Jesus was dying on the cross with two criminals one on His left, the other on His right – fulfilling Scripture: (Isaiah 53:12 “…And was numbered with the transgressors…”)   

  (NASB) Luke 23:39-43 “One of the criminals who were hanged there was hurling abuse at Him, saying, ‘Are You not the Christ?  Save Yourself and us!’
40 But the other answered, and rebuking him said, ‘Do you not even fear God, since you are under the same sentence of condemnation?
41 ‘And we indeed are suffering justly, for we are receiving what we deserve for our deeds; but this man has done nothing wrong.
42 And he was saying ‘Jesus, remember me when You come in Your kingdom!’
43 And He said to him, ‘Truly I say to you, today you shall be with Me in Paradise.’ 

Today: Unbelief continues to hurl abuse at Jesus and His followers.
Today: Unbelief does not believe that Jesus the Christ can save them. 

Today: Belief fears God with reverent awe.
  Belief understands what Jesus, the Perfect, Sinless Son of Man was condemned with the same sentence as all sinners. (And all people are sinners before the living God.)

Today: Belief knows that we deserve punishment for our actions of unkindness, accusing words, self-pity, revenge, jealousy, gossip, fear, resentment…what comes to your mind?
  Jesus Christ, the Sinless One suffered on that cross for your sins and mine. 

  Which criminal are you like?  The criminal who hurled abuse at Jesus or the one who asked Him to remember him when He became King in His kingdom? 

Today: Jesus has already taken the punishment for our sins…it is up to us whether we accept or reject His work on the cross.  When we receive Jesus into our hearts and lives we are agreeing with God that we need to be saved from our sins, we need Jesus as our Savior. 

Today: We can know of God’s love for us.
(NASB) Romans 8:35-39 “Who will separate us from the love of Christ?  Will tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?
36 Just as it is written,
‘FOR YOUR SAKE WE ARE BEING PUT TO DEATH ALL DAY LONG;
WE WERE CONSIDERED AS SHEEP TO BE SLAUGHTERED.’
37 But in all these things we overwhelmingly conquer through Him who loved us.
38 For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers,
39 nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing, will be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” 

Which criminal are you like?  One did not believe in Jesus, the other did.