Salvation is granted to those who obey the will of God. Christians believe they can be saved only by faith, just like the right side robber.
Biblical Teachings About Faith
We have to obey the will of God to be saved. Jesus gave many teachings about the kind of faith Christians should have to enter heaven. The first step in our life of faith is to be baptized. Jesus taught that in order to be saved, we must be baptized.
Mk 16:16 “Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned.”
If we can be saved although we do not keep any deeds—like the robber on Jesus’ right side—then what about baptism? Should we be baptized? Absolutely! It is the first step we should take in our life of faith. Baptism is the ceremony by which God forgives our sins and allows us to participate in the ceremony of the Passover. By keeping these commandments, God’s people can enter the kingdom of heaven.
The Faith of the Right Side Robber
The robber met Jesus for the first time as he was dying on the cross. He could not hear the message of salvation that Jesus proclaimed prior to his crucifixion. Therefore, all he could do was proclaim his faith in Jesus at that moment.
Lk 23:42 Then he said, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.” Jesus answered him, “Truly I tell you, today you will be with me in paradise.”
Through these words, we can understand that the case of the robber was a special case of salvation. God gave him the words, “today you will be with me in paradise,” directly. The robber did not fully understand why Jesus had to be crucified on the cross and shed his blood for our salvation. Nonetheless, Jesus spoke the words of salvation directly to him although he didn’t keep deeds such as baptism or the Passover. Therefore, we can deduce that this case is unique to the robber.
Understanding the Will of God in the Bible
God established His work of salvation through the new covenant. Through Jesus’s holy sacrifice on the cross, he confirmed the new covenant that saves our souls (Lk 22:20). That is why Jesus commanded all Christians to follow His example:
Jn 13:15 “I have set you an example that you should do as I have done for you. Very truly I tell you, no servant is greater than his master, nor is a messenger greater than the one who sent him. Now that you know these things, you will be blessed if you do them.”
The robber on the right side was saved because he received the words of salvation directly from Jesus. This was a special case of salvation unique to the situation of the robber. If we were in that situation, and God gave us that promise, we would enter heaven. However, since we are not in the same situation as that of the robber, God told us to keep the new covenant to be saved. If we neglect to follow the will of God, then we cannot receive salvation and we will end up regretting our decision.
