Our Lord frequently told stories about two parties, one of whom acted wisely in spiritual matters, whereas the other acted foolishly. He spoke, for instance, about two men building a house, one built on sand, the other built upon a rock. And when the storms came, only one house survived, the one that was built on a rock. The other was washed away and the searching question that our Lord confronts us with in that particular story is this, what sort of foundation we're building our lives on? Are we trusting in Christ alone, the rock of ages for our salvation? Because if we do so all is well and we will withstand the test of divine judgment. But if not, if we're resting on our own efforts, we will fail miserably and the storm of divine judgment will wash us away into a lost eternity. Friends, that is one storm you do not want to be caught up in. Two parties, one of whom acted wisely, another of whom acted foolishly. The parable of the Pharisee and the Publican confronts us with a similar situation. Once again, we encounter two men who acted very differently. The Pharisee trusted in himself and cried out, I thank you, but I'm not like other men. And he boasted about his fasting and tithing and so forth. By contrast, knew that he was the sinner. God be merciful to me, the sinner. He was the one who went down to his house justified, whereas the other one went down in the same spiritual condition as before. One party acting wisely, another party acting foolishly. And yet another occasion, our Lord reinforced the same lesson by mentioning no less than three pairs of people. He talked about two in a bed, One taken, the other left. Two women grinding in a mill. One taken, the other left. Two men in a field. One taken, the other left. And the lesson is the same throughout. Divine judgment will bring about a terrible division, and we've got to make sure that we're on the right side when that fateful day comes. Friends, your never-dying soul is the most important possession you have, and the issue at stake is momentous. It's eternal life or eternal loss. And how will you fare when that day comes? That's the issue I've been trying to press upon you over this weekend. And that's the question that our Lord sets before us in these graphic alternatives. He's warning us not to make a mess of it in the most important matter of all. Rather, we've got to give due diligence so as to ensure that we possess the one thing needful, eternal life. Now, I can't think of anywhere in the word of God where this issue is set before us so forcibly as in the incident before us. On this occasion, our Lord is no longer telling a story. Instead, we have a description of something that actually happened. On the same day that our Lord was crucified, two men were crucified alongside him. Earlier in the day, they had both faced an earthly tribunal and they were found guilty. And we now encounter them as they were in the process. of being executed. However, before the day was over, they both faced the greatest tribunal of all, the divine tribunal. And at that point, remarkably, one passed the test, whereas the other, having experienced identical circumstances, failed. To put it in the words of the Puritans, oft quoted, one was saved that none might spare. One was lost that none might presume by Solomon. So far in our studies, we've focused primarily on the objective side of salvation, what Christ accomplished. We have to be very certain of that before we consider the subjective side, which is all about what are we going to do with it? John Calvin said this, he said, as long as Christ remains outside of us and we are separated from, all that he has suffered and done for the salvation of the human race remains useless and of no value to us. Anything I've said so far is of no value to you unless you appropriate it for yourself. And Calvin was really reminding us that unless we traverse the same path as a dying thief, Not necessarily in exactly the same way, but unless we go down that same route and look to Christ for salvation, anything that he has done for sinners will profit us absolutely nothing. So let's now consider the conversion of this dying thief, what we might call a brown pluck from the burning, if ever there was one. J.C. Ryle called him Christ's greatest trophy. Here is Christ while he was hanging on the cross and he showed that he was mighty to save. Four or five things then about this thief. First of all, consider with me the condition in which we find this thief. Rarely if ever in the history of the world have circumstances been less favourable for a man's conversion than this one. Of course, none of us deserve anything. But this man, the circumstances were particularly pitiful. This man was wicked and probably guilty of murder. We often refer to these men as the two thieves, but that obscures the fact that there are two different words for thief and Greek, which are quite different. One describes a petty criminal, the word that's used to describe Judas, who had the bag. But there's another word which describes a robber or a plunderer, like the violent man who lynched the traveller in the parable of the Good Samaritan. And Scripture uses the latter word, robber or plunder, to describe both Barabbas, on these two men. In fact, reading between the lines, it seems likely that these two men may well have been members of Barabbas's gang who committed murder in the insurrection. So as we consider this dying thief, we're talking about a man who was very violent, a man who had taken the law into his own hands, a man who had absolutely nothing to plead as he faced as maker, and later on, of course, he confessed his guilt openly in this respect. We received the due rewards of our deeds. But this man wasn't just a criminal. He was in the most miserable position imaginable this side of eternity. He'd already been hanging on a tree for some time, and his life was slowly but surely ebbing away. In other words, his physical and mental condition were not at all conducive to heart preparation. And friends, we need to heed the warning here. It's foolish to leave these things off until a future day, because you never know what sort of state you're going to be in when these things cross your mind. You may not be compass mantis at all. You may be in no position to seek the Lord. And how often do we read that little word suddenly obituary columns in the newspaper, people taken away, removed from this scene of time. Suddenly, on my own denomination, two weeks ago, one of our minister's wives, a godly woman, went to bed in the afternoon because she had a headache. Age 51. She died. She was buried last week, one of the biggest funerals I've ever been to. Suddenly, she was ready. But are you? That's the question. Surely you're never a dying soul. The most precious possession you have demands the closest consideration possible. And if you ever need proof of the deceitfulness of the human heart and the truthfulness of Jeremiah's words, that the heart is deceitful and desperately wicked above all things, here it is. We all know we're going to die. One out of one dies. It's going to happen. And yet people leave it and act very foolishly. I spoke to a A man a while back, a man whom I went to school with. I had an opportunity to meet up with him again. And when I talked to him about these things, his answer was this. He said, oh, take the risk. Unbelievable. You're a never dying soul. One day is going to stand before your maker. And that man thought it was worth taking a risk. So this man's condition was really very pitiful. hanging on a cross, a desperately wicked man. And the scriptural statement, which almost seems to seal this man's fate, is actually found in the Matthew account. And he reports that while he initially hung on the cross, he was no different from the other thief, because he began the day by cursing Christ, Matthew 27, 44. The thieves also which were crucified with him cast the same in his teeth. So here he was already in the process of dying, and he showed no remorse whatsoever for his sin. He was joining the others who mocked and reviled our Saviour, the chief priests and the elders, and the other thief. And another thing which didn't seem at all hopeful was this. Judged by the eye of sense, the condition of our Lord didn't seem to offer much encouragement because our Lord never looked less like the Saviour of the world than he did at this moment. crucified in weakness, but here he was, mighty to save, even as he hung on the cross. And this man was converted more or less instantaneously. And friends, if Christ could save someone in these circumstances, how much more favourable is our position? He's presently exalted at the right hand of the Father, and he's able to save to the uttermost all that come unto God by him. To turn bunion strays around, we could say that there is a way to heaven from the gates of hell. This man was on the border of hell, but there's a way to heaven even from the gates of hell. Sometimes it pleases God to magnify his grace and demonstrate that where sin abounds, grace can indeed superabound. Here then is the condition in which we find the safe Secondly, consider with me the means that were blessed to this thief. God uses means. And it's obvious from the narrative that this thief was converted because Christ said to him, today thou shalt be with me in paradise. But what was it that brought about the change? What was it that so stopped him from reviling Christ that he would look to him for salvation? You see, it seems that initially, even as he hung on the cross, any past knowledge that he had gained about Christ through living in Palestine and hearing about his exploits had made little or no impact on him. Because we initially find him at a state of enmity towards Christ. So what happened to change his mind? Well, God can use very slender means indeed to effect a great change. And there are a few hints in this man's circumstances as to the means that God used to bring about this transformation. The first means that God used is Christ's testimony. Christ's testimony. I would suggest to you that the way our Lord acted and the words that he spoke at this time touched this man's heart. Whereas the crowd saw no beauty in him that they should desire him, the Holy Spirit so opened this man's eyes that even in the depths of his humiliation he saw a beauty and a majesty that others failed to see. Consider Christ's meekness, for instance. There's no doubt that our Lord was innocent and Pilate declared as much, I find no fault in him. Yet how did Christ respond to that revolting? treatment, even though he was innocent of every single accusation that was made against him, when he was reviled, he reviled not again, but committed himself to him that judgeth righteously. That response brought an out-of-this-world spirit into this scene of abject wickedness. Christ's testimony, Christ's very demeanour, the way he acted, the words he spoke, And of course, as regards the words he spoke, some of them are recorded in verse 28 to 31, the tender words of prophecy that he spoke to the daughters of Jerusalem. Jesus turning on to them said, daughters of Jerusalem, weep not for me, but weep for yourselves and for your children. For behold, the days are coming in which they shall say, blessed are the barren and the wombs that never bear and the paps which never give suck. And then they began to say to the mountains, follow us, and to the hills, cover us. For if they do these things in a green tree, what shall they be done in the dry? And perhaps the dying thief, as he heard these words, perhaps he wondered, what sort of man is this here? He's dying. What is he doing? He not only knows the future, but he's warning his followers about the future. What's sympathy in the midst of such circumstances? And then, of course, there was Christ's continuous prayer for his enemies. Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do. He kept on praying. Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do. Is it not distinctly possible that those words created a wild hope in this man's heart? Because if Christ could pray for his enemies and there was hope for them, was there not hope for him too? These are some of the means that God used to speak to this dying thief. The first means is Christ's testimony. Buchanan, good Scotsman, has a sermon in his book on the Holy Spirit, an excellent sermon, and this is what he says. These few words uttered in such circumstances might reveal to the poor manufacturer such a view of Christ as would irresistibly impress him with the conviction that he was no common sufferer and that his was no ordinary death, and constraining to believe that he was no other than the Son of God and Saviour's man. the Son of God, for he calls him Father, and the Saviour of men, for he prayed for the forgiveness of his very murderers." Christ's testimony. Friends, never underestimate the power of a godly life backed up by a scriptural explanation of what we believe to bring about a change in others. What are we to do? Sanctify the Lord in your hearts. Pursue after godliness to the best of your ability, and when given the opportunity, tell others, God could use that to bring about a change, Christ's testimony. The second means that God used is Christ's enemies. A sovereign Lord can use the wrath of man to praise him. And God seemingly took the wise in their craftiness here by using the words of mockers to speak to this thief. How, for instance, did this thief learn that Christ was the saviour of sinners? It seems that he learned it from a very unusual source indeed, because the rulers derided him, saying he saved others. Let him save himself. And I cannot but conclude that while those words were spoken in ridicule and contempt, they conveyed something to the dying thief about Christ's identity. God can use strange means. He used an ass to speak to Balaam, didn't he? He could use a remark flowing from the lips of cynical rulers. to teach this man a way of salvation. And the same thing can be written about the words above the cross. Verse 38, superscription also is written over him in letters of Greek and Latin and Hebrew. This is the king of the Jews. In a parallel passage, we're informed that Pilate refused to alter these words to suit the Jews. They wanted them changed to read, he said, I am king of the Jews, but Pilate said, what I've written, I have written. He stubbornly stood his ground. Perhaps he was fed up with them at that point because it embroiled them in this mess. And he didn't want that at all. So perhaps this was a way of getting his own back. What I have written, I have written. Or maybe even he thought it would solve his conscience. Because remember, he just delivered an innocent man over to be crucified. And perhaps he thought that by acknowledging Christ's kingship, that might help to remove his guilt of crucifying an innocent man. But in any case, the words were there for all to be seen, in Hebrew, Latin and Greek, this is the king of the Jews. This thief learned about Christ's kingdom, didn't he? Remember me when you come into your kingdom? Every kingdom has a king. Where did he learn about Christ's kingship? Very probably from the lips of Christ's enemies. But then there was also Christ's friends. Perhaps the thief learned something from them as well. Verse 27, we're told there was a great company of people and a woman which also bewailed and lamented him. Was it through this lament that the thief learned that the love of Christ was worthy of trust? I suspect so. And as he hung on the cross, The truth began to dawn on his soul that these people were right after all, that they loved this man and that this man was worthy of putting their trust in, putting their trust in. In other words, the invitation that Christ had given in a previous day, come unto me all you who labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Christ was willing to receive them. Here he had friends. who had looked to him and he had received them. Would he not receive this dying thief, Christ's friends? The words they spoke seem to have touched this thief's heart. So what were the meanings that God used Christ's testimony, particularly his meekness and his words, Christ's enemies? They spoke words which seemed to convey to the dying thief the nature of Christ's identity. They were Christ's friends, their love for this man. And then, of course, there was Christ's spirit. Now, the passage doesn't refer to this, but other passages of Scripture make it abundantly clear that these things are spiritually discerned. The natural man received not the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolish as unto him, neither can he know them, for they are spiritually discerned. And friends, unless the Spirit of God opens your heart, as he did with Lydia of old, so that you listened unto the things that were spoken, you will remain as you are. You will remain dead in trespasses and sins, perhaps knowing the truth intellectually, but having no love for it. But if you're to go to heaven when you die, just like this dying thief did, you must have personal dealings with the same saviour, because that's the only thing that makes a difference. You see, our problem is not lack of evidence. As the atheists once claimed, we're surrounded by evidence. Look around you, at the world itself. Look around you here, lives transformed by what? By the grace of God. You need to look to the same Saviour who has saved others. And it's only then that you can say, whereas once I was blind, now I see. The condition in which we find this thief, miserable position, indeed the means that God used to bless this thief, Christ's testimony, Christ's enemies, Christ's friends, Christ's spirit. And then thirdly, we're going to consider the change that was wrought in this life. Scripture says, if any man be in Christ, new creation. All things passed away and all things have become new. And although there was very little time left for this man to evidence the marks of grace in his soul, because he was just about to die after all, nonetheless, in the short time that remained, He gave clear, discernible evidence of grace along several lines. First of all, this man had a new view of himself. He had a new view of himself. When we first encounter him, he neither feared God nor had any sense of need. And that's a mark of our fallenness, isn't it? Romans 3 makes it abundantly clear. By nature, there's no fear of God in their eyes. Holy and reverent is his name, Scripture says, but we don't see God like that by nature. There's no fear of God in our eyes. There is none that seeks after, just like this dying thief as we initially found him. But now he had a new view of self. Everything changed in a moment. A flash from heaven dawned on his soul and he began to speak humbly about his sin. as well as acknowledging that he deserved punishment. He had a new outlook entirely. Look at verse 40 and 41. But the other answering rebuked him, saying, Dost thou not fear God, seeing thou art in the same condemnation? And we indeed justly, for we receive the due reward of our deeds. But this man has done nothing amiss. His conscience, you know, had begun to work. His conscience now told him that he was seriously mistaken, and that any attempt to justify himself before a holy God was foolish. He knew he was a sinner and he needed help. And this is the essence of conversion, isn't it? This is where it begins. The Holy Spirit convinces us of sin and of righteousness and of judgment to come. When God begins to have dealings with us, the first thing he does is to strip us of self and to expose our nakedness before him so that we see our need of Christ. He convinces us that our own righteousnesses are as filthy rags. So this man had a new view of self. He began to talk about his sin and about his need. That didn't happen a few minutes earlier. The Spirit was at work. He had a new view of self. He also had a new view of God. He said, dost thou not fear God, seeing thou art in the same condemnation? He now moved from having no fear of God, as he had initially, to possessing that fear of God, which is the beginning of wisdom. Al Martin has described the fear of God like this. He said, when God's smile is your greatest longing and his frown is your greatest dread, then you have the fear of God. It's not a lovely description of the fear of God. When God's smile is your greatest longing and his frown is your greatest dread, do you long to please God above everything and is displeasing him the one thing you want to avoid at all costs, then you fear God. Earlier on, this man feared those who could kill the body, but now he began to fear him who could put both body and soul in hell. He had a new view of God. that fear of God, which is the beginning of wisdom. And of course, in particular, he had a new view of Christ. The same Spirit who posed the world of sin and of righteousness, of judgment to come, also points us to Christ, because Christ said of him, he shall glorify me, for he shall receive of mine and shall show it unto you. And that is evident in many places throughout the narrative. Notice how he now acknowledged Christ's sinlessness. In verse 41, he said, this man has done nothing amiss. I remember hearing Teddy Donnelly speak on this some years ago and he mentioned that the word is used here in classical Greek to describe someone who isn't even guilty of a social slip or a faux pas. In other words, this thief could not have spoken more plainly of Christ's total and absolute innocence. and doubtless a thought must have crossed his mind that if this man was sinless, then there was no one in a better position in all the world to help him out than a sinless person. He acknowledged Christ's sinlessness. He acknowledged Christ's Lordship. Lord, he said, remember me, Lord. From this moment forth or for whatever time was left in life, this man was prepared to make Christ Lord. And if we can't say that from the heart, then we're not right with God. We risk being rebuked by him. Why call me Lord and do not the things I say? Scripture says. This is a litmus test of true religion, isn't it? Who is enthroned in our heart? Is it self? Or is it Christ? Is he Lord? Not I, but Christ is a mark of a saved soul. So while others around about here, including the other thief, were rebelling against Christ, this man was prepared to call him Lord. I'm now submitting to him. He acknowledged Christ's sinlessness, Christ's lordship, and also Christ's kingship. Remember me when you come into the kingdom. The disciples spoke frequently about Christ's kingdom, but their understanding of it was often very carnal. They thought that Christ would deliver them from the tyranny of the Romans and push them into the sea. They had yet to learn the significance of such words as Christ's confession before Pilate, my kingdom is not of this world. And even after the resurrection, they were still thinking along those carnal lines, weren't they? Lord, will you at this time restore to us the kingdom? But here was a man hanging on a cross, and he had an altogether more spiritual view of Christ's kingdom. Whereas the other thief was only concerned about his physical welfare. Look at verse 39. If thou be Christ, save thyself and us. All he wanted was to be reserved for this life. This dying thief whom we're considering, I hope to become a member of Christ's spiritual kingdom to which his soul would depart after death. So here's an amazing thing. While others around the cross were despising and mocking Christ, treating him as a powerless fraud, he was a man who was prepared to speak out against the crowd, so to speak, and say openly, I name this man king. He's my king. Christ said in another place, Whoever confesses me before men, him and I confess before my Father, which is in heaven. He acknowledged Christ's kingship. And he also acknowledged his power to save. Lord, remember me when you come into the kingdom. John Calvin says, I know not that since the creation of the world there was ever a more remarkable and striking example of faith. Who was he to be remembered? The thief. Remember me, why was he to be remembered? He'd never done anything for Christ in his life and he couldn't promise any future service. Yet he rose above those unfavorable circumstances and received and rested upon Christ alone for salvation. Lord, remember me when you come into the kingdom, a new view of Christ. What does it mean to be converted, friends? You have a new view of self. You have a new view of God. you have a new view of Christ, you also have a new view of others. That's why he tried to stop the other thief from reeling against Christ. Look at verse 40. Does thou not fear God, seeing thou art in the same condemnation? It's amazing, isn't it? In a moment or two, from reviling to witnessing. In one fell swoop, as it were. That's what grace does. You know, by nature, we don't care for our own souls, nevermind the souls of others. But the moment God touches our heart, we not only become concerned for self, but we become concerned for others. Remember the Samaritan woman, innings with our Lord. What was the outcome? Come and see a man that told me all that I ever did. Also Paul, but to a straight way, he preached Christ in the synagogues, grace, shakes us out of our lethargy and our selfishness, so we have a love and concern for our own souls and the souls of others. It was only on earth for a short time, but here's the change wrought in this thief. If any man be in Christ, new creation. All things have passed away and all things have become new. The condition in which we find this thief The means that God used to bless this thief, the chains that was wrought on this thief. Fourthly, the promise that was made to this thief. Verse 43, verily I say unto thee, today thou shalt be with me in paradise. If you've ever talked to Jehovah's Witnesses, you will know that they butcher this text by translating it quite differently in their New World Translation. They put a comma after today. rather than before, so it now reads quite differently. They read it as follows. Truly, I tell you today, you will be with me in paradise. That makes the word today identify the time our Lord is speaking rather than describing the thief's immediate entry into paradise. And they modify it to fit in with their other false doctrines, which teach that you only go to paradise during some future millennium. But interestingly, on every other occasion when they translate the same phrase, truly I say unto you, they put the comma in the obvious place rather than later on. They rest the word of God to their own destruction. It's utterly foolish to say truly I say unto you today. Well, he couldn't have been speaking at any other time other than today, could he? He wasn't speaking tomorrow, he was obviously speaking today. So what was really being said here, simply this, The Lord was promising this man that within a short time he would become one of the spirits of just men, made perfect. He'd be translated instantly from the agony of the cross to the glory of the redeemed. No purgatory, absent from the body, present with the Lord. And while the soldiers were still taking down his body from the cross, his soul had already winged his way to paradise, accompanied by the holy angels. And presently he awaits the consolation of his bliss, when his battered body will be reunited to his never-dying soul at Christ's return. Think of the scene in heaven shortly after this. What an amazing sight the inhabitants of heaven must have witnessed in this particular day. Not only did they witness the entrance of the Saviour himself, right there alongside him was the dying thief. What a monument of saving grace. The moment a sinner believes He pardoned, from Jesus receives. But it's also true that the moment a believer dies, he or she enters glory. The promise made to the sick. Today, this very day, you shall see me in paradise. But then lastly, we've got to speak about something else. The unspoken end of the other thief. The unspoken end of the other thief. These two men had many things in common. They almost certainly shared a similar background, so much so that they'd become partners in crime, so to speak. Both of them were robbers, and both of them were also condemned at the same time. Furthermore, throughout the final hours of their lives, they were subject to the same influences, similar circumstances. We've already considered how the first thief responded to Christ, This other one responded very differently. He was angry at what was happening to him, and he wanted Christ to prove that he was the Messiah by saving all three of them from their present plight. Just get us off this cross, was his call. One of the malefactors, which were reined in and saying, if thou be Christ, save thyself and us. One thief was thinking spiritually, thinking of the future, looking to Christ For salvation, the other thief was still thinking carnally, only interested in his present physical sufferings and removal from them. And sadly, we have to conclude that there's no evidence of repentance, no evidence of looking to Christ, no mercy and no salvation. J.C. Ryle said, both were equally near to Christ, both saw and heard all that happened, During the six hours that he hung on the cross, both were dying men and suffering acute pain. Both were alike wicked sinners and needed forgiveness. Yet one died in his sins as he lived, hardened and penitent and unbelieving. The other repented, believed, cried unto Jesus for mercy, and was saved. Friends, learn from this tragic figure that it's possible to die so badly that you have eternal regrets. It's a tragedy to die outside of Jesus Christ. Listen to what Karl Marx said as he lay on his deathbed. In March 1833, his housekeeper came into the room to record his last words. She received a very unwelcome response because a man sensed his end was near and he lost his temper. And he shouted, get out! Last words are for fools who haven't said enough already. And how different it was for Christ and for his followers. We're pleased to meditate upon and reflect upon the last words of God's saints. But I wouldn't want to think too long upon the words of some who died outside of Christ. You see, friends, Unless God intervenes in sovereign grace and unless you call upon Christ for salvation, you would die as you lived without God and without hope in the world. I'm sure you're all familiar with the name of Beethoven. His name is legendary in the history of music. Now, I can't be absolutely certain that what I'm about to say is true or not, but a number of writers who write about him said that a spinal act on this earth was to rise up on his bed and shake his fist in defiance of his maker. And if that is so, that is an absolute tragedy. He was a man who made it to the absolute top in this world, only to lose out on eternity in the next. And how do we account for these two very different responses? Well, there's both a human side to it and there's a divine side to it. Regarding the human side, Friends, I remind you, God holds every single one of us responsible for the way we act. It is our duty to improve our privileges and to make good use of them, and to not rest until we are absolutely certain that Christ is formed in us. If we don't, we're guilty of neglecting a so great salvation, and the blame will fall entirely at our door, nowhere else. That's the emphasis on scripture. What does it profit a man if he gain the whole world and lose his own soul? Always will thou'st destroy thyself, So if we lose out with God, we can't blame our Maker. It's our fault. But then there's a divine side to it as well. We have to acknowledge that, because friends, salvation is of the Lord. And if we're to be saved at all, He must intervene. Otherwise, we're done for. Where does spiritual understanding come from? It comes from God alone. You remember the wonderful confession that Peter made? Matthew 16, verse 13 to 17, when Jesus came into the coast of Caesarea Philippa, he asked his disciples saying, who do men say that I am, the Son of Man? And they said, some say that thou art John the Baptist, some Elias, and others Jeremias, or one of the prophets, he saith unto them, but whom say ye that I am? And Simon Peter answered and said, thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God. And Jesus answered and said, blessed are thou, Simon and Barjona, flesh and blood has not revealed this unto you. Not our reason, not our intellect, no. Left to ourselves, we will never come to that conclusion. Flesh and blood have not revealed it unto thee, but my Father who is in heaven. These things are spiritually discerned, so we don't hold the key to heaven, God does. And what's more, if we're so foolish as to think that we can live for ourselves and then just switch on repentance and faith just before we die, we fail to grasp something very fundamental. God is sovereign. in the matter of salvation. Think of those words in Romans 9, I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion. You know, friends, God doesn't have to save us. He can leave us. Shedd, the theologian, has a sermon with a very striking title, The Exercise of Mercy, Optional with God. If we're indifferent, God is not obliged to intervene. He could just leave us. And that's why we've got to act responsibly. Cry out, Lord, do not pass me by. This is how you can be accepted in the beloved friends. Act responsibly, take God's word seriously. Do as he says, and all will be well. And he says that today is the accepted time. Now is the accepted time. Today, if you'll hear his voice, harden not your hearts. Seek ye the Lord while he may be found, and call upon him while he's near. Let the wicked forsake his way and the unrighteous man his thoughts, and let him return to the Lord, to our God, and he will have mercy upon him, and he will abundantly pardon. And in particular, pay close attention to Christ's invitation. Doesn't he say, come unto me? If you respond positively, To all that God's word says, all will be well. So we come back to our summary. One was saved that none might despair. But one was lost that none might presume. The vilest sinner can be encouraged by what happened to Christ's greatest trophy, but the boldest sinner ought to be deterred by what happened to the other one. Same circumstances, same privileges, different outcome. One was taken, the other was left. And just occasionally, God, in grace, can intervene in this way. And I want to give you an example of something that happened when I was at the RP College, which is as close to this situation as I've ever encountered, at any rate. And it concerns my grandmother. My grandmother was born a Roman Catholic. She hardly ever attended church. But some of her children got converted and began to pray for her. And when the incident that I'm now about to tell you about happened, she was already in her 90s, and she was as deaf as a post. I remember trying to talk to her on numerous occasions as she lay on her deathbed, and I got absolutely nowhere. I had a special link with her because her husband was a violinist and he left me his violin and I played the violin and I used to try and talk to her about her husband leaving me the violin and so forth, but there was no response, nothing at all. And then one day as the end was approaching, I asked my then minister, Enoma, to come with me into the hospital. And he read from that psalm that we sang earlier. This poor man cried unto the Lord and the Lord heard him. and delivered him out of all his distresses. And something happened that I have never witnessed before, and my minister has never witnessed, and he's now well into his 70s and still ministering. As he began to read those words, not in a preachy form of voice or anything, he was reading them in a perfectly natural tone, the bed actually began to shake, and she began to shake like a leaf. And it reminded me of Ezekiel's bones coming together. And at the same time, she began to cry out, Lord, have mercy on me. Lord, have mercy on me. And you know, there's a big family here. She had 14 children or something like that. And a number of them were sitting around the bed, and they all looked in amazement. We'd never seen anything like it before. Here's God acting in grace and mercy. Doesn't the scripture say, they that call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved? She called him in the name of the Lord God, and I believed she was genuine. I believed that God had intervened. I never saw her alive again. But I believe she will be in heaven. God was very gracious. She was a bran plucked from the burning. And her sin abounded. Grace did much more abound. And her case, that was a way to heaven from the gates of hell. As Bunyan said, But as this passage reminds us, there's also a way to hell from the gates of heaven. And I urge you, friends, to make sure that you settle this issue now. And with no reason to be afraid. With every reason to be encouraged. Because if you act nobly and honestly and do what God says, all will be well. Because Jeremiah 29 verse 13 says, you shall seek me and find me. that you seek for me with all your heart.