A lesson from the thief on the cross.
One of the criminals who hung there hurled insults at him: “Aren’t you the Messiah? Save yourself and us!” But the other criminal rebuked him. “Don’t you fear God,” he said, “since you are under the same sentence? We are punished justly, for we are getting what our deeds deserve. But this man has done nothing wrong.” Then he said, “Jesus, remember me when you come into Your kingdom.” Jesus answered him, “Truly I tell you, today you will be with Me in paradise.”
Luke 23:39-43
The thief didn’t die on the cross.
No. He died the moment he KNEW THE TRUTH. The moment he accepted that Jesus was exactly who He said He was.
In that moment, Jesus set him free.
Though he’d lived a life of sin, Jesus welcomed him into Paradise. He was reborn into THE TRUTH and NEW LIFE.
We are like the thief on the cross.
We’re born into the bondage of sin and given the same opportunity to KNOW.
Freedom from bondage is found only in Christ. “I am the way, THE TRUTH, and the life: no one comes to the Father, except through Me.” John 14:6.
Will we reject THE TRUTH?
Or accept it?
When does your truth become THE TRUTH?
The moment you KNOW it.
When does THE TRUTH set you FREE?
The moment you ACCEPT it.
When we obey the Word of God and live as Christ teaches us to live, we grow in Spiritual Grace and in the Spirit and Truth that sets us free.
John 8:32
THE TRUTH THAT SETS US FREE
Two thieves hung on a cross,
clinging to this life.
One consumed with darkness,
the other filled with light.
“If You are the Savior,
save us from this fate.
Remove us from this cross,
and the suffering we face.”
“Do you not fear God?
This man has done nothing.
We deserve this anguish,
and our suffering.”
He turned his face to Jesus,
“Lord, remember me,
When you enter Paradise,
Though I am unworthy.
I am but a sinner,
who wasted his whole life,
serving my own selfish needs,
never choosing right.”
Then Jesus turned His face to him,
without any condemnation.
Instead, He offered him THE TRUTH,
“It’s not too late to seek salvation.”
“Truly, truly, I say to you,
on this very day you’ll see,
The Kingdom of My Father,
When you enter there with me.”
Two thieves hung on a cross,
separated by THE TRUTH,
one clung to the darkness,
the other finally KNEW,
that he was in the presence,
of the One God sent to save,
the captive from the sting of death,
and the darkness of the grave.
When does THE TRUTH
become your own?
The moment that you KNOW it.
When does the THE TRUTH
set your soul FREE?
The moment you ACCEPT it.
The thief died on his cross that day.
His body ceased to breathe.
But death would never claim his soul.
For the TRUTH had set him FREE.
JN Fenwick (© 2025) | mothjournal14
JN Fenwick (© 2024-2025) | mothjournal14 | All rights reserved. | I DO NOT WALK THIS RECOVERY JOURNEY ALONE.
I’m JN Fenwick.
Wife, mom, but more importantly, a recovering alcoholic with a grateful heart. For years, I struggled, not just with alcohol, but with an eating disorder and the burdens of guilt and shame. On March 22, 2018, I surrendered my life to Christ. I was 51. God did not forsake me. He welcomed me, as undeserving as I am. He did not see my brokenness. Instead, He saw my potential. My Recovery Journey is one of Faith. From the ashes of my failures, God built a fire in me. A fire that guides each step I take. My journey is yours. My healing can be yours, too. God is a mighty warrior. You can take comfort in the promise that the Lord will fight for you and grant you peace. | Exodus 14:14.
Discover more from mothjournal14
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
