Why the Thief on the Cross Was Saved

Praise the Lord Jesus Christ. I want to talk about the thief on the cross.

Before we do, I want to pray.

Lord Jesus, I pray God that you will help me today to edify your people.

I pray that you will give me divine unction and utterance, and that you will

open the hearts of the people to receive your words.

In Jesus' name we give thanks. Amen.

Praise God. You know, it's a very big topic. People talk about the thief on

the cross all the time, Especially when people try to justify not being baptized

Or not having the Holy Ghost So.

Do we need to be baptized?

Do we need the Holy Ghost to be saved?

If we go to John 3, verse 5 It says, except a man be born of water and the Spirit

John 3:5

He cannot enter into the kingdom of God,

So how come the thief was able to get in when he was not born again.

It's not that hard to understand, praise God. It's simple.

He was in a different period of time. You can call it a dispensation.

When there's different dispensations in the Bible.

For example, if we go back to the first dispensation, it was a dispensation

called innocence because Adam and Eve were, when they were first created,

they didn't sin yet. They're in a state of innocence.

But then once they sinned, they now went into a different dispensation,

a different period of time in which now God is going to deal with man.

So now that they sinned, they went into a dispensation called conscience.

So they now had a conscience towards good and evil because they didn't know the difference before.

So it's a different platform.

So we live in a dispensation called grace.

So knowing that there's a timeline, then there's the dispensation of the law

and so forth. So there's different dispensations throughout the Bible.

So the reason why the thief on the cross got in and he wasn't baptized and filled,

was because it wasn't his dispensation.

When did the new covenant really come into place?

It came into place on the day of Pentecost because the Holy Ghost was not yet

given. How do I know that? John chapter 7, I'm going to read verse 37 to 39.

John 7 · chapter mention

It says, In the last day, the great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried,

saying, If any man thirst, let him come unto me and drink.

He that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said, out of his belly shall

flow rivers of living water.

But pay attention now, verse 39 says, But this spake he of the Spirit,

which they that believe on him should receive.

For the Holy Ghost was not yet given.

Did you hear that? Not yet given. Why? Because that Jesus was not yet glorified,

which means he was not yet resurrected.

So this is why the thief was able to get in and he wasn't, that doesn't mean

that we don't need to be baptized and we don't need to be filled with the Holy Ghost.

He lived in a different dispensation. He lived in a different period of time

that God allowed, even in his dispensation, God can have mercy on whom he will.

The scripture says that. I'm going to read that for you.

Romans chapter 9, verse 15.

Romans 9:15

Let's go there. So we can understand God can do whatever he wants. That's why he's God.

He will have mercy on whom he will. Because even according to the law,

that man deserved to die. That man deserved to go to hell.

But God can do what he wants, when he wants, how he wants Praise God So,

chapter 9 verse 15 says It says.

For he saith to Moses, I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy,

and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion.

So God can do what he wants. And at that time, God allowed him.

But that doesn't change the fact that we are commanded by God now because we're

in a different dispensation.

Remember, I'm going to show you in the Bible. So when did our dispensation start?

Well, the day that the scriptures could be fulfilled of being born of the water and the spirit.

So to be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ, to be filled with the spirit.

That day did not happen or could not happen until the spirit was poured out.

And that's what happened on the day of Pentecost. So if we go to Acts chapter 1.

Acts 1 · chapter mention

I want to read 1 to 8 because I want to show you that the day didn't come yet.

And this was an appointed day. So this is why the thief was able to get in.

And this is why the dispensation didn't start yet.

So it says, The former treaties have I made, O Theophilus, of all that Jesus

began both to do and teach,

until the day in which he was taken up, after that he, through the Holy Ghost,

had given commandments unto the apostles whom he had chosen.

So God's chosen men of God.

To whom, listen to this, to whom also he shewed himself alive after what his

passion by many infallible proofs, being seen of them 40 days and speaking of

the things pertaining to the kingdom of God.

So God was speaking to them. This is after he's been resurrected.

He's been resurrected. He came back to talk to them for 40 days,

telling them how the kingdom of God works. Now look what he says.

So now he's commanding them, you need to wait for the promise.

The promise was the comforter. And that promise is what? The Holy Ghost.

The comforter is the Holy Ghost, according to John. So then he says.

For John shall be baptized with water, but ye shall be baptized with the Holy

Ghost, not many days hence. Which means they didn't receive it yet.

They're waiting for this promise.

Now look. When they therefore were come together, they asked of him,

saying, Lord, will thou at this time restore again the kingdom to Israel?

And he said unto them, It is not for you to know the times or the seasons,

which the Father hath put in his own power. Now look at verse 8.

But ye shall receive power after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you.

And ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem and in all Judea and in

Samaria and unto the uttermost part of the earth.

So it was an appointed time. Now when we get to Acts chapter 2,

Acts 2 · chapter mention

we're going to read from verse 1 to 4.

And this is when the new covenant has begun. Because this is when the Holy Ghost.

How can it be a commandment by God to be born of the Spirit if we can't receive

His Spirit because He's not given it yet?

So again, it's an appointed time. So we got to understand the context of the

scriptures. So now watch.

So Acts chapter 2, I'm going to read from verse 1 to 4. And when the day of

Acts 2 · chapter mention

Pentecost was fully come, they were all with one accord in one place.

And suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind,

and it filled all the house where they were sitting.

And there appeared unto them cloven tongues like as a fire, And it sat upon each of them.

And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost and began to speak with other tongues

as the Spirit gave them utterance.

So this is the day. It didn't happen before.

So it happened after the resurrection.

After the 40 days, he was speaking to them. Then he said, wait in Jerusalem for this promise.

So the day that that happened, that's the day. How do we know this?

That's the day it was required for us to be born again.

Because that's the day Peter preached the very first message of the church age. The new dispensation.

What did he say to them? They asked the question. Let's go to Acts chapter 2. And if you read verse 37.

Acts 2 · chapter mention

After, we'll read from verse 36. It says.

I'll do another video to talk about Jesus is Lord and Christ.

Which means Jesus was the almighty God. He was the father wrapped in flesh.

So that's a whole nother topic. But after he said that, look what it says.

It says, now when they heard this, they were pricked in their heart and said

unto Peter and to the rest of the apostles, men and brethren, what shall we do?

What shall we do now that we realize that we crucified the Lord of glory?

What shall we do now that we recognize we're sinners?

So what's the plan of salvation? What do we do? So the same answer Peter gives

in the next verse is the same answer for us today.

The gospel hasn't changed. It's the same yesterday, today. God is the same.

We haven't entered in a different dispensation.

We're still in the gospel of being born of water and spirit.

We're still in the church age. So that means we have to follow the exact same thing.

And what did he say? Verse 38. He said, Then Peter said unto them,

Repent and be baptized. How?

Every one of you. So that's everybody. Everybody.

In the name of Jesus Christ, not in titles, Father, Son, Holy Ghost,

but in the name of Jesus Christ. Why?

For the remission, the removal of sins, and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.

Born of water, born of spirit.

This is the message of the church, age.

So this is the gospel, that we have to die to ourselves. Just as Jesus died, Jesus was buried.

He was buried and then resurrected. So we die to self because Jesus said,

if you're going to, you have to deny yourself, pick up your cross and follow

me. So we die to self-will.

Then we're buried with him through baptism is what the scriptures teach.

And then it says, as Jesus was resurrected, we need to be resurrected.

With what? With the spirit of God.

Because we were spiritually dead before this. But now when we receive his spirit,

we become spiritually alive again.

And that's why I said, out of your belly shuffle, rivers of what?

Living water. So that's for everybody.

Praise God. So I hope that's clear. I hope you can understand why the thief got in.

So don't think that we don't need to be baptized and we don't need the Holy

Ghost. You need those things to be saved.

The scriptures can't lie. Keep things in proper context.

Praise God. Any questions, let me know in the comments. God bless you. Have a wonderful day.