Salvation Summaries

Most people likely view heaven as a reward for people who are good, or who have done more good than bad things.  Doing good things is certainly something a Christian should do (Ephesians 2:10; Mt 25:35-40; Luke 6:46-49), as is seeking to know and do God’s will (Mt 7:21), but that is not how one becomes saved. The criminal on the cross is a clear example of this.

Two Criminals

All four gospel books mention Jesus’ crucifixion with two criminals (some translations say “thieves” or “robbers”), though John and Mark contain relatively little about it.  Matthew focuses on an earlier aspect of the criminals, with Luke a later one. As such, I will show the relevant verses from Matthew first, and then those from Luke.

Matthew

Matthew 27:38-44 38 Two criminals were crucified with him, their crosses on either side of his. 39 And the people passing by shouted abuse, shaking their heads in mockery. 40 “So! You can destroy the Temple and build it again in three days, can you? Well then, if you are the Son of God, save yourself and come down from the cross!” 41 The leading priests, the teachers of religious law, and the other leaders also mocked Jesus. 42 “He saved others,” they scoffed, “but he can’t save himself! So he is the king of Israel, is he? Let him come down from the cross, and we will believe in him! 43 He trusted God– let God show his approval by delivering him! For he said, ‘I am the Son of God.’” 44 And the criminals who were crucified with him also shouted the same insults at him.

Luke

Luke 23:39-43  39 One of the criminals who hung there hurled insults at him: “Aren’t you the Christ? Save yourself and us!” 40 But the other criminal rebuked him. “Don’t you fear God,” he said, “since you are under the same sentence? 41 We are punished justly, for we are getting what our deeds deserve. But this man has done nothing wrong.” 42 Then he said, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.” 43 Jesus answered him, “I tell you the truth, today you will be with me in paradise.”

Here is what we know and can deduce from reading the above verses:

• There were two criminals, one on each side of Jesus.

• Both had done enough bad things in their life to warrant the death penalty via crucifixion.
  • Thus, we can assume that they had done more bad than good things in their life, and would not be going to heaven when they died.

• Both initially mocked Jesus.
  • As a result, neither one would have been a Christian when they first hung on their cross, for a true Christian would not have mocked his Savior.

• One of the criminals changed his attitude toward Jesus while on the cross.
  • He began by mocking and insulting Jesus like the other criminal did, but later rebuked him for doing so.
  • He feared God, and rebuked the other criminal for not fearing Him. He realized that they were suffering justly for their deeds, but Jesus had done nothing wrong for his punishment.
  • He believed Jesus was a King and would soon be going to His Kingdom.
  • He asked Jesus to remember him when He came into His kingdom.
  • He believed Jesus had the ability to take him into His kingdom.

The Conversion of One Criminal

One criminal went from mocking and insulting Jesus to hearing Jesus tell him, “Today, you will be with me in paradise.”  As such, he went from being unsaved to saved – that much we know.

Most Bible verses about salvation contain one or more terms or phrases that relate to how one becomes saved, such as the need to believe, have faith, repent, or come to Jesus, etc., but the verses above do not specifically mention any of these. Does that mean the criminal was not saved? No, for Jesus’ response to him (“Today, you will be with me in paradise”), clearly shows that he was.

The question is, “What did the criminal do to become saved?”  The short answer is that he developed a fear of God over his sinful way of life, repented from his sins, realized who Jesus really was (a King who would be coming into His Kingdom), and asked Jesus to have mercy on (to save) him.  All of this took place while he was hanging on the cross.

The following is the progression I believe likely took place that led to the criminal’s conversion.

• He observed Jesus’ response to others. The criminal would have observed how Jesus reacted to those who mocked Him, to the soldiers who cast lots to determine who got His clothes, and to the injustice of being crucified for doing nothing wrong. But rather than express hatred or anger, Jesus showed compassion, and asked that God the Father would forgive those who knew not what they were doing (Luke 23:34).  An ordinary man would not have acted in this way, and this would have made an impression upon the criminal.

• He reconsidered who Jesus was. The criminal had heard others mock Jesus on who He claimed to be – the Christ, Son of God, Chosen One, King of Israel and King of the Jews (Luke 23:35-39; Matthew 27:39-40) – and he likely began to wonder whether all of these titles were true. Maybe Jesus was not an ordinary man, but a King, and not just a King, but the Son of God?  Maybe all of the stories he had heard about Jesus performing miracles of healing, of raising people from the dead, and of forgiving their sins, were all likewise true?  I believe the reality of who Jesus really was sank deeper into his mind until he knew the truth: Jesus was not merely a man; He was all of these (Christ, Son of God, Chosen One, King of Israel and the Jews) who would soon have his own kingdom.

• He began to compare his sinful way of life to Jesus’ sinless life. The criminal began to more clearly see how sinful his life had been and the just punishment he deserved compared to Jesus’ lack of sinfulness and the unjust penalty He was receiving. This contrast also supported his new view that Jesus was not merely a man.

• He developed a fear of God over the bad things he had done. After thinking about all of the bad things he had done in his life, the criminal likely began to realize that God would punish him for these things. This led to a fear of God, as evidenced by his rebuke of the other criminal (“Don’t you fear God.”). According to the ISBE Bible dictionary, fear of God is a feeling of reverent regard for God, tempered with awe and fear of punishment of disobedience.  Also, according to the Bible, a fear of God is something a person must have in order to be saved; no fear of God describes people who are not saved.

• He repented.  After realizing who Jesus really was, how sinful his life had been, and the judgement he would receive from a God he now feared, the criminal at this point likely confessed his sins and sought forgiveness.  According to Jesus, a person must repent of their sins in order to be saved (Luke 13:3, 5).

• He turned to Jesus.  After silently confessing his sins, the criminal turned to Jesus for mercy and forgiveness (e.g., “Remember me.”).  According to the Bible, all who call upon the name of the Lord will be saved, and I believe this is what the criminal, in essence, did.  Jesus, seeing the criminal’s new belief in Him as Savior, forgave him of his past sins, and granted him eternal life.

Conclusion

The story of the two criminals on the cross next to Jesus shows us that a person can become saved even if they have been a bad rather than good person.  It also shows us that salvation is not based upon one’s past deeds.

One of the criminals died as a saved person; the other did not.  The saved criminal had a complete change of mind (repented) about who Jesus really was. He developed a fear of God. He saw how sinful his life had been relative to a perfect savior.  He sought mercy from Jesus to save him, and Jesus did so on account of his repentance and faith in Him.

In John 4:10, Jesus told the Samaritan woman, “If you knew the gift of God and who it is that asks you for a drink, you would have asked him and he would have given you living water.”  The saved criminal, parched for something to drink as he hung on a cross, received living water from Jesus upon realizing who He was, what He could offer, and asking Him for it.

Several stanzas and the chorus from the hymn, God’s Grace (I like the version by Sovereign Grace Music), summarize how the criminal became saved:

• Grace, grace, God’s grace,
• Grace that will pardon and cleanse within,
• Grace, grace, God’s grace,
• Grace that is greater than all our sin

• Dark is the stain that we cannot hide,
• What can avail to wash it away,
• Look! There is flowing a crimson tide,
• Whiter than snow you may be today,

• Grace, grace, God’s grace,
• Grace that will pardon and cleanse within,
• Grace, grace, God’s grace,
• Grace that is greater than all our sin

• “Marvelous, infinite, matchless grace,
• Freely bestowed on all who believe,
• All who are longing to see his face,
• Will you this moment his grace receive?