The Man Who Looked & Lived

Q: What does the Bible say about the thief on the cross?

The Bible shows that the thief on the cross was assured of salvation by Christ, affirming redemption through sincere faith. The account of the thief on the cross, as found in Luke 23:39-43, illustrates that salvation is available to even the most desperate and hopeless among us. In this story, one of the thieves acknowledges his sinfulness and turns to Jesus, asking for mercy. Jesus' response, 'Today shalt thou be with me in paradise,' emphasizes that salvation is not based on works but on faith in Christ. This moment showcases the depth of God's grace, demonstrating that through a brief but sincere faith, even a condemned sinner can be redeemed.

Q: How do we know that grace alone saves us?

Scripture teaches that we are saved by grace through faith, apart from works, as evidenced by the thief on the cross. Ephesians 2:8-9 plainly states, 'For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast.' The case of the thief on the cross exemplifies this doctrine perfectly. He was not baptized, did not perform good deeds, nor belonged to any religious organization, yet he received Jesus’ assurance of salvation. This reinforces that salvation is 100% a work of God's grace and not dependent on human actions. The thief's faith, despite its brevity and simplicity, was sufficient to secure a place in paradise, confirming that grace alone saves.

Q: Why is believing in Christ alone important for salvation?

Believing in Christ alone is crucial because He is the only way to God, as shown by the thief's faith. The exclusivity of Christ as the only mediator between God and man is crucial for salvation, as articulated in John 14:6, where Jesus claims, 'I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.' This assertion underscores that faith must be placed solely in Christ. The story of the thief highlights how even with the weakest faith, one can receive salvation through recognizing Christ's lordship and authority. His repentance and reliance on Jesus for mercy illustrate that true faith focuses entirely on Christ's redemptive work, not on any personal merit.

Q: What can we learn from the thief regarding salvation?

The thief demonstrates that salvation is available to anyone who sincerely seeks mercy from Christ. The thief on the cross serves as a powerful testament to the nature of salvation. He was a hopeless sinner, condemned for his crimes, yet in his final moments, he turned to Christ for mercy. His plea, 'Lord, remember me when thou comest into thy kingdom,' illustrates an essential truth: that humility and recognition of one's sinfulness are crucial for salvation. Moreover, Jesus’ immediate response, 'Today shalt thou be with me in paradise,' assures that it is never too late to seek grace. This teaches us that salvation is accessible to all who call upon the Lord in faith, regardless of their past.

Q: How does the thief's story confirm that we go straight to heaven upon death?

The assurance given to the thief by Jesus confirms that believers go directly to heaven after death. In Luke 23:43, Jesus tells the thief, 'Today shalt thou be with me in paradise,' affirming the doctrine of immediate entry into heaven upon death for those who believe in Him. This assurance not only provides comfort but also refutes doctrines such as purgatory, which suggest a waiting period prior to entering heaven. The thief had no opportunity for baptism or good works post-conversion, yet he was promised a place in paradise, thus exemplifying that salvation and eternal life are granted solely through faith in Christ. Paul likewise states in 2 Corinthians 5:8 that 'to be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord,' further confirming this teaching.

I'll be speaking today from the
book of Luke, chapter 23. The title of this message is,
The Man Who Looked and Lived. If you want to write for the
tape, the address will be given to you at the close of the broadcast.
And the title of the message is, The Man Who Looked and Lived. Now from Luke 23, verse 39, if
you'll follow in your Bible, we'll read four or five verses.
Now there are a few passages in the scriptures with which
men are more familiar than these verses, but I want you to listen
as I read it again. I know you're familiar with it,
you've heard it, you've read it, you've heard it read many,
many times, but listen once again. And one of the male factors which
were hanged railed on him, saying, If thou be the Christ, save thyself
and us. But the other male factor answering
rebuked him, saying, Dost thou not fear God, seeing that thou
art in the same condemnation, and we indeed justly? For we receive the due reward
for our deeds, but this man hath done nothing amiss. And he said
to Jesus, Lord, remember me. when thou comest into thy kingdom. And Jesus said unto him, Verily,
verily, I say unto thee, Today shalt thou be with me in paradise."
Now these verses have been a source of great comfort to many people. William Calper wrote the great
hymn, There is a Fountain, and the second verse goes like this,
rejoice to see that fountain in his day, and there may I,
though vile as he, wash all my sins away." What great assurance
that our Lord Jesus Christ came to save sinners like me and you
and this thief. And these scriptures have been
a great comfort to many, many believers. But also these verses
have been a source of contention. Others have chosen, instead of
finding comfort here, they have chosen to doubt these scriptures
and to debate them and question them. But here they are. Here
they are. Our Lord crucified on a cross,
and on either side of him a thief. And they both began to blaspheme.
That's what the scripture says, both of them. And one of them
stopped. Stopped cursing and blaspheming. And he looked at the other thief,
and he said, don't you fear God? seeing you're in the same condemnation,
and we indeed justly, we're getting exactly what we deserve. But
this man hath done nothing amiss. And then he said to Jesus, Lord,
remember me when you come into your kingdom. And I, Lord, said
to him, Today shalt thou be with me in paradise. Now let me show
you something that gives this incident such great importance
and great significance, and that is when this took place. It's very significant when this
conversation took place. You see, it took place during
that hour in which all of the Old Testament promises concerning
salvation. and pictures of salvation, and
patterns and types of salvation were fulfilled. This is the hour
when Abel's Lamb is sacrificed. This is the Redeemer to which
Abel looked. This is the Redeemer of which
Abel spoke. This is the Lamb of God, Jesus
Christ. This is the hour. This is the
Passover Lamb of which Moses wrote. This is the great atonement
Here is the lamb slain before the foundation of the world.
Here is the brazen serpent lifted up. This is the hour when everything
written concerning Jesus Christ and his sacrifice on Calvary,
when all of these things were fulfilled, right here in this
hour. And it is in this hour that our Lord spoke to the thief
and assured him of a place in that kingdom. Tell you something
else about this hour. This is the hour of which our
Lord spake from the beginning of his ministry. The very first
miracle that he performed was at Cana of Galilee, when he made
the water and the wine. When his mother came to him and
said, they're out of wine, and listen to what he said, Woman,
what have I to do with thee? Mine hour is not yet come. Well, it's come now. This is
the hour. And again, his disciples were
discouraging him from going to Jerusalem, when he told them
that he would go there to his death. And they said, Well, don't
do it. He said, Shall I ask the Father to deliver me from this
hour? For this call came out of this
hour, and this is the call, and this is the hour, when he spoke
to the thief. And then when he prayed in Gethsemane's
garden, he lifted his eyes to heaven, and he said, Father,
the hour has You see when this took place?
When people want to argue about the thief on the cross, they
fail to take into consideration when this conversation took place. You know, our Lord only spoke
seven words from the cross, as far as we know. I know many say
that he quoted the whole 22nd Psalm. It may be, I do not know,
but recorded in the Bible. There are seven words from the
cross, only seven statements made from the cross. The first
one, when they nailed him to the cross, he looked down upon
the people, and then he said, Father, forgive them. They know not what they do. Here's
Christ the Mediator. Many of these people were converted
to Pentecost. And here's our Lord praying for
his own, even from the cross. That's significant. You've put
a lot of confidence in that, haven't you? Christ prayed, Father
forgive them, they know not what to do. And then he saw from the
cross the woman who brought him into the world, Mary, and over
here John, one of his disciples. And our Lord, our great provider,
the one who cares for his own, he said, I'll never leave you,
I'll never forsake you. And he said to Mary, Woman, behold
our son. Son, behold our Mother, there
is Christ the Provider." That's very significant. This is in
his hour of suffering. This is in the hour when he was
accomplishing our redemption. And then our substitute, another
word he spoke from the cross, when he cried out, My God, my
God, why hast thou forsaken me? Here is our Lord bearing our
sins and our guilt and our shame. separated from God. That's what
hell is, separation from God. And he cried, why hast thou forsaken
me? That's very important to us,
is it not? And then when he cried, I thirst,
he who made the rivers said, I thirst, he who could have called
upon heaven and rain would have fallen upon that scene, and yet
he's a man, limited. limiting himself. He was born
into this world, God in human flesh, but a man who thirsted,
who was weary, who was a man of sorrows, a man of grief, a
man who was tempted and tried in all portions as we are, and
he demonstrated that from this cross. I thirst! I thirst! He was our representative, and
being our representative he could not perform a miracle to relieve
his distress. even as we cannot perform miracles
to relieve our distress. Christ, in all points, in all
points, tested, tried, tempted, as we are, yet without sin. He never gave in. He never gave
up. He said, I thirst. That's significant,
Christ the man. And then he cried, and it's finished.
All of the Old Testament patterns are finished. All of the Old
Testament types are finished. All the promises and prophecies
are finished. He has finished the work God
gave him to do. That's a very significant statement
from the cross. It's finished. And then, into
thy hands I commend my spirit. When he gave up the ghost, the
last word he said was, into thy hands I commend my spirit. When the Father said he raised
him from the dead and exalted him and seated him in his right
hand until his enemies become his footstool there, he's our
forerunner who has entered within the veil. our intercessor, who
makes intercession for us. And all of these statements from
the cross are very significant. Christ our mediator, Christ our
provider, Christ our substitute, Christ our representative, Christ
our redeemer, Christ our intercessor. And in the midst of all this,
he turns to a thief and said, Thou shalt be with me in Paradise."
Today, Thou shalt be with me in Paradise. Here, it clearly
shows for whom He is the Mediator, for whom He is the Provider,
for whom He is the Substitute Redeemer and Intercession, it's
for sinners that the Savior died. He said, I'm not come to call
the righteous, but sinners to repentance. This is a faithful
saying and worthy of all acceptation that Jesus Christ came into the
world to save sinners of whom I'm chief. So what I'm saying
is that when this took place makes it most significant. It lends great importance to
it. This is in the hour when our
Lord was suffering for sinners, dying as a substitute as our
Redeemer, and he demonstrates the very thing for which he suffers,
he saves a sinner and takes him to glory with him. The hymn writer
said, Sinners, Jesus will receive. Sinners, sound this word of grace
to all who the heavenly pathway lead, all who linger, all who
fall. And over and again, Christ redeemeth
sinful men. I ask you today, all of you,
was there ever a person more helpless than this thief? Was
there ever a person more hopeless than this thief? Was there ever
a person more desperate than this thief? He was a wicked man,
most wicked, to be sentenced to such a cruel and awful death. Perhaps he was a thief, perhaps
he was a murderer, I do not know. But even the Romans noted for
their cruelty, paganism, heathenism, They wouldn't even suffer this
man to live. He was a dreadful, wicked, sinful
man. He was also a dying man. Not
only a wicked man, but a dying man. He was hanging on a cross.
He could do nothing. He couldn't move anything but
his eyes and his tongue. His grave awaited him. All hope
was gone. If there's any hope, it's entirely
outside of himself. Here is a sinner, helpless. hopeless, desperate, wicked,
dying. What hope does he have? I tell
you, if you brought him one of today's preachers or soul winners,
they couldn't offer him any hope. He couldn't raise his hand. He
couldn't walk an aisle. He couldn't call a counselor.
He couldn't be baptized. He couldn't join the church.
He couldn't pay a tithe or plant a seed. He couldn't do a good
work. Hopeless, helpless, desperate,
dying, but one thing he could do, and that's what he did do. He looked to Christ. And looking
to Christ as a sinner, what did he say? He stopped his blasphemy. And he began to think. This man's
the son of God. This man's coming into a kingdom.
I'm a sinner, wicked, depraved, hopeless, helpless. There's no
hope for me. I'm getting what I deserve. He
said that to the other thief. Don't you fear God? Don't you
fear God? Seeing we're in the same condemnation,
and we indeed justly, that's what That's what David said in
Psalm 51. If you condemn me, God, you're
just. You're righteous if you condemn
me. We're getting what we deserve. This man's done nothing amiss.
This man's no sinner. And he turned to the Lord Jesus
Christ and he said, Lord, Lord, King of kings and Lord of lords,
you're not going to stay dead. You're coming into a kingdom.
Will you think on me? Will you remember me? And our
Lord said, Today shalt thou be with me in paradise. Today. That's what he said in Isaiah
45. He said, I'm a just God and a
Savior. Look unto me. Look unto me, and
be ye saved, all the ends of earth. For I am God, and there's
none else. Come unto me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden.
I'll give you rest. If any man thirsts, let him come
to me. In Christ dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily.
We're complete in him. Look to him. That's what this
man did. He looked and he lived. The man who looked and lived. From these verses I want to ask
you six questions. In the light of what we have
read, in the light of what's recorded here, I want to ask
you six questions. And I want you to prayerfully
and carefully consider these six questions. Here was a man,
a thief, like he said, a sinner, getting what he deserved, had
no right to live, wicked man. But he turned to the Lord and
he said, Lord, would you think on me? When you come into your
kingdom of glory and power, would you just think on me and remember
me, consider me, show mercy to me? And I tell you, our Lord
Jesus said, today, today shalt thou be with me in paradise.
Now, here's the sixth question. First of all, in the light of
this scripture, do I not have the right to say that this man
was saved? Was he saved? I'm saying, do
I not have the right to say that this man was redeemed, this man
is a child of God, this man is in glory? Do you believe that?
I do. The Lord said, yes. The Lord
said, today, today shalt thou be with me in paradise. Where's
paradise? That's where Paul talked about
going in 2 Corinthians 12. He said, I was taken up in the
paradise, the third heaven. You know, of all the multitudes
of people redeemed throughout history, of all the multitudes
of people redeemed throughout history, none, none of, not one
of them ever received so glorious assurance of his salvation as
did this thief. God never said to Moses, today
shalt thou be with me in paradise. He never said that to Abraham.
He never said that to Isaiah. You go from Genesis to Revelation
and tell me to whom the Lord Jesus Christ ever said, today,
shalt thou be with me in paradise. And yet he said it to this day.
So I'm totally confident this man was saved. This man was redeemed. Now remember
that. That's the first question. Was
he not saved? Yes, decidedly. He knew God. All right, secondly,
from these verses, do I not have the right to say that this man
was saved by grace and grace alone? I mean without works,
totally, completely without works. He was never baptized. People
put a lot of emphasis on baptism. This man was never baptized.
He never took communion. I hear them as they dip the wafer
into the wine and put it on the tongue and say they're actually
giving salvation, it's a sacrament, it's a saving ordinance. Man
never took communion. This man never belonged to a
church. People talk about salvation being in a church. This man never
belonged to a church. This man never did a good deed.
I hear people say, well, do the best you can, you'll go to heaven.
This man didn't do the best he could do. He did the worst he
could do. He did so badly, they nailed him to a cross. Somebody
said, the outcast cast this outcast out. He was a thief. He never did
anybody any good. He stole from people. You're saved by grace without
works, totally, completely. See, this is a perfect example
of what Paul wrote in Ephesians 2, 8 and 9. For by grace are
you saved, through faith, that not of yourselves, it's the gift
of God, it's not of works. lest any man should boast. It's
not by works of righteousness which we've done, but according
to his mercy, mercy, mercy, mercy, he had saved us. Grace chose
us, grace awakened us, grace redeemed us, grace called us,
grace keeps us, and grace will exalt us. Are you with me? Was this man saved? Well, you
know he was. How was he saved? by grace alone,
plus nothing, minus nothing. He couldn't work, he couldn't
walk, he couldn't wash, he couldn't witness, and he couldn't wait.
And that's a desperate situation. All right, here's the third question.
From these verses, do I not have the right to say that the youngest,
weakest faith If it is in Christ alone, we'll say, the youngest,
weakest. How long was this man a believer?
People talk about how long they believed. It's not how long you
believe, it's whom you believe. It's not how long you believe.
How long was this man a believer? How much did he know of theology
and doctrine? How many of the great writers
did he read? This man was a gutter rat. This
man was a thief. This man hung out in the dives
and deans. This man kept company. He didn't
run around with church folks. But he knew that Jesus Christ
was the Son of God. He knew that. He knew he was
a sinner. He knew that. God taught him
that. He knew Christ wasn't going to stay dead. He was going to
reign in the kingdom. He knew that Christ Jesus had
all the power. and could, if he would, do something
for him. And he begged for mercy. In other
words, he knew who God is, he knew this was the Son of God,
he knew what he was, and he knew what he needed, and he knew the
source. And he called. There was no put
on here. There was no put on here, there was no show, there
was no religious charade going on here. This man's desperate.
I told you, hopeless, helpless, desperate. Would God that some
of us could get in that condition. In my hands no price I bring. Simply to the cross of Christ
I cling. Could my tears forever flow?
Could my zeal no longer know? These for sin could never atone.
Christ must say. Christ alone. We say it. Do you
believe it? We better believe it. Lord, we prophesy it in your
name. I never knew you. But we did many wonderful works,
I never knew you. But we cast out devils, I never
knew you. They won't be in glory, but this
man will. You see, they sought it not by
faith, but by works. He sought it one way, mercy,
grace, righteousness, one way. Lord, remember me when you come
into your kingdom. had come down from the cross
and lived another 40 years, he would have grown in grace, he
would have grown in faith, he would have grown in Christ, he
would have done all these things, he would have prayed and worked
and witnessed out of love for Christ. But he was saved nonetheless
only by looking to Christ. Is that clear? I'm not discounting
works, I'm discounting them in this matter of salvation. All
right, from these words, the fourth question, do I not have
the right to say our Lord is able to save any needy sinner
who will look to him and call upon him for mercy in truth?
So here's the proof. Was ever a man more hopeless?
Was ever a man more helpless? Was ever a man more desperate? If there's any doubt that Christ
will receive a sinner, I mean a bona fide, genuine sinner,
here's the proof. This man's a sinner. No pretension
here. He's hopeless, he's helpless,
he's going to hell. He lived in evil, he's dying
in evil, unless God does something for him. But Christ delights
to show mercy. He's plenteous in mercy. He delights
to show grace. He said, I didn't come to call
the righteous, the well have no need of the physician. I came
to call sinners to repentance. Go learn what that means. I wish
we could. Come ye sinners, poor and needy,
weak and wounded, sick and sore. Jesus ready stands to save you,
full of pity, love and power. Oh, the pity for the sinner.
Oh, the grace. to this wicked man. Oh, the mercy
extended to the miserable. Lord, remember me. Today you'll
be with me. Come ye needy, come and welcome,
God's free bounty glorify. Without money, without money,
come to Jesus Christ and buy. Fifthly, from these verses, have
I not the right to preach? that all who repent, believe,
and call upon Christ go straight to heaven when they die. Now
I hear all the talk about purgatory and soul sleep and compartments. These are just means and methods
and ways for religious hucksters to raise money. That's all in
the world. All of this gingerbread that the town, the religious
organizations, is to just dupe poor folks like you out of their
money. That's all. These folks can't
help you and hinder ye the one. It's Christ that saves, it's
Christ that provides, it's Christ that redeems. And when a man
dies, he goes straight to glory. He doesn't go to purgatory for
somebody to pay him out or pray him out. He doesn't go to a compartment. Christ said today you'll be with
me in paradise. Paul said to be absent from the
bodies to be present with the Lord. As long as I'm in the body,
I'm absent from the Lord. When I'm absent from the body,
I'm present with the Lord. That's so. That's paradise. That's
the third heaven. That's glory. Close your eyes
here. If you know Christ, open them
in glory. Never to depart. The last question. All right,
this man's saved, right? Saved by grace. Youngest faith. He believed. He looked to Christ.
He looked to Christ alone. He went straight to glory when
he died. All right, here's the sixth question.
Then there must be just one way for you and I to be saved. Just
one gospel. There's one way of salvation.
Christ said he's the way, the truth, and the life. Is that
right? Then you and I are going to have to be saved just like
this thief. That's right. We're going to
have to come to Christ as a sinner. and look to Him, and look nowhere
else, to no one else, to nothing else, there's no difference.
All of sin comes short of the glory of God. One way of salvation.
I'm the way, the truth, and the life. No man cometh to the Father
but by me. So we'll be saved like He was.

The Man Who Looked & Lived

What does the Bible say about the thief on the cross?

How do we know that grace alone saves us?

Why is believing in Christ alone important for salvation?

What can we learn from the thief regarding salvation?

How does the thief's story confirm that we go straight to heaven upon death?

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The Man Who Looked & Lived

What does the Bible say about the thief on the cross?

How do we know that grace alone saves us?

Why is believing in Christ alone important for salvation?

What can we learn from the thief regarding salvation?

How does the thief's story confirm that we go straight to heaven upon death?

Sermon Transcript

About Henry Mahan

Comments

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