Todd Johnson

Family Pastor

Luke 23:39-43

“One of the criminals who were hanged railed at him,[d] saying, “Are you not the Christ? Save yourself and us!” But the other rebuked him, saying, “Do you not fear God, since you are under the same sentence of condemnation?  And we indeed justly, for we are receiving the due reward of our deeds; but this man has done nothing wrong.” And he said, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.” And he said to him, “Truly, I say to you, today you will be with me in paradise.”

So many people have a hard time believing that you can have eternal life just by accepting Christ as your Savior. Our minds have a hard time grasping that truth. We struggle with thinking there must be something that I have to do like good works, donate money, save the world to be able to receive the gift of eternal life. These verses are powerful as Jesus tells a criminal that he will join Him in paradise today. This criminal may have never done a single good deed in his life, yet God’s love is so forgiving and full of grace and mercy that because he asked for it, he will receive it.

I know that I am guilty of not wanting to befriend people who look and act so different from me and I forget that everyone can receive God’s love. I am working on trying to look at the world through God’s eyes and not mine. I pray for a compassionate heart and boldness to share Jesus with people I encounter. I may not understand God’s mercy, but I need to be a person who will tell others about Him. It is never too late for someone to come to know the Lord as their personal Savior. Who has God placed in your life right now that you struggle with wanting to talk to or have a relationship with because they are just too different from you? Pray that God will soften your heart and use you to lead others to Him. None of us deserve eternity but thankfully the Lord sent His only son to die on that cross to forgive us for our sins so we can be with Him in eternity. Share the Good News today!