Amazing Grace

I enjoy the new worship choruses we sing at church, but I really love the old hymns. There's so much sound theology found in the pages of those old hymnals. I truly worship when we sing "There Is A Fountain," and am particularly intrigued by the second verse:

The dying theif rejoiced to see
that fountain in his day;
and there may I, thou vile as he,
wash all my sin away.

The thief on the cross. We don't even know his name. But God does. It was written in His book. 

All we know about him is what the Bible tells us. He is called a criminal, his crime terrible enough to warrant the sentence of death. He was hopeless and helpless, and he knew it. By his own admission, he was only getting what he deserved. His soul was doomed.  But, God had another plan. Mercy and Grace hung on the cross next to his.

There were three crosses on Mount Calvary that day. Jesus hung with a criminal on either side. Three men were to die that day. One man, scoffing and cursing the Lord until his final breath did, in fact get what he deserved.

But something spoke to the man on the other side. I guess there is something about staring Eternity in the face that will put the fear of God into a man. Being that close to Jesus changed him. Being close to Jesus changes everything.

In Luke 23, we're told that the desperate, dying, convicted criminal mustered up the humility, courage and faith to call out to the Lord - "Jesus, remember me when You come into Your kingdom."  And our suffering Savior answered, "I assure you: today you will be with Me in Paradise."

That moment, an eternal transaction took place. The Criminal on the Cross called upon the name of the Lord, and was saved. (Romans 10:13)  He was saved by pure grace, through faith  (Ephesians 2). Period. No one pulled out a Gospel tract and led him in the Sinner's Prayer. He wasn't saved by "asking Jesus into his heart" or, for that matter, "giving his life to Jesus." He had no life to give. Couldn't even be baptized. The only thing he was able to do for the Lord was to trust Him, to call upon His Name. And, when Jesus "assured"  him of his eternal savlation, that was enough. A done deal.

Back to our hymn - The dying thief and I have a lot in common. I am just as hopeless, helpless, guilty and condemned were it not for the blood of Jesus. The blood that does what with my sin? Rinses it out? Covers it up? No, it washes all my sin away. All of it. The criminal and I stand together, perfectly clean, before the Lord.

The nameless Thief on the Cross. He wasted his life here on earth, but he took his final breaths close enough to Jesus to hear Him whisper. He died next to the Christ. He opened his eyes in paradise, sharing Eternity with the Saviour of his soul. . .

That's grace. And it's amazing.