Accra, April 4, GNA - Pastor Mensah Otabil, General Overseer of the International Central Gospel Church, on Sunday said salvation was an immediate and personal encounter with God and was not transferable. Salvation, he said, was based on the resurrection and noted that on the cross Christ stretched his hands to both criminals, an indication that his arms were open to all who believe in him.

Speaking at an Easter Sunday service, which focused on the meaning of Christ death rather than his resurrection at Christ Temple in Accra, he said one of the three crosses on Calvary represented rejection, because on it hanged the self righteous sinner who was close to Jesus but did not recognise him as the Christ.

This self righteous sinner, he said, represented philosophical Christians who go to church, hear the word, but have no reverence for God and their soul, and never get saved to share an inheritance with Christ. The second cross, he said represented repentance, because the other criminal acknowledged the living Christ, anticipated the resurrection by admitting his sins and affirming the righteousness of Christ. The difference between the two criminal was that though both were sinners, one made an important decision about his eternal life that gave him his passage to paradise, he said.

According to Pastor Otabil, the cross on which Christ was crucified signifies redemption.

Explaining the sentence "I say to you today you will be with me in paradise", Pastor Otabil said that, "I say" means that Christ is the author of salvation -he redeems and sets free the worst of sinners. "Today" in the sentence, Pastor Otabil noted, was that salvation was immediate and does not come in phases, adding that, Christianity was a process or a relationship with Christ, but salvation was instant. "You" also connotes that salvation is personal and cannot be passed on. It is on a one on one basis, Pastor Otabil said, and added "With me" means salvation is a relationship with Christ, whilst "In paradise" means that salvation offers a blessed hope, which eluded the self righteous sinner on the cross with Christ. The cross of righteous is reaching out to all who believe to give hope, peace, repentance and redemption, Pastor Otabil said and he urged Christian to take advantage of it and have eternal life. 4 April 10