The thief on the cross had nothing.
No baptism.
No communion.
No confirmation.
No church membership.
No mission work.
No offering plate.
No spiritual résumé.
He couldn’t kneel.
Nails held him in place.
He couldn’t lift his hands in worship.
Couldn’t whisper a prayer.
Couldn’t walk to an altar.
He was naked.
Bleeding.
Condemned.
Jesus didn’t stop his pain.
Didn’t heal his body.
Didn’t silence the crowd.
Didn’t take him down from the cross.
All the thief had was a dying breath.
And he used it to say:
“Lord, remember me.”
And the bloodied Savior beaten, mocked, dying beside him looked his way and said:
“Today you will be with me in paradise.”
No theology degree.
No powerful sermon.
No music.
No lights.
No platform.
No performance.
Just a broken man,
beside the Son of God,
whispering a simple belief.
And it was enough.
He believed.
That’s it.
That’s everything.
He walked into paradise. Not because of what he did,
but because of who Jesus is.
The criminal saw clearly in his final breath
What religion often clouds over a lifetime:
Salvation isn’t earned.
It’s given.
Freely.
Through Jesus alone.
“For God so loved the world,
that He gave His only begotten Son,
that whosoever believes in Him
shall not perish,
but have everlasting life.” (John 3:16)
A thief.
A cross.
A Savior.
A promise.
That. Is. Enough.
[message from the Internet]
Luke 23:39-43 ... 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, seeing thou art in the same condemnation? And we indeed justly; for we receive the due reward of our deeds: but this man hath done nothing amiss. 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. ❤
