THE UNREPENTANT THIEF–

THOSE WILLING TO GAMBLE WITH THEIR SOUL

Luke 23:39-43 

Introduction: This is the third week of this series that we are in on the subject of MISSING HEAVEN BY A LITTLE BIT.  The last two weeks we have taken a look a two people in the Scriptures who missed heaven by a little.  We saw Judas Iscariot–the lost church member and the rich young ruler–the lost moral person.

      This week I'd like for us to look at the third individual that missed heaven by a little BIT.  It is the UNREPENTANT THIEF ON THE CROSS–THE GAMBLER! I will be very plain as I was during the other messages.  If you miss heaven by just a little bit, you are going to be with this man in hell.  So, let’s look at this man. 

I.  HE WAS UNDER A SENTENCE OF DEATH, YET HE REJECTED CHRIST.

                  A. This Man Was A Sinner.   Vs. 39

“And one of the malefactors which were hanged railed on him, saying, If thou be Christ, save thyself and us.”

             1. He Was A Sinner In The Eyes Of Men. He was a malefactor-a wrong doer, that is, he was a criminal.  According to Matthew's account, he was a thief. Many Bible scholars think he was a highwayman.  He would rob on the highways and many times they would kill their victims.  A good case in point is the parable of the Good Samaritan. The man robbed him and left him for died.  Robbery is a bad crime but something caused it to bring about capital punishment. 

                         I don’t want to stay take a rabbit trail but capital punishment is executed, as it can be a determent to crime.  But when it takes ten years to put a murderer to death.  People tend to forget. Ecclesiastes 8:11

                   “Because sentence against an evil work is not executed speedily, therefore the heart of the sons of men is fully set in them to do evil.”

                        2. He Was A Sinner In His Own Eyes.  Now he was unlike many we see today. 

                              a. He never proclaimed his innocence.

                              b. He never blamed it on his environment.

                              c. He never blamed it on his parents.

                              d. He never blamed it on his society.

      I hear all these excuses why people do what they do.  It is justification for murder, thief, fraud and many other crimes.  I know what it is like to live in substandard housing.  We had running water- we ran over the hill and got it.  We did not have a bath and half- it was more of a path and half.  My stepfather was abusive.  He was mean and nasty when he was drinking.  We wore hand me down clothes.  We were on welfare.  I think people call it social services now.  We got food stamps.  But my mother did the best she could.  Even with all of those disadvantages, my bothers and sisters and I all are productive members of social. 

                        3. He Was A Sinner In The Eyes Of God.

                                                Isaiah 64:6

"But we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags; and we all do fade as a leaf; and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away."

                                                Romans 3:23

                              "For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God"

      This Man Was A Sinner.  Everyone in this room and everyone that reads this message is either saved or a sinner.  There is no in betweens. 

                  B. This Man Was Guilty.  Vs. 41   

“And we indeed justly; for we receive the due reward of our deeds: but this man hath done nothing amiss.”

      In other words the second man knew that they were guilty. They were "under sentence" of death just like the Lord Jesus but He had nothing worthy of the death sentence and they had.

             1. He was guilty for breaking the Roman law. Which, by the way, this was based upon God's law. Romans 2:12-15

                   “For as many as have sinned without law shall also perish without law: and as many as have sinned in the law shall be judged by the law;  (For not the hearers of the law are just before God, but the doers of the law shall be justified. For when the Gentiles, which have not the law, do by nature the things contained in the law, these, having not the law, are a law unto themselves: Which shew the work of the law written in their hearts, their conscience also bearing witness, and their thoughts the mean while accusing or else excusing one another;)”

                        2. He was guilty for breaking the law of God.

                                                Romans 3:19

"Now we know that what things soever the law saith, it saith to them who are under the law: that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may become guilty before God."

                  C. This Man Was Condemned.  Vs. 41

“And we indeed justly; for we receive the due reward of our deeds: but this man hath done nothing amiss.”

             1. He Stood Condemned By The Roman Government- Physical Death.  It was the most pain form of death that had every devised by man.

                        2. He Stood Condemned By The Word Of God-Eternal Death.

                                                Ezekiel 18:4

                              ". . .the soul that sinneth, it shall die."

                                                Ezekiel 18:20

"The soul that sinneth, it shall die. The son shall not bear the iniquity of the father, neither shall the father bear the iniquity of the son: the righteousness of the righteous shall be upon him, and the wickedness of the wicked shall be upon him."

                                                Romans 6:23a

                              "For the wages of sin is death."

                                                1^st Corinthians 6:9-11

“Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind, Nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God. And such were some of you: but ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God.”

      These three verses give both past and present of every saved person.  In the list of those who would not inherit the kingdom of heaven, every person in this room would be guilty.  But thanks be unto God, that last verse shows our present standing in the Lord.  We have been washed by the blood of the Saviour.  We have been set apart for His work by His sanctifying us.  We are just as if we have never sinned when we were justified by the Lord.  A few choice words are in order- Hallelujah and Glory to God. 

         D. We are all under a sentence of death, but not all have done something about it.  When we came into this world.   We were all sinners before God. We were all guilty before God.  We all stood condemned before God.  Some of us are no longer condemned while others are still under condemnation.   John 3:16-18

               “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.  For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved. He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.”

                              The Only Difference Is Jesus. Christ is all I need and all you need to go to heaven.

                                                Acts 4:12

“Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.” 

II.  HE WAS EXPERIENCING THE CONSEQUENCES OF SIN, YET HE REJECTED CHRIST.  Galatians 6:7-8

             “Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap. For he that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption; but he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting.”

                                                Isaiah 3:11

                  "Woe unto the wicked. it shall be ill with him: for the reward of  his hands shall be given him."

                                                Numbers 32:23

                  "...be sure your sin will find you out."

      He was being executed for breaking the Roman law.  He was about to be in hell for breaking the law of God and for rejecting Christ.    

                                                James 1:15

"Then when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin: and sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death."

      There are some principles in regards to the consequences of sin.  You always sow before you reap.  You always reap what you sow.  You always reap more than you sow.  You always reap later than you sow. You are always shocked at the harvest. 

III. HE WAS NEAR CHRIST, YET HE REJECTED CHRIST.

         A. He saw the evidence of Christ's Life.  He was not swearing or cursing like the others had.  Jesus had very popular in Israel those three years of His ministry.  It is possible that there were very few folks in the land of Israel that had not heard of the Lord Jesus. 

                  B. He heard the evidence from Christ's lips.  Let’s see those words from the cross itself.

                        1. "Father, forgive them . . ." Vs. 34

                        2. "To day thou shalt be with me . . ." Vs. 43

                        3. "Father, into thy hands I commend my spirit . . ." Vs.46

                  C. He saw the evidence of God. There are many piece of evidence but let’s just see two.

                        1. Sun Darkened From Noon Till 3:00 p.m.

                                                Vs. 44

“And it was about the sixth hour, and there was a darkness over all the earth until the ninth hour.”

      Why was this?  The Father could not look upon the Lord Jesus because He had become sin for us. 2^nd Corinthians 5:21

“For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.”

                        2. The earth did quake and the rocks rent. 

                                                Matthew 27:51

“And, behold, the veil of the temple was rent in twain from the top to the bottom; and the earth did quake, and the rocks rent”

      There is no way anyone at Calvary could really doubt that something was different here.  Earthquakes are not a man made events.  Only the Lord can bring on the earthquake.

                  D. He Heard The Witness Of Others.

                        1. The Believing Thief  Vs. 40-42

“But the other answering rebuked him, saying, Dost not thou fear God, seeing thou art in the same condemnation? And we indeed justly; for we receive the due reward of our deeds: but this man hath done nothing amiss. And he said unto Jesus, Lord, remember me when thou comest into thy kingdom.”

      Even though we do not know for certain, it is possible that these men knew each other. If so, this fellow knew all of the sins of the believing thief. 

                        2. The Centurion.  Vs. 47

“Now when the centurion saw what was done, he glorified God, saying, Certainly this was a righteous man.”

      It was probably the cry of “It is finished”, the victory call of the Roman soldiers and the way Jesus died that made this man pay attention to the death of Jesus.  He probably saw many men died on a cross but none like Jesus. 

IV. HE HAD THE SAME OPPORTUNITY AS THE BELIEVING THIEF, YET HE REJECTED CHRIST.

      Here are the truths of the same opportunities.  They Were Both Sinners.  They Were Both Guilty.  They Were Both Condemned. They Were Both Near Christ. They Were Both Witnesses To The Same Thing. Yet One Trusted Christ And The Other Did Not.

      I think of many people that were in similar situations.  You can witness to a group of people and only one gets saved.    

V.  HE CALLED FOR A SHOW BEFORE HE WOULD KNOW, BUT GOD CALLS ON US TO BELIEVE, IF WE WOULD RECEIVE.

                                                Vs. 39

“And one of the malefactors which were hanged railed on him, saying, If thou be Christ, save thyself and us.”

      He refused the light that he had been given.  Without Faith It Is Impossible To Please God.  Lots of people want some thunderbolt or some like that to believe that Jesus is who He says He is.  They would prefer a miracle rather than the Master.   

Conclusion: This man was a gambler.   He was willing to gamble with his soul rather than humble himself before God.  He was willing to believe that physical death was an end in itself rather than believe that there was a judgment to come. He was willing to believe that somehow if there was a God, he could justify himself.  He was so close to salvation, yet he remained lost.  Some of you here today may be in the same boat as this man.  You need to repent of your sin and trust Jesus before it is too late.

      There are some truths that this man learned sixty seconds after he died.

1. Death did not end it all.

2. God keeps good records of whatsoever we do. 

3. There is a literal place called hell.

4. He had missed the greatest gift of life.

5. Jesus really was his only hope.

6. He knows that all opportunities to be saved are gone forever.

7. He knows that he will regret forever not being saved.