Participants: Shelley Quinn
Series Code: GPL
Program Code: GPL000006S
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00:01 Hello, I am Shelley Quinn.
00:02 Please join us now on "The Grace Pipeline" 00:05 as we see how the lives of two robbers 00:08 provide an incredible snapshot of salvation by grace. 00:36 Welcome to "The Grace Pipeline." 00:38 On our last program 00:39 we considered the yoke up relationship with Jesus Christ 00:43 which is to be partnered with His power. 00:46 And today, what we're going to look at is an incredible 00:50 snapshot of salvation found in the story of two robbers, 00:54 one who turns to Christ and one who rejected Him. 00:58 But what we will learn is how our God who is impartial, 01:02 honorable, righteous, 01:04 and truthful can be both just in His judgments. 01:09 And at the same time the one who justifies us. 01:13 This series is following 01:15 the Bible study in the book I was privileged to write 01:18 by the same title "The Grace Pipeline." 01:20 And if you're following along in the series companion book, 01:24 we'll begin today with chapter 4. 01:26 The gospels record how our Lord Jesus Christ was crucified 01:30 between two criminals. 01:31 They were members of a violent band of robbers 01:34 that plundered Palestine during this time of history. 01:37 And these two are most likely Jews by nationality. 01:41 They are presumed to have been followers of Barabbas, 01:44 the notorious robber who committed murder 01:47 during an insurrection and was imprisoned 01:49 at the same time of Christ trial. 01:52 Now the robbers faced crucifixion. 01:55 The most hideous and degrading death of the ancient world 02:00 reserved for only the worst of criminals. 02:03 Standing in the judgment hall they heard the commotion 02:07 of the confusing case against Christ. 02:10 And as they were led away with him 02:12 carrying their cross beams to Calvary, 02:15 the raging thoughts of his persecutors 02:18 and the tearful veils of His followers fell on their ears. 02:22 Excruciating suffering awaited them. 02:25 Every movement, every breath on their cross 02:29 will cause painful throbbing. 02:31 Stripped naked to increase humiliation, 02:34 the crucified typically suffered several days of the lonesome 02:38 and lingering labor of dying. 02:41 These two criminals were fortunate. 02:43 There Friday, of their crucifixion 02:46 was the preparation day for high Sabbath. 02:49 That was a feast day 02:50 which synchronized with the seventh-day Sabbath. 02:53 It was labeled a higher great day. 02:56 So for religious respectability 02:58 their moment of death would be hastened. 03:01 The Jews requested of Pilate to have their legs broken 03:04 so that the death would come more rapidly 03:07 and their bodies could be removed 03:09 from this--the cross before the special Sabbath. 03:12 A heavy mallet would be used to break their legs destroying 03:16 any potential of being able to push up on their feet 03:20 to relieve the body weight pressure 03:22 from their lungs to breathe. 03:25 So suffocation and heart failure would eventually follow. 03:30 Three crosses awaited on the Hill of Calvary. 03:34 Guilty before man and God, 03:36 the two criminals were crucified. 03:38 And the Lamb of God, the Lord of glory 03:41 hung nailed to the center cross. 03:45 According to tradition, 03:47 Demas was the name of the penitent thief 03:50 hanging to the right of Christ. 03:53 He knew of Christ's fame and he noticed 03:56 that he had been sentenced to die 03:58 only for His claims of being the Son of God. 04:02 But in his misery Demas had it first mocked Jesus 04:06 joining his companion and the others 04:08 who hurled insults at the Lord. 04:12 But the operation of God's grace began to soften him. 04:15 And as he looked at the one on the cross beside him, 04:19 he identified a heart of infinite compassion. 04:23 Christ conduct convinced Demas that the man on the center cross 04:28 was the Messiah and suffering wrongly. 04:32 In horror of his own actions, he changed his language 04:37 and chastised his companion for criticizing the Savior. 04:41 Saying in Luke 23:40 and 41. 04:46 "Do you not even fear God, 04:49 seeing you are under the same sentence of condemnation? 04:52 And we indeed justly, 04:54 for we receive the due reward of our deeds, 04:58 but this Man has done nothing wrong." 05:03 Demas humbled himself confessing his sin 05:06 and this was proof of God's grace 05:09 being extended to his miserable soul. 05:12 It might surprise you to learn 05:14 that even repentance is a gift from God. 05:18 This is too important to skip over. 05:20 So let's read a couple of scriptures 05:22 from the sheer word of God 05:23 to settle this matter in your heart. 05:26 In Acts 5:31 the Bible says, 05:29 "Him God has exalted to His right hand" 05:33 speaking of Christ "To be Prince and Savior, 05:36 to give repentance to Israel and the forgiveness of sins." 05:41 So God gives us repentance. 05:44 In 2 Timothy 2:24, proves "Repentance is a gift from God." 05:49 And it reads, I'll read 2 Timothy 2:24 and 25. 05:53 And it says, "A servant of the Lord 05:56 must not quarrel but be gentle to all. 05:58 Able to teach patiently in humility correcting those 06:03 who are in opposition if perhaps God will grant them repentance 06:10 so that they may know the truth." 06:13 The Holy Spirit is constantly at work to convince 06:17 and convict people of their sins 06:19 and to bring them to godly sorrow. 06:22 When God sees someone who is sorry for their sins 06:25 and they're seeking forgiveness, 06:27 He grants them the gift of repentance, 06:31 just as God granted to Demas 06:33 who turned away from his sins to Christ. 06:36 And said in Luke 23:42, "Oh, Lord, remember me 06:40 when You come into Your kingdom." 06:43 Demas certainly had to recognize that Christ was not coming down 06:47 from His cross to establish a temporal kingdom on earth. 06:51 He realized as Jesus taught in John 18:36 06:56 that Christ kingdom was not of this world. 07:00 It was a kingdom on the other side of the grave. 07:03 The spirit of grace helped him to see beyond 07:07 the shame of Christ to His coming glory. 07:10 And recognizing Christ divine authority, 07:13 he confessed Him his Lord. 07:15 In the midst of Christ agony at His darkest moment 07:19 this prayer of faith gratified the heart. 07:22 The Lord would not ignore the penitent cry. 07:25 Christ accepted him promising Demas eternal life 07:29 proving it is faith, not works that saves. 07:35 As long as a person can make the choice, 07:38 it is never too late to turn to Christ. 07:41 While there is life remaining in the bodies there is hope. 07:45 And the loving heart of our Savior 07:48 responded to this criminal in Luke 23:43. 07:54 And he said, "Assuredly, I say to you today, 07:59 you will be with Me in Paradise." 08:03 On that day Christ promised Demas 08:06 that he had granted his request. 08:09 Demas had tapped into God's grace pipeline through faith 08:13 and received the gift of eternal life and an inheritance 08:16 among those whom Christ makes righteous by faith. 08:20 He will eat from the tree of life 08:22 which Revelation 2:7 says, 08:25 "Is in the midst of the Garden of God located in heaven." 08:29 Now I must in to be perfectly transparent notice 08:34 or make a note that I place the comment on that verse 08:39 after on verse 43 after today. 08:43 You know, authors of the New Testament books 08:46 recorded the original Greek text without punctuation marks 08:51 and the balance of scripture convinces me 08:54 that translators had mistakenly placed the comma 08:57 before today in that verse 09:00 which alters the idea completely. 09:03 Jesus either meant Demas, 09:06 I tell you today at this very moment in time. 09:09 I promise you Demas, 09:11 you can be certain in the future, 09:13 you'll be with Me in paradise or if you put the comma before, 09:18 he was saying to Jesus-- Jesus was saying to Demas 09:23 "This very day you'll join Me in the paradise of God" 09:27 which option the scripture support. 09:30 The Apostle John confirms in Revelation 2:7 09:34 that the location of the paradise of God 09:37 is in heaven. 09:38 And let me tell you something. 09:40 Demas could not possibly have entered paradise 09:43 on the Friday of his crucifixion 09:45 because the promise keeping Christ 09:48 did not return to heaven that day. 09:50 The account of his Sunday morning resurrection is recorded 09:54 in John 20:11-18. 09:58 After Christ had resurrected, 10:01 He instructed Mary not to cling to Him. Why? 10:04 He said, it was because 10:06 He had not yet ascended to the Father. 10:08 And in John 14:1-4, 10:12 Jesus had previously explained to His disciples 10:16 that He would go to prepare a place for them 10:19 and when everything was ready, He would come again to receive 10:23 His faithful followers to Himself. 10:26 This is a definite promise of His second coming. 10:30 So there's only one light to go conclusion that remains 10:33 that is consistent with the rest of scripture. 10:36 On the day of His crucifixion, 10:39 Christ promised that at His second coming, 10:42 Demas will rise in the resurrection 10:45 of the righteous and put on immortality 10:48 with the rest of the righteous ones. 10:51 In his misery the penitent thief met mercy. 10:54 Divine grace was magnified 10:57 and Demas' disgrace was abolished. 11:02 The conversion of the naked thief 11:04 on a cross is an incredible snapshot of salvation by grace. 11:08 He recognized Jesus as Lord, 11:11 became convicted of his sinful condition, 11:14 experienced remorse, confessed his sin and cried out for mercy. 11:20 The grace of our Lord granted him the gifts of forgiveness, 11:24 repentance, justification and salvation. 11:28 That is the message of the cross. 11:31 Look at the Apostle Paul's words in 1 Corinthians 1:18. 11:37 He says, "For the message of the cross is foolishness 11:41 to those who are perishing, 11:43 but to us who are being saved it is the power of God." 11:50 Now in the backs--background of that snapshot of salvation 11:55 is the darker side of the story. 11:58 The other robber hanging naked to the left of Jesus 12:02 did not understand the message of the cross. 12:05 And so to him it was just absolutely meaningless. 12:10 He snubbed the Savior, 12:11 he spurned salvation by grace and unforgiven, 12:15 the companion of Demas perished in his sins. 12:20 When it comes to judgment, 12:22 all men and women stand naked before the Lord. 12:26 We cannot cover our sins. 12:28 If we accept the gospel of Christ, 12:31 we will like Demas stand in grace 12:35 and receive everlasting life. 12:37 However if we reject the good news, 12:41 we will like his robber companion 12:44 fall in disgrace and perish. 12:47 Perhaps, one of the most beautiful and grandiose 12:51 known promises of God is the one found in John 3:16 12:57 which says, "For God so loved the world 13:01 that He gave His only begotten Son, 13:04 that whoever believes in him should not perish 13:08 but have everlasting life. 13:10 For God did not send His Son into the world 13:13 to condemn the world, 13:15 but that the world through Him might be saved." 13:20 God is just, that means He is absolutely good, 13:24 virtuous, impartial, fair minded, honest, 13:28 incorruptible, trustworthy and righteous. 13:32 And in performing His justice, 13:34 He consistently does all things in accordance 13:38 with what is perfectly right. 13:41 He judges fairly. 13:42 His wrath against sin is justly deserved. 13:46 But Jesus death satisfied God's righteous wreath. 13:51 God's pardon to unholy sinners is only 13:55 because He secures our acquittal from guilt 13:59 based on Christ death by His divine grace 14:03 through the gifts of repentance forgiveness in salvation. 14:07 Where it not for grace, 14:09 you and I would be helpless and hopeless. 14:13 For the Bible tells us in Roman 3:23, 14:16 that "All have sinned and fallen short of His glory" 14:20 which is His righteous character. 14:22 Just think about it for a moment. 14:24 Can you recall even one day in your life 14:27 that you did not fall short 14:29 of the mark of God's righteous character, 14:32 not only in thought but in action. 14:35 Have you ever spent even one 24 hour period 14:39 that could measure up to His righteousness 14:41 without a single lapse? 14:43 Even the most righteous saint is indeed a sinner saved by grace. 14:49 In the brilliant presence of our Lord, our righteousness, 14:53 our very best can be compared only to filthy rags. 14:58 Thank God for His grace. 15:00 From time to time someone will ask me, 15:04 well, if God is such a wonderful God and God of grace, 15:07 why would a loving God create the devil to tempt us? 15:12 I want to tell you something, He did not. 15:14 Ezekiel 28:12-15 informs us 15:18 that God created Lucifer with perfection 15:21 but also with free will. 15:24 God assigned him to be a covering cherub at His throne, 15:28 making Him the highest ranked of all created beings. 15:32 Lucifer lived in the presence of God 15:35 and was blameless at all his ways 15:37 until inequity entered his heart. 15:41 Pride was his iniquity, the origin of sin. 15:45 And Lucifer lifted his heart in vanity 15:50 and as is described in Isaiah 14:12-14. 15:55 Here's what the Lord says about him. 15:58 "How you are fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! 16:03 How you are cut down to the ground, 16:05 You who weakened the nations! 16:08 For you have said in your heart, 16:10 'I will ascend into heaven, 16:12 I will exalt my throne above the stars of God, 16:16 I will also sit on the mount of the congregation 16:19 on the farthest sides of the north, 16:21 I will ascend above the heights of the clouds, 16:25 I will be like the Most High.'" 16:29 Lucifer's vain imagination caused him to think 16:33 that he was worthy to receive worship, 16:36 the worship only deserved by God. 16:38 And in his competitive attitude of self glorification, 16:44 submission to the Almighty's authority 16:46 was intolerable to him. 16:49 Jesus said in John 8:44, 16:51 that Lucifer became a murderer, 16:54 a liar and the father of all falsehood. 16:59 To gratify his lust for power, 17:02 Lucifer fabricated accusations against the Lord 17:05 desiring God's position and authority. 17:08 He masterminded a rebellion 17:11 and he marshaled an unholy alliance against the Almighty, 17:15 accusing God of being unjust. 17:18 The Lord could have instantly, instantly ended the anarchy 17:24 by annihilating Lucifer and his gang. 17:27 But such an act would raise suspicion 17:30 that the complaint lodged against Him was true. 17:33 And what about the on looking angels, 17:36 those created beings who remained loyal. 17:39 They would then serve God out of fear rather than love. 17:43 So until God's just character can be proven beyond doubt. 17:48 God limited His response as described in Revelation 12:7-9 17:55 to merely casting Lucifer and his followers 17:58 which was the third of the angels. 18:00 He just cast them out of heaven. 18:02 These fallen angels we are told in Jude 1:6, 18:06 God has reserved as He says it 18:10 "in everlasting chains under darkness 18:13 for the judgment of the great day." 18:17 Lucifer the chief of the fallen demonic troop 18:22 became known as Satan, 18:24 which means adversary and he's also known as the devil 18:27 which that word means accuser. 18:30 When Adam and Eve succumbed to Satan's temptation, 18:33 they relinquished to him, 18:35 their God given authority over the earth. 18:38 Until God restores all things, 18:41 the devil has temporarily gained a grip over our fallen world. 18:45 And the devil's merciless mission is to thwart 18:49 the Lord's plan of salvation 18:51 by continuing to create doubt on his character. 18:56 And don't be fooled, worship remains his chief desire. 19:00 I'm talking about Satan. 19:02 In his concealed delusion, 19:04 he even vainly attempted to receive worship 19:07 from the Son of God as the Bible records in Matthew 4:9-10 19:14 which says and this is Lucifer talking. 19:17 He said to Him, to Christ, 19:19 "All these things I will give You, 19:22 if You will fall down and worship me." 19:26 Then Jesus said to him, "Away with you, Satan! 19:29 For it is written, 'You shall worship the Lord your God, 19:33 and Him only shall you serve." 19:38 Satan's greatest mistake was his scheme to kill the Savior. 19:44 Satan entered the heart of Judas Iscariot 19:48 and convinced him to betray Christ. 19:51 Judas had declared that he was one of the disciples 19:54 but he was unwilling to surrender 19:56 to the influence of Christ divine love and holy character 20:00 and to live under submission to the Lord's authority. 20:03 So expecting that Christ would start 20:06 a political rebellion and overthrow Rome, 20:09 Judas became His follower with mixed motives. 20:13 Personal ambition stirred his anticipation 20:17 of a coveted promotion with greater authority 20:21 in a newly established earthly kingdom. 20:24 So through his attitude and his actions, 20:28 Judas gave the devil a foothold in his life. 20:32 As the treasurer of the apostles the Bible records 20:35 that he secretly stole from the Lord's ministry finances. 20:39 Then Judas became angry and he took offence 20:43 when Christ rebuked him publicly for his miserly attitude. 20:49 So he opened his heart to the devil 20:52 to allow the devil to work through him. 20:54 And this hypocrite became an apostate 20:57 and betrayed his master for 30 pieces of silver 21:02 which was a traditional price of a slave. 21:05 Judas became the devil's agent 21:08 and he found disaster and death to be his reward. 21:12 He died remorseful but without repentance. 21:15 If he had turned back to God, 21:18 he would have been restored through God's grace, 21:20 the gift of eternal life. 21:23 The Bible tells us in Roman 6:23 21:25 "For the wages of sin is death, 21:28 but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord." 21:33 You see Satan presumed to destroy God's plan of salvation, 21:38 but the cross proved to be his greatest defeat. 21:42 The crucifixion of Christ was the central event of-- 21:47 in the controversy between good and evil. 21:50 And it rendered the devil a conquered vow. 21:54 We were, we are reconciled to God 21:57 through the gift of Jesus Christ 21:59 as 2 Corinthians 5:19, assures us. 22:04 "God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, 22:09 not imputing their trespasses to them." 22:14 You see fallen humanity have become an enemy of God 22:18 and we had a sinned death that could never be repaid. 22:22 Divine justice demanded payment 22:25 but God tempers His justice with mercy. 22:28 In divine mercy He made provision 22:31 to reconcile the world to Himself through Christ. 22:35 And in an act of mercy and grace, 22:37 God sent Christ to win back humanity's love and loyalty. 22:42 Christ shed His blood on the cruel cross of Calvary 22:46 that you and I might be justified. 22:49 Put in right standing before God. 22:52 Hallelujah and amen. 22:54 Well, we'll continue on this study 22:57 on our next program as we begin to probe into the idea 23:01 of how Christ righteousness justifies us. 23:05 And we hope that you will be able to join us. 23:08 Well, our time is almost gone today, 23:10 but I want to take just a brief moment to review 23:15 how God's system of grace works. 23:18 Not everybody was able to tune in 23:20 for the first program or two, 23:22 but when I asked the Lord how to--how it worked, 23:26 this is what He showed me. 23:28 It's an illustration that's really kind of changed my life. 23:32 You have to understand that God's heart 23:34 vales with love for us. 23:36 And His love is the compelling force behind His grace. 23:43 He loves us. 23:45 The Bible says, within an everlasting love 23:47 and He draws us to Himself with love and kindness. 23:51 So from that well of love, flow all of God's blessings. 23:56 Grace is the pipeline 23:59 through which these blessings flow from heaven to earth. 24:02 Everything, absolutely every good thing 24:06 comes to us through His great pipeline of grace. 24:10 So we-- if we think about God 24:13 being the giver of every good and perfect gift, 24:16 He makes them all available to mankind through faith. 24:22 Faith is the faucet. 24:23 It's how we tap into God's grace pipeline. 24:27 And our faith regulates the release of blessings 24:31 from His great, great reservoir. 24:35 Through Christ, Romans 5:2 says, 24:38 we have access by faith into this marvelous grace of God. 24:44 Prayer is the handle that opens the faith faucet. 24:49 Trust is the foundation for the prayer of faith. 24:53 Relationship is the foundation for trust. 24:57 And what is the foundation for relationship? Love. 25:01 So the greater our understanding of God's love for us, 25:07 the greater our love will be for Him. 25:10 John tells us, we only love Him because He first loved us. 25:15 And the greater our love, 25:17 the more intimate our relationship will become 25:20 with our heavenly Father. 25:22 And the more intimate our relationship, 25:24 the greater our trust will become. 25:27 So as we learn to trust in the Lord, 25:30 leaning not on our understanding but on what His word says, 25:35 then we develop the prayer of faith 25:39 and we become more persistent in our prayer of faith 25:43 and that develops greater actions of faith. 25:47 So the greater our faith, 25:49 the more we tap into the various areas of God's grace. 25:54 And then when we access His grace pipeline, 25:58 the blessings flow and God's stream of love 26:03 and His gifts flow through this heavenly pipeline 26:08 and there is no shortage of supply. 26:11 You know, if you have been following this series 26:14 would probably realize 26:16 that the greatest three gifts of God's grace are Jesus Christ, 26:24 our Savior and the Holy Spirit and the word of God. 26:31 If we recognize these are the three greatest gifts 26:35 and we understand that, understanding the gifts of grace 26:40 begin to help us understand 26:44 the effects of grace upon the human soul. 26:48 God wants you to know 26:52 that grace is more than just a pardon. 26:57 Grace is being partnered with His power. 27:01 Grace is surrendering to His control 27:05 allowing Christ to live in your heart through faith. 27:10 Allowing the Holy Spirit to work in you 27:13 to do the will of God and allowing the word of God 27:18 to be implanted in your heart 27:21 and help you develop the divine actions, 27:25 the divine nature of God. 27:29 I hope that like Demas 27:32 if you have never looked to the Lord for salvation before, 27:36 if you've mocked Him in the past, 27:38 I hope and pray that you return to Him now 27:41 and ask God to forgive you, to grant you repentance. 27:45 To ask God to please Lord, 27:49 let me be saved and God will. 27:53 He loves you, my brother. He loves you, my sister. 27:57 Grow in grace in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. |
Revised 2024-06-25