I decided to confront a certain way of thought that seems to be more common than one might think among Christians It is written in the form of a parable/ story , I do think it is very important and It is my hope that everyone in this forum will take a look at it and hopefully take away a more clear, thoughtful understanding about this matter from my thread/post.
He's rich. Italian shoes. Tailored suit. His money is invested. His plastic is golden. He lives like he flies- first class . He's young. He pumps away fatigue at the gym and slam dunks old age on the court. His belly is flat, his eyes sharp. Energy is his trademark, and death is an eternity away.
Till today, life for him has been a smooth cruise down a neon avenue. But today he has a question. A casual concern , or a genuine fear? We don't know. We do know he has come for some advice.
For one so use to calling the shots, calling on this carpenters son for help must be awkward. For a man of his pedigree to seek counsel of a country rube is not standard procedure. But this is no standard question. " Teacher" he asks,,"what good thing must I do to get eternal life?" The wording of his question betrays his misunderstanding. He thinks he can get eternal life as he gets everything else- by his own strength.
" What must I do?"
What are the requirements , Jesus? What's the break-even point? No need for chitchat; go straight to the bottom line. How much do I need to invest to be certain of my return?
Jesus answer is intended to make him wince. " If you want to enter life ,obey the commandments.
A man with half a conscience would have thrown up his hands at that point. " Keep the commandments? Keep the commandments! Do you know how many commandments there are? Have you read the Law lately? I've tried- honestly, I've tried-but I can't"
That is what the ruler should say, but confession is the farthest thing from his mind. Instead of asking for help, he grabs a pencil and paper and asks for the list.
Jesus indulges him and names a few.
" Hey" he grins, 'a piece of cake. I've done all of these since I was a kid." He swaggers a bit and hooks a thumb in his belt. " Got any other commandments you want to run past me?"
How Jesus keeps from laughing - or crying - is beyond me Jesus gets to the point. " If you want to be perfect, then go and sell everything your possessions and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven."
The statement leaves the young man distraught and the disciples bewildered. Their question could be ours: Who then can be saved?" Jesus answer shell shocks the listeners " with man this is impossible..." Impossible. He doesn't say improbable or unlikely. He doesn't even say it will be tough. He says it is "impossible". No chance. No loopholes. No way. No hope. Impossible. It's impossible to swim the Pacific. It's impossible to go to the moon on the tail of a kite. An unless somebody does something , you don't have a chance of going to heaven.
Does that strike you as cold? All your life you've been rewarded according to your performance. You get grades according to your studies. You get commendations according to your success. You get money in response to your work. That's why the rich young ruler thought heaven was just a payment away. It only made sense . You work hard, you pay your dues, and "zap"- your account is credited as paid for in full. Jesus says " No way" What you want costs far more than what you can pay. You don't need a system, you need a Savior. You don't need a resume, you need a Redeemer. For "what is impossible with men is possible with God."
Don't miss the trust of this verse: You cannot save yourself. Not through the right rituals. Not through the right doctrine. Not through the right devotion. Not through the right goose bumps. Jesus' point is crystal clear. It is impossible for human beings to save themselves.
You see, it wasn't the money that hindered the rich man; it was self-sufficiency. It wasn't the possessions; it was the pomp. It wasn't the big bucks; it was the big head. It's not just the rich who have difficulty. So do the educated, the strong, the good-looking, the popular, the religious. So do you if you think your piety or power qualifies you as a kingdom candidate.
God's delight is received upon surrender, not awarded upon conquest. Those who taste Gods presence have declared spiritual bankruptcy and are aware of their spiritual crisis. Their pockets are empty . Their options are gone. They don't brag, they beg. They ask God to do for them what they can't do without him. They have seen how holy God is and how sinful they are and have agreed with Jesus' statement, " Salvation is impossible.
He's rich. Italian shoes. Tailored suit. His money is invested. His plastic is golden. He lives like he flies- first class . He's young. He pumps away fatigue at the gym and slam dunks old age on the court. His belly is flat, his eyes sharp. Energy is his trademark, and death is an eternity away.
Till today, life for him has been a smooth cruise down a neon avenue. But today he has a question. A casual concern , or a genuine fear? We don't know. We do know he has come for some advice.
For one so use to calling the shots, calling on this carpenters son for help must be awkward. For a man of his pedigree to seek counsel of a country rube is not standard procedure. But this is no standard question. " Teacher" he asks,,"what good thing must I do to get eternal life?" The wording of his question betrays his misunderstanding. He thinks he can get eternal life as he gets everything else- by his own strength.
" What must I do?"
What are the requirements , Jesus? What's the break-even point? No need for chitchat; go straight to the bottom line. How much do I need to invest to be certain of my return?
Jesus answer is intended to make him wince. " If you want to enter life ,obey the commandments.
A man with half a conscience would have thrown up his hands at that point. " Keep the commandments? Keep the commandments! Do you know how many commandments there are? Have you read the Law lately? I've tried- honestly, I've tried-but I can't"
That is what the ruler should say, but confession is the farthest thing from his mind. Instead of asking for help, he grabs a pencil and paper and asks for the list.
Jesus indulges him and names a few.
" Hey" he grins, 'a piece of cake. I've done all of these since I was a kid." He swaggers a bit and hooks a thumb in his belt. " Got any other commandments you want to run past me?"
How Jesus keeps from laughing - or crying - is beyond me Jesus gets to the point. " If you want to be perfect, then go and sell everything your possessions and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven."
The statement leaves the young man distraught and the disciples bewildered. Their question could be ours: Who then can be saved?" Jesus answer shell shocks the listeners " with man this is impossible..." Impossible. He doesn't say improbable or unlikely. He doesn't even say it will be tough. He says it is "impossible". No chance. No loopholes. No way. No hope. Impossible. It's impossible to swim the Pacific. It's impossible to go to the moon on the tail of a kite. An unless somebody does something , you don't have a chance of going to heaven.
Does that strike you as cold? All your life you've been rewarded according to your performance. You get grades according to your studies. You get commendations according to your success. You get money in response to your work. That's why the rich young ruler thought heaven was just a payment away. It only made sense . You work hard, you pay your dues, and "zap"- your account is credited as paid for in full. Jesus says " No way" What you want costs far more than what you can pay. You don't need a system, you need a Savior. You don't need a resume, you need a Redeemer. For "what is impossible with men is possible with God."
Don't miss the trust of this verse: You cannot save yourself. Not through the right rituals. Not through the right doctrine. Not through the right devotion. Not through the right goose bumps. Jesus' point is crystal clear. It is impossible for human beings to save themselves.
You see, it wasn't the money that hindered the rich man; it was self-sufficiency. It wasn't the possessions; it was the pomp. It wasn't the big bucks; it was the big head. It's not just the rich who have difficulty. So do the educated, the strong, the good-looking, the popular, the religious. So do you if you think your piety or power qualifies you as a kingdom candidate.
God's delight is received upon surrender, not awarded upon conquest. Those who taste Gods presence have declared spiritual bankruptcy and are aware of their spiritual crisis. Their pockets are empty . Their options are gone. They don't brag, they beg. They ask God to do for them what they can't do without him. They have seen how holy God is and how sinful they are and have agreed with Jesus' statement, " Salvation is impossible.
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