Save Yourself

Something to think about.

 

 

Save Yourself

 

39 One of the criminals who was hanged railed at him, saying, "Are you not the Christ? Save yourself and us!" Luke 23:29

 

Was it a desperate cry for salvation? Was it a taunt and insult or both? If I am the one on the cross next to Jesus, I might ask the same question. With a different intent, not to taunt but as the last desperate plea of dying man.  We know that this was not the intent of the criminal hung alongside Christ.  We know it was at the very least a taunt or a challenge to Jesus to prove Himself.

 

We behave as if the man hanging next to Jesus was singular in his demand and challenge to Jesus. He wanted Jesus to prove His divinity. We may not use the same words, but in essence, we ask the same question.  If God were alive, why does God allow? Where was God when?  If there were a God, there would not be injustice, famine wars ext.  It is all the same question, If you are Christ save us and prove to us you are who you say you are?  We are asking Him to die again and again and again and forever to prove to each of us his divinity. Asking Him to die for every sin all the time to prove His worth to us.  

 

The criminal hanging next to Jesus is guilty of His crimes, His sins.   He is asking Jesus to save Him from the sin He is guilty of. He is asking, no he is demanding that Christ do for Him what he could not do himself.  To remove his just condemnation without atonement for his sin.  We are the asking the same thing. We want to be justified without making payment.

 

We all want the same thing we want to be absolved of our sin without personal cost.  That is what all our spiritual, intellectual, political correctness is all about. Let us not remind anyone of their sin. Let us not actually hold anyone responsible for their sin. Let us demand that God change His laws that we may have our way. Let's do away with righteousness. 

 

The criminal hanging on the cross did not even acknowledge His sin, His crimes. He only wants to be saved from them. He was not concerned about his quilt, righteousness or God. All he wanted was for his sin not to cost Him His life. 

 

That is who we are. We sin and do not want the consequences of the sin. We want to live unrighteously and receive righteousness. We want Christ to die on the cross not for our salvation but for a license to continue to sin.  

 

Christ died for your salvation, not to be the whipping boy for your sin.