There was a man traveling from Cyrene, by the name of Simon, who entered the gate into Jerusalem at the same time Jesus and the two thieves, which were to be crucified with Him, were coming out, bearing their crosses. He had heard of Jesus but had never met Him; he did not know why he should find Him in such circumstances as he did.

Jesus had stooped under the heavy load to the point where He could bear the burden no longer. The soldier in charge looked around for someone who could carry the cross up the hill to the place of crucifixion. His gaze rested upon Simon, and he ordered him to take hold of the heavy timber. As Simon looked to the other side of the wooden cross his eyes met those of Jesus, and his sympathy went out to Him who had exchanged a glorious body for this one of frailty. The cross which Simon had been forced to bear became the means of his being converted. As the events of Calvary were fulfilled, he, as well as others present, were convinced that surely this was the Son of God.

There were two thieves crucified with Jesus, one on either side of Him. This position indicated that He had been determined by His accusers to be the worse of the accused. Agony of spirit was upon Him as He suffered separation from His Father in heaven, as a transgressor, because He bore the sins of all humanity upon Himself.

One of the thieves being crucified with Him recognized Him as one in whom no real guilt had been found. He had heard accounts of Jesus, how He had healed the sick and forgiven men and women of their sins. The Holy Spirit brought to him the hope that there, in his dying moments, he could also receive pardon from the dying Saviour. He cried out to Jesus, “Lord, remember me when thou comest into thy kingdom” (Luke 23:42). There was no hesitancy with Jesus as He assured the penitent one that he would be with Him, to be among the saved throughout eternity.

Thus we see another soul saved, as Simon of Cyrene was, in view of the cross of Christ. The conversation between Christ and the thief was heard by those who had taken away His clothing to cast lots for it. They could not take away from Him His power to forgive the sins of those who acknowledged Him as the Lifegiver.

Jesus has given us the keys of His kingdom, His Holy Word. Through this Word He has led us down through the ages, from the very beginning, that we may know of His desire for humanity. He who created us in His image loves us with an undying love which passes all understanding. Prophecy foretold the cross and what it should mean to us. The recorded events allow us to see on both sides of the cross of Calvary so that we may see where we stand today, and what should be our relationship with it. Will we be as the other dying thief who did not recognize the One who was hanging there dying with him, or will we see through the darkness into the glorious light which comes forth from Him who has the power to forgive?

All that we may profess to be or to do means nothing if we do not go to the basic need of all humanity. We with our carnal heart and mind cannot obey or live the life that Jesus calls us to life. We must come to the foot of that cross in a full surrender of everything in our life. It is when we do this and receive the mind, or character, of Christ that we may receive the revival that will bring about the change we need in our life.

To surrender is to give up self with all the fruit of the flesh which we have inherited, acquired, and cultivated. To surrender is to be in harmony with His will, His moral law, His character. All these are one and the same thing. (Galatians 2:20.)

Again, it is impossible to meet the requirements of God’s law with our carnal mind. Paul states in Romans 8:6-9, “For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace. Because the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be. So then they that are in the flesh cannot please God. But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his.”

So, how hard must we try to meet the requirements of God’s law? All our trying will be in vain. The carnal mind rejects the Word of God or raises objections to it; the mind of Christ believes it. The carnal mind tells us that we must do something of ourselves to obtain God’s mercy and salvation. Instead, we must be crucified to self, to die a death to sin, to have our iron will replaced, that will which says that we must have our own way and do our own bidding. We must have it replaced with the divine, tender, loving mind of Jesus.

As we read in Ephesians 2:8, 9: “For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast.”

What is this grace which is here spoken of? “Grace means favor to one who is undeserving, to one who is lost. The fact that we are sinners, instead of shutting us away from the mercy and love of God, makes the exercise of His love to us a positive necessity in order that we may be saved.”1

This grace, or free gift of God, is not given in acknowledgement of any human’s merit, or worth, or righteousness; it is ours through the righteousness of Christ. Therefore, we must let His righteousness become ours. We cannot obtain this gift so freely offered to us as long as we retain the carnal mind.

Our pride and preconceived opinions must be laid at the foot of the cross as the pure, simple faith revealed in God’s Word thoroughly humbles our heart.

The choice which we have is the same as that of the penitent thief on the cross. He heard of Jesus and the perfect life which He had lived and the good works which He had done during His lifetime on earth. Now that he was brought face to face with Him, as both of them were dying, his faith reached out to Him with the simple plea that he would be remembered by Him and that salvation would come to him. At that moment that free gift of God’s grace was received by the lost one and his destiny was changed. He acknowledged his sinful condition and the power to forgive and to save which rested in Jesus. This same desire to be free from the slavery of sin and its sure results must be within us today.

When we think of the idols which we want to hold onto, but which will stand between us and our Saviour, we must ask ourselves, “Are we willing to give up everything for Jesus and be fully surrendered to Him, our only way to salvation?” If this is our choice, then we will freely receive that gift which He offers to us, that grace that is greater than all our sins.

“Hanging upon the cross Christ was the gospel. Now we have a message, ‘Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world’ (John 1:29). . . . This is our message, our argument, our doctrine, our warning to the impenitent, our encouragement for the sorrowing, the hope for every believer.”2 The gospel is the power (the right, the privilege) unto salvation through Jesus Christ our Lord to those who believe. Jesus, the spotless Lamb of God, gave freely and unselfishly of Himself to all who came to Him for help; those who came with a faith in Him for relief from suffering, for the hope of life rather than of death.

It is the privilege of each of us to carry this gospel to a dying world. We must be sincere and earnestly seek the power of the Holy Spirit that we may be used by Him as we go forth to proclaim the solemn truths for these last days.

So that we may be what we must be and do what we should do, we need to have the Spirit of Christ abiding within us. Then we will have a burden for the perishing souls around us, we will become sanctified through the truth and will show forth the example of Christ in self-denial, in meekness, and in love.

As the penitent thief on the cross, we must recognize our sins and our need of a Saviour. Then, before it is too late, we must offer up our life to Him who can cleanse us from all our dross and give us His robe of righteousness in which we will be accepted into the kingdom.

Let us think upon these things and make our calling and election sure. Let us look beyond the cross to the glories which lie ahead when all things are made perfect. Amen.