Today Shalt Thou Be With Me In Paradise
“Jesus said unto him, Verily I say unto thee, Today shalt thou be with me in paradise.”—Luke 23:43
Unbelief, how great its power, how strong its influence! It would for ever blind the eyes, and harden the heart against Jesus and his grace; but ‘he shall divide the spoil with the strong.’ The prophet’s prediction is here clearly fulfilled, the sovereignty of grace is fully displayed. Our Lord’s own doctrine is truly verified in these two thieves: ‘One shall be taken, and the other left.’ Matt. 24:40. Pride is the companion of unbelief. This keeps men in obstinacy; they will not see, they will not bow to God’s sovereignty. But this is a comfortable truth to self-abased souls: God’s power is their hope. But doth our Lord bring sinners to glory without faith, repentance and holiness? Doth he leave his people in their sins and rebellion? No, blessed be his name! Jesus is exalted to be a Prince and a Saviour: he gives repentance and remission of sins. So he ‘saves his people from their sins;’ so he makes them happy in his love by the secret power of the Spirit’s inward operations. Who made these two companions in sin, these blasphemers of Jesus to differ? Grace, sovereign, distinguishing almighty grace did this wonderful work; and it is marvelous in our eyes. How rapid its power, how swift its race: in one moment a railer against Jesus is changed to be a believer in him, a proud rebel to a humble suppliant, a self-justifying sinner to a Christ-exalting saint. In a moment converted, pardoned, sanctified, and made meet for glory. Today hell-deserving, and today in paradise. Thus this thief believed with his heart unto righteousness, and made confession with his mouth unto salvation.
What hath grace done, and what is it not able to effect? Sweetest encouragement to the vilest of sinners, to look to Jesus; strongest assurance for the weakest believers to abide in him. ‘Lord Jesus, remember me,’ proceeds from grace in the heart of his members. ‘Thou shalt be with me in paradise,’ is the gracious answer from the tongue of the head. It was the grace of our Lord Jesus that saved this thief, this high wayman, and translated him from a gallows on earth to a crown in glory. The most amiable character, the most upright person hath nothing else to look to, to hope for, or trust in, but the cross of Christ alone for salvation. This is all our glorying. By the death of Jesus we live. The same Spirit that enables the soul to believe on Jesus, conforms it to Jesus in likeness and love, and sanctifies it through the faith of Jesus, and makes it ‘meet for the heavenly inheritance with the saints in glory.’ Col. 1:12.
William Mason (1719-1791) was a High-Calvinist author. For many years he served as a Justice of the Peace, and in 1783 was appointed a Magistrate. He served as editor of the Gospel Magazine before and after the editorship of Augustus Toplady. He is best known for a morning and evening devotional entitled, “A Spiritual Treasury For The Children Of God.”
