How did the thief on the cross get to go to Paradise if good works are a condition of our salvation?

Question

Luke 23:43 Jesus answered him, "I tell you the truth, today you will be with me in paradise."
If the thief came to faith in Jesus just before he died, then how did he have time to do any good works?
This question is directed to those who believe that we are saved by faith + works verses the grace of God through faith in Christ. Believing in your own works is taking credit for your own salvation and not giving all the glory to Christ who suffered and died to pay the penalty for your sins.
Again I am asking "How did the thief get to Paradise?" By the grace of God through faith in Christ or by faith + works?

Heaven's little helper.
I appreciate your indepth answer, the fact is "regardless of the controversy over the comma", that the thief did get to paradise at some time or other based on his faith "which you are calling a work." I still believe that he got to Paradise due to God's grace. How can you call faith a work?

Answer 1

There are several points in your question that need attention.

First works were never opposed to either faith or grace. The Bible says that Noah found grace in the eyes of the LORD. (Genesis 6:8) Noah also had faith! (Hebrews 11:7)

Noah also had works. God’s grace did not mean he was not required to do anything, and just because he “prepared an ark to the saving of his house”, he was saved from the flood by his works, that does not mean he earned this salvation or that he was not saved by faith and grace.

Salvation is called a “gift” from God. Even though this is a gift, there are things we must do in order to receive this gift! For example, Jesus said, “He that believes and is baptized shall be saved”. (Mark 16:16) (By the way, the thief was not subject to this command because it had not yet been issued during his life.)

In the Old Testament there is some things described as a “gift” from God. Let’s look at some.

The Promised Land was described this way probably more than anything else. It was the land that God gave the Israelites, but note that God’s people still had things they were commanded to do in order to receive this gift! (March around Jericho, cross the Jordan, etc.) They did not earn the land by these actions, but they were required to do them in order to receive it.

When the Israelites were hungry, god “gave them” manna from heaven. To receive this manna, however, they had to go gather it. There was something they had to do.

Many times when God’s people went into battle, the Bible says that God gave them the victory and the land that was conquered. The people went to war, but the spoils were still a gift from God.

Salvation is still a gift, and it is still by grace through faith, even when we are given commandments that we must obey! Jesus is “the author of eternal salvation unto all them that OBEY him!” (Hebrews 5:9)

Secondly, there are things the thief did! Note he made an appeal for salvation, he obviously repented, he confessed Christ as “Lord”, and he believed. Confession is something we are required to do. (Romans 10:9-10) Also we must repent or perish (Luke 13:3) and we must believe (Mark 16:16)

In fact, the Bible refers to both repentance and belief as “work”! (John 6:29, Jonah 3:10) If there are no works required, then can we be saved without believing or repenting? Not according to the Bible! (Hebrews 11:6, Luke 13:6)

The thief did what he could!

Third, you don’t know what the thief did before this time. Some think he may have been an erring disciple of John the baptizer’s because he displayed knowledge about Christ and the coming kingdom. If this were the case, he may have done many good things before he became a thief.

Finally, we are all expected to obey God to the best of our ability. (Again, Jesus saves those who obey Him, Hebrews 5:9.) You and I are not in the position of the thief. There are things that we can do. We have the ability to obey the things we have been commanded. It is a dangerous thing to conclude that because the thief was in a condition where he could not do much, than we don’t have to do anything even when we are able! If we do not obey Christ’s commands, it will not be because we can’t, but it will be because we have refused!

Is Jesus “Lord of your life” if you refuse to do the things He has said? Jesus said, “Not everyone who says unto me ‘Lord, Lord’ shall enter the kingdom of Heaven, but he that does the will of my Father who sent me!” (Matthew 7:21)

The thief was saved because he made his appeal to the One who is able to forgive sins and because he had contact with Christ at His death where the saving blood was shed! Now it is through baptism that we contact Christ at His death! (Colossians 2:12, Romans 6:3-13) That is where we contact that saving blood! That is where we make our appeal for salvation.

Notice 1 Peter 3:21, “baptism now saves you — not the removal of dirt from the flesh, but an appeal to God for a good conscience — through the resurrection of Jesus Christ.”

How did the thief make "an appeal to God for a good conscience"? He was there! He had direct contact with Christ! We are not in that same position.

Answer 2

A lot of people here are straining at gnats, in reference to the thief. Since Jesus is God, and God is omnipresent, is it not possible that, as Jesus was descended into Hell for 3 days, He was also able to usher the thief into the Kingdom of God, the Father? In other words, is it not possible that Jesus meant what He said. Even if the thief did not personally "see" Jesus on that very day, as we understand time, we must remember that, in Heaven, time has no meaning. There is no linear progression of such. Ergo, Jesus would have done all that He did and still been able to be present to usher the thief into Heaven

The point of the telling of this event is to show that one can, indeed, become a new person in Christ, even when they are at death's door. It has nothing to do with people living like Hell during their life, and hoping to get into Heaven with a death bed conversion although, as one person pointed out, that is how many are tricked by Satan to look at it.

Usually, when a person comes to Christ is when he/she is at the end of their own means. They've tried everything, nothing has worked, and they have no place to go but up. In this particular case, how much further down could the thief have possibly gone?

As well, as many have rightly stated, one is not saved by works, but by recognizing Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior. Notice that I said recognizing, not making. This is because, whether we acknowledge the point or not, Jesus IS Lord and Savior. The only thing we can do is to profess the Truth. If we profess this Truth, sincerely, it is a natural progression that works will FOLLOW that profession. It is for these that the redeemed will be rewarded in Heaven. However, their salvation has already been assured before their works. To try to say that the mere act of trusting in Jesus is a work, while technically correct, becomes more an attempt to justify a works-based dogma, something the Bible clearly does not support.

Scripture does say that faith without works is dead. However, it also states that the converse is true. Looking at this logically, one can only come to the conclusion that, in the proper chronological order, one is saved through their faith, and their works follow. In the thief's case, there was no time to have works follow his profession of faith, therefore, the sincere profession of his faith was the determinant.

Another points out that Jesus said nothing about the other thief and, because of that, we should not automatically assume that he was condemned to Hell. This is also misleading inasmuch as, since the writer went to all the trouble to point out the different behaviors of the 2 thieves, it is only logical to assume that, if the mocking thief was to be saved, that would have been made clear, as well. It is obvious that God had orchestrated events so that, even in His final human hours, Jesus would illustrate, not only that one can be saved at the final moment, but that one can also assure their eternal condemnation due to lack of faith.

Answer 3

The thief on the stake who showed a measure of faith in Jesus, impaled alongside, was given the promise of being in Paradise. While some have endeavored to read into this promise the idea that the thief was thereby guaranteed life everlasting, the evidence of the many scriptures does not allow this. Though he admitted the wrongness of his criminal activity in contrast with Jesus’ innocence (Lu 23:41), there is nothing to show that the thief had come to ‘hate badness and love righteousness’; in his dying state he obviously was in no position to ‘turn around’ and produce the “works that befit repentance” he had not been baptized. (Ac 3:19; 26:20) It therefore appears that upon his resurrection from the dead he will be given the opportunity to take this course.
Where is this promised Paradise? The way this verse is rendered in numerous Bible translations has influenced the view of many people regarding this. Most Bibles read as does the Revised Standard Version: “Truly, I say to you, today you will be with me in Paradise.” Thus, according to such translations, on the very day that Jesus and the evildoer died they went to Paradise. Yet, how could that be, since the Bible says that Jesus went to Hades, or Sheol, at death? The apostle Peter, in telling about His resurrection from there three days later, said: “Neither was he forsaken in Hades [Sheol, in Hebrew] . . . This Jesus God resurrected.”—Acts 2:31, 32; Psalm 16:10.

Answer 4

He did not go directly to paradise.....Jesus Christ spoke "figuratively" when He told the thief that he will be with Him in paradise "today". The next time the thief will awaken will only seem as if he had been asleep for a day. When in reality he will be resurrected from the grave during the Great White Throne Judgment which will happen immediately after the Millennium (1000 yr) reign of Jesus Christ. God's great plan encompasses all mankind. The Great White Throne Judgment, described in Revelation 20:11-13, reveals that all human beings who have died without ever understanding that great plan will be resurrected and have their true destiny revealed to them. God's plan is comprehensive. All humanity will enjoy the opportunity to learn God's truth and come to repentance (1 Timothy 2:4; 2 Peter 3:9). This will be during the time beyond the Millennium when the vast majority of human beings will be raised from the dead to receive their opportunity for salvation. Billions of atheists, sinners and pagans will finally learn from their past suffering, and will be given the opportunity to truly repent, and accept Christ as their Savior will receive the gift of everlasting life in the family of God, finally achieving their God-given destiny.

Answer 5

He did'nt !! That was meant: Jesus would remember him once the Earth is restored back to the Paradeisos state that God meant for it to be !! So in a way I guess you can say he,' like us all will have a sort of clean slate once we die!! & it be before Jesus returns like a thief in the night!! But sense you are alive now & has had a chance to hear the TRUTH but rejected it!?! Possibly to listen to that Wolf in Sheeps clothing!?! See it's much like when Noah tried to warn people about the coming destruction of the flood that was soon to come !! Ca'nt you just see or hear how some laughed.. possibly falling over on on each`other in laughter maybe just when noah & family was attaching thoughs last few wooden/side panels !?!& then the tone changed about three days later when it started to rain.. Ok no big deal to some !!they've seen rain before !! But I'll bet once they saw this was no job for a simple paper-towel ;-} well you get the idea !?! lol Oh wait I was just reading something`' Sorry I'll try again & give a better answer !! I was doing other things R"r.r`r,r'.-

Answer 6

The thief by the side of Christ was saved by the grace of G-d and the faith he had that Jesus is the Son of G-d. He repented of his sins while He was there, not because he was there. You are saved by grace and not by works, that you can not boast in your good works.
But there is another side to the picture..... When you are born again, you become a new creation. All things change, including your outlook in life(2Corinthians 5:17). Who you are changes. Although his end was short, that thief did endure to the end, and you need to do so also. Matthew 10:22 calls for you to endure to the end to be saved. He also calls for you to let your light so shine before men that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in Heaven (Matthew 5:16). You don't have to do the works to be born again, but you will work for the L-rd afterward because you will follow His leadership by His Holy Spirit.

Answer 7

The only thing that got the thief salvation was his faith in Jesus Christ. He confessed Jesus as Lord with his mouth to the other thief when he rebuked him for his blasphemy. What he said to Jesus proved his heart. He didn't even ask for salvation, only to be remembered.

39 Then one of the criminals who were hanged blasphemed Him, saying, "If You are the Christ, save Yourself and us." 40 But the other, answering, rebuked him, saying, "Do you not even fear God, seeing you are under the same condemnation? 41 And we indeed justly, for we receive the due reward of our deeds; but this Man has done nothing wrong." 42 Then he said to Jesus, "Lord, remember me when You come into Your kingdom." 43 And Jesus said to him, "Assuredly, I say to you, today you will be with Me in Paradise." Luke 23:39-43 NKJV

And where the comma was placed was really irrelevant, although many religions make it an issue. Whether the thief was in Paradise that day, or 3 days later when Jesus had taken all those in Abrahams Bosom to heaven, the point is, he is there now. Not because of anything he had done, but because of what he believed with his heart and confessed with his mouth.

So we are always confident, knowing that while we are at home in the body we are absent from the Lord. 7 For we walk by faith, not by sight. 8 We are confident, yes, well pleased rather to be absent from the body and to be present with the Lord. 2 Cor 5:6-8 NKJV

9 that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. 10 For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. Rom 10:9-11 NKJV

Incidentally, when scriptures talk of works, they are talking physical good works that many people do believing it will save them. Faith is not as much a WORK as it is a change of the HEART.

It is not so much what you do that is important to the Lord as it is the condition of your heart.

Answer 8

It is by faith you receive God's gift of eternal life.

Hebrews 11:6 "And without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is and that He is a rewarder of those who seek Him."

It is through faith alone you get into Heaven. There is nothing we simple humans can do to earn ourselves a place in Heaven. It is Faith and God's love and mercy which has enabled us go to Heaven.

It is by faith alone!! How do I know this, because the Bible says so, and the Bible is the word of God.

"All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness;" 2 Timothy 3:16

And the Bible says:

"For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, 9 not a result of works, so that no one may boast." Ephesians 2:8-9

The Bible has said so, meaning that God has said so! The thief went to Heaven because he had faith. By Faith alone can you go to Heaven! Good works like going to church every Sunday and reading the bible, and being a good person doesn't make you a Christian. You are a Christian when you have faith and follow Christ!!!!

\o/ Praise God!!! \o/

Answer 9

Through Gods grace and the thief's faith.

Answer 10

The exercising of faith IS a work, yet we are not saved by works, but by grace through faith.
God, who is always aware of our circumstances, will not require something of someone that He knows they are incapable of doing. Like, crawling off the cross, doing works, and crawling back up on it. Also, baptism...this man wasn't baptized either, but was saved anyway. This little fact confuses some Baptist believers.