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Luke 23:39-43: “One of the criminals who were hanged [with Jesus] railed at Him, 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.’” (ESV – all emphasis is mine).
If anyone needs an explanation of the two paths to eternity and the definition of “the Christ,” this is demonstrated very well in the above verses.
According to Wikipedia, “Christ” means “The Messiah” or “The Anointed One.” This title signifies that Jesus is God’s “Chosen One,” not His last name. It refers to the fulfillment of Old Testament prophecies, which designates Jesus as the Divine Son of God, who redeems humanity. Without Him, all of us would be hopelessly lost forever.
As for death by crucifixion, this was developed by the Romans and was the most inhumane way ever to be put to death. Unlike Jesus, who was taken down from His cross and put in a tomb, most victims were either left until their bodies deteriorated or were just thrown on an open trash heap. It should be noted that those who were crucified were nailed to their crosses naked, and this applied to male and female alike.
Mark 15:42-46 tells us that Jesus’ burial was not the norm:
“And when evening had come, since it was the day of preparation, that is the day before the sabbath, Joseph of Arimathea, a respected member of the council, who was also himself looking for the Kingdom of God, took courage and went to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus. Pilate was surprised to hear that He should have already died. And summoning the Centurion, he asked him whether He was already dead. And when he learned from the Centurion that He was dead, he granted the corpse to Joseph. And Joseph bought a linen shroud, and taking Him down, wrapped Him in the linen shroud, and laid Him in a tomb that had been cut out of the rock. And he rolled a stone against the entrance of the tomb.”
As for the two criminals who were crucified beside our Savior, we’re not given any further details other than that their legs were broken to speed their deaths. The soldiers did not break the legs of Jesus, which was also a fulfillment of Bible prophecy (Exodus 12:46; Psalm 34:20).
The main message we can determine about the eternity of the two criminals is that one was lost and one was saved. The criminal who did not repent represents the broad path leading to destruction, as given in Matthew 7:13-14. The one who asked Jesus for Salvation represents the straight and narrow path in those verses. Jesus Himself stated more would be on the broad path than the straight and narrow. Also, their eternities were determined as they took their last breath. After that breath is taken, eternity is set for that soul.
The ABCs of Salvation were followed by the repentant criminal, as he Admitted he deserved his punishment, and Believed that Jesus was his Lord and Savior, and Called out for Jesus to save him. Jesus accepted his confession and saw that the criminal actually believed in Him, and told him that he would be in Paradise with Jesus that very day.
We were told in numerous books of the Bible that in the last days there would be numerous false prophets and antichrists doing Satan’s work of trying to lead souls away from our Savior.
In 1 Peter 5:8, we read, “Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary, the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.”
For those who refuse to receive and accept Jesus as their Savior, 1 Corinthians 1:18 definitely applies: “For the word of the cross is folly to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved, it is the Power of God.”
And of course, 2 Timothy 4:3-4: “For the time is coming when people will not endure sound teaching, but having itching ears they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own passions, and will turn away from listening to the truth and wander off into myths.”
In today’s world, Christians are being persecuted at an accelerating rate. In some areas of the world, just saying that a person has become a Christian is a death sentence. Even in America, Christians are being discriminated against for not accepting lifestyles that the Bible says are sinful. In some areas, foster parents are having kids removed from their homes for speaking against all the “alphabet” groups.
None of all that is taking place is surprising for our Heavenly Father, His Son Jesus, and the Holy Spirit. John 15:18-19: “If the world hates you, know that it hated Me before it hated you. If you were of the world, the world would love you as its own; but because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you.”
Then John 16:33: “I have said these things to you that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.”
For anyone who believes they have sinned so badly that they cannot be forgiven, you are actually calling the Heavenly Father a liar. Joel 2:32, Acts 2:21 and Romans 10:13 state that ALL who call on the name of the Lord will be saved.
And even after receiving and accepting Jesus as Savior, all will still sin (Romans 3:10; Romans 3:23 and Romans 6:23). This goes back all the way to the Garden of Eden when all of us were “infected” by that first sin. However, 1 John 1:8-10 tells us the Father will forgive us when we do sin and confess them to Him.
Finally, for all the “new world” people who are trying to say there are many ways to Heaven, and you can get there without Jesus as your Savior, there are numerous verses that tell us if we don’t have the Father, we don’t have the Son; but if we do have the Son, we also have the Father.
The choice is absolutely yours to make. God will honor all who truly receive and accept His Son. Likewise, all who refuse to do so will be given a place at the Great White Throne Judgment of Revelation 20:11-15. Because we do not know the actual day, hour, or even minute that this era will end, it would be the best decision anyone will ever make to call on Jesus to be their Savior even as early as today. Once your last breath on this earth is taken for whatever reason, your eternity is set. Heaven or the lake of fire forever. No other choice exists.
Please choose wisely! Maranatha – Come, Lord Jesus!
The post Last Breath Determines Eternal Location :: By Dennis Huebshman appeared first on Rapture Ready.
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