The Thief on the Cross - Page 9

jfrog · #81 03-06-2011, 08:15 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jfrog

If God is no respecter of persons then God is no respecter of the healthy or of the dying. Tell me why he will forgive and save the healthy but not the dying? I mean he is not a respecter of persons right?

bump for faithit.

jfrog · #82 03-06-2011, 08:20 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by faithit166

i cant speak if that man did or didnt, but thats not the point we are under a new covenant and we are commanded to obey the gospel everyone single one of us god is no respecter of persons imo

Actually that is my point. If the man was forgiven without fulfilling every little detail of the old covenant then why do you think God will only forgive in the new covenant when every little detail is fulfilled?

Further, I think you are using "God is no respecter of persons" the exact opposite of how it should be used. Jesus gave a parable once of a man who was hiring workers for his field. He hired some early in the day. He hired others later in the day. Obviously the ones hired earlier did more work. However at the end of the day he paid them all the same. God is no respecter of persons but its in the way that this parable portrays and not because he has the same requirements-reward scale for us all.

NotforSale · #83 03-06-2011, 10:14 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by faithit166

jfrog, i believe the only way a person has a chance of being saved is by obeying the gospel ,death the burial and the resurrection ,repentance baptism in jesus name for the remission of sins and recieving the gift of the holy ghost.imo a person who repents on their deathbed but has not carried out the gospel doesnt stand a chance i dont mean to sound harsh but we are no longer under the old law,but the new covenant i believe that god is no respecter of persons and if i am to obey the gospel then you have to obey it too,repentance alone does not save

Please clarify; Are ALL people who don't follow or believe what you say here, are they lost? (No maybes, yes or no.)

Sam · #84 03-06-2011, 02:30 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jfrog

Maybe Jesus Miraculously transported the cross and the thief who was on it to a waterhole and placed him under and said I baptize you in my name and then he transported him back to being beside him on the cross (almost instantly so no one noticed). Then maybe the thief did speak in tongues even though it wasn't recorded.

Maybe it happened that way? The bible never says it didn't! Can you believe it COULD have happened that way?

Or, it may have rained on the thief and that was considered baptism
and
maybe some of his last words were garbled enough to be considered "initial physical evidence"

since a testament is of force after men are dead and the thief died after the man Jesus had died.

RandyWayne · #85 03-06-2011, 05:14 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jfrog

Maybe Jesus Miraculously transported the cross and the thief who was on it to a waterhole and placed him under and said I baptize you in my name and then he transported him back to being beside him on the cross (almost instantly so no one noticed). Then maybe the thief did speak in tongues even though it wasn't recorded.

Maybe it happened that way? The bible never says it didn't! Can you believe it COULD have happened that way?

Sounds plausible, at least if you already believe in a young Earth and that God simply made everything look ancient. How is it any different?

Apprehended · #86 03-07-2011, 02:05 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Arphaxad

so what about the person that goes to church for the first time and hears a powerful message and gets moved to go to the altar and decides to turn his life around to Jesus, and dies unexpetedly the next day?

maybe I should clarify-he only heard a repentance message, didn't get baptized yet.

There is no absolution from sin except a trip to the water in the name of Jesus. There is a way to be saved. Jesus IS the way.

Apprehended · #87 03-07-2011, 02:15 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jfrog

Unless I'm mistaken the old testament had very strict guidelines on how to obtain forgiveness of sins. Did the man Jesus forgave fulfill any of those things that needed to be fulfilled in order to be forgiven?

The transitional period between law and grace during the ministry of Jesus was an exception period of time. Jesus said, "As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world. He that followeth me hath the light of life." See John 9:5 and John 8:12. It was a special dispensation that the prophets foresaw concerning the waning period of law and just before the new day dispensation which some of them said "evening time, there shall be light." (Zec. 4:7) Those that followed Jesus who died before the church dispensation began, had eternal life without regard to the law.

Jay · #88 03-07-2011, 02:30 PM

The thief performed a work that showed his repentant attitude as well as his faith in Christ. Does not Scripture record that he rebuked the other theif and then confess his sin? He then declared that Jesus was sinless, and requested pardon. He took Jesus to be his "sacrificial lamb", which would have fulfilled the requirement of the OT. Jesus said that He came to fulfill the Law, and this would be the perfect example of that.

deacon blues · #89 03-08-2011, 04:55 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Pressing-On

Yes, but the operative word would be "laborers". They got paid because they labored. They didn't just stand around watching everyone else do the work.

Salvation is not of works, the Word makes that statement plain. Christ's parable had nothing to do with works, it had to do with those who come to Jesus---who, by the way, DID ALL THE WORK---whether early or late, salvation will be granted to both.

deacon blues · #90 03-08-2011, 04:59 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Apprehended

I have no problem with the Savior's ability to save. The reason that I have little to no confidence in death-bed repentance is that there is no life given to repentance. Repentance begins with a change of mind but ends with a life bearing fruit (meat) of repentance. It cannot be true repentance at moments before death since this kind of repentance is under compulsion or emotional duress looking into an eternity without God. Therefore, the problem is not in the Savior's corner, it's in the sinner's corner.

A broken and contrite heart is enough fruit---even if one, under the duress of their ebbing life, prays for mercy. Will the rewards in heaven be different? Sure. Will the eternal life be the same? Yep.