Originally Posted by renee819
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That is why the “thief on the cross” would meet Jesus in Paradise. He repented, under the Law.
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Jason wrote
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The thief on the cross was saved because he was justified by faith, the same way Abraham had been saved (Genesis 15:6) and the same way we are saved (Romans 4:22-5:2, Galatians 2:16). Repentance under the law didn't save, he would have still been required to have been circumcised and make a sin offering if he was saved under the law (but even that would be missing the fact that nothing someone did under the law saved them-not circumcision, not sacrifice, not tithing, nada--only faith could save, everything else was to be the result of that saving faith). The standard oneness response to the thief on the cross, straight out of David Bernard's book the New Birth page 143 "even the repentant thief on the cross was saved under the old covenant" seems to make a good point but simply doesn't stand up to consistent logic. Salvation has always been by grace through faith. This does not and has never meant that that saving faith is alone or refuses to obey. As Martin Luther said, "We are saved by faith alone, but the faith that saves is never alone." The thief on the cross would be an exception in that he did not get a chance to demonstrate his faith by his works, but He is an example of how God can sovereignly justify the sinner based on his faith and apart from any righteous works or obedience whatsoever
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I agree that the thief was saved by faith. But not in the same way that we are. Not even in the same way that Abraham and the OT saints were saved. They had to have faith, but they had to demonstrate that faith by obedience.
And yes, the thief was saved under the Law, Jesus came to fulfill the Law. And He fulfilled/finished it on the cross when He cried, “It is finished.” and at that time the Temple Vial was torn from top to bottom. I didn't get that from Bernard, but from my studies.
Jason, Jesus came to bring us a New Covenant, and you completely discredit that Covenant, when you say 'that the OT saints were saved the same way as we are. Are you one of them that believes that there is nothing for us to do, that Jesus did it all on the cross?
I see you discredit 'speaking in other tongues'
Let me put it another way. If we are saved in the same way that Abraham was, then why did God, robe Himself in flesh, come to earth to die on a cruel cross? Was it to tell us that we are saved by faith alone? So why was Jesus born?