What about the thief on the cross?

Who was the thief?

We do not know.

Had the thief on the cross been baptized?

We do not know.

Had the thief been baptized by John the Baptist?

We do not know.

Had the thief been baptized by one of the apostles?

We do not know.

Was the thief a Jew or a Gentile?

We do not know.

If he was a Jew, had he offered the appropriate sacrifice so that his sins were forgiven?

We do not know.

If he was a Gentile, had he already been forgiven under the Gentile law?

We do not know.

If he was a disciple of Jesus Christ, had he been baptized and repented of the sin for which he was being crucified? Had he been forgiven days before he was crucified?

We do not know.

When Jesus told the thief that he would be in paradise, was Jesus stating a fact which He knew to be true?

Or, did Jesus forgive his sins?

We do not know.

Jesus could have been stating a fact about the thief, whose sins had been forgiven under the Mosaic law or the Gentile law.

Jesus does not say that He forgave the thief. We cannot assume that Jesus forgave the thief’s sins.

We do not know whether or not Jesus forgave the thief’s sins on the cross. Even if Jesus forgave the thief’s sins during crucifixion, it means nothing in respect to our salvation today.

Jesus forgave people of their sins while He was on earth.

Lk. 5:17-26

When Jesus forgave people on earth, it did not change the terms of salvation for anyone else.

Jesus forgave the paralytic

Lk. 5:17-26 but the other Jews still had to meet the terms of salvation stated in God’s word and offer sacrifices.

The thief on the cross has nothing to do with our salvation. His salvation does not prove that we are forgiven without obeying Jesus’ command to be baptized (Matt. 28:19; Mk. 16:16; cf. Acts 2:38; 22:16; 1 Pet. 3:21).

The thief lived during a different dispensation than we live today.

People who lived prior to Pentecost (Acts 2), were saved under a different law than we are saved today. So, the terms of the thief’s salvation means nothing in respect to our salvation today.

The thief’s salvation does not nullify clear Bible teaching that our sins are forgiven when we obey Jesus and are baptized (Heb. 5:9; Matt. 28:19; Mk. 16:15-16; Acts 2:38; 22:16;

1 Pet. 3:21).

Salvation.

What has Jesus commanded us to do, to be saved?

John 3:3

Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.

Examples of Conversion.

Acts 2:38-40

Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.

39 For the promise is unto you, and to your children, and to all that are afar off, even as many as the Lord our God shall call.

40 And with many other words did he testify and exhort, saying, Save yourselves from this untoward generation

Also see Acts 10:45-49 & Acts 19:1-8

I hope you can see that we cannot make any statements regarding our salvation based on the thief’s salvation. The fact is, we do not know anything about his salvation from which we can make any conclusions.

But we can and must trust the word of the Lord Jesus Christ.

John 3:3

Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.

So as James put it…

James 1:22

But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves.