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| artwork by Cherry Ashen Fargo |
Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion? Come to me. Get away with me and you’ll recover your life. I’ll show you how to take a real rest. Walk with me and work with me—watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace. I won’t lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you. Keep company with me and you’ll learn to live freely and lightly. Matthew 11:28-30 The Message
Your love is extravagant, Your friendship, so intimate, I find I’m moving to the rhythms of Your grace, Your fragrance is intoxicating in our secret place, Your love is extravagant, Spread wide in the arms of Christ is the love that covers sin, No greater love have I ever known, You considered me a friend, capture my heart again...
What greater example of God’s extravagant grace is there than the thief
on the cross who says to Jesus, “Remember me when you come into your kingdom” (Luke
23:42). And Jesus said to him, “I tell
you the truth, today you will be with me in paradise” (Luke 23:43). Christ has
great joy in redeeming sinners…“I tell you the truth, today you will be with me
in paradise.” A word study reveals that the phrase that’s translated, “I tell you the truth,” comes from
the single word, “Amen.”
When the thief prays, “Remember me when you come into your kingdom,” Jesus
replies, “Amen, today you will be with me in paradise!” He says, “Amen!” to the prayer of faith. This is why He came. This is why He is suffering. Christ says, “Amen” to the simplest
faith.
How is God’s extravagant grace made known to us and lavished upon
us? In the finished work of Jesus Christ on the cross. One of the thieves has a change of heart, and right there on the cross
Christ saves him. Charles Spurgeon says, "This man was our Lord’s last companion on earth
and His first companion in heaven. He says to him, “Today you will be with me in paradise. I’m going to make you my friend.” Spurgeon pictures Christ entering the glory
of heaven, “Who is this that enters the pearly gate at the same moment as the
King of glory? Who is this favored
companion of the Redeemer? Is it some
honored martyr? Is it a faithful
apostle? Is it a patriarch like Abraham
or a prince like David? It is none of
these. Behold, and be amazed at sovereign
grace…” Extravagant grace!
Christ saves by grace, through faith and without works. The story of the
thief on the cross makes God’s extravagant grace in salvation crystal clear—this man had no
works to offer, before or after his salvation. Commentator A. W. Pink asks, “What could the thief do? He could not walk in the paths of
righteousness for there was a nail through either foot. He could not perform any good works for there
was a nail through either hand. He could
not turn over a new leaf and live a better life for he was dying.” The wonderful truth is that God saves by His extravagant grace, through
faith and without works.
A man is not justified by observing the law, but by faith in Jesus
Christ. Galatians 2:16
He saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because
of his mercy. Titus 3:5
For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith–and this not
from yourselves, it is the gift of God–not by works, so that no one can boast.
Ephesians 2:8-9
The gift of assurance flows from Christ saving us by His extravagant grace,
through faith and without works. If our
works were in any way involved in our gaining entrance into heaven, assurance
would be impossible. We could never know
if we had done enough. His work is
finished. It’s perfect and complete.
Jesus says, “I tell you the truth, today you will be with me in
paradise” (Luke 23:43). Christ is the Lord of paradise. He holds its keys. There can be no higher assurance than His
promise.This man is a criminal and he’s on a cross. He’s absolutely
hopeless and powerless, and in the middle of all this pain and guilt, Christ
says to him, “You will be with me in paradise, today!” Spurgeon says, "This man had breakfast
with the devil, met Christ before noon, and then had supper in paradise."
Death does not lead to a long period of unconsciousness. For a
Christian believer, death is an immediate translation into the joys of life at
the right hand of God. "To be absent from
the body is to be present with the Lord...Today you will be with me in paradise."
Heaven is much nearer than we think. I love the way C. S. Lewis pictures that in the Narnia novels, where the
children slip into a glorious world that is just on the other side of the
wardrobe. Our life is like a mist, like steam or a vapor that appears for a
little while and then vanishes. Everything that’s burdening us and consuming
us now is like breath on a window on a cold day. Paradise is heaven and the greatest joy of heaven is the presence of
Jesus. "The lamb at the center of the
throne will be their shepherd. He will
lead them to springs of living water" (Revelation 7:17). Christ Himself will lead us into all the
joys of heaven. To those who die, Christ says, “You will be with me,” and to those who
live, Christ says, “I will be with you.
I’ll never leave you, I’ll never forsake you."
If you would like to purchase the beautiful Extravagant Grace mixed media pictured above by artist Cherry Ashen Fargo, here is the link where a digital download can be purchased for just $8. You can also connect with artist Cherry Ashen Fargo’s etsy website and Facebook page.
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