The Error of Justifying Easy Believism with the Thief on the Cross and the Jailer
The easy believist crowd shows a very watered down Gospel without really seeing the Scripture in its full context. Now let us analyze two examples IN CONTEXT so we can see what they really mean.
I. The thief on the cross (Luke 23:32-43)
Here the easy believist may easy take this out of context. However let us really examine the whole passage as it should be examined. Remember the other thief was once joining his companion in mocking Jesus had turned a leaf of repentance. Now let's see the passage and see it in its full context.
Looking at verses 40-41 - we don't see a repentless salvation. While repentance of sin is necessary for salvation but as said, don't expect a perfect repentance. But this is repentance of sin and unbelief in action. Again, repenting of your sins is not works salvation. Look at the words that were spoken.
First, the thief recognizes the holiness of God after a few moments ago, he was derailing Jesus. Perhaps now, he saw Jesus for who He was. He said, "Dost not thou fear God seeing thou art in the same condemnation?" He addresses to his companion that God is holy and just and in the same condemnation.
Second, the thief sees they have gotten their just reward. This is a repentance of sin. While it's true that you can repent of sin but not unbelief, however you cannot repent of unbelief without repenting of sin first. To repent or metanoneia is a change of mind. Unless a person sees sin as offensive before God, such a person cannot truly and savingly believe from unbelief and can only get false assurance.
Third, the thief acknowledges Jesus had done nothing amiss. He finally sees the holiness of God with the Son who was nailed next near to him. This would have shown that he stopped his mocking because he saw the Son of God. Jesus Christ, God the Son was already there dying for the sin of both of them but what is needed is to respond.
Fourth, the repentant thief acknowledges only Jesus can save him. The response of repentance of sin and hearing the Gospel is to surrender one's self to Jesus. That is, surrender means to give yourself up and all your means to be saved and accept the mercy and forgiveness of Jesus. It is complete and total surrender in the sense, you fully rely on Him and Him alone.
II. The Jailer (Acts 16:23-40)
It is very easy to take Acts 16:31 out of context. While it's true that one must believe in the Lord Jesus Christ and you will be saved. But then, do we understand fully the events that take place with the jailer himself?
Now remember, Paul and Silas were in jail where they were singing praises unto God. The prisoners heard them, I would believe the jailers heard them and was already exposed to the Gospel to a certain extent. Then there was an earthquake that all doors were opened but Paul and Silas refused to escape. The jailer was indeed a frightened man.
First, we see that the jailer had witnessed the magnificent power of God. Whether people like it or not, God is in charge. When I think of the atheist to why he or she hates God, more often than not they blame the last calamity that happened like a storm or a tsunami. This caused him to be in despair and nearly committed suicide but he was stopped.
Second, he saw the need for enlightenment seeing himself as only a sinner. He was terrified by God's power and now he was planning to kill himself as the other prisoners escaped. He called for a light and he fell down before Paul and Silas. He saw them as men of God seeing their testimony in prison. He had seen that he was a sinful man in need of salvation. He saw sin had condemned him for too long.
Third, it was time to give the Gospel and believe. Notice that it does not end in Acts 16:31 as the next verse has Paul and Silas preach the Gospel. The Gospel is not just one or two verses, the Gospel must be affirmed about sin, who Jesus is and preaching a wrong Gospel is deadly. The affirmation that Jesus is Lord must be preached. The Gospel shows Jesus' death, burial and resurrection. Either you teach the true Jesus or the wrong Jesus. Many people today preach a counterfeit Jesus like He was just a man, He never became man... no Jesus is 100% God and He became also 100% man in perfect hypostatic union. That is, you must recognize Jesus for who He fully is.
Fourth, notice the change. Salvation is never without change. Although I don't expect sinless perfection even if perfection is commanded. Perfection is indeed the standard, direction is the test that is it's slowly achieved. Salvation brings forth true good works, not dead works. Ephesians 2:10 and Titus 2:11-14 speak of how salvation makes one result in real good works. Hebrews 9:14 also says that the blood of Christ redeems man from their dead works to serve the living God. We cannot deny salvation is life changing and that true conversion endures to the end (even if they may stumble into sin but God chastises them) as a result. He even let them go seeing the deserve no punishment as just men.
I. The thief on the cross (Luke 23:32-43)
Here the easy believist may easy take this out of context. However let us really examine the whole passage as it should be examined. Remember the other thief was once joining his companion in mocking Jesus had turned a leaf of repentance. Now let's see the passage and see it in its full context.
Looking at verses 40-41 - we don't see a repentless salvation. While repentance of sin is necessary for salvation but as said, don't expect a perfect repentance. But this is repentance of sin and unbelief in action. Again, repenting of your sins is not works salvation. Look at the words that were spoken.
First, the thief recognizes the holiness of God after a few moments ago, he was derailing Jesus. Perhaps now, he saw Jesus for who He was. He said, "Dost not thou fear God seeing thou art in the same condemnation?" He addresses to his companion that God is holy and just and in the same condemnation.
Second, the thief sees they have gotten their just reward. This is a repentance of sin. While it's true that you can repent of sin but not unbelief, however you cannot repent of unbelief without repenting of sin first. To repent or metanoneia is a change of mind. Unless a person sees sin as offensive before God, such a person cannot truly and savingly believe from unbelief and can only get false assurance.
Third, the thief acknowledges Jesus had done nothing amiss. He finally sees the holiness of God with the Son who was nailed next near to him. This would have shown that he stopped his mocking because he saw the Son of God. Jesus Christ, God the Son was already there dying for the sin of both of them but what is needed is to respond.
Fourth, the repentant thief acknowledges only Jesus can save him. The response of repentance of sin and hearing the Gospel is to surrender one's self to Jesus. That is, surrender means to give yourself up and all your means to be saved and accept the mercy and forgiveness of Jesus. It is complete and total surrender in the sense, you fully rely on Him and Him alone.
II. The Jailer (Acts 16:23-40)
It is very easy to take Acts 16:31 out of context. While it's true that one must believe in the Lord Jesus Christ and you will be saved. But then, do we understand fully the events that take place with the jailer himself?
Now remember, Paul and Silas were in jail where they were singing praises unto God. The prisoners heard them, I would believe the jailers heard them and was already exposed to the Gospel to a certain extent. Then there was an earthquake that all doors were opened but Paul and Silas refused to escape. The jailer was indeed a frightened man.
First, we see that the jailer had witnessed the magnificent power of God. Whether people like it or not, God is in charge. When I think of the atheist to why he or she hates God, more often than not they blame the last calamity that happened like a storm or a tsunami. This caused him to be in despair and nearly committed suicide but he was stopped.
Second, he saw the need for enlightenment seeing himself as only a sinner. He was terrified by God's power and now he was planning to kill himself as the other prisoners escaped. He called for a light and he fell down before Paul and Silas. He saw them as men of God seeing their testimony in prison. He had seen that he was a sinful man in need of salvation. He saw sin had condemned him for too long.
Third, it was time to give the Gospel and believe. Notice that it does not end in Acts 16:31 as the next verse has Paul and Silas preach the Gospel. The Gospel is not just one or two verses, the Gospel must be affirmed about sin, who Jesus is and preaching a wrong Gospel is deadly. The affirmation that Jesus is Lord must be preached. The Gospel shows Jesus' death, burial and resurrection. Either you teach the true Jesus or the wrong Jesus. Many people today preach a counterfeit Jesus like He was just a man, He never became man... no Jesus is 100% God and He became also 100% man in perfect hypostatic union. That is, you must recognize Jesus for who He fully is.
Fourth, notice the change. Salvation is never without change. Although I don't expect sinless perfection even if perfection is commanded. Perfection is indeed the standard, direction is the test that is it's slowly achieved. Salvation brings forth true good works, not dead works. Ephesians 2:10 and Titus 2:11-14 speak of how salvation makes one result in real good works. Hebrews 9:14 also says that the blood of Christ redeems man from their dead works to serve the living God. We cannot deny salvation is life changing and that true conversion endures to the end (even if they may stumble into sin but God chastises them) as a result. He even let them go seeing the deserve no punishment as just men.