Wednesday, March 21, 2007

3-21-07 One More Soul "Luke 23:39-43"

Memory Verse: Luke 23:43 And Jesus said unto him, Verily I say unto thee, To day shalt thou be with me in paradise.

J.C. Ryle calls the dying thief "Christ's greatest trophy." Of the thief's salvation, he writes: If ever there was a soul hovering on the brink of hell, it was the soul of this thief. If ever there was a case that seemed lost, gone, and past recovery, it was his. If ever there was a child of Adam whom the devil made sure of as his own, it was this man.

"But see now what happened. He ceased to rail and blaspheme, as he had done at the first: he began to speak in another manner altogether. He turned to our blessed Lord in prayer. He prayed to Jesus to 'remember him when he came into His kingdom.' He asked that his soul might be cared for, his sins pardoned, and himself thought of in another world. Truly this was a wonderful change!

"And then mark what kind of answer he received. Some would have said he was too wicked a man to be saved; but it was not so. Some would have fancied it was too late: The door shut, and there was no room for mercy; but it proved not too late at all. . .

"I believe the Lord Jesus never gave so complete a proof of His power and will to save, as He did on this occasion. In the day when He seemed most weak, He showed that He was a strong deliverer. In the hour when His body was racked with pain, He showed that He could feel tenderly for others. AT the time when He Himself was dying, He conferred on a sinner eternal life."

Jesus had time to reach one more soul even while dying on the cross. Will you take time to reach one more soul today?

No comments: