BH: Is the message.. it's never too late to be saved by Grace through faith, not works ?
Clearly, that is one part of it. Salvation is so simple - but it is preceded by a change in one's heart and mind toward God in submission and realizing one's need for Jesus.
BH: Did Jesus choose the thief for salvation (not the other way around) ?.
Are you saying that the thief had no choice - that He was merely chosen by Jesus, and Jesus just transformed him into a believer, and changed the thief's will? No! Yes, God did choose him before time - just as He has ALL persons who will end up in Heaven - and He chose per His WILL for men. And so, what is His will? That all WHO RECEIVE (yes, He also gave them free will AND a choice) His free, unmerited, unearnable GIFT of Salvation, through Jesus sacrifice (like the thief's faith in Him), and submission to Him (that they are
desiring that He become their Lord through the committing their hearts and minds to Him, (which subsequently will begin a remainder of life sanctification process of learning evermore of HOW to make Jesus Lord). It wasn't what the thief DID - it's what he suddenly developed, in His mind and heart, even in his last hours: Faith in Jesus as God. And notice the thief asked Him "to remember" him - he was accepting Jesus by calling upon Him. So, this shows us that faith is very simple, and that it is in no way works-based - as what time for works did the thief have left?
BH: Was the thief chosen for this very purpose before he was even born?
Absolutely, God orchestrates events - but He doesn't have to (and won't) violate their free will to do so. Knowing where in history and time He will place them, knowing what choices will be provided, given what people's choices will actually be (per the options they are provided) to for them to freely decide - all of these parameters God controls. He certainly influences, draws, and woos people to Himself. But God does not coerce! He allows sin. He allows rejection. But He also mandates consequences for eternal rebellion - as well as for sinful choices on earth. God simultaneously chose us first and to give us free will and the opportunity to desire Him. With God, there is no before and after choices - only choices that He has always known, in conjunction with His perfect will and knowledge of all things that will ever exist or occur.
And finally, the two thieves are a powerful illustration of the starkly different choices men are given concerning God: To choose to accept Jesus, or not to - made clear by two thieves - separated by the kind of hearts they had, in the end, with Jesus right in the middle - like a Eternal Fork in the Road - which path? The narrow one (Jesus!) or the one that leads to destruction.