Your Choice

Your Choice

“One of the criminals who hung there hurled insults at him: “Aren’t you the Christ? Save yourself and us!” 
  But the other criminal rebuked him. “Don’t you fear God,” he said, “since you are under the same sentence?  
We are punished justly, for we are getting what our deeds deserve. But this man has done nothing wrong.” 
Then he said, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.’” 
Jesus answered him, “I tell you the truth, today you will be with me in paradise.” 
                                                                                                                          Luke 23:39-43.
The above passage of scripture is Luke’s account of a conversation that went on between the two men who were crucified with Jesus and Jesus.
We see in those two criminals the choice every man and woman on upon hearing about Jesus must make.
One man doubting that Jesus was the Christ, the Messiah said to him if you are the Christ, “Save yourself and us!” in other words prove it by getting yourself and us down from these crosses.
This man wanted tangible proof that Jesus was who he claimed to be. He was thinking in terms of this life. Asking to escape death by Jesus getting them off the cross. This in this man’s mind would prove Jesus was the Messiah.
What this man didn’t realize that accepting Jesus as the Messiah, the Christ is an act of faith which the other criminal did.
The other criminal said,
“Don’t you fear God,” he said, “since you are under the same sentence?  
We are punished justly, for we are getting what our deeds deserve. But this man has done nothing wrong.”
Then he said, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.’”
This man did what all people everywhere must do. He accepted by faith that Jesus was the Christ, the messiah. He then confessed his sins. Admitting he was “getting what his deeds deserved”.
Then he asked Jesus to simply “remember me when you come into your kingdom.”
To which Jesus replied
 “I tell you the truth, today you will be with me in paradise.” 
In other words that man had his sins forgiven and got to heaven.
This is the message Christians everywhere want the world to hear.
First of all we must have faith in God and Jesus. The writer of Hebrews stating,
“Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see.” 
                                                                                                                                 Hebrews 11:1
“And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.”
                                                                                                                 Hebrews 11:6.
Then we must admit we fall short of what God wants for our life. That we are sinners.
 The apostle Paul wrote,
“for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,”
                                                                                       Romans 3:23
We must confess our sins directly to God,
The apostle John writes,
“If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.  
If we claim we have not sinned, we make him out to be a liar and his word has no place in our lives.” 
1 John 1:9-10.
My question to you the reader is do you believe this. I say this because if I am right and I believe I am. Then your eternal resting place, rests on your decision.
Please think about it.