Acknowledging Your Guilt

Luke 23:39-43 ESV
39 One of the criminals who were hanged railed at him, saying, “Are you not the Christ? Save yourself and us!” 40 But the other rebuked him, saying, “Do you not fear God, since you are under the same sentence of condemnation? 41 And we indeed justly, for we are receiving the due reward of our deeds; but this man has done nothing wrong.” 42 And he said, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.” 43 And he said to him, “Truly, I say to you, today you will be with me in Paradise.”


Verses 40-41 really show the heart of this thief. Though he was a criminal and sentenced to death, he still acknowledged that his punishment was just. How often do we reap the consequences of our mistakes and we cry "unfair"?

Now, really take this to heart - can you honestly look at the sins in your life and believe that you justly deserve death? Even though we have trusted in Christ, I believe some of us actually don't grasp that just one sin in our life earns death - eternal separation from God the father.

Back to the criminal on the cross - he blamed no one but himself. He believed he deserved death. But he also believed Jesus was who He claimed to be - the Messiah. The criminal didn't have a fancy prayer covering all the points of salvation, he just looked at Jesus and asked Him to remember him when Jesus came into His kingdom.

And this may be the best way to come to Jesus - don't try to fix your life before you approach Jesus. Just come clean with Him. Let Him know that you understand that some of your actions have made you deserving of death - justly deserving of death. Confessing your sin actually means that you are agreeing with God about sin. Coming clean in this instance is agreeing with God about sin and the consequences of sin.

And the second part of this is just as important. Asking to be included in Jesus' kingdom. You are acknowledging Christ for who He is (believing with your heart and confessing with your mouth that Jesus is Lord).

Do you agree with God of what you deserve for sin? If so, how much more should you praise Jesus for taking away that consequence? For taking away the wage of sin? For giving us eternal life through Him? For becoming part of His kingdom?