It has been said by someone, referring to this scene, “There is but one case of death-bed repentance in the Bible, that man may not despair; but there is only one, that man may not presume.” But how much the savor of the self-righteous human heart betrays itself in these words. The latent self-righteousness of the human heart, which would like to add some little atom of its own wretched “doings,” to the perfect work of Christ for the soul. And yet when we come to examine this wondrous scene, we find that all must be saved as was this thief! I speak not now of the period at which such a work is wrought in the soul, but of the fact that all must be saved just as he. And if this be the case, Why not, my reader, now? Why not believe, and know the joy and blessedness of an interest in the saving work of Christ, before another day is past, that your soul may be filled with all joy and peace in believing, that you may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit?
There is an absolute necessity for an entire and total change in the sinner, before he can even see the Kingdom of God. A man may be at the pinnacle of a religious reputation in the world; his name may grace the lists of benevolence—may be held up as a model for the imitation of others; and yet never have undergone this mighty change. It is a sad and humiliating fact, that possess as he may, piety, or rather that which looks like it, before his fellows; and the deepest learning, an amiable nature, a benevolent mind, all these qualities, and many more besides; and yet he may never even have seen the Kingdom of God. This is a hard saying, who can bear it? Still, it is an absolute necessity that a man must be born again. He must be renewed from the very sources of his nature, thoughts, affections, feelings, heart, conscience, actions. He must be what the Lord Jesus told the man of the Pharisees-the teacher in Israel—the ruler of the Jews-Nicodemus; he “must be born again.” In this man’s case, the lesson was but slowly learned. He had much to surrender. It was painful for him to be told that his whole life was wrong; his efforts and energies, sincere, as doubtless they were, had sprung from a wrong basis; and that the whole man must be changed from the very roots, before he could enter into the Kingdom which God was setting up. Painful, it must have been, to think of what gave him weight and authority, and for which he was held in esteem by his fellows, only came under the sweeping sentence from the divine Searcher of hearts, “Except a man be born again, he cannot see the Kingdom of God.” (John 3:33Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God. (John 3:3)). Painful for him to learn, that, if he would enter God’s Kingdom, he must consent to do so as the vilest sinner, stript of all that would put him in advance of others, and give him a precedence there. And yet, this entire, complete, and total change, is absolutely necessary to enter into the Kingdom of God; necessary for the vilest, necessary for all. It levels all distinctions; puts men, in the light of its solemn truth, on an even ground before God, so that no flesh may glory in His presence. Have you, my reader, experienced or undergone this mighty change? Or do you occupy the same platform on which you were introduced amongst the sinners of this world? Important question! May the Lord enable you to answer it honestly in His presence!
The case of the thief is a remarkably beautiful illustration of this mighty work in a soul—this total change in the man. And besides this, we have in this scene, the mighty work of Christ for him, which enabled him to take his place with Christ that very day within the vail. The work which fits all who believe it to take their place, by faith, with Jesus, the same moment, in God’s presence, within the vail.
The case of the comrade thief, too, is truly and deeply solemn. A soul passing away from this world into another; approaching the portals of an eternity, from which there is no return, with a scoff on his lip, and the taunt for the Blessed One in his mouth, “If thou be the Christ, save thyself and us.” Deeply solemn is such a closing hour of a man’s shadowy life here, Christless, faithless, sinning against his own soul. Well is it said of the wicked, “There are no bands in their death; but their strength is firm. They are not in trouble as other men.” (Psa. 73:4,54For there are no bands in their death: but their strength is firm. 5They are not in trouble as other men; neither are they plagued like other men. (Psalm 73:4‑5).)
Let us look at the same hour in the other’s life-the brightest it had ever known. “But the other answering, rebuked him, saying, Dost not thou fear God?”— grand illustration of the work of God in a soul. It began with but a little word, but a word by which one reads a heart which had been taught in wisdom’s ways. For “the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom.” (Prov. 1:77The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge: but fools despise wisdom and instruction. (Proverbs 1:7)). We have in this little word a precious work of God in his soul. It is said of the wicked, “There is no fear of God before their eyes.” (Rom. 3:1818There is no fear of God before their eyes. (Romans 3:18)). God is not in all their thoughts. “Dost thou not fear God?” Here was the root of this mighty change in this man: the holy fear of God. God had His proper place in his thoughts, although he did not know Him yet as a Saviour. It was Abraham’s word of the men of Gerar, “Surely the fear of God is not in this place; and they will slay me for my wife’s sake.” It was the fear of God which guarded Joseph’s heart, when in the land of his exile. “How then can I do this great wickedness, and sin against God.” It is that which guards the heart in a world of sin. Its absence leaves room for the workings of man’s corrupt and wicked will. It is the beginning of wisdom.
How is it with you, my reader? Can you say that this holy fear of God has been the guide and fashioner of all the thoughts and intents of your heart, the actions of your life, and the motives which have governed your ways? Have all these been governed by the fear of the Lord? Has God had His proper place in your heart; and has His fear restrained your will? Job was a man who “feared God, and eschewed evil;” Cornelius—one who “feared God, with all his house.” “They that feared the Lord spake often one to another; and the Lord hearkened, and heard it, and a book of remembrance was written before him for them that feared the Lord, and that thought on his name.” (Mal. 3). It was the proof of Abraham’s faith, “Now I know that thou fearest God.” (Gen. 22) Now this “fear of the Lord is a fountain of life, to depart from the snares of death.” (Prov. 14:2727The fear of the Lord is a fountain of life, to depart from the snares of death. (Proverbs 14:27)). It “tendeth unto life,” (Prov. 19:2323The fear of the Lord tendeth to life: and he that hath it shall abide satisfied; he shall not be visited with evil. (Proverbs 19:23)); and we see this so remarkably in this man. It led him to take his true place before God. “Dost not thou fear God, seeing thou art in the same condemnation? And we indeed justly.” Can you with him say, “We indeed justly!” Can you, as he did, take the just and righteous sentence of death, to your own soul; and own, in full honesty of heart, the rightness of your sentence? “We indeed justly; for we receive the due reward for our deeds.” Do you own the justness of the sentence; yea, have you passed it upon your own self, as the due reward for your sins? Blessed peace; to own in full, your true and proper condition before God, and thus take the sentence of death home to your own soul, as he 1 How the work of God grew brighter and brighter, till he was with Christ in Paradise! God had his true place in his soul, and he was in his true place before God! The rightness of his sentence pronounced by his own lips; no excusing of himself, as I dare say, you have often done; pleading circumstances—an evil nature, to palliate your sins. A convicted sinner was there making no excuses for his sins and his sentence, but owning that God was true. Justifying God, and condemning himself, as one of Wisdom’s children. “I acknowledge my transgressions; and my sin is ever before me. Against thee, thee only, have I sinned, and done this evil in thy sight; that thou mightest be justified when thou speakest, and be clear when thou judgest.”
So much for the work in this man’s soul.
Now we must look at another thing—at the work for him—for all, on the cross beside him
There hung beside him the Lord of Glory: and out of the mouth of Wisdom’s child, as the light grew brighter in his soul, we have a testimony of two things—the spotlessness and the Lordship of Christ. “This man hath done nothing amiss.” And the spotless Christ, and the self-condemned sinner, were side by side! Grand and solemn scene, the like of which eternity will never behold again! Beautiful testimony of that dying man, which led him to take his place with Jesus there, at a moment, and amidst the turmoil of a scene such as that which surrounded the cross. A time when the world was united against a man who had “done nothing amiss.” When even those who had loved Him and leaned upon Him during His life, deserted Him at the hour of His greatest sorrow And yet the soul of that man was absorbed with Christ, who hung there. His whole soul’s vision was filled with Jesus; and he forgot himself. A complete and total change had taken place in the man and, forgetting his agony, all his thought was, “Lord remember me, when thou comest into thy kingdom.” How would it be with you, my reader, if you were dying on your comfortable bed, surrounded with your sorrowing friends? Or how is it with you now? Would Christ be so precious to your soul then? Is He so precious to you now, as to absorb all your thoughts, and fill your soul with Himself? The terrible suffering of that moment had no power to disengage his heart from Christ. And his only request was, “Lord, remember me!”
But what was the reply? The light in his soul ended otherwise than he thought. Instead of being remembered when Jesus returned in His kingdom, he got a place that very day in Paradise with Christ! The work was done by Jesus there which enabled this man to have a place with Him that very same day; even as it fits every soul who believes in it, to take his place that moment with Jesus within the vail!
Dear reader, have you gazed with a believing, adoring heart upon that work of Christ, as that which has delivered you from the wrath to come? And believing, have you taken your place, in virtue of it, within the vail? Where are you, if you have not done so? What are you? Outside the vail, an unbeliever, still in your sins! Solemn place, solemn condition. Rest not a moment, then. The same blow which rent the vail, exposed the wickedness of man’s heart, in the death of Christ; and revealed the love of God’s heart, in sparing not His Son; and has put away forever the sins of His believing people. Rest not a moment, then, till you take your place, by faith, inside the vail. Let no false reasoning of the enemy, or unbelief of your own heart, deprive you of this joy. Happy, indeed, if you have, as the saved thief, the fear of God in your heart: happier still, if you have owned your true state and condition before God taken the sentence of death home to your own soul; and happiest, if you have forgotten yourself altogether as he, and that your soul’s vision is absorbed with Him who was there consummating His love in doing a work which gives you a cloudless title to take your place this moment within the wail with Jesus! This day... with me, in Paradise!
Holiness—Separation from evil. Innocence—Ignorance of it.
Adam was created in innocence, and fell; thus obtaining the knowledge of good and evil; as we read, “the man is become as one of us, to know good and evil.” (Gen. 3:2222And the Lord God said, Behold, the man is become as one of us, to know good and evil: and now, lest he put forth his hand, and take also of the tree of life, and eat, and live for ever: (Genesis 3:22)). To the state in which he was created we never can return. We never can unlearn the knowledge of good and evil. The “new man” (the Christian), is “after God created in righteousness, and true holiness.” (Eph. 4:2424And that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness. (Ephesians 4:24)).