Today

The last couple of weeks I've been reading about and meditating on the cross in preparation for Easter.  The Lord has been opening my eyes to the depth and horror of what He endured for me- what He endured for all who would believe in Him- and He has been teaching me a lot about His love, not just for the world, but for individual people.

Tonight, as we read through crucifixion accounts in my small group, the Lord took my breath away with this reminder of the power and sufficiency of faith for salvation through the story of one individual on a cross next to Jesus:

One of the criminals who were hanged there was hurling abuse at Him, saying, "Are You not the Christ? Save Yourself and us!"

 But the other answered, and rebuking him said, "Do you not even fear God, since you are under the same sentence of condemnation?

 "And we indeed are suffering justly, for we are receiving what we deserve for our deeds; but this man has done nothing wrong."

 And he was saying, "Jesus, remember me when You come in Your kingdom!"

 And He said to him, 

"Truly I say to you, today you shall be with Me in Paradise." 

-Luke 23:39-43-

That last line brings the chills and tears. What an INCREDIBLE picture of the sufficiency of faith in Christ for salvation. The second thief recognizes that he deserves what he's getting, that Jesus doesn't at all, and that Jesus is from the heavenly kingdom and is returning there. He asks Jesus to help him, to remember him, and Jesus grants it to him.

Right then.

Right there. 

"Today you shall be with me in Paradise."

I fall more in love with Jesus reading those words. They stir up such a longing for that day when I will be with Him in heaven. They leave me in awe of His great love for people and His evident desire for them just to recognize who He is and what He did for their sake.  They remind me that the moment I accepted Him, He made that same promise to me- that I would be with Him in paradise.

It's almost too much to bear sometimes- thinking about God giving me a place in paradise, when what I deserve is a place in hell. His love really is, like the hymn 'How Deep the Father's Love for Us' says, "vast beyond all measure".  

I pray that this never stops giving me chills- that I never delude myself into thinking I "get" the Gospel and can move past it. 

I pray that I never stop seeing myself in that thief on the cross- a wretch who became a treasure in one glorious, faith drenched instant. 

And I pray that if you've never done what the thief did, that you will look at Christ and all that He has done, and do just that. 

Today.