Paradise as a Gift of God’s Grace

“We believe that through the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ we shall be saved.” [1]

Peter and the apostles believed that they were saved eternally by the grace of our Lord Jesus.

What about you?

Are you trusting in your own merits? What you have done or what you have not done? Or are you trusting in the grace of our Lord Jesus to give you eternal life in paradise?

Rewards in this world are so often based on performance. A person might even rate their own life's worth based on how well they do at something. But can you ever have peace with God when you are trusting in your performance? God made and sustains the whole universe. Who can impress God? And what if you were incapacitated to do anything for yourself or others? Would you still be a life worthy of life?

Once, a criminal rebuked another criminal for blaspheming Jesus. He confessed that they were worthy of death, but that Jesus was innocent. In this way, he transferred his hope of salvation from self-performance to faith in the merits of Christ to save him. He addressed Jesus as Lord. He asked Jesus to bring him to paradise. Jesus granted his request.

The believing criminal exhibited amazing faith in Christ. Jesus can save me when I have nothing to offer Him but a broken and messed up life. He can save me when many people are insulting and mocking Him. He can save me when He is about to die on a cross. Jesus can bring me to paradise if I simply ask Him to do so.

Below is the exact exchange:

“Then one of the criminals who were hanged blasphemed Him, saying, ‘If You are the Christ, save Yourself and us.’

But the other, answering, rebuked him, saying, ‘Do you not even fear God, seeing you are under the same condemnation? And we indeed justly, for we receive the due reward of our deeds; but this Man has done nothing wrong.’ Then he said to Jesus, ‘Lord, remember me when You come into Your kingdom.’

And Jesus said to him, ‘Assuredly, I say to you, today you will be with Me in Paradise.’” [2]

He admitted that he was a sinner and that he needed Jesus. Most everyone else was doubting and cursing Jesus. He believed that Jesus would be entering an eternal kingdom. He wanted Jesus to remember him.

“Jesus said to him, ‘Assuredly, I say to you, today you will be with Me in Paradise.’”

I hope that you, like me, have experienced the miracle of saving faith in Jesus. He forgives all our sins when we ask Him to do so, and He gives us eternal life as a gift of grace when we trust in Him.

[1] Acts 15:11
[2] Luke 23:39-43