The Kingdom of God

"And one of the malefactors which were hanged railed on him, saying, If thou be Christ, save thyself and us." (Luke 23:39)

We see three men on the Cross. One person is dying for others. Another person is dying a penitent and the other dies as the son of perdition. In this world all of us fall under any one of these two latter categories. Jesus came to this world and died on the Cross thereby creating a permanent remedy for man. By this power He is able to lift man into a higher plane of life. The Kingdom of God has its own laws. A man who enters into the Kingdom of God enters into a plane where the law of this world ceases to exist and the laws of the Kingdom of God begin to operate. He finds himself lifted beyond his expectation. "And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men unto me" (John 12:32). Jesus will draw you into a new plane of living, where you will find true rest and harmony. Men who look from the plane of this world on those who are living in the plane of the Kingdom of God would naturally begin to wonder how such a life would be possible.

Even when Jesus was dying, He was mindful of the thief who was dying and wanted to lift Him up to this God-consciousness. First of all He makes the individual understand that he is a sinner. He lifts him up to such a consciousness that he understands that he is wrong. The thief understood that Jesus was dying for no fault of His. God alone opened his understanding to see the truth and get lifted up by God by humbling himself before Him.