Proverbs 11:19 Does Crime Pay?

Proverbs 11:19

He who is steadfast in righteousness will attain to life, And he who pursues evil will bring about his own death.

Crime doesn’t pay, and to do evil is backing God’s law, and the Lord doesn’t honor anyone that obeys Him. All have sinned, and it is the natural state of human flesh, so how does a person save themselves for the wages of sin? The best way to look at the two criminals nailed to the cross, just like Jesus. Even if we all know Jesus was innocent, according to the authorities, both Jewish and Roman, Jesus was guilty.

John 19:6 So when the chief priests and the officers saw Him, they shouted, saying, “Crucify, crucify!” Pilate *said to them, “Take Him yourselves and crucify Him; for I find no grounds for charges in His case!” 7 The Jews answered him, “We have a law, and by that law, He ought to die because He made Himself out to be the Son of God!”~12 because of this, Pilate [a]made efforts to release Him; but the Jews shouted, saying, “If you release this man, you are not a friend of Caesar; everyone who makes himself out to be a king opposes Caesar!”~15 So they shouted, “Away with Him, away with Him, crucify Him!” Pilate said to them, “Shall I crucify your King?” The chief priests answered, “We have no king except Caesar.” The Crucifixion 16 So, he then handed Him over to them to be crucified.

So, as an enemy of both state and religion, Jesus was treated as a criminal, so no one saw a problem to execute Him as one. On the hill was Jesus was being executed were two other criminals. Still, unlike Jesus, they were just being punished by the state and Roman officials. The Roman already had a criminal who a murderer that was supposed to be executed that day, his name was Barabbas.

Mark 15:7 And the one named Barabbas had been imprisoned with the rebels who had committed murder in the revolt.

John 18:39  But you have a custom that I release someone ]for you at the Passover; do you wish then that I release or you the King of the Jews?” 40 So they cried out again, saying, “Not this Man, but Barabbas.” Now Barabbas was a robber.

The Bible says Barabbas was a notorious prisoner, a repeat offender. He deserves death, but Roman law and God’s law. The Romans wanted to execute Barabbas more cause they knew he was guilty, but Jews asked for Jesus instead. The kingdom of earth and heaven are being played out on the hill, where Jesus is being crucified. The Lord in the middle, a guilty criminal on the left and right of Jesus. One mocks Jesus and sees Him as a criminal like himself. The other criminal knows Jesus is God and asks Him, please remember me in Your kingdom. The word steadfast means confidence and loyalty. When A person doesn’t believe Jesus is Lord, they stay evil and die in sin. When a person confessing with their mouth, Jesus is Lord; he remembers who you are and forgets your sins. The reward of everlasting life in paradise is yours. God bless you; the Lord loves you, and so do I. Samuel H.

Luke 23:40 But the other responded, 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 crimes, but this man has done nothing wrong.” 42 And he was saying, “Jesus, remember me when You come into Your kingdom!” 43 And He said to him, “Truly I say to you, today you will be with Me in Paradise.”