"Aiming to glorify God by calling and equipping people to be fully devoted followers of Jesus Christ"

There is one question that is more important than any other.
It may be put in different ways:

• How can I become a genuine Christian?
• How can I receive the salvation that Jesus offers?
• How can I have eternal life?

However the question is phrased, it is the most important question anyone can ever ask. The Bible tells us how Jesus Christ enabled one man to know the answer for certain.

In Luke 23:39-43 we are told of the day Jesus died. Jesus and 2 criminals were each nailed to a cross. One criminal did 3 things to receive the salvation that Jesus offers.

1) He acknowledged his position before God
    39 One of the criminals who hung there hurled insults at him (Jesus): "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 …

This second criminal accepted that he was approaching the last moments of his life. He realised that soon he would come face to face with his Maker and he acknowledged that he was not prepared.

To help us acknowledge our own position before God, it is useful to see something that is recorded earlier in Luke’s Gospel. Here we see that God’s Law says, Love the Lord Your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your strength and with all your mind, and love your neighbour as yourself. (chapter 10 verse 27)

Of course, who of us can say that we have fully loved God and other people as we should?

To acknowledge our position before God is to admit we’ve broken God’s Law. This means we are criminals before God. The Bible calls this sin.

We need to ask ourselves, 'Have we ever acknowledged this?'

That's what one criminal on the cross did. It's an essential first step in receiving the salvation that Jesus offers.

2) He realised Jesus was innocent
     The criminal said of Jesus (v41b),… this man has done nothing wrong

If we read through the Gospel accounts we see that Jesus lived perfectly in every way. He always loved God His Father and loved others as God’s Law requires.

We must ask, 'Have we realised the innocence and sinless perfection of Jesus’ life?'

Jesus was completely innocent and so He did not die for anything that He had done wrong. This means His death must have been for another purpose.

This leads us to a final thing that the criminal came to accept.

3) He accepted that Jesus is King (with a kingdom)
    "Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom." (v42)

At that moment Jesus may not have looked like a king. Yet He was acting in kingly power to defeat sin and death. He did this by dying Himself on the cross. Jesus died to take the punishment for the sins of other people (like the criminal).

We have to ask, 'Have we accepted what King Jesus did on the cross?'

Some of this may be new to you, but someone does not have to know any more than this to become a Christian. This criminal didn’t know very much – but he knew enough.

All anyone needs to know is that:

For all who will accept this, there is a great promise (v43) Jesus answered him, "I tell you the truth, today you will be with me in paradise."

Jesus promised this man access to His Kingdom. It is striking that Jesus describes His eternal Kingdom as Paradise . It’s the most perfect place because it’s with Jesus. It is promised to all who will do what this criminal did.

We cannot leave these verses without remembering that there were two criminals dying on a cross. Only one turned to Jesus for salvation. For the other there was no promise of paradise with Jesus. For him there was only the dreadful prospect of separation from Jesus and His paradise for all eternity.

No wonder the question, 'How can I receive the salvation that Jesus offers?' is the most important question anyone can ever ask.

Ask yourself two final questions,

1) 'Have I acknowledged the same things that the criminal did?'

2) 'Do I want to know for certain that I have been saved to spend eternity with
       Jesus Christ?'

If so, here is a prayer that you could pray.

Lord Jesus,
I acknowledge my position before God – that I have broken God’s Law.
I thank You that You came and lived a perfect life and died in my place.
Please save me for Your heavenly paradise.
With Your help may I live with You as my King – now and forever.
Amen

If you have prayed that prayer, I would love to hear from you. You can contact me via this website or by email: office@eefc.co.uk or by telephoning
the Church Office on 020 8363 3354.

David Williams

If you would like to consider the Bible’s message further, why not investigate the Two Ways to Live website.