), So just as the gate is synonymous with the new birth so too is the kingdom and Jesus name.
Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost. (Acts 2:38). and they were added to the church (Acts 2:42).
Remember Jesus had said when you pray, say Our Father who art in heaven hallowed be thy name ,thy kingdom come. When you repent and are baptised you have come into the kingdom as a son, a baptised one. One who has takn on the father name. You are a CHRISTian or a Jesus person. A son of God! Allk who are born of God have his spirit and take on his family name. SELAH
C. There is no example of anyone being called “saved” through a death bed conversion in the bible. The thief on the cross was told by Jesus that he would be in paradise that day. The thief on the cross was the other side of Calvary and therefore under the Old Covenant where folks were saved or had a righteousness according to faith. Abraham you remember was made righteous because of his faith.
Paul tells us about this in Romans 10:4 where Christ is the end of the law of righteousness to every one that believeth. He then goes on to tell us of the righteousness that is given us by Christ by faith (v4). Baptism has an essential part in this, where even Jesus himself was baptized to “fulfill all righteousness” and told us that we had to too (Matt 3:15) “He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved” (Mark16:16).
The new birth where a man has to be “born of water and Spirit” is for all this side of Calvary. (John 3:5) Salvation is through Jesus and his Way. The way of salvation as we know it first given by Jesus then taught by the apostles.
Jesus said a man had to be born of water and Spirit. There can be no resurrection without the Spirit. How can the dead arise without the Holy Ghost? The Body without the Spirit can not live again neither can it be resurrected. The spirit is life, the life of Christ in mortal flesh. Man may be alive but he is dead in trespasses and sins and as a dead man (without God) it is impossible for him to rise again. Only those who have the spirit of life will be alive “in” Christ Jesus.
Now if Christ is preached, that He has been raised from the dead, how do some among you say that there is no resurrection of the dead? But if there is no resurrection of the dead, not even Christ has been raised; and if Christ has not been raised, then our preaching is vain, your faith also is vain.… (1 Cor 13:12-14).
But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his (Romans 8:9). And if Christ be in you, the body is dead because of sin; but the Spirit is life because of righteousness. (v10)
But if the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you, he that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by his Spirit that dwelleth in you (v11)
Could a man live like the devil and say a prayer of repentance and be born again at his deathbed? Really! Would not that make the words of Jesus of no avail! Calvary and Being born of water and Spirit would be uneccessary if this was so
Should we not stick to things that are written?
A man must be born of water and Spirit. (John 3:5 Acts 2:38 Acts 10:44-47). I wouldn’t want to take the chance with my eternity. Would you! I wouldn’t want to be live a lie. Would you? I want to enjoy the benefits of life in the kingdom. not just enjoy Paradise when I die for I may live many years before I get there. In the meantime i have some living to do.
Paul
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