A young girl who was anxious about her soul's salvation was, I believe, brought to accept Christ as her Savior by considering the scene on Calvary. May it be just the right portion for some who read this paper.
She was asked: "How many people were crucified on Calvary?”
"Three!" she replied; "two thieves, and Jesus between.”
"Were both the thieves equally bad?”
"Yes, they both suffered justly.”
"Did both die alike?”
"No.”
"What made the difference?”
"One believed on Jesus; the other did not.”
"Now, what about sin with regard to these three?
The one thief that did not look to Christ, had he sin in him?”
"Yes.”
"Had he sin on him?”
"Yes.”
"And Christ, had He sin in Him?”
She thought a little but she answered rightly: "No.
"Had He sin on Him?”
"Yes.”
"His own?”
"The thief that looked to Christ, had he sin in him after he looked?”
"Yes.”
"Had he sin on him?”
"No.”
This middle cross, the cross on which the Lord of glory died, still divides the world. We are all sinners (Rom. 3:2323For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God; (Romans 3:23)), as were both the thieves. On one side of the cross are saved sinners; on the other, unsaved sinners. On the one side are those who believe God, that Christ is for them; on the other are those who do not. On the one side are those who have sin in them, but no sin on them, because God laid it on the spotless Sin-bearer; on the other side are those who have sin both in theme and on them, because they disdain the blessed Substitute.
And all people in the world die, as those two thieves did. None ever died, or ever will die, without sin in them. The name of every man when he dies will be sinner. The name of each of those two men was thief to the very last breath; but one died a saved thief; the other died an unsaved thief.
Friend, are you, through faith in Christ, a saved sinner?