What about the thief on the cross?

 Jam 2:26 - For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also.

One of the common arguments that you will get against the teaching that when a person is redeemed by Christ in salvation, they must bear the fruit of that conversion in their lives going forward as the evidence of their faith, is the example of the thief on the cross in whom Christ redeemed. It is argued that his redemption is proof positive that there is absolutely nothing more required than a mental agreement with and a “trust” in Jesus' sacrifice on the cross for salvation. The idea is that since the thief wasn’t required to go and “do some good works” to prove his faith, then that shows that no amount of good fruit (works) would ever be required or necessary from a believer when it comes to eternal salvation.


But what that argument fails to understand and appreciate is what happens when a person is truly redeemed, saved and born again. They are changed, transformed and made a new creation in Christ. From that point forward the evidence of that change will become manifest and it will bear good fruit as it is now attached to the good vine (Jesus). If they do not bear that good fruit and bear bad fruit instead, then that person was either never truly saved and redeemed or else they have fallen away from the faith. Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them (Matt 7:20).


The repentance and conversion of the thief on the cross was genuine and real and actually the first evidence (fruit) of that came forth when he sharply rebuked the other thief and defended the innocence of Jesus, and that’s about all the time he had before departing this life. The thief was not required to climb down from the cross and quick go do some more “stuff” to prove his faith, it was real and Jesus knew it, because He knew his heart and that his faith was real.


If by some chance that thief had actually been let down from the cross and allowed to live, his life would have continued to bear the fruit of that conversion, and if it did not and he would have returned to his former life of crime and wickedness, then it can be assured that he would NOT have been looking forward to spending eternity with the Lord in paradise.

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