Messengers of the GospelSýnishorn

No One is Too Far Gone

"In one bold stroke, forgiveness obliterates the past and permits us to enter the land of new beginnings."

Billy Graham

Have you ever thought, "I'm too far gone from God's love and salvation?" If so, you are not alone. I have had the same feelings of unworthiness, hopelessness, and helplessness at various times in my life.

Another person who likely thought he was too far gone was the thief hanging next to Jesus on a cross. Actually, two men were hanging next to Jesus, and each of them was a cold, hard criminal. The original Greek word that Matthew chose to describe the two criminals indicated that they had both committed violent robberies. If there is any time in life that a person might feel the weight of eternity and the weight of their sin all at once, it would be hanging on a criminal’s cross in the last hours of life.

There is good news for people like them, and people like us:

Because of Jesus...

No one is too far gone.

There are no lost causes.

Every person can experience the love and forgiveness of God.

Despite this truth, the two criminals did not both respond to Jesus in the same way. One criminal was humble and repentant, but the other was prideful and scorned Jesus.

Whatever the repentant criminal's story was, he most likely had some awareness of who Jesus was before being on the cross next to him. Word about Jesus had spread far and wide in Israel. The thief may have seen Jesus triumphantly enter Jerusalem as the crowds shouted, "Hosanna." He may have heard the many unbelievable stories about Jesus.

Until then, the thief probably knew about Jesus but did not know him personally. He never repented until he was on his proverbial deathbed. Everything changed when he met Jesus personally for the first time. As he talked with Jesus and observed Him on that day, he knew Jesus was innocent. He even defended Jesus against the ridicule of the other criminal. “We are punished justly, for we are getting what our deeds deserve. But this man has done nothing wrong.” (Luke 23:41 NIV)

Then the humbled criminal said a simple but profound prayer.

"Jesus, remember me when you come into your Kingdom." (Luke 23:42 NIV)

Those few words are a power-packed profession of personal faith. At the core of his statement is the belief that Jesus is king, that Jesus would live even after He died, that Jesus has the authority to forgive the sins of a violent criminal, and that to be with Jesus was the most important thing in life or death.

No one deserves heaven, especially not that violent criminal on the cross. But the good news is that although none of us deserves heaven, Jesus has made a way for us. What Jesus did on the cross for all of humanity created a bridge that allows us to cross from death to life.

The word GOSPEL can serve as an easy way to remember the good news we can share. The following acronym was created by Dare 2 Share Ministries.

GOD created us to be with Him.

OUR sins separate us from God.

SINS cannot be removed by good deeds.

PAYING the price for sin, Jesus died and rose again.

EVERYONE who trusts in Him alone has eternal life.

LIFE with Jesus starts now and lasts forever!

Salvation through Jesus proves that forgiveness is not based on our merit, but His. The repentant criminal accepted Jesus as Savior at the last minute. There was no time to prove his sincerity by good works or being baptized, but Jesus assured the criminal that he would join Him in paradise that day!

While you have breath in your lungs, it is never too late to turn to Jesus. So, if you haven't yet, turn to Jesus now, while you still can!

Activity:

Memorize the GOSPEL acronym as a tool to help you share the gospel. Practice sharing it with a friend or member of your group.