An interesting topic that sometimes comes up in Christian circles is the thief who was crucified on Christ’s right side—the one who believed in the final moments before his death and was saved.
Some might wonder: What’s the point of struggling to live a holy life if I can just repent on my deathbed and still be saved? But I don’t see him as an example of a “last-minute repenter.” Quite the opposite—he wasted no time.
He saw Christ for the first time and essentially declared, “That’s God, everybody! It’s so obvious! Can’t you see? What’s wrong with you people?!” Okay, I’m paraphrasing, but the heart of it is true.
How many of us have known Christ our whole lives and still struggle to truly believe? How many of us doubt God’s promises even after decades of studying and experiencing them?
We have seen Christ in all His glory, and yet we still doubt. The right-hand thief saw Him in His ultimate human weakness—and yet he immediately believed, more fully than the twelve apostles, without ever witnessing the resurrection.
His instant faith upon his first—and only—encounter with Christ shakes me to my core. I almost wish he hadn’t raised the bar so high.
No one preached to him. He saw no miracles. He didn’t study the Scriptures and reason his way to faith. He simply recognized he was in the presence of God and submitted to Him without hesitation.
Rather than a model of last-minute repentance, he is the ultimate example of full and immediate faith the very first time he met Christ.
If he had encountered Jesus sooner, what an incredible apostle he would have been. And how far I fall short of that kind of faith. May God remove my sluggish faith and give me the faith of Demas.
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