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So this is from Sam Rodman.

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He writes, "Hello, Tim.

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Please clarify this for me..."

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Now what I'm wanting you to think

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is somebody asks you this question.

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How would you answer?

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Where would you go in Scripture?

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What would your counsel be

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to an individual that asked you this?

10
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"Please clarify this for me.

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Regarding the thief on the cross,

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how do you compare 
his salvation with ours?"

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So he's obviously thinking

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that there's something different

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about his salvation and ours.

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"How do you compare them?

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I mean, he did not live 
a good life at all.

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He did not show any fruit of repentance.

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He did not live right,

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yet Jesus saved him anyway.

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How was Jesus able to save him

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when we are clearly instructed

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to live right and to turn from sin?

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As I understand it,

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he was the only one in Scripture

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who had this deathbed salvation.

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So we can't rely on that,

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but you know what I mean.

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Thank you very much. 
Sincerely, Sam Rodman."

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Now I know this is probably an easy one.

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But here's the thing,

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you want to answer people biblically.

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You want to answer them clearly.

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You want to lay down a good,

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strong explanation or argument

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if you're answering.

37
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So how do you answer?

38
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Maybe the first thing we need to do

39
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is open up our Bibles to Luke 23

40
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to the passage where 
the thief on the cross -

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it's the only account in the Gospels

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of this thief being saved.

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We see him show up in the others,

44
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but this is the only one 
that we're actually told.

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I think that's interesting.

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Do you guys find that interesting?

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That the other authors could refer to him

48
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but not mention that he got saved?

49
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Doesn't that make you wonder

50
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what all manner of things 
we're not told about?

51
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Anyway...

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Luke 23.

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Do you guys all have it?

54
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So, I'll start reading in verse 39.

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"One of the criminals who were hanged

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railed at Him..."

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Railed at Christ.

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"...Saying, 'Are You not the Christ?

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Save Yourself and us!'

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But the other rebuked him, saying,

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'Do you not fear God

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since you are under the same sentence

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of condemnation?

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And we indeed justly,

65
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for we're receiving the 
reward of our deeds.

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But this Man has done nothing wrong.'

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And he said, 'Jesus, remember me

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when You come into Your kingdom.'

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And He said to him, "Truly, I say to you,

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today, you will be with Me in paradise.'"

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So hear his question again:

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"Please clarify this for me.

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Regarding the thief on the cross,

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how do you compare 
his salvation with ours?

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I mean, he did not live 
a good life at all.

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He did not show any fruit of repentance.

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He did not live right.

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Yet, Jesus saved him anyway."

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I think that's one of 
the telling statements.

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"He did not live right...

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yet Jesus saved him anyway."

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Basically what that communicates

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is the fact that he's having difficulty

84
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figuring out what salvation looks like.

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I mean, I think he has a difficulty

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discerning between what saves

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versus what proves that we're saved.

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There is a proof of 
salvation in Scripture.

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There's various characteristics

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of genuine Christianity that come up

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all over the Scriptures.

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And yet, that's not the same thing.

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The proofs of what it means to be saved

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are not the same thing as being saved.

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And he perhaps is not clear on that.

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"How was Jesus able to save him

97
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when we are clearly 
instructed to live right

98
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and to turn from sin?

99
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As I understand it, he was 
the only one in Scripture

100
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who had this deathbed salvation,

101
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so we can't rely on that.

102
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But you know what I mean."

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Now, actually I don't know what he means.

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I mean, I understand what he's saying,

105
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but I think he's implying there

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that you know what I mean 
and would agree with me

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that we can't rely on that.

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But I would not go down that path.

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We certainly can rely -

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any example in Scripture 
where somebody is converted,

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obviously we can rely on that.

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So what do you say?

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(from the room)

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So he said that he hadn't repented?

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But here it sounds like he was repenting?

116
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Maybe I'm misunderstanding 
what he's saying.

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No, you were understanding exactly right.

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You're saying that he has mentioned here

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that there's no evidence 
that this thief repented.

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But he doesn't really 
quote the account at all.

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He doesn't make any 
reference to the account

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other than the fact that it happened.

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Yes, you're exactly right.

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Let's just look at the text.

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The proofs of repentance,

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the proofs of salvation are here.

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They're here in the text.

128
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But I don't think that 
that's the biggest issue.

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The biggest issue is this:

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he says, "he did not live right,

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yet Jesus saved him anyway."

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What's his assumption?

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(unintelligible)

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God saves those who live right.

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One of the greatest texts in my opinion

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concerning the glory of the Gospel

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is found in Romans 4:5.

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Let's look at it,

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because it just so brings 
to light the reality.

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And it really says that the statement

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that he makes here is diametrically

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wrong and opposed to 
what the Gospel teaches.

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If we go to Romans -

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do you want a Bible?

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Okay.

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Do you have a photographic memory?

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(unintelligible)

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It's no problem at all.

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If you want one just shout,

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we'll dig one up for you.

151
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But in Romans 4:5

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we have this statement:

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(I'm going to start reading in v. 4).

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"Now to the one who works..."

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The idea here is a person who is working;

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a person who in their own effort

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is trying to gain favor with God.

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"...His wages are not counted as a gift."

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In other words, if you 
work to get to Heaven,

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you merited it if it were possible.

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It's a wage.

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You basically were good

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and you earned something.

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That's the idea. That's 
what he's teaching there.

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"His wages are not counted as a gift,

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but as his due.

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And to the one who does not work

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but believes in Him who 
justifies the ungodly,

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his faith is counted as righteousness."

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So on the one hand, you 
have the person that works.

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He gets a wage.

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The wage is his due.

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That's over against the 
person who doesn't work,

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but he believes in the God

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who justifies the ungodly.

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To justify is a legal term.

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He's declared righteous.

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The truth that we find

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is that God saves the ungodly

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by pronouncing ungodly people righteous.

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This happens through 
faith in Jesus Christ.

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What did the thief on the cross do?

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He was justified by faith.

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He was saved not because 
of his own merits.

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God justifies the ungodly.

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Was the guy ungodly? Yes.

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He was a thief.

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He was dying for his crimes.

189
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The proof of his repentance;

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the proof that something was genuine here

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would be demonstrated in what?

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(from the room)

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"We're getting what we justly deserve."

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Tim: That's one thing.

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Admitting your sin.

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That's a good indication.

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Remember what repentance is.

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Repentance is - the "repent" in English

199
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is to think again.

200
00:10:35,569 --> 00:10:38,286
Or, from the Greek term,

201
00:10:38,286 --> 00:10:41,398
we get this idea of an afterthought

202
00:10:41,398 --> 00:10:44,388
or to change one's mind.

203
00:10:44,388 --> 00:10:47,268
The idea is he changed 
his mind about himself.

204
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The other guy was justifying himself.

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(incomplete thought)

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The other guy was mocking.

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This man was admitting.

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He had a change of mind.

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00:10:58,936 --> 00:11:01,028
His mind had been changed to recognize

210
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he was a sinner,

211
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that he deserved what he was getting.

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00:11:05,806 --> 00:11:08,345
Not only did his mind 
change about himself,

213
00:11:08,345 --> 00:11:10,668
who else did his mind change about?

214
00:11:10,668 --> 00:11:13,179
(from the room) Christ.

215
00:11:13,179 --> 00:11:15,329
Tim: What are two things

216
00:11:15,329 --> 00:11:17,677
he recognized about Christ?

217
00:11:17,677 --> 00:11:18,568
(from the room)

218
00:11:18,568 --> 00:11:20,898
He said, "Do you not fear God?"

219
00:11:20,898 --> 00:11:22,848
So I'm thinking wow, he knows

220
00:11:22,848 --> 00:11:26,106
something is going on here.

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Tim: I would bring that back more

222
00:11:28,907 --> 00:11:32,076
to a proper evaluation of himself.

223
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He's a sinner.

224
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There's a reason to fear God

225
00:11:35,257 --> 00:11:38,517
because he's headed towards trouble.

226
00:11:38,517 --> 00:11:41,447
But what are the two things 
about Christ that he recognizes?

227
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James: He believes Christ is perfect.

228
00:11:43,297 --> 00:11:46,148
Tim: Yes, he believed He did not have sin

229
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and he believed He had a kingdom.

230
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He's asking Him to remember him.

231
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He's looking for salvation.

232
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He's asking.

233
00:12:01,038 --> 00:12:04,087
So would you say 
anything else to this guy?

234
00:12:04,087 --> 00:12:06,070
James: Just a quick question.

235
00:12:06,070 --> 00:12:09,536
In Matthew it mentions 
the robbers (plural)

236
00:12:09,536 --> 00:12:10,858
were mocking Him.

237
00:12:10,858 --> 00:12:12,567
So is it your understanding that

238
00:12:12,567 --> 00:12:14,829
this man's change of mind...

239
00:12:14,829 --> 00:12:18,289
Tim: Yes, I would say his change of mind

240
00:12:18,289 --> 00:12:20,408
happened on the cross.

241
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He repented on the cross.

242
00:12:21,917 --> 00:12:23,879
He came to faith on the cross.

243
00:12:23,879 --> 00:12:26,488
James: So what would you say led to that?

244
00:12:26,488 --> 00:12:28,928
I mean, we know the 
supernatural power of God,

245
00:12:28,928 --> 00:12:31,946
but was there the sayings of Christ?

246
00:12:31,946 --> 00:12:35,969
Tim: We don't see anything 
more than we're told.

247
00:12:35,969 --> 00:12:38,506
I mean, yes, I think there's 
every reason to believe

248
00:12:38,506 --> 00:12:39,838
from the parallel accounts

249
00:12:39,838 --> 00:12:41,969
that in the beginning he was mocking,

250
00:12:41,969 --> 00:12:44,158
but something began to happen.

251
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He was observing something.

252
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Anybody know what things were said?

253
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(from the room)

254
00:12:55,198 --> 00:12:56,648
If you are the Son of God,

255
00:12:56,648 --> 00:12:57,827
come down from the cross

256
00:12:57,827 --> 00:13:00,177
and we'll believe in You.

257
00:13:00,177 --> 00:13:05,047
Tim: I'm talking about the things that 
were said by Christ Himself.

258
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What would this thief have heard said?

259
00:13:09,036 --> 00:13:10,506
(from the room): Forgive them.

260
00:13:10,506 --> 00:13:13,689
Tim: Forgive them. 
They know not what they do.

261
00:13:13,689 --> 00:13:16,639
What else would he have seen?

262
00:13:16,639 --> 00:13:18,398
James: It's interesting how they were

263
00:13:18,398 --> 00:13:19,528
just mocking Christ,

264
00:13:19,528 --> 00:13:22,169
and He didn't defend Himself in pride.

265
00:13:22,169 --> 00:13:24,588
So that man witnessed that.

266
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That's not Christ saying something,

267
00:13:26,638 --> 00:13:29,808
but that speaks volumes to see

268
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His response to this 
reviling and everything.

269
00:13:32,839 --> 00:13:33,928
(from the room)

270
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They would have seen Christ

271
00:13:36,017 --> 00:13:38,089
entrust His mother.

272
00:13:38,089 --> 00:13:39,219
Tim: Yes.

273
00:13:39,219 --> 00:13:42,307
He would have seen Jesus look down

274
00:13:42,307 --> 00:13:46,667
at John and His mother, and say,

275
00:13:46,667 --> 00:13:53,405
"Behold your son; behold your mother."

276
00:13:53,405 --> 00:13:57,137
He says this:

277
00:13:57,137 --> 00:13:59,208
"As I understand it, he was the only one

278
00:13:59,208 --> 00:14:01,989
in Scripture who had this 
deathbed salvation,

279
00:14:01,989 --> 00:14:04,248
so we can't rely on that.

280
00:14:04,248 --> 00:14:05,908
But you know what I mean."

281
00:14:05,908 --> 00:14:08,418
But here's the thing,

282
00:14:08,418 --> 00:14:13,755
every individual is saved how?

283
00:14:13,755 --> 00:14:16,577
What does Scripture say?

284
00:14:16,577 --> 00:14:20,686
Saved by grace through faith.

285
00:14:20,686 --> 00:14:23,298
We are justified by faith.

286
00:14:23,298 --> 00:14:27,413
Who is the father of the faith?

287
00:14:27,413 --> 00:14:29,411
I mean, again, let's go back

288
00:14:29,411 --> 00:14:33,787
to the argument in Romans 4.

289
00:14:33,787 --> 00:14:36,867
Abraham was justified by faith.

290
00:14:36,867 --> 00:14:39,465
And what we're told is righteousness

291
00:14:39,465 --> 00:14:43,037
was counted to him because of the faith.

292
00:14:43,037 --> 00:14:45,688
And it's not counted to him only.

293
00:14:45,688 --> 00:14:48,806
And all of this is not 
done simply for his sake.

294
00:14:48,806 --> 00:14:52,609
And in fact, we're told 
that this happened,

295
00:14:52,609 --> 00:14:55,128
that Abraham believed God

296
00:14:55,128 --> 00:14:57,418
and it was counted to 
him for righteousness

297
00:14:57,418 --> 00:14:59,438
before he was circumcised

298
00:14:59,438 --> 00:15:03,497
in order that he might be 
the father of the faithful

299
00:15:03,497 --> 00:15:07,047
whether they're circumcised 
or not circumcised.

300
00:15:07,047 --> 00:15:09,378
(incomplete thought)

301
00:15:09,378 --> 00:15:13,449
You go to Hebrews 11.

302
00:15:13,449 --> 00:15:15,629
By faith... Abel.

303
00:15:15,629 --> 00:15:19,137
All the way back to the very first person

304
00:15:19,137 --> 00:15:23,388
who was a genuine child of God.

305
00:15:23,388 --> 00:15:25,839
It was by faith. It's 
always been by faith.

306
00:15:25,839 --> 00:15:27,769
And so I wouldn't agree

307
00:15:27,769 --> 00:15:29,948
that we can't rely on this.

308
00:15:29,948 --> 00:15:33,468
What we would say is that every account

309
00:15:33,468 --> 00:15:36,250
in Scripture where somebody was converted,

310
00:15:36,250 --> 00:15:39,568
we can rely on.

311
00:15:39,568 --> 00:15:42,850
The reality is we're saved by faith.

312
00:15:42,850 --> 00:15:47,347
I think where Sam is having the problem

313
00:15:47,347 --> 00:15:53,307
is that the length of time

314
00:15:53,307 --> 00:15:55,077
didn't exist.

315
00:15:55,077 --> 00:15:59,439
So he's having trouble understanding how

316
00:15:59,439 --> 00:16:03,523
if that life is not demonstrated,

317
00:16:03,523 --> 00:16:05,818
how could he actually be saved?

318
00:16:05,818 --> 00:16:07,998
But that's actually a wrong understanding

319
00:16:07,998 --> 00:16:10,698
of what it is to be saved.

320
00:16:10,698 --> 00:16:15,777
We're saved in a legal fashion.

321
00:16:15,777 --> 00:16:17,388
Declared righteous.

322
00:16:17,388 --> 00:16:19,008
Counted righteous.

323
00:16:19,008 --> 00:16:21,927
The unjust, the ungodly,

324
00:16:21,927 --> 00:16:24,776
wicked people, bad people,

325
00:16:24,776 --> 00:16:29,798
sinners are counted righteous

326
00:16:29,798 --> 00:16:32,968
in a moment in the courtroom of God

327
00:16:32,968 --> 00:16:36,228
when faith is exercised in Jesus Christ

328
00:16:36,228 --> 00:16:38,058
dying on that cross;

329
00:16:38,058 --> 00:16:41,126
in Jesus being that Savior,

330
00:16:41,126 --> 00:16:43,567
and looking to Him and trusting Him;

331
00:16:43,567 --> 00:16:46,348
trusting in His merits, 
trusting Him to save.

332
00:16:46,348 --> 00:16:47,957
That's what this man did.

333
00:16:47,957 --> 00:16:49,387
(incomplete thought)

334
00:16:49,387 --> 00:16:53,419
I mean, that "remember me" -

335
00:16:53,419 --> 00:16:58,098
he's talking to the only 
One that can save him.

336
00:16:58,098 --> 00:17:00,647
And isn't it amazing?

337
00:17:00,647 --> 00:17:05,324
What did he hear that 
he's actually thinking

338
00:17:05,324 --> 00:17:10,776
that Christ is going to enter a kingdom?

339
00:17:10,776 --> 00:17:13,138
Remember me when You 
come into Your kingdom?

340
00:17:13,138 --> 00:17:14,885
I wonder what he even thought

341
00:17:14,885 --> 00:17:18,027
when he said that?

342
00:17:18,027 --> 00:17:19,375
Isn't that interesting?

343
00:17:19,375 --> 00:17:24,089
Here you have Christ dying

344
00:17:24,089 --> 00:17:26,657
seemingly defeated.

345
00:17:26,657 --> 00:17:29,666
That's what those down 
on the ground were thinking.

346
00:17:29,666 --> 00:17:32,177
That's what the other thief was thinking.

347
00:17:32,177 --> 00:17:35,025
That's what the two on 
the road to Emmaus -

348
00:17:35,025 --> 00:17:37,196
even His disciples were thinking.

349
00:17:37,196 --> 00:17:39,399
We thought it was Him, 
but it can't be Him,

350
00:17:39,399 --> 00:17:40,716
because they killed Him!

351
00:17:40,716 --> 00:17:42,635
They crucified Him.

352
00:17:42,635 --> 00:17:44,986
And you remember, this 
was after Jesus came forth

353
00:17:44,986 --> 00:17:46,967
and He's walking with these guys.

354
00:17:46,967 --> 00:17:49,686
"Haven't You heard all these 
things that are happening?"

355
00:17:49,686 --> 00:17:51,017
What things are happening?

356
00:17:51,017 --> 00:17:52,757
"Well, we thought He was the Christ.

357
00:17:52,757 --> 00:17:55,377
We thought He was the Savior.

358
00:17:55,377 --> 00:17:57,885
But He's not."

359
00:17:57,885 --> 00:18:02,646
Why would they think that He wasn't?

360
00:18:02,646 --> 00:18:05,406
Well, because He died.

361
00:18:05,406 --> 00:18:07,396
Isn't that amazing?

362
00:18:07,396 --> 00:18:09,377
This guy is being put to death

363
00:18:09,377 --> 00:18:10,776
right next to Him.

364
00:18:10,776 --> 00:18:12,446
He's dying on the cross.

365
00:18:12,446 --> 00:18:14,438
His life is ebbing away

366
00:18:14,438 --> 00:18:18,286
though He gave up His life

367
00:18:18,286 --> 00:18:20,027
of His own accord.

368
00:18:20,027 --> 00:18:22,517
But He's over here dying on this cross.

369
00:18:22,517 --> 00:18:23,797
He's over here bleeding.

370
00:18:23,797 --> 00:18:25,765
He's over here suffering,

371
00:18:25,765 --> 00:18:28,137
obviously going to die.

372
00:18:28,137 --> 00:18:31,707
And this man has the faith to believe

373
00:18:31,707 --> 00:18:34,855
that somewhere in all 
of this there's triumph.

374
00:18:34,855 --> 00:18:36,397
There's a kingdom.

375
00:18:36,397 --> 00:18:40,756
That Christ is actually the Jewish king.

376
00:18:40,756 --> 00:18:45,847
That's what Pilate put up there.

377
00:18:45,847 --> 00:18:49,865
The king! What did he put?

378
00:18:49,865 --> 00:18:52,767
This is the King of the Jews.

379
00:18:52,767 --> 00:18:55,807
And he believed that.

380
00:18:55,807 --> 00:18:57,887
And that's what faith is.

381
00:18:57,887 --> 00:19:01,159
We live by faith, not by sight.

382
00:19:01,159 --> 00:19:04,127
If you're talking about sight,

383
00:19:04,127 --> 00:19:05,904
yeah, you'd talk like the other guy.

384
00:19:05,904 --> 00:19:09,226
You'd tell Him, "You're the Christ.
Why aren't You saving Yourself?

385
00:19:09,226 --> 00:19:11,515
What's this all about?
Why aren't You saving us?

386
00:19:11,515 --> 00:19:14,067
Come down if You're the Christ."

387
00:19:14,067 --> 00:19:15,977
The whole thing looks hopeless

388
00:19:15,977 --> 00:19:17,507
from man's point of view.

389
00:19:17,507 --> 00:19:18,498
He's dead!

390
00:19:18,498 --> 00:19:19,866
They're killing our King?

391
00:19:19,866 --> 00:19:21,905
What's this? This is the One we hoped...

392
00:19:21,905 --> 00:19:22,796
and now?

393
00:19:22,796 --> 00:19:25,256
We thought He was going to usher
in a Kingdom and He's dying.

394
00:19:25,256 --> 00:19:27,474
This thing's looking pretty 
hopeless right now.

395
00:19:27,474 --> 00:19:31,017
And yet, in the midst of all of it -

396
00:19:31,017 --> 00:19:32,916
and you've got to remember,

397
00:19:32,916 --> 00:19:36,405
he's not sitting there 
like you're sitting there.

398
00:19:36,405 --> 00:19:39,394
He's hanging on spikes.

399
00:19:39,394 --> 00:19:43,285
His own life is ebbing away.

400
00:19:43,285 --> 00:19:45,483
And somehow in the midst of all that,

401
00:19:45,483 --> 00:19:47,526
where he was mocking in the beginning

402
00:19:47,526 --> 00:19:49,333
it seems,

403
00:19:49,333 --> 00:19:53,606
and now there's been this turn.

404
00:19:53,606 --> 00:19:56,775
We don't know exactly all the mechanism

405
00:19:56,775 --> 00:19:59,964
that God used to bring this change about,

406
00:19:59,964 --> 00:20:02,446
but we know this -

407
00:20:02,446 --> 00:20:04,805
you know what happened

408
00:20:04,805 --> 00:20:09,775
when the disciples recognized

409
00:20:09,775 --> 00:20:14,874
that the Gospel had gone to the Gentiles?

410
00:20:14,874 --> 00:20:17,484
You remember how they phrased it?

411
00:20:17,484 --> 00:20:20,376
That God has also granted repentance

412
00:20:20,376 --> 00:20:21,436
to the Gentiles.

413
00:20:21,436 --> 00:20:23,764
Repentance is granted.

414
00:20:23,764 --> 00:20:25,766
Repentance is something God gives.

415
00:20:25,766 --> 00:20:28,605
It's something the Spirit 
of God works in people.

416
00:20:28,605 --> 00:20:31,007
So definitely God was at work

417
00:20:31,007 --> 00:20:39,156
bringing faith.

418
00:20:39,156 --> 00:20:44,506
It's the miracle of salvation.

419
00:20:44,506 --> 00:20:48,235
God saves in a moment.

420
00:20:48,235 --> 00:20:52,607
(incomplete thought)

421
00:20:52,607 --> 00:20:53,855
What's the order?

422
00:20:53,855 --> 00:20:59,084
That came up down in Mexico - the order.

423
00:20:59,084 --> 00:21:02,036
(incomplete thought)

424
00:21:02,036 --> 00:21:06,235
What we find is that God calls

425
00:21:06,235 --> 00:21:07,587
and then God justifies

426
00:21:07,587 --> 00:21:08,927
and then God glorifies.

427
00:21:08,927 --> 00:21:10,357
That seems to be the order.

428
00:21:10,357 --> 00:21:14,106
To foreknow, to predestine, to call.

429
00:21:14,106 --> 00:21:18,305
That's what we have there in Romans 8.

430
00:21:18,305 --> 00:21:20,754
There's a call. There's an effectual call

431
00:21:20,754 --> 00:21:23,115
and the sinner hears it.

432
00:21:23,115 --> 00:21:24,985
Jesus said, "You can't come unto Me

433
00:21:24,985 --> 00:21:28,224
unless My Father who 
has sent Me draws you."

434
00:21:28,224 --> 00:21:30,575
And there's this draw and this call,

435
00:21:30,575 --> 00:21:33,024
much like Lazarus: "Come forth!"

436
00:21:33,024 --> 00:21:34,765
And he came forth from the grave.

437
00:21:34,765 --> 00:21:38,386
There's power in that call

438
00:21:38,386 --> 00:21:39,968
to raise from the dead.

439
00:21:39,968 --> 00:21:41,945
And then the sinner responds

440
00:21:41,945 --> 00:21:47,256
in repentance and faith.

441
00:21:47,256 --> 00:21:49,584
But I think Sam's big problem

442
00:21:49,584 --> 00:21:56,396
is that he's very much confusing

443
00:21:56,396 --> 00:22:02,795
salvation and what 
proves that we're saved.

444
00:22:02,795 --> 00:22:05,175
Because the reality is this:

445
00:22:05,175 --> 00:22:07,685
the fruit - it looks good, right?

446
00:22:07,685 --> 00:22:09,125
Even in that account,

447
00:22:09,125 --> 00:22:10,954
even though it wasn't given

448
00:22:10,954 --> 00:22:12,726
lots of time to develop.

449
00:22:12,726 --> 00:22:14,426
The fruit looks good already

450
00:22:14,426 --> 00:22:16,296
just in those few moments.

451
00:22:16,296 --> 00:22:19,626
And undoubtedly if he 
was allowed to live a life,

452
00:22:19,626 --> 00:22:22,387
then the reality of 
the fruit of the Spirit

453
00:22:22,387 --> 00:22:24,824
would have all the more blossomed

454
00:22:24,824 --> 00:22:32,866
and taken maturity in his life.

455
00:22:32,866 --> 00:22:35,446
Anything else on that one?

456
00:22:35,446 --> 00:22:36,195
(from the room)

457
00:22:36,195 --> 00:22:37,983
I have a question.

458
00:22:37,983 --> 00:22:40,576
Does the parable of the manager

459
00:22:40,576 --> 00:22:43,506
paying his employees equally

460
00:22:43,506 --> 00:22:46,047
just by their hours worked,

461
00:22:46,047 --> 00:22:49,165
does that apply at all here?

462
00:22:49,165 --> 00:22:55,086
As far as the timeline of 
this man being saved?

463
00:22:55,086 --> 00:22:58,967
Tim: Well, actually,

464
00:22:58,967 --> 00:23:02,135
the parable you're talking about

465
00:23:02,135 --> 00:23:04,325
would be a great portion of Scripture

466
00:23:04,325 --> 00:23:06,609
to take him to.

467
00:23:06,609 --> 00:23:10,706
The truth is that...

468
00:23:10,706 --> 00:23:15,435
(I've got a mouth full of coffee grounds).

469
00:23:15,435 --> 00:23:18,446
The truth is those who are saved

470
00:23:18,446 --> 00:23:22,826
early in the day - at a young age -

471
00:23:22,826 --> 00:23:26,325
the picture, the parable is

472
00:23:26,325 --> 00:23:29,375
the Master calling workers 
out to the vineyard.

473
00:23:29,375 --> 00:23:31,614
And some get called early in the day

474
00:23:31,614 --> 00:23:34,368
and some get called 
right at the end of the day.

475
00:23:34,368 --> 00:23:36,064
And yet at the end,

476
00:23:36,064 --> 00:23:40,004
they're all given a denarius.

477
00:23:40,004 --> 00:23:43,454
And those who work the entire day

478
00:23:43,454 --> 00:23:44,764
are looking and thinking

479
00:23:44,764 --> 00:23:46,689
that they should get more,

480
00:23:46,689 --> 00:23:49,966
but actually it's the same.

481
00:23:49,966 --> 00:23:52,128
It seems to indicate what?

482
00:23:52,128 --> 00:23:56,426
(from the room)

483
00:23:56,426 --> 00:23:57,887
Entitlement?

484
00:23:57,887 --> 00:23:59,796
Jealousy?

485
00:23:59,796 --> 00:24:04,304
You've got the parable 
of the prodigal son.

486
00:24:04,304 --> 00:24:08,437
His brother refused to 
come in to the banquet

487
00:24:08,437 --> 00:24:11,416
because he'd stayed there 
and worked all his life.

488
00:24:11,416 --> 00:24:14,125
And his brother went out

489
00:24:14,125 --> 00:24:15,776
and did all this stuff.

490
00:24:15,776 --> 00:24:21,346
And the elder brother was there at home

491
00:24:21,346 --> 00:24:23,076
the whole time

492
00:24:23,076 --> 00:24:25,654
and he was jealous,

493
00:24:25,654 --> 00:24:28,425
which is a picture of the Pharisees.

494
00:24:28,425 --> 00:24:30,445
They were jealous.

495
00:24:30,445 --> 00:24:34,706
Tim: So you have this prodigal son.

496
00:24:34,706 --> 00:24:37,696
And we could say there really 
wasn't much time to do anything.

497
00:24:37,696 --> 00:24:40,795
The father ran out and 
threw his arms around him

498
00:24:40,795 --> 00:24:42,804
and killed the fatted calf.

499
00:24:42,804 --> 00:24:46,345
But the reality is the same thing

500
00:24:46,345 --> 00:24:49,335
was demonstrated in the prodigal son

501
00:24:49,335 --> 00:24:52,294
that we see demonstrated 
in the thief on the cross.

502
00:24:52,294 --> 00:24:53,305
What was that?

503
00:24:53,305 --> 00:24:56,376
There's suddenly a change in the thinking.

504
00:24:56,376 --> 00:24:57,805
A person comes to himself.

505
00:24:57,805 --> 00:24:59,207
A person reconsiders.

506
00:24:59,207 --> 00:25:02,805
A person suddenly recognizes:

507
00:25:02,805 --> 00:25:05,733
I'm not in a good place

508
00:25:05,733 --> 00:25:08,287
and there's a turning towards home.

509
00:25:08,287 --> 00:25:10,186
What you have is this guy

510
00:25:10,186 --> 00:25:11,585
hanging on the cross,

511
00:25:11,585 --> 00:25:13,786
he turns to Christ.

512
00:25:13,786 --> 00:25:17,878
His hope is there.

513
00:25:17,878 --> 00:25:20,836
Well, okay, we're going to move on

514
00:25:20,836 --> 00:25:22,376
to the next one.