And someone came to Him and said, “Teacher, what good thing shall I do that I may obtain eternal life?” 17 And He said to him, “Why are you asking Me about what is good? There is only One who is good, but if you wish to enter into life, keep the commandments.” 18 Then he said to Him, “Which ones?” And Jesus said, “You shall not commit murder; You shall not commit adultery; You shall not steal; You shall not bear false witness; 19 Honor your father and mother; and You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” 20 The young man said to Him, “All these things I have kept; what am I still lacking?” 21 Jesus said to him, “If you wish to be complete, go and sell your possessions and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow Me.” 22 But when the young man heard this statement, he went away grieving; for he was one who owned much property.
23 And Jesus said to His disciples, “Truly I say to you, it is hard for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven. 24 Again, I say to you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God.” 25 When the disciples heard this, they were very astonished and said, “Then who can be saved?” 26 And looking at them, Jesus said to them, “With people, this is impossible, but with God, all things are possible.”
Matt. 19:16-26, NASB
Good Works, Being a Good Person, or Partly Following God’s Word Won’t Give You Eternal Life
To help us understand how the Bible is packed with truth, let’s look at the verses above in greater detail. The rich man’s question, “What must I do?” reveals he believed he could do a good thing to earn eternal life in his own strength or wealth. Jesus corrects him by saying that only God is good and to enter into (eternal) life, he must keep the commandments.
Why does the rich man ask which commandments he must follow: Doesn’t he know them all? If he didn’t, why would he be questioning Jesus? Notice that Jesus doesn’t list the first four commandments to have no other gods, not make any graven image, not take the Lord’s name in vain, and to keep the Sabbath holy. Jesus only states the commandments concerning the rich man’s heart and concerning people. The rich man replies that he has kept all these things, yet, he asks, what am I lacking? Deep inside, the rich man knew he was missing something.
Jesus said to him, “If you wish to be complete, go and sell your possessions and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow Me.”
But when the young man heard this statement, he went away grieving; for he was one who owned much property. Because the rich man went away grieving, I believe he saw wealth and property as his God and graven images at that moment. Unfortunately, he chose to love them more than Jesus.
No matter how good we try to be, we can never earn or buy our way into heaven. The apostle Paul tells us the only way we are saved.
For by grace, you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; 9 not as a result of works, so that no one may boast. 10 For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them.
Eph 2:8-10 NASB95
We Will Live Eternally; the Question is Where?
Unless you have an intimate relationship with Jesus Christ and our Father, God, you will be deceived and influenced by the world’s self-focused, sinful ways orchestrated by our enemy, Satan. Without Jesus, you live in your sinful state, without the protection of Christ’s righteousness, vulnerable to being deceived about God, and led to your eternal destruction.
Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me.
John 14:6 NASB95
When we receive Christ’s salvation, we become the children of God.
But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, even to those who believe in His name.
John 1:12, NASB95
Our salvation is also our eternal life inheritance. When we choose to work and walk with Jesus daily to become more like him, he prepares us for our eternity with him. Choosing Christ’s salvation and living your life for him is a vow of discipleship for the rest of your life. I would not be alive or the woman I am today if I had not worked and walked with Jesus daily for the last twenty years!
There is no question of my love and gratitude to my Lord and Savior, Jesus. The more I grow in him, the more I see his path and blessings regardless of the challenges along the way. There is no way to escape many of the hardships of this world, especially with imperfect people. But with God and Jesus, I know I am loved and cherished. I know my purpose is to love God and Jesus with all my heart and to love my neighbor as I love myself so I can bring God glory and honor. I know, without a doubt, that as long as I keep holding Christ’s hand, he will meet me as I walk into glory. I have peace and confidence that this broken world is not my forever home, and I am grateful!
However, God’s word is clear about those who choose to live in the flesh. God has given us the will to choose, which means we can change our minds. Many people who have chosen Jesus have, later, decided to walk away for various reasons. It’s vital to know that if you choose to walk away, which means you live in the sinful ways of the flesh and world, you will not have eternal life, according to these verses. Once saved does not mean always saved. You can’t claim to love and follow Jesus while you live like the devil on earth.
For those who walk according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who are according to the Spirit, the things of the Spirit. 6 For the mind set on the flesh is death, but the mind set on the Spirit is life and peace, 7 because the mind set on the flesh is hostile toward God; for it does not subject itself to the law of God, for it is not even able to do so, 8 and those who are in the flesh cannot please God.
9 However, you are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God dwells in you. But if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to Him. 10 If Christ is in you, though the body is dead because of sin, yet the spirit is alive because of righteousness. 11 But if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who dwells in you.
12 So then, brethren, we are under obligation, not to the flesh, to live according to the flesh— 13 for if you are living according to the flesh, you must die; but if by the Spirit you are putting to death the deeds of the body, you will live. 14 For all who are being led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God.
Romans 8:5-14, NASB95
Your Realities
Your earthy life is hard and temporary! Who but Jesus can help you find hope, healing, strength, restoration, supernatural peace, and unchanging truth that is respectful and just among imperfect people? You can’t ignore that your physical body will die, and you won’t know when.
How can you live with the confidence that you can love others like Jesus? Who but Jesus can help you overcome spiritual challenges and give you help, wisdom, discernment, protection, blessings, favor, and power to walk through your challenges? How can you be free from trying to meet the world’s ever-changing, imperfect morals and standards? The answer is to walk and work with Jesus daily.
Receive salvation, be baptized, and find a church to disciple you in all of God’s word so your faith will be firm and steadfast. Be determined to follow him in all circumstances, and you will live with him in heaven for eternity!
