Easter weekend we get to celebrate the greatest sacrifice ever made. We have all heard many times how God so loved the world…, but I don’t think our human minds are truly capable of comprehending just how much He loves us. All of us. Whenever I find myself feeling jealous, in disagreement or judgmental of someone, I have to humble myself and remember that God also loves them with all of His might. Their path looks different than mine, but God’s desire is for all of us to ultimately claim our citizenship in Heaven. It is the great equalizer no matter what your life path has looked like.
If you grew up in Sunday school, you were often told and sung to about how much Jesus loves you. It breaks my heart to think about every person who has never encountered a Christian who left them knowing and believing that Jesus loves them the same. So much so that he sacrificed His own life so that anyone who accepts His offer of salvation can receive the gift of eternal life in unity with Christ. The entire Easter story recounts the most incredible events to ever unfold in history. One of the most incredible things to remember about the Easter story is that scripture includes the account of the thief on the cross right alongside the telling of Jesus’s death and resurrection. The penitent thief’s story is so important that it is known over 2,000 years later.
As Jesus was dying on the cross, he hung between two thieves. The king of kings was being crucified between the lowest of lowlifes and He still wanted to give them the gift of eternal life. He was dying for their sins too and all they needed to do in return was accept and receive. One thief continued to mock Jesus while the other eventually believed telling Jesus to remember him when he came into his kingdom. That belief was all it took for the thief to receive eternal salvation with Jesus answering, “Truly I tell you, today you will be with me in paradise.” (Luke 23:43). The thief had done nothing in his life to earn this gift. As an actively dying man, there was no time left for good works. All he had to offer for this gift was his faith and that is all it takes.
“For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith – and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God – not by works, so that no one can boast. For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.”
-Ephesians 2:8-10
But what about those who are without faith right now? The unbelievers or the doubters? The ones who’ve been dealt a hand that has left them with a lot of unanswered questions? God still wants them in his kingdom! God has a plan for the unbelievers too. If He didn’t, he wouldn’t have wasted scripture by including their stories alongside the apostles, saints, and Jesus Christ himself. The only thing God asks for in return for eternal salvation is belief in His son, Jesus Christ, and he still uses and loves the people who can’t even offer Him that.
The Bible is filled with many examples of God’s plans unfolding for nonbelievers for His ultimate glory. God used the Persian king, Cyrus, and the Judean king, Herod the great, two unbelievers to order construction of His temple. Paul, a prolific author of the New Testament, was once a persecutor of Christians. Not only did he not believe, but he persistently sought to destroy the church before accepting Christ. Jesus walked in the company of prostitutes, criminals, and doubters and loved them all unconditionally. If you are going into Easter unsure of whether or not you genuinely believe a man rose from the grave after his crucifixion, believe that God already knows exactly where your heart and head are in this moment. Believe that He still has big plans for you no matter your past and that He wants you with him in paradise. The only thing He asks for in return is your faith.
Love, Molly
Copyright © 2025, M. Marley, LLC.
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