Faith

The next step is faith.



Talk about faith! I think this is about the most extraordinary case

of faith in the Bible. Abraham was the father of the faithful; but

God had him in training for twenty-five years. Moses was a man of

faith; but he saw the burning bush, and had other evidences of God.

Elijah had faith; but see what good reason he had for it. God took

care of him, and fed him in time of famine. But ere was a man who

perhaps had never seen a miracle; who had spent his life among

criminals; whose friends were thieves and outlaws; who was now in

his dying agonies in the presence of a crowd who were rejecting and

reviling the Son of God. His disciples, who had heard His wonderful

words, and witnessed His mighty works, had forsaken Him; and perhaps

the thief knew this. Peter had denied Him with oaths and cursing;

and perhaps this had been told the thief. Judas had betrayed Him. He

saw no glittering crown upon His brow; only the crown of thorns. He

could see no sign of His kingdom. Where were His subjects? And yet,

nailed to the cross, racked with pain in every nerve, overwhelmed

with horror, his wicked soul in a tempest of passion, this poor

wretch managed to lay hold on Christ and trust Him for a swift

salvation. The faith of this thief, how it flashes out amid the

darkness of Calvary! It is one of the most astounding instances of

faith in the Bible!



When I was a boy I was a poor speller. One day there came a word to

the boy at the head of the class which he couldn't spell, and none

of the class could spell it. I spelled it; by good luck; and I went

from the foot of the class to the head. So the thief on the cross

passed by Abraham, Moses and Elijah, and went to the head of the

class. He said unto Jesus:



"Lord, remember me when thou comest into Thy kingdom."



Thank God for such a faith! How refreshing it must have been to

Christ to have one own Him as Lord, and believe in His kingdom, at

that dark hour! How this thief's heart goes out to the Son of God!

How glad he would be to fall on his knees at the foot of the cross,

and pour out his prayer! But this he cannot do. His hands and feet

are nailed fast to the wood, but they have not nailed his eyes and

his tongue and his heart. He can at least turn his head and look

upon the Son of God, and his breaking heart can go out in love to

that One who was dying for him and dying for you and me, and he can

say:



"Lord, remember me when Thou comest into Thy kingdom."