Meet a Thief Who Went to Heaven [Tract]

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Meet a Thief Who Went to Heaven

I would like you to meet a thief who went to heaven!

When Jesus was crucified on the cross, there hung a thief on each side of Him. To one of them He said, “Today shalt thou be with Me in paradise” (Luke 23:43).

Why did one thief go to heaven and the other to hell? What did the one do to save his soul?

Remember, his arms and legs were nailed to the cross; therefore, he …

• could not take communion;

• could not be baptized;

• could not join a church;

• could not read a prayer book;

• could not give money to the church or charity;

• could not plead his own goodness or try self-improvement;

• could not call his pastor or priest.

In fact, many acts that some people stress as necessary to salvation, as a “straight ticket” to heaven, he could not perform. All these “could nots” did not keep him out of heaven. Why? Because God worked in his heart. There were several responses he made to what he observed about the Lord Jesus Christ.

1. He repented. He acknowledged his sinfulness to the other thief and to Christ. He said, “We [thieves] receive the due reward of our deeds” (Luke 23:41).

The Bible says, “Except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish” (Luke 13:3).

2. He believed and received the Lord Jesus Christ as the Savior of the world and of his own soul.

The Bible says, “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved” (Acts 16:31).

3. He confessed his faith in Jesus Christ as the sinless Son of God. He said to the unbelieving thief, “This man [Jesus] hath done nothing amiss” (Luke 23:41).

The Bible says, “If thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised Him from the dead, thou shalt be saved” (Romans 10:9).

Remember, the repentant thief responded in faith to the witness God gave him. What he did, you can do also.

• You can repent of your sins.

• You can believe in Jesus and receive Him as your own personal Savior.

But don’t wait until you are dying, as the thief did.

“Behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation” (2 Corinthians 6:20). Jesus Christ said, “I am the way. … No man cometh unto the Father, but by Me” (John 14:6). Repentance toward God and faith in the Lord Jesus Christ lead to true salvation.

• You can confess Christ publicly before your friends and relatives.

Confession of the Lord Jesus is the natural outflow of a heart that trusts Christ for salvation.

Will you take these three steps TODAY?