Youre telling me, that Christ did not have the authority to completely save that one thief to give Him salvation when everyone has a point in their life which they can choose to come to God and because the thief did not have the OPPORTUNITY to do any works he's condemned by my view? You're not seeing the whole picture with works. We agree on faith part, not if I die immediately once I'm saved and don't show works, why would God send me to hell for obeying Him. Now if I live more than that, what would God like of me, well to do good works unto others I'd hope! There is a point that people come to God earnestly at some point in their life, if their life is taken away moments after they obey, that's okay. God understands that. Now should you have the time and again OPPORTUNITY to live on, don't just have faith alone but show God that you have true faith in Him by what you do. There is a time period after the obey part that carries out other commands, I can't condemn someone who just became saved and then died.
Now with that said, your works that help you define your faith (praying to God, studying your bible, wanting to learn more, etc.) before you become saved will help justify your faith to God. As God knows the hearts of men and we cannot truly know so which is why many things we say is between "Me and God." Now for the theifs journey, I don't know what he did, but he was marked as a thief. He had some time out and about and heard of Christ and acknowledged Him and from what he knew, He rebuked the other criminal for accusing Christ of not having the power to save Himself. He believed in Christ enough and had enough faith and courage to make one last attempt in his lifetime to do a good work and defend the Lord and he did the right action at the right opportunity. He didn't know the reward he was about to receive, but everyone has a different path and they come to God when they want to come to know him. The theifs actions helped him redeem himself and Christ saw that seeing in that man's life he, in his last moments alive, defended the Christ. That is a beautiful work in the Bible if there ever was one written!
As for water, I don't beleive that water saves. People would call that the pier of the water. Water doesn't save, Christ does. Otherwise I'd be all for sprinkling, baby-tisms, and any kind of water. I know that there is power in the blood of Christ being He took on our sins (spiritual death) and resurrected victorious against death (sin) and now reigns on the right hand of God ruling His kingdom as Hebrews tells us plainly today. Being He was that perfect sacrifice, how do we obtain that attonement for our sins? The word of God tells me that "baptism doth also NOW (because Christ had become the attonement by this point) save." Well now I need to know what baptizing is, which is an immersion in something. A full immersion completely covering the body as baptizo tells me. But why water? Where does it say anything with baptism and water. I want the forgiveness of sins through the blood of Christ here, not water. There's no power in water, that's just getting wet. John 3 gives me that answer, born of water v.5. Now wait, born of water, this still sounds like water saves. There's that word AND that gives more. As I am "born of water" (being placed within water and emerging from it eg. A baby) and of the Spirit. What? I must be born again taken from water and of Spirit? What do I mean, well Christ told the lady of Samaria in John 4:10 that if she knew of who she was talking to she would have asked for living water but this doesn't define Christ as that water. So what is the living water? If I go over to John chapter 7:37-39. ..."if any man thirst, let him come unto ME and drink." Okay So Christ is the living water as defined in v.37. No because verse, 39 tells us this about the Spirit. The Holy Spirit as God has three parts and Jesus speaking here uses the word ME in regards to the Spirit that is Holy. He told the lady, if you knew the right question you'd be asking for living water (Christ). Now that is in reference to everlasting life.
Living water=everlasting life
Holy Spirit=Living water
Holy Spirit = everlasting life
so I relate back to John 3, unless you are born of water (that living water) and of the Spirit (the Holy Spirit) then you are baptized by that which doth NOW save us (1 peter 3). Also notice that there are two births mentioned in John 3. One that is physical and one that is spiritual and everyone goes through the first but yet Christ says that if I'm not not born of water AND of the Spirit I will not enter into the kingdom of God. So I must take the only physical action I know of shown in the bible to be born of water and Spirit. Christ came to John and asked him to do what? Baptise him, why? (Christ hadn't died yet so why?) because it was a symbolic action done to show ones Pureness and want to serve God with an honest heart. It was not commanded then but with verses we have now, Christ told his apostles in Mathew 28: 29 go Ye therefore . And teach all nations BAPTIZING them in the name of the Father,(the Judge) and of the Son(the perfect sacrifice/attonement), and of the Holy Ghost (the Spirit-living water).With my works leading and showing my faith before I'm saved to God and becoming a "new creature" in Gods eyes taking that step into the water being born again because I'm told to by Christ in order to enter into the kingdom. Baptism I find is essential.[/QUOTE]
I suggest you study the following....
LIKE FIGURE
NOT THE PUTTING AWAY of the FILTH OF THE FLESH
I also suggest a re-evaluation of John 3 as he is speaking of a fleshly birth FIRST and then a SPIRITUAL BIRTH second
Was Jesus the SON OF GOD BY BIRTH (LUKE) or by WATER!<----HOLY SPIRIT Overshadowed Mary and that HOLY THING THAT SHALL BE BORN OF thee SHALL BE CALLED the SON OF THE HIGHEST!
And absolutely NOTHING to do with works as some devil might say.