It has been well said that sin dares God’s justice, it is the rape of His mercy, the jeer of His patience, the slight of His power, and the contempt of His love.

Romans 3 reminds us “all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God."  One of the 2 thieves first mocked Jesus but then, with deaths breath mocking the thief to his face, he repented of his irreverence, owned his deserving guilt and pleaded with the Son of God to remember him in His Kingdom! What a sobering realization! Scripture records only 7 of Jesus’ statements, this being one, made by the Christ while displayed in shame! Jesus’ response was that the thief would be with Him in Paradise this very day!! Who dares to save as they are martyred? Who can guarantee our forgiveness and pardon for sin? Jesus is reminding us that we cannot earn Heaven and none of us deserves to be so blessed. Yet He is securing our redemption by killing death by His death!

We can only be saved by Jesus’ lavish gift of Salvation, His works must be credited to our account, and our sins to His! We cannot improve on His finished work, only His sinless blood can pay our sins in full! We, like the thief, are beggars with nothing of value to offer, we must confess our unworthiness and His immense worth! To claim some goodness of our own on judgment day belittles our egregious evil, profanes the blood of His covenant, outrages the Spirit of Grace and exalts ourselves as deserving. His grace is only Amazing because this drama is so preposterous! Do not forget your place.

Now fall before Him as you beg Him who is worthy for what you do not deserve!