Go with me if you would back
to Luke 23. We have a couple of articles
in the bulletin today on the subject of faith. Glorious faith. That is God's gift to his people. That's what the scripture says.
It's God's present. to His people. Faith is not of
ourselves, it's the gift of God. It's the gift that comes from
God's Holy Spirit. God sends His Spirit, and the
Spirit brings the gift of faith. When the Spirit deals with a
sinner, the Spirit comes to a spiritually dead sinner. And when the spirit
quickens that center to life, faith is what the center is quickened
to. It is the evidence of life, right? The spirit comes and brings life. And how do we know faith is there? It's the evidence of life. Just
like when a baby is born, how do you know that it's alive?
Well, there will be some evidences that baby will breathe, that
baby will cry, and you'll know there's life there. There are
some evidences. Life will be known by the evidences
of life. The same thing applies spiritually.
When spiritual life comes to a child of God and evidence of
it can be seen. And evidence of that quickening
by God doing the work in his people brings faith in Christ. More specifically, faith on Christ. That's what comes. Faith on the
Lord Jesus Christ. Now what is faith on Christ? What does true God-given faith
look like? What does it believe? What does
it cry? What does it confess? What does
it produce in the heart of a quickened child of God? That's what I want
us to see this morning. I want us to see what is exactly
the evidence of life. What is it? What is it to see
and believe and confess and desire true faith in and on Christ. I want us to see that this morning
through a very wicked, sinful thief on a cross. We're gonna
see what does salvation look like. And we're gonna see it through
this wicked, sinful thief on a cross. Two thieves were hanging
on crosses with our Lord. He had a thief on each side of
Him. God chose to put faith in one
of them, one of the two. We're gonna see what that faith
produced caused Him to say and caused Him to believe. And then
I wanna see if God has put that same thing in me. Do we say the
same thing with Him? Do we believe the same thing
with Him? Our Lord Jesus Christ, after suffering the agony of
the Garden of Gethsemane, where the sin of all of his people
was pressed into him, and we cannot imagine what that experience
was like. We say that the sin of his people
was pressed into him. We cannot possibly enter in to
what he endured. We are already so full of sin. Don't you see that in yourself
and believe that about yourself? We're just completely full. There's
no room, there's no room left. We're just completely full of
sin. There's no room to hold anymore.
We're just full of it, completely full of it. But just imagine,
What if you had all of the thoughts and all of the remembrances,
all of the guilt of the sin that you had committed in your body?
Everybody has that. And with that sin, with all of
the things that you carry, in addition to that, what if the
sin of another person was pressed into your body? You have things
that you carry that apply to you, things that you have done,
things that you bear, things that, that torture you and torment
you and bring such great sorrow to you. And what if you were not only
carrying the weight of everything that you did, but you were also
carrying the burden and the sorrow and the guilt of someone else,
the things that they did. everything that other person
did throughout the course of his or her sinful life. That's
just unimaginable. Imagine if the sin of every person
in this room was pressed into you. Every person in this room,
everything they carried, you know, you have a moment where
you feel guilty. And then you have a moment where
you forget about that for a minute and you find relief. But everybody
has those moments. What if they came back, to back,
to back, to back? Guilt after guilt after guilt. The deeds of sin and the thoughts
and the remembrance of sin. We have memories of sin, they
go so far back. They're like worms eating away
at you. Digging through your mind. A sin that you committed 30 years
ago, it won't go away. It's like the worm that dieth
not. It's just still there. And every
time it comes to you, you just go, Oh, every soul on this earth carries
it. Imagine all of those worms from all of God's people all
over the world. from every generation since time
began all the way up to the moment where time will be no more. Imagine
all of that sin being pressed in to the Lord Jesus Christ.
All of that sin, the thoughts, the memories, the guilt, for
every single one of his people was pressed into the Lord Jesus
Christ. And he took all of it to this
cross. He bore this heavy, heavy burden. And he took all of it to the
cross. And now he's hanging there with a thief, a sinner on each
side of him. But what one of those thieves
does not realize is Christ is hanging there with His sin in
Him. He doesn't realize it. The sin
of all of His people was pressed into Christ. One of those thieves is hanging
there not bearing his own sin. He's on the cross, but he's not
bearing his own sin. And that's a glorious thought.
He's literally not bearing his sin. What I want to know is,
which thief was it? How can we find out which thief
it was? Here it is. We can know by the
faith that was given to one of them. That's the evidence. That's how you can know. I want
to see what God's work in a person looks like. And we can see it
in this thief on the cross. Luke 23 verse 39, it says, and one of the malefactors, which
were hanged, railed on him. Now Matthew's account and Mark's
account tell us that both of the thieves were railing on him.
Both of them were. They were both mocking him. They
were both blaspheming him until the moment faith came to one
of them. Luke's account picks up with
that moment. They were both railing, both
mocking. All of a sudden, God in His purpose
sent His Spirit to one of them and faith came. And that's where
we are right here. That's where Luke picks up. The
moment faith came. Verse 39, And one of the malefactors
which were hanged railed on him, saying, If thou be Christ, save
thyself and us. save us from this physical death.
And that's what the natural man wants. He wants to be saved from
physical death. This man had the desires of his
heart come out to the Lord. All of his concern, all he cared
about was this physical healing of his flesh, the things that
pertain to the flesh. Verse 39, one of the malefactors
which were hanged railed on him saying, if thou be Christ, save
thyself and us. But the other, all right, now
here's faith. The other answering rebuked him
saying, does not thou fear God? That is the first thing that
we see in this man. That's the first thing that you
see in the evidence of faith. When faith comes to a sinner,
this is what it produces. A fear of the true and living
God. A fear of the true and living
God. One of the most concerning things
that I see in people today who claim to be religious. One of the most concerning things
that I see is the same thing that David saw in the people
of his day. Turn with me over to Psalm 36.
Psalm 36 verse one, it says, The transgression of the wicked
saith within my heart, David said, the greatest transgression
that I'm seeing and is concerning me within my heart for people
is there is no fear of God before their eyes. There's no fear of
God before their eyes. There's no fear of his sovereignty. There's no fear of his holiness. There's no fear of his judgment
for breaking his law. Not only is there no fear of
him, there's no real regard for him. Not even in what the average
person is calling worship and calling religion. Men and women
are so consumed with themselves. Their eyes are turned to themselves. They're so taken with themselves. There's no time left to be concerned
and taken and consumed with Christ until faith comes. The moment
faith comes, the work of God, when that moment comes, fear
is what it produces in the heart of God's child. Look with me
at Psalm 76. Now, this is what faith Christ,
the work of God in a center. This is what it Christ Psalm
76 verse seven. Thou even thou art to be feared. Thou art to be feared and who
may stand in thy sight when once thou art angry. That's the fear of a center who
believes he believes that God is holy and he must punish sin. He's angry with the wicked every
day. Look with me at Psalm 89. Psalm 89 verse 7, it says, God
is greatly to be feared in the assembly of the saints and to
be had in reverence of all them that are about him. That's the
evidence of God's people. That is the result of salvation. The saints greatly fear God. They reverence God. Look with me at Psalm 130. Psalm 130 verse 4 it says, but
there is forgiveness with thee. There is forgiveness with thee
that thou mayest be feared. There is forgiveness that thou
mayest be feared. True faith produces a reverence. It produces a submissive fear
for the holy God And who is the Holy God? That thief on the cross
knew. Go with me back to the text,
Luke 23. Verse 39, it says, And one of
the malefactors which were hanged railed on him, saying, If thou
be Christ, save thyself and us, but the other answering rebuked
him, saying, Dost not thou fear God?" Now who is he speaking
of? Who is he referring to when he
says God? The fear of the Lord. The fear
of the Lord Jesus Christ is the beginning of wisdom. And that's
the truth. That is the truth, the fear of
the Lord Jesus Christ. That is the beginning of wisdom.
Faith in that thief looked at Jesus Christ. And he said with
Thomas, my Lord and my God, my Lord and my God. Now, Mr. Thief,
who do you believe God is that man hanging on that cross right
there? That's who God is. So the first
thing that faith produces is a reverent, holy fear for God. Here's the next thing faith produces
and believes. Verse 40 says, but the other
answering rebuked him saying, does not thou fear God? Seeing
thou art in the same condemnation and we indeed justly for we receive
the due reward of our deeds. True faith confesses I'm a sinner. True faith confesses I'm a sinner.
I have this question asked to me a lot. If I'm one of the Lords,
why am I such a sinner? I have that question asked a
lot. If I'm one of the Lords, why
am I such a sinner? True faith confesses. This is how you can know what
true faith is. This is how you can know the
work of God in the heart. It cries, I'm a sinner. And it means it, it believes
it. It cries, I deserve for the judgment of God to come down
on me. People are not saying that today.
They don't say it, and if they do, sometimes, you know, well,
I'm a sinner. They don't mean it in the heart.
They don't really mean it in the heart. It's a rare thing,
that poem says, a sinner is a sacred thing. The Holy Ghost has made
him so. It takes God to make a sinner
truly see his sin and believe it and cry, I'm a sinner. I'm
a sinner. That thief said in verse 41,
we indeed justly, we are receiving the due reward of our deeds.
Everything I've ever done has been wrong and wicked and sinful. David cried to the Lord in Psalm
51. He said, if you judge me, you
are right in doing so. If you judge me. and you damn me, I deserve it. I deserve it. It's a rare thing
to hear a person say that. It is a rare thing, but that's
what faith cries. That's what faith cries. True
faith believes I'm a sinner. In my flesh, I am a sinner in
the hands of an angry God. While people all over this world
who've never seen the holiness of God And they've never received
the gift of his faith while they are saying, Oh no, I'm not a
sinner. That's what people say. No, I'm
not a sinner. I'll be glad to tell you about all the good things
I've done. While those who are lost in the
world, no hope before God, while they don't have a concern about
their standing before him, they're just not concerned about it.
It's going to be fine. We're just not concerned about
it. God's people, the redeemed. If God's people are forgiven,
why are they constantly saying, forgive me? It's because that's what faith
produces. That's the work of faith. God's
people are constantly crying. We have sinned. We have done
wickedly in thy sight. That was the cry of God's people
all through the scripture, all through it. Every man, and that's
something that I'm so grateful to the Lord for doing. Every
critical man in the scripture, God exposed his sin. Only a few
he didn't for the illustration of Christ. Every one of those
men. All of them had to say, I'm a
sinner. I'm a sinner. We've sinned and done evil in
your sight. God's people, the ones who said,
they're my people, they were constantly saying, we've sinned
and done evil in your sight. True faith causes a sinner to
fear the holy God, and it causes him to confess the truth of his
sin. And it causes him to glory in the perfection of the Lord
Jesus Christ. That's what it causes. Look with
me at verse 41. This faith-filled thief said,
and we indeed justly, for we receive the due reward of our
deeds, but this man hath done nothing amiss. Well, how do you know that, Mr.
Thief? You didn't walk through the course of this world with
him. You weren't one of his disciples. You weren't one of his apostles.
How do you know that? What makes you so convinced that this man
is perfect, perfect before God? How do you know? Faith told me. I know. I know. The Apostle Paul said, I know
whom I have believed, and I'm persuaded he's able. I know. He said, this man is perfect.
Perfect. That's what faith says. Pure. Holy. Oh, the unsearchable riches
of His glory. The beauty of His perfection.
His spotlessness. His righteousness. Faith cries,
He is high and I am low. He must increase and I must decrease. He is spotless perfection. I
am wretched sin. That thief said and he believed,
this man is the only well beloved. He's the only one worthy to enter
into God's kingdom. He's the only one. He alone is
worthy. That's what faith cries. He alone
is worthy. Not he and I together are worthy. He alone is worthy. Christ alone. The only sin in Him is my sin
in Him. That's it. So He's my hope. He's
my only hope. I'm either coming to God through
Him or I'm not coming to God. True faith causes a person to
fall in love with Christ. It does. It causes them to truly
say and believe He's all. He is all to me. The natural
man doesn't say that. God's people do. He's all to
me. Are you saying that you've overcome your sinful flesh and
you don't want anything else? No, I'm not saying that. I'm
just saying the new man that He created in here cries, He
is all to me. He's all to me. It's Him or nothing. He's perfect before God. And
He's my perfection before God. He's perfect to God, and He's
perfect to me. And I submit to Him. True faith
brings a submission to Christ. It causes a sinner to glory in
Christ, and it causes a sinner to bow in submission to Christ.
Alright, this is the submissive heart of faith. Verse 42, And
He said unto Jesus, Lord, Oh, what that word means. I wish
we heard that word more often. I do. In the circles of religion
and as you hear people talk, I wish we heard that word more
often. I'm always so grateful if I do
hear someone say the word, Lord. Lord. Lord. What that one word
says about the desire of a person's heart. Lord means master, Ruler. Owner. Controller. Sovereign. That's what the word
Lord means. Sovereign. Where there is no
faith, there's no reverence for Christ. There's no submission
to Christ. Where there's no faith, He's
just Jesus. And I just want to repeat that.
It's just so true. Where there's no faith, He's
just Jesus. Thankful for Him. I'm sure a
very nice man. He has an in with God and He
can point us to it. Where there's no faith, that's
all He is. He's just Jesus. But when faith
opens the eyes and causes a sinner to see Christ as He is, that
sinner cries, Lord, our Lord said to his disciples,
you call me master and Lord, and you say, well, for so I am. So where faith is, there is a
fear of God. There is a confession of sin.
There is a glory in Christ. There is a submission in the
heart. And there is always a cry for mercy. Where true faith is,
there is always a cry for mercy. When faith resides in a sinner,
that sinner will cry out for mercy. He will. Verse 42, and
he said unto Jesus, Lord, remember me when thou comest into thy kingdom.
The one thief who did not receive faith, he just wanted to be spared
from physical death, and that's what people want. Oh, if you
could just help me get out of this death, if we could just
put it off for a little while, I'll be fine. This other thief
who did receive faith, he's ready to die. If you kill me, kill
me. But I need eternal mercy. Lord, I need an eternal forgiveness. I need the covering of your blood.
After you accomplish this salvation for your people, He realized
you are accomplishing the work. I see Christ crucified. And after
you accomplish this salvation for your people and you put away
all of the sin of your people by the sacrifice of yourself,
After you lay in the grave for three days, bearing the penalty
and the justice for your people, and after you rise from death
in victory, here He is hanging on a cross. That thief knew you were going
to rise again. And after you ascend back up
to glory and after you sit down on your throne, when my time
of judgment comes to stand before you and you look over all your
records of every soul that you died for and paid the price for
and earned acceptance for, would you remember me? Would you please
remember me? That's the plea of faith. That's the plea of faith. Not,
Lord, Lord, well, we did all these wonderful works in your
name. I got a list of all the people I led to you. That's not
the plea of faith. The plea of faith cries, God,
be merciful to me, the sinner. That's the evidence. That's the
evidence of life. Now, with the gift of faith,
if God has given this faith to us, if we can identify with this
man, can you identify with this man? If what was produced in
his heart has been produced in our hearts, then with the gift
of faith, the eyes of faith, the ears of faith, the heart
of faith, the plea of faith, with all that comes the promise
of faith. When God sends faith, He always
sends a promise behind it. The promise of faith. And this
is what it is. Verse 42, And he said unto Jesus,
Lord, remember me when thou comest into thy kingdom. And Jesus said
unto him, Verily I say unto thee, Today shalt thou be with me in
paradise. Today you are going to be with
me in paradise. The sinner who cries, I fear
God. I'm so sorry for my sin. I bow before you. I glory in
everything that you are. Would you please show mercy to
me? Here's the promise that comes
with that. Today, you're going to be with me in paradise. All
of us are going today. There's no night there. It's
always today. today, you're going to be with
me in paradise. If that heart need and that heart
cry is there, then he says, count on it. If you are one of the
ones who can't say, I have assurance of going because of all these
things that I've done in my life. If you cannot say that, and you're
just crying out for mercy, he said, you count on it. If you
have nothing to offer, but the blood of Christ, then you count
on it. If your only hope is to have
me, you're gonna have me. Needing Christ is the evidence.
Needing Christ is the evidence of life and eternity and paradise
with him. And concerning that place that
he called paradise, this is what he said. He said, I hath not
seen, and enter into everything your eye has seen. I hath not
seen, Ear hath not heard, neither hath entered into the heart of
man what it's going to be like. The apostle Paul said, I was
carried up there one time and I heard things that are not possible
for a man's mouth to say. Glorious things. Our Lord said
there will never be one drop of sorrow, one drop of pain,
one drop of sickness, not one tear. And to me, that sounds
like paradise. But do you know that none of
those things make that place paradise? None of those things, those are
wonderful things, but that's not what makes it paradise. You
know what makes it paradise? Christ is there. This is what he said to that
thief. He said, today, you're going to be with me in paradise. To be next to Him is paradise,
is heaven. It's just heaven. To believe on Christ, that's
to have the sure promise of God. Just to believe on Christ and
cast it all on Him. That is to have the sure promise
of God. By grace are we saved through
faith. That's not of ourselves, it's
the gift of God. And what a gift. What a gift. Lord, increase our faith. All
right, let's all stand together.