Section V — A Helping Body of Believers

Believing . . . It Transforms You

Feeling chubby? Bad hair day? Nothing to wear? Join the club. We’re never satisfied with the way we look. We’re always trying to change how we appear on the outside. And there’s no shortage of companies offering all sorts of expensive things that (they say) can help. But if we want to revamp how we look on the inside, there’s only one thing we need to do: believe.

Crack open the Bible, and you’ll find oodles of stories about people who’ve changed radically because they believe. I love the one about Dismas^*, the “penitent thief.”

Dismas lived during the time of Jesus. He was a liar and a murderer. But most of all, he was a thief. Now in Dismas’ line of work, there wasn’t much time for believing. Then, too, if there really were a God, Dismas always reasoned, he most certainly wouldn’t have anything to do with a low life like him.

In his travels, though, Dismas heard rumors of some Hebrew, a guy called Jesus, who was supposed to be the Savior of the world. But guys like him came and went. Dismas wasn’t impressed.

Until he saw Jesus, battered and bloody, on the cross next to his. Dismas knew he, himself, deserved punishment. He’d been caught stealing, and had the lives of others on his hands. And Gestas^**, a notorious thief to the left of Jesus, finally got what he deserved. But what had Jesus done to warrant such a death?

At first, like Gestas, Dismas ridiculed Jesus. If he truly was the Savior, why not save himself and Dismas too? But then, Jesus locked eyes with him and something powerful passed between them. It was as though Jesus looked past the wasted life, the evil crimes, the bitter callousness and offered a clean start, beginning right then, a hope of forgiveness, love, and peace.

Transfixed by the love he saw in Jesus’ eyes, Dismas chose to believe.

“Jesus,” he said so sincerely tears mixed with his sweat and ran down his face. “Remember me when you come into your kingdom.”

“This very day,” Jesus answered, “you will be with me in paradise.”

And there, on the cross, Dismas was instantly changed — from a ruthless criminal into a saved soul. It’s a great example of the transformative beauty of believing.

Now, we don’t have to wait until the end of our lives to choose Jesus. We can experience him right here, right now, right this minute. What’s more, we can revel in the knowledge that Jesus loved us first. He loved us when we were sinners, and even in our darkest hour, he will always extend forgiveness, love, and peace. Jesus offers us all this, as he did Dismas, if we but do one thing: believe.

— Allia Zobel Nolan

*   The Bible doesn’t name the thief to Jesus’ right. However, the Gospel of Nicodemus gives him this name.

** The Gospel of Nicodemus names the thief to Jesus’ left as Gestas.