Saved Soul. . . Wasted Life

There is an unnamed man in the Bible commonly referred to as “the thief on the cross.” In his last minutes on earth he humbly asked Jesus, “Lord, remember me when You come into Your Kingdom.” (Luke 23)

Many in Christianity have been preached about this man’s brokenness and humility in his dying moments. However, what is commonly overlooked is his attitude toward Jesus during the majority of the crucifixion.

Matthew 27:38-44 tells us he made fun of Jesus! However, after hanging next Jesus for 6 hours on the cross, he had a revelation of his own sinfulness and who Jesus was.

Jesus’ response to him was, “Truly I tell you, today you will be with Me in Paradise.” (Luke 23).

Of all of the recorded deaths in the Bible, the thief on the cross is the only recorded death of an individual who made things right with God on his deathbed. I believe this last minute salvation is recorded to show us the possibility of a person receiving forgiveness of their sins and receiving Christ’s gift of eternal life in the last moments of their life.

It is equally significant to point out that such a conversion is recorded only once. We are not guaranteed time on our deathbed to make things right with the Lord. Scripture teaches us the folly of procrastination in making Jesus Christ the Lord of our lives. “. . . now is the day of salvation” (2 Cor 6:2 NIV).

As much as we celebrate this thief’s redemption, he remains perhaps the most tragic conversion in the Bible.

The thief on the cross had a saved soul, but a wasted life.

What an unspeakable tragedy! The thief could not jump off the cross and live his life over for Jesus. He could not reconcile with his parents, wife or children. He could not repay what he had stolen.

The tragic reality in this criminal’s life is a reflection of many Christians around the world. They live far beneath the will of God for their lives. They work at jobs they don’t like just to come home to hours of television. At the end of the evening, they go to bed – only to get up the next day and repeat the same mundane routine. This is not the Christianity Jesus modeled!

God has a life assignment for every Christian. No matter who you are or what your background, the Holy Spirit has a life assignment He expects you to fulfill.

One of the principles the thief on the cross violated was: HE NEVER LEARNED TO SAY “NO” TO THE WRONG KINDS OF PEOPLE.
“Do not be misled: ‘Bad company corrupts good character.’ Come back to your senses as you ought, and stop sinning;” (1 Cor 15:33 NIV).

There Are Five Kinds Of People Who Do Not Belong In Your Life

1. People Who Hinder Your Pursuit Of Jesus.
Any person in your life who hinders or discourages your pursuit of knowing God has disqualified himself from a relationship with you. I am speaking here of an “inner-circle” relationship – those we admire and reach out to for counsel.

2. People Who Feed Your Doubts, Not Your Faith.
Doubt is contagious. It is like a spiritual cancer that starts small until it consumes every area of your life and thinking. It aborts any miracle of God’s intervention in your life. Hebrews 11:6 says, “But without faith it is impossible to please Him…”
We need to surround ourselves with people who encourage our faith. We do not need people in our lives who feed our doubts and hinder us from standing on God’s promises.

3. People Who Are Always Negative.
Dale Galloway said, “If we put negative thoughts in our minds, we will become victimized by our own negative thinking. A positive person does not refuse to ignore the negative, but he refuses to dwell on it.”
Thoughts and words create an atmosphere. Negative words are like arrows shot into the heart. According to Scripture, “life and death are in the power of the tongue” (Proverbs 18:21).

4. People Who Belittle The Holy Spirit’s Assignment For Your Life.
You were born with talents and potential given to you by the Holy Spirit. Anyone who belittles your calling or makes fun of what God is doing through you do not belong in your “inner-circle”. Every relationship and conversation is either moving you closer to Jesus or pulling you away.

5. People Whose Only Goal In Life Is Survival.
In the Garden of Eden, before Adam and Eve sinned, God commanded and expected increase to follow His blessing. “God blessed them and said unto them, ‘Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it’” (Genesis 1:28a NIV). Notice that the command to increase became man’s responsibility once he was blessed by God. It is easy to become focused on our own needs and pretend the rest of the world does not exist.

God is a God of increase. He expects increase from our lives. We need to surround ourselves with those people who have fruitful lives! Don’t settle for average.

If you want to have a saved soul, but a wasted life then associate with the wrong people and you will share their wasted future!

However, if you are ready to make a difference on the earth, then live and model the Christianity Jesus commanded and taught. . . and the rewards of a productive life will be yours and those you love will reap the blessing!