He's with Me — E.A. Johnston

Christ on the Cross and Pardon for Sin

I'd like to begin our message this evening, friends, with a reading from God's Holy Word. Our passage tonight can be found in Luke's Gospel in chapter 23. You can turn in your Bibles there now. Christ on the cross and pardon for sin is our theme this evening.

We will be in verses 32 through 43. Let me read us our passage at this time and let our hearts be solemn, friends, as we read this striking passage of Scripture. And there were also two other malefactors led with him to be put to death.

And when they were come to the place, which is called Calvary, there they crucified him and the malefactors, one on the right hand and the other on the left. Then said Jesus, Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.

And they parted his raiment and cast lots and the people stood beholding. And the rulers also with them derided him, saying he saved others. Let him save himself if he be Christ, the chosen of God. And the soldiers also mocked him, coming to him and offering him vinegar and saying, if thou be the king of the Jews, save thyself.

And a superscription also was written over him in letters of Greek and Latin and Hebrew. This is the king of the Jews. And one of the malefactors, which were hanged, railed on him, saying, if thou be Christ, save thyself and us.

But the other answering, rebuke him, saying, does that now fear God, seeing thou art in the same condemnation? And we indeed justly, for we receive the due reward of our deeds. But this man hath done nothing amiss.

And he said unto Jesus, Lord, remember me when thou comest into thy kingdom. And Jesus said unto him, verily I say unto thee, today shalt thou be with me in paradise. Every time I read this passage, friends, my mind goes back to a story I heard from an evangelist.

“He’s With Me” and the Assurance of Salvation

There was this itinerant preacher, and he was passing through the city of St. Louis on a Sunday on his way to a meeting. And he stopped at a downtown church for Sunday morning service. He parked his car and entered the building through the back door and took his seat on the very back row of that church.

It did not take him long to realize he was the only white person in an all-black church. Up on the platform was an elderly pastor who was speaking on the doctrine of heaven at that particular Sunday.

The senior pastor put down his Bible and addressed his congregation with the following story. Our great theme this morning is heaven. Some folks say heaven is Abraham's bosom. Other folks call it paradise.

But do you know what I say heaven is? Heaven is this. Here is Jesus, just back from his earthly ministry. And he enters the bejeweled gates of the city. And there is the angel Gabriel, all decked out to meet him.

Gabriel greets Jesus. Hello, Jesus. Welcome home, Jesus. Sure is good to see you, Jesus. We sure missed you up here in heaven, Jesus. But wait, who is that? Who is that with you? That's not that thief.

It is him. We can't have any thieves up here. No, sir. We can't have any thieving ones up here, Jesus. Jesus answered, Gabriel. Never you mind, Gabriel. Never you mind. And just then, Jesus wrapped his arm around the thief.

And he wrapped his arm around him tightly and hugged him. And said to Gabriel, never you mind, Gabriel. He's with me. I like that story, friends. Don't you? He's with me. And that's the tale of my message this evening.

He's with me. Because that's the only way, friend, you'll ever get to heaven. And that's by the Savior Jesus Christ saying to the Father, never you mind, great God. I know he is a sinner, but I shed my precious blood for him.

And he's with me. She's with me. Listen, dear friend. There is nothing acceptable in you to God. Your good character won't make you acceptable to God. Your best works will not bring you acceptance with God.

Good intentions won't help you either. The very best that you can offer God. Is nothing more but filthy rags in his sight. The only way you'll be made acceptable to God, friend, is if your sins have been pardoned.

You need a sin substitute in the person of Jesus Christ. He is the only remedy for sin. The only way in heaven you will be made acceptable unto God is when Jesus stands alongside of you. Takes your hand in his nail pierced hand.

The Two Thieves and the Necessity of Repentance

And he declares to that great audience in glory. He's with me. He's with me. You see, friends, there were two men crucified next to Jesus. One on the left and one on the right. Their position of Christ was the same physically.

They were close enough to be heard of him. But one male factor railed on Christ and mocked him. The other criminal humbled himself and admitted his own guilt. For he said to his fellow criminal, for we received the due reward of our deeds.

But this man had done nothing amiss. He admitted he was a guilty sinner who deserved punishment for his crimes. He found favor with God and was saved. For he saw his great need of a savior. The other man did not.

The one died and went to heaven to be with paradise and with Jesus. The other died and dropped down to a devil's hell. One man saw his need. The other did not. Jesus declared, I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.

D. L. Moody and the Sinner Who Admitted His Guilt

That reminds me of a story I read of D .O. Moody. I like D .O. Moody, friends. I've studied his life in great detail. It's a shame so few today are familiar with the life of Moody. I've often traveled to the town of Northfield, Massachusetts, to visit the grave of D .O. Moody.

I have stood on Round Top, where his mortal remains lie, and looked down the hill to the little white home in which he was born. And then I looked across the way to the other home where he lived and where he died.

It was said of D .O. Moody that he depopulated hell by a million souls. Moody always said that God had told him, here is a lifeboat, Moody. Go fill it. And he did just that. And D .O. Moody never went to bed at night, friends, without witnessing to a poor soul about the one who came down here.

So we can go up there. But there is a story that D .O. Moody liked to tell. He was in a prison preaching the gospel. He was allowed to stand at one end of a long cement hallway lined with jail cells. He stood at one end of that long hall lined with prisoners.

He could not see their faces, only the bars on the prison doors. But he preached his heart out about the love of a savior who came to earth to die for sinful man. When Moody was through with his sermon, he was permitted by the jailer to slowly pass each cell and speak a word to each prisoner.

He asked the first man, why are you here? The man replied that he was falsely accused. Moody went to the next cell and asked its occupant, well, why are you here? The prisoner said he'd been framed. On and on, Moody slowly spoke a word to each man in each cell and to the man.

Every one of them answered that he was innocent and did not belong there in prison. Until Moody heard a sob down at the end of that long cement hallway. Moody walked toward the sobs until he found a man on his knees.

He wouldn't even look Moody in the face, but declared, I'm here because I deserve to be. I'm a big sinner. Oh, Mr. Moody, is there any hope for an old sinner like me? Moody sighed a sigh of relief and then told the man about the Pearl of Great Price, the Prince of Glory, who died on a bloody cross for sinners like himself.

And Moody led that man to Jesus Christ. That prisoner agreed with himself, friends, like the thief on the cross. He admitted his guilt and sin. He admitted his need of a savior. You see, friend, a man must first see his need of a savior before he can come safely to that savior.

The Danger of Self-Righteous Evangelism

Today, with our modern evangelism, we go around offering folks a Jesus before they see any need of him. So they take our little Jesus carelessly and sit upon a false foundation of carnal security. They live their life and die in their sins and then drop down to hell.

This generation of in for help church folks have never seen their guilt, never been convicted of sin. They've never seen themselves as a guilty rebel against a holy God, sinners who deserve to go to hell and admit it.

When I was saved, friends, it was later in life. I'd sat upon a false foundation of self-righteousness, and I rested on a long track record of service. But God had to awaken me to my lost condition. He had to show me that I was on my way to hell.

And not only that, he had to reveal to me in a terrifying way that I not only was on my way to hell, but that I deserved to go there. That's when I became a seeker, friends. That's when I admitted my guilt of sin and my need of a savior.

Finding Christ Rather Than Merely Seeking Him

Oh, how I needed pardon from sin and God and his great mercy. I brought me to the place where I found Jesus. I was his and he was mine. He could now say to God, he's with me. I remember a story told by a man who was converted under the preaching of Rolf Barnard.

Barnard was in town holding meetings, and some youth in the church were coming under conviction of sin. And this young man and his friend were in that group of young people. One evening after Rolf Barnard preached, the friend of this young man went down front to talk to Rolf Barnard and the pastor about his soul.

This other young man ran up to his friend and tried to speak peace to him, saying, you don't need to worry. You are seeking God. The lost man does not seek God. Therefore, you have the life of God in you.

You are saved. Rolf Barnard butted in, turned on the young man and looked him straight in the face and thundered, a young man, a believer is not seeking Christ. He has found Christ. Let me ask you, friend, have you found Christ?

Are you joined to him? Are you joined by faith to a living Lord? Or do you admit that deep down in your soul, if you were truly honest with yourself, that you have your doubts? You don't know if you really saved it all.

You've just been hanging on to a thread of a hope of salvation. But your hope of heaven is nothing more than a hole in the wall. You must find Christ, friend. Turn from your sins and believe upon him.

The Gospel Promise to the Repentant and Weary

Listen, friend, if you are seeking God earnestly for salvation, if you admit that you are nothing more than a big sinner who deserves the punishment for sin, if you will humble yourself and admit your utter poverty of being unable to bring anything with you to be approved of God, that you stand and need a pardon for sin, you hunger and thirst after righteousness, then I have a promise for you, friend.

I've got good news for you, friend. The work of the Holy Spirit in bringing lost men and women to faith never fails to achieve its object. Jesus will in no wise cast you out if you come to him. The gospel is for the hungry, the gospel is for the weary and the thirsty souls who mourn over their sins and recognize the great need of a savior from sin.

The Thief’s Appeal for Mercy and the Calls of the Gospel

Listen, friends, that thief on the cross that saw no need of Jesus as a savior died in his sins, even though he was as close to Christ as a man can humanly get. The other thief recognized his guilt and admitted that he deserved his just punishment.

True penitents acknowledge the justice of God and the punishment of their sins. The thief on the cross looked at Jesus, beheld him, and he became a beggar for mercy. He said, Lord, remember me. That prayer of a dying sinner to a dying savior was heard.

And the power of Christ's grace came to that repentant sinner. He was near to Christ physically like his partner in crime, but his spiritual position was changed when he looked to Jesus and to Jesus alone as his only hope of heaven.

He found Jesus. He was saved. If you, friend, are outside of Christ and you have yet to find him, listen to these calls of the gospel. Look unto me and be ye saved. All the ends of the earth, for I am God and there is none else.

If any man thirst, let him come unto me and drink. He that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water. I am the bread of life. He that cometh to me shall never hunger.

And he that believeth on me shall never thirst. Ho, every one that thirsteth, come ye to the waters. And he that hath no money, come ye, buy and eat. Yea, come, buy wine and milk without money and without price.