When Jesus is dying on the cross between two
thieves, one reviles him, but to the other Jesus says, “Today you will be with
me in paradise” (Luke 23:43). Some have concluded that the thief (better
translated as “criminal”) is instantly saved by faith in Jesus’s death on the
cross apart from any acts of loyalty. Then they draw an implication: saving
allegiance is invalid.
There are two problems with this conclusion.
First, by starting solely at the cross, this conclusion is blind to the royal
context. All around the criminal are people who fail to recognize Jesus’s
kingship despite the irony of a crucified Messiah. The people and rulers scoff,
“He saved others; let him save himself, if he is the Christ of God” (Luke 23:35). The soldiers mock him, “If you are the King of the Jews, save yourself!”
(v. 37). The inscription reads, “This is the
King of the Jews” (v. 38). The first criminal mocks Jesus, “Are you not the Christ? Save yourself and us!” (v.
39). All of this suggests that the
criminal’s salvation depends on genuine rather than mocking confession of Jesus
as the king.
Second, we have no indication that the
criminal was specifically trusting in Jesus’s death for his sins. Given that
the crucifixion is in view, the story line probably encourages us to believe
that he was, but the biblical text says nothing of the sort explicitly. Rather,
the criminal encourages others to have an appropriate fear of God as the one
who fairly judges the guilty and the innocent. The criminal does not say, “Jesus, I am trusting only in
your sacrifice for me.” Rather, he says, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your
kingdom” (Luke 23:42).
In other words, the criminal publicly
professes that this crucified Jesus is the true king and is about to receive
his throne. He has heard the royal gospel (in summary form) and has responded
with allegiance. Allegiance is in view because he thinks his personal
confession (“remember me”) of Jesus as the
king (“your kingdom”) has an enduring quality that will make him worthy of
reward once Jesus begins his reign over him and all others in the coming age.
Far from undermining the gospel-allegiance proposal, the salvation of the
criminal at the cross supports it. (Matthew W. Bates, Gospel Allegiance: What Faith in Jesus Misses for Salvation in Christ [Grand
Rapids, Mich.: Brazos Press, 2019], 108-9)