"Christ's Companions" 3/25/25

Dear Brothers & Sisters,

Who are Christ's companions? Who are his dear friends, those who shall live and reign with him forever and ever?

Christ (God's Anointed One, Jesus) declared, 

"The Son of Man came to seek and save the lost" (Luke 19:10) and “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. I came not to call the righteous, but sinners" (Mark 2:17). 

The Apostle Paul echoes these words and says "This saying is trustworthy and deserving of full acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am the foremost" (1 Timothy 1:15).

There is perhaps no clearer example of this, then when Jesus told the thief on the cross "today you will be with me in Paradise" (Luke 23:43).

Here was a thief, a member of a group of revolutionaries. He had done nothing good, He had no rightful claim to any kindness from the Lord Jesus. Yet  the Lord answered his cry for mercy.

Peter Vermigli writes of Jesus' words,

"Nobody when he first enters his reign, takes a thief for a companion. Christ did just that, and did not contaminate paradise, but rather made it honored that it had such a Lord, who could purify thieves and prostitutes instantly so that they were suitable for the kingdom of heaven" (as quoted in the book O Sacred Head Now Wounded).

Oh the wondrous love of Jesus' that he cleanses sinners and makes them his dear friends. 

Are you such a sinner? Then there is hope for you. Are you sick with sin, your heart tormented by evil? Christ is came for such as you. Your sin is no barrier to Christ, if you will only ask for mercy. 

"9 Or do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: neither the sexually immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor men who practice homosexuality, 10 nor thieves, nor the greedy, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God. 11 And such were some of you. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God."

1 Corinthians 6:9-11

So who are Christ's companions? 

Sinners, Redeemed sinners, who trust in Jesus, are cleansed by His Spirit, and now live a brand new life (a holy and obedient life) by the power of God. 

Grace & Peace,

Matt