The bible says one things but Christians want things another way. Therefore we get these Jesus fan fic stories. Anybody who has spent any amount of time in a church has heard them. These stories are inaccurate and loose, often times justifying a doctrinal theme.. most namely the degradation of the Christian character.
The most prolific story that is passed around is the story of the thief on the cross. How *bad* of a man he was. How he stole this or that, how he lived a life of sin and depravity, and that he, despite his lifetime of flaws and dishonestly was saved because he believed on Jesus the Christ!
Nonsense.
There is no information about how this thief lived or how he came to be on the cross. Perhaps he was a horrible wretch, a filthy backbiting rogue making a living in the night. Perhaps, however, he was a good man and stole food out of necessity. We do not know and since this is the case this example can not be used to justify irresponsible doctrine. Rather, this is the fact: everybody wants easy salvation and nobody wants to take up the cross.
Struggle against your sin. Become a better man. Tempt yourself and suffer pain for Christ's sake. Make virtue your beast plate, that the spear of the Devil will not pierce through to your heart.
...and went toe to toe with the top rung of society...