Pray the word with David Platt is a resource from radical.net.

Luke chapter 23 verse 43

and Jesus said to him

truly I say to you,

Today you will be with me in Paradise.

How awesome is that?

Jesus says these words to this criminal hanging on a cross next to him.

We don't know much about this man what he has done that has led him to the cross, what are the

circumstances surrounding his life. We know though this man is a sinner before God and this man recognizes up in

verse 41 that he is receiving just punishment for something he has done wrong. He says we are

receiving the due reward of our deeds. He realizes his guilt, he realizes there's

punishment consequence attached to that, but he knows Jesus

has done nothing wrong, and he knows Jesus is going to a kingdom, and so says Jesus remember me when you come into your kingdom.

Oh there is no clearer picture than this one right here that we cannot work our way to God, that we cannot work our way

into the kingdom of God, that we cannot work our way to heaven.

This man does nothing. He is about to die on a cross. He can't do anything but put

his trust in Jesus and that's what he does. He asks Jesus to save him. That's all he does. He asks Jesus to remember him when he comes into his kingdom, to save him, bring him into his kingdom.

And Jesus says,

Today I tell you, you will be with me in paradise.

What glorious truth!

That we can be saved from all our sins

before God by sins. Before God, by faith in Jesus. By grace through faith you have been saved. It is a gift of God, not by works so that no one can boast.

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