Two Kinds of Sinners

Luke the physician records in Luke 23: 39-43 the story of the two criminals who were crucified on crosses beside Jesus. On of them mocked him, saying, "If You are the Christ, save Yourself and us." "But the other, answering, rebuked him, saying, 'Do you not even fear God, seeing you are under the same condemnation? And we indeed justly, for we receive the due reward of our deeds; but this Man has done nothing wrong.' Then he said to Jesus, 'Lord, remember me when You come into Your kingdom.' "And Jesus said to him, 'Assuredly, I say to you, today you will be with Me in Paradise.'" And there you have a picture of two kinds of sinners. One fears God and the other one mocks God. Which one are you? Which one am I? What is the difference between the two? One believed Jesus was the Messiah. The other one didn't. How were they alike? They were both criminals. They had both been convicted of crimes and sentenced to die by crucifixion. Jesus was accused of treason, accused of referring to himself as "King of the Jews," not denying it before Pilate. The majority of people alive today are not criminals convicted in courts of law, although many are, but we are all criminals in that we have all violated God's laws innumerable times because our nature is bent toward sinning. There seem to be two types of people: Those who know they need forgiveness from God, and those who do not. Those who do not believe they need forgiveness from God are the most unfortunate because they are already judged by God for a lifetime of sinful choices and when they die they will not spend eternity with God. That is what the Bible teaches. People who don't believe they need forgiveness from God are prideful people. What do prideful people believe in if they don't believe in God? That is a good question I don't entirely have the answer for. They believe in themselves, mainly, or at least that is what they might say if you ask them. Overall, they believe a lot the way the devil believes, that they should be the Lord over themselves and that they will be fine without God, thank you very much. The problem with this is there is no eternal life on the other side for people who believe this way. The criminal crucified by Jesus who mocked him and said, "Why don't you save yourself and us if you are the Christ?" obviously did not believe and is already condemned. Jesus explains that in John 3:18. The one who asked that man, "Do you not even fear God?" and believed in Jesus and asked Jesus to remember him, is the one that will spend eternity with him in the Kingdom of God, and Jesus assured him he would be with him in Paradise. That's the kind of sinner I am. I hope that's the kind of sinner you are. We are all one kind of sinner or the other. That's what I know for sure, because that's what the Bible teaches. And I believe what he said because I am the kind of sinner like the one crucified with Jesus who believed and will be with the Lord forever. I wouldn’t want to be anywhere else. Would you?