"And a ruler questioned Him, saying, "Good Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?" And Jesus said to him, "Why do you call Me good? No one is good except God alone. You know the commandments, ‘Do not commit adultery, Do not murder, Do not steal, Do not bear false witness, Honor your father and mother.’" And he said, "All these things I have kept from my youth." And when Jesus heard this, He said to him, "One thing you still lack: sell all that you possess and distribute it to the poor, and you shall have treasure in heaven. And come, follow Me." But when he heard these things, he became very sad, for he was extremely rich. And Jesus looked at him and said, "How hard it is for those who are wealthy to enter the kingdom of God! For 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." And those who heard it said, "Then who can be saved?" But He said, “The things that are impossible with people are possible with God."
Good morning my beloved brothers and sisters in Christ, we are so thankful that you all could be with us today. As we return to our study of Luke chapter 18, we are tremendously blessed with this very rich portion of Scripture. May our Lord graciously use it to bless our growth together with the knowledge of His will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding and grant us the power to make application to our own lives before taking the message to the world.
Tragically, there are many people in the church who think they’re Christians, who say they’re true believers, who claim to be following Jesus, when in reality they are clearly not, they are actively living a life that completely contracts everything Jesus Himself taught. The problem is when these superficial professing Christians are sitting alongside of true believers in the church, we can’t necessarily tell them apart just by looking at them. For all intents and purposes, they may outwardly appear to be genuine because Satan is deceptive, but upon closer inspection we'll find they aren't really cleansed of their filthiness or pursuing the things of God.
How do we explain those who claim to be a Christian, but manifest no evidence of saving faith that they were never really saved to begin with? There are several important factors necessary for people to understand, when they are coming to Christ for salvation. First is they must acknowledge their own sinfulness, and their need for repentance and forsaking their sin. And the second is to need to confess Jesus as Lord and genuinely understand what the Lordship of Christ means.
Scripture makes it clear that salvation is granted only to those who repent, acknowledge Jesus as Lord and are willing to submit their life to Him. The invitation to salvation is command to repent, followed by a call to obedience, and call to submission. Sadly, many Christians treat salvation like they got it on sale at the dollar store rather than received it as a precious gift from the Creator of the universe. Unlike modern evangelism today, Jesus never made salvation easy and inclusive.
In fact, He said the way is a narrow way, it's going to be such a struggle to come into the kingdom, that most won’t be able to make it. How can we come before a Righteous and Holy God, seeking forgiveness if we don't even admit to ourselves that we're wretched sinners?
Grace is not a license to sin, it's the precious gift, the transformative
divine power to overcome sin, empowering true believers to finally be able to what is right, what is holy, what is pure in the eyes of God, meaning a genuine response to grace is a desire to live in accordance with God’s holy standards, rather than the freedom to continue in it. In fact, according to Proverbs 17:15, both acquitting the guilty and condemning the righteous are considered detestable in the eyes of God, it is an abomination to the LORD, emphasizing that God rejects any distortion of justice that favors the wicked or harms the righteous. That is why I believe it is absolutely imperative to teach people what Scripture actually says, what Jesus Himself taught in order to genuinely be converted. Anything less is but a disservice to God and a damning to deception to those who follow us. Sound doctrine purifies the church by distinguishing true converts from false ones, as genuine believers, we love God’s Word, even when it confronts us because of it's transformative power while superficial followers are repulsed by its depth, because they prefer emotional experiences and "feel-good Christianity" over true discipleship. I believe that there's little doubt that Jesus would have flunked seminary based on modern evangelical methods. I believe that's the problem with the easy believism in the church today, they believe in "another Jesus," one of their own imagination that is accepting of their coveted sin, which I dare say is NOT the Jesus in the Bible. Isn’t that what Paul said, "Believe in the Lord Jesus." You must recognize there's something else that is essential for the salvation that Jesus offers before you begin to understand Jesus’ answer, something to which many have closed their eyes and their minds. And that is repentance.
Scripture is clear, nobody will ever be forgiven their sins without faith and nobody will ever be forgiven their sins without repentance. There's no forgiveness given anybody who doesn't cry out in faith for the mercy of God. It isn't any wonder that modern evangelism decided to the biblical definition of repentance from the call for a change of mind toward God and sin that results in a change of life with a simplified invitation to a corrupted just "pray this prayers and accept Jesus" without requiring evidence of turned-from-sin behavior. Thanks to Billy Graham.
John the Baptist came preaching repentance. Jesus came preaching and the Apostles came preaching repentance, because salvation has always been by faith, and the forgiveness of sin has always accompanied the inseparable response of genuine repentance for biblical conversion. (Mark 1:15; Acts 2:38). We live in a society where an entire generation of "Christians" who believed they are "saved, yet have never been made clean, washed by the blood of Christ because many Christians choose to remain biblically illiterate. No wonder Proverbs 18:21 emphasizes that "Death and life are in the power of the tongue, and those who love it will eat its fruit."
I recall some years ago, I believe it was the early 1970's, I was unable to sleep, turning on the television, the channel I had last watched was still on, and Johnny Carson had Billy Graham as a guest on his show. At some point during the conversation, there was a lull and Johnny said, "You know what, Billy? I bet if Jesus ever came back to earth, we’d do Him in again!" Billy Graham leaned forward in his seat, and said, "In the Bible we read that Jesus predicted that He would return to earth again. But the first time He came in love, the next time, He’ll come in power. And no one will do Him in!" The world would do well to take note of that statement from the late Billy Graham! While we Christians may intercede on behalf of sinner through prayer and proclaiming the Gospel, divine forgiveness requires every individual to humble themselves and seek God’s pardon, Who alone possesses the intrinsic Divine Authority and Power to forgive sins
Beloved, I cannot stress enough how important it is to examine yourselves, test yourselves, against Scripture to provide the necessary assurance that Jesus Christ does indeed indwell in you. True assurance is not found in mere profession of faith but in the spiritual reality of Christ’s indwelling presence, as opposed to those who may appear religious but lack the transformative power of the Holy Spirit.
I am convinced that brief passage contains within it the very essence of what is wrong with so much of modern Christianity today, and I dare say, a critical point often glossed over in our hurried Bible studies to check off the boxes. The man in our story sees eternal life as something transactional, something he can earn, something he can achieve through his own human effort, or merit by his own works. This is the typical question of someone who has not understood the depth of his own depravity, grasped his own sinfulness and that he is incapable of doing anything to save himself. Which is why I believe faithfully addressing this issue is important, and requires church leadership to "gird up your loins," shifting the focus from being afraid of offending men to adhering strictly to the details of God’s Word, examined and proclaimed without dilution or deletion, capitulating to cultural pressures. Contrary to popular belief, faithfulness in boldly proclaiming the Truth does not divide the Church; but rather, it exposes and addresses the divisions that quietly already exist. I know a number of people in the church today who think if they pray enough, if they read their Bible enough, if they serve in the church enough, if they give enough of the time, talents and resources, God will "owe" them, granting them entrance into the Kingdom. That's not Christianity, that's religion. To remain silent on such issues to avoid discomfort is not merely a lapse in judgment, but as a betrayal of the God-given responsibility to protect the flock. John 8:31-32, "..If you abide in My word, then you are truly My disciples; and you will know the truth, and the truth will make you free."
Let's pray
Heavenly Father,
Father, we thank You for Your Word, so rich, so clear. Let the Light expose what it will expose in our hearts so that we might acknowledge our own sinfulness. Lord, we pray that everyone receiving this message, would not just hear it, but will listen well to Your instruction, and feel the full weight of Christ's Lordship,
acknowledging His sovereign rule in the their. By Your illuminating Spirit, enabling us to be faithful in applying and living out what we learn, so that would-be disciples might humbly walk in Christlike obedience, resulting in a life that reflects Your glory. Do Your work, Lord, in every heart even today. We ask and pray this in Christ's precious Name.
Amen.
Today's Message: When Having It All Isn't Enough
You may have tens of thousands of people influencing you - but few are as important as the spiritual teacher who is responsible for tenderly and compassionately caring for the most valuable part of you—your soul, dispelling the darkness of spiritual ignorance and illuminating the path to righteousness by holding a torch. Be careful who you listen too. Then, I strongly encourage you to nurture the flame of spiritual awareness once it has been vibrantly ignited, it is not self-sustaining and will rapidly dim if neglected. Nobody intentionally lights a lamp only to conceal it or put it out.
No one was more aware of false discipleship, superficial faith, temporary conversion than Jesus. In fact, addressing the issue of superficial faith is exactly what this particular encounter with Jesus and the rich young ruler is all about. The question is not whether the rich young ruler believed in God, or whether or not he had faith. And, it appears as though he is asking the right question to the right person. Indicating that he believed, at least to some degree, that Jesus was a messenger from God, calling Him "Good teacher. It's all about faith that doesn't save, and our Lord is going to graciously give us an example of just that, faith that lacks genuine repentance and complete submission.
Interestingly enough, what Jesus is teaching us here, is exactly what I have been teaching for a number of years, while being accused of making salvation far too difficult for people to come to Jesus, by putting up unnecessary barriers, rather than making it easy. I believe it is absolutely imperative to teach people the Gospel the way Jesus Himself taught in order to genuinely be converted. By the way, I'd like you to notice that Jesus doesn't ask this young man anything about his faith. He doesn't even tell him what to believe. This is, I believe, certainly one of the most misunderstood passages in all of Scripture, with some wrongly concluding that Jesus is denying His own deity, which clearly cannot be correct, because Scripture elsewhere clearly affirms that Jesus is God. (John 1:1, 14, Colossians 2:9, and Hebrews 1:8) Jesus called people to follow Him many times. At some point, He called all of the twelve to follow Him. In fact, we will soon learn that He called the rich young ruler to follow Him.
Now, let us turn our attention to Luke chapter 18, beginning with verse 18 and continuing all the way through to verse 27, where Jesus very clearly and profoundly illustrates that in order to follow Him, you must be willing to give up everything and hold onto nothing, and if necessary, even your own life. Open your Bibles with me to Luke chapter 18, and keep them open if you would please, as we examine this wonderful portion of Scripture with a profound spiritual message about humbly coming to terms with one's own sinfulness by truly understanding the condition of one's own heart. I can assure you, it is not by coincidence we come to this very important message from our Lord on entering the Kingdom of God, and for the record, Jesus isn't introducing us to anything new. Just in case you haven't noticed, it generally the same message, over and over, given to His hearers in a variety of ways. I pray that we are all willing to listen well, with an open mind and a receptive heart. I hope you will follow along with as I read, Luke 18:18-27.
"And a ruler questioned Him, saying, "Good Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?" And Jesus said to him, "Why do you call Me good? No one is good except God alone. You know the commandments, ‘Do not commit adultery, Do not murder, Do not steal, Do not bear false witness, Honor your father and mother.’" And he said, "All these things I have kept from my youth." And when Jesus heard this, He said to him, "One thing you still lack: sell all that you possess and distribute it to the poor, and you shall have treasure in heaven. And come, follow Me." But when he heard these things, he became very sad, for he was extremely rich. And Jesus looked at him and said, "How hard it is for those who are wealthy to enter the kingdom of God! For 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." And those who heard it said, "Then who can be saved?" But He said, "The things that are impossible with people are possible with God."
Let's look at verse 18, "And a ruler questioned Him, saying, "Good Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?" I've often wondered how many people sitting in churches all around the world find themselves asking the same question. While they may not say it aloud, but their conscience quietly whispers the same false hope. So, this young man approaches Jesus as one who can confirm what he already suspects about himself. This is the language of man who believes he's already done everything perfectly, "Tell me the one thing I must do to complete what I have already begun." Though his life is exactly where he wanted it, he's young, he's rich and he's powerful, yet he understood that this life is not all there is and it was bothering him. He understood something was missing, something more than the life he has achieved and he knew he didn't have it. In his parallel account, Mark tells us he is healthy enough to run and persistent enough to earnestly ask Jesus a question. Not to mention humble enough to drop to his knees and kneel before Jesus, which would be uncommon for someone in the position of a ruler. True salvation comes to those who, like the tax collector, who recognizes he have no leverage before God, who understands he is in no position to ask God for anything, who perceives his total dependence on His mercy. The bottom line is, one has to choose between his self-righteous pride and Christ.
We find the term "eternal life" is used about 50 times in Scripture, it is not simply about going to heaven, it is the life of glory that belongs to God. The word good or "agathós," means inherently good, it's the kind of good that originates only from God and is empowered by Him. Most of us would be ecstatic to find ourselves having a conversation like this with someone, the obvious assumption is that Jesus has this ones in the bag, right? He's on the right track, he knows something is missing, he knows he doesn't have it, and, he knows what it is. Or does he? Jesus doesn't do any of the usual modern evangelistic methods often seen today, "Just believe!" or "Make a decision." In today's vernacular, he just needs to raise his hand, fill out the card, walk the aisle and pray the prayer. But Jesus doesn't do any of that. I'd like point out that Jesus never feeds his illusion of self-salvation. Instead, He answers by forcing the young man to confront the implications of his own words. I take great comfort in the fact I have never sought to take the easy road in my ministry, but rather have continued to preach and teach the Truth as Christ Himself did, especially to those whom I dearly love. And, as long as God continues to give me the grace to vigorously endure, I will continue to do so. Because I care more deeply about their souls than I do about being liked. Jesus often hung out with sinners, however, they didn't change His mind about their sin, He changed theirs. While Christ will accept you as you are, He loves you far too much to leave you that way. Salvation is not for those who think they're good enough to go to heaven, it's for those who know they’re not. True salvation is for those who are desperate enough to give up anything and everything just to have Christ, recognizing apart from Him, they have no hope of salvation. The more faithful the teaching of the Word of God is in the church, the more the problem within the church begins take shape. People who come to where the Word of God is faithfully being taught, they are in severe danger, if they never embrace its teaching and apply it to their lives. In other words, you have to grow up, you have to come all the way to Christ, if you don't, you will gradually fall away, back into the darkness from which you came. Those who are intellectually convinced can be immunized, they can be vaccinated by a mild and deadly form of Christianity. You don’t see evidence of genuine conversion, you don’t see redemption leading to salvation. Why? They are confirmed by the own rebellion to the Word of God, denying its power to transform their lives. They only a hold "form of godliness" engaging in outward religious observances but refuse to allow the Holy Spirit the power to influence their hearts and govern their lives.
There are many in the church today who have "experienced" the Gospel, they "have tasted of the heavenly gift and have been made partakers of the Holy Spirit," speaking about salvation. They experienced it in the messages that were preached. They experienced it in the worship of the people as they celebrated their love for Christ, they sang the hymns. They have seen the power of Christ in the salvation of others through their transformed lives. They tasted the heavenly gift of salvation in Christ, the unspeakable gift of Jesus Christ, the Savior, but they themselves have never fully come to Christ, turning away from the sin in their lives. They are partakers, by association, never becoming possessors of true salvation. There is no other explanation for the lack of spiritual growth and transformation in your life, while the lives of those around you are being transformed. What makes this verse so unsettling, this is the Lordship of Christ that so many have never grasped, including modern Christianity. It doesn't merely correct bad theology; it boldly confronts bad religion. If you call Me "good," then you must recognize that I am God, because only God is truly good. And, if I am God, then you must submit to Me as Lord, not just as a teacher or a prophet.
If you're reading this message, you are getting a little taste of the wonder, the majesty, the power of the Gospel to transform lives. The question is, what have you done with it? Hebrews 11:7-8, "For ground that drinks the rain which often falls on it and brings forth vegetation useful to those for whose sake it is also tilled, receives a blessing from God; but if it yields thorns and thistles, it is unfit and close to being cursed, and its end is to be burned." The faithful are those who have heard the Truth, and followed that to the Truth, rejecting false teachers and false teaching.
If you're reading this message, you are getting a little taste of the wonder, the majesty, the power of the Gospel to transform lives. The question is, what have you done with it? Hebrews 11:7-8, "For ground that drinks the rain which often falls on it and brings forth vegetation useful to those for whose sake it is also tilled, receives a blessing from God; but if it yields thorns and thistles, it is unfit and close to being cursed, and its end is to be burned." The faithful are those who have heard the Truth, and followed that to the Truth, rejecting false teachers and false teaching.
Verse 20, "You know the commandments, ‘Do not commit adultery, Do not murder, Do not steal, Do not bear false witness, Honor your father and mother.’" When Jesus mentions the commandments, He is not offering a checklist for entry into heaven; He is exposing the bankruptcy of this young man's heart by forcing the man to look straight into the blinding light of the law. The law was given to reveal sin, to convict, to silence boasting, and to drive the sinner to mercy. It was never intended for the proud to ascend into God’s presence. Notice Jesus mentions commandments 7, 6, 8, 9, and 5 from the Decalogue. Why? Because these are the commandments that deal with our relationships with other people, not our relationship with God. Because this young man already thought he had kept all the commandments, he thought he was good. So, Jesus meets him where he is, showing him that even by his own standard, he falls short. This young man's problem wasn't adultery, murder, theft, lying, or dishonoring his parents, it was idolatry—the first commandment, the foundation of all other commandments.
Verse 21, here we have the fatal confession, the doorway into self-deception. "And he said, "All these things I have kept from my youth." The primary issue wasn't whether or not this devout religious Jew has obeyed all the rules, Jesus knew he hadn't kept the law perfectly, the real issue in the middle of all this religious rule keeping was whether he has surrendered to Jesus as Lord. There are many today who reached a level of achievement, whether spiritually, civilly, socially or religiously that aren't likely to confess what they're missing is submitting to the Lordship of Christ. That's why we preach the Gospel, to agitate and convict sinners, to disrupt their false sense of security believing that they are basically "good enough," to completely overthrow old sinful patterns of behavior, being right in our own eyes. A closed Bible along with a closed mind has never done anyone any good.
We want sinners to feel the absence of what they are missing. That's exactly what Jesus is doing here. There are many even today who want the blessings of Christianity— peace, joy, contentment—but without surrendering to the Lordship of Christ. The two are inextricably linked, impossible to be separated, you can't experience eternal life apart from knowing God, and the relationship with Jesus that takes possession of the heart of man. That's what eternal life is. It's not merely an endless existence, eternal life is defined biblically as a deep, personal, intimate relationship with God and Jesus Christ, (John 17:3) and the indwelling presence of the Holy Spirit. In other words, it's the kind of life that makes one spiritually alive, having more than enough, a life overflowing, and it begins from the moment a person is born again through faith in Christ. It's a John 10:10 life, "The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly." This man is not just the man is not just claiming to have a clean record; he's revealing the internal condition of his heart, the kind that often coexists with external obedience. That's what many people been trained to believe, if you just work really hard at keeping the commandments, you're safe. The church is full of people who have achieved a life built on comparison and personal performance, who have likely done many things right by taking the law too lightly rather than committing to deep, personal relationship with Christ, surrendering to His Lordship. That's why Jesus says "You have heard that it was said... But I say to you.." That's the danger of confusing religious discipline with spiritual transformation.
In Romans 3:10-12, Paul affirms "There is none righteous, not even one; There is none who understands, There is none who seeks for God; All have turned aside, together they have become worthless; There is none who does good, There is not even one." This young man did not have a true understanding of his own sinfulness because he had failed to apply the law's precision and demands to his own life, he compared himself to others, and convinced himself he was more religious, more virtuous than they. If the law had really done it's work in his life he would have understood the true righteousness of God as well his own sinfulness, instead, he established his own righteousness by his law keeping. Because the law is powerless to change the heart, it can't save and instead condemns sinners. The Law’s primary role is to lead people to Christ. The Law’s righteous requirements can only be met by those who live by the Holy Spirit rather than by their own flesh, which cannot keep the law of God perfectly. In Philippians 3, Paul said ...as to the righteousness which is in the Law, found blameless. I thought I was doing fine, until I came under a true understanding of the law of God and sin became alive and I died. All the law can do is render you guilty before God.
That brings us to verse 22, then, we'll pick back up where we left off next week, "And when Jesus heard this, He said to him, "One thing you still lack: sell all that you possess and distribute it to the poor, and you shall have treasure in heaven. And come, follow Me." This is the thunderclap that is God’s truth and wisdom. This statement is devastating because it reminds that a person can do virtually everything right, and still lack the one thing that matters most, he hasn't surrendered his heart to the Lordship of Christ. Jesus does not merely want your compliance, He wants total possession of your heart. Notice Jesus, first gave him a test to assess this young man's lack, for the sake of argument. When you evangelize people, it's absolutely critical to look for their willingness to see themselves as sinful and their willingness to abandon their pride and worldly possessions, avoiding the trap of winning an argument with them, which can ultimately lead to losing a soul, even if you win the argument, but by self assessment to help them recognize their need for Christ’s grace and holiness rather than by comparison to others. Many people suffer from a psychological phenomenon known as illusory superiority, with over 90% seeing themselves as good, or above-average as compared to the average person, by overestimating their own qualities, abilities and performance, despite any evidence to the contrary. Evangelism requires a commitment, a long-term process that typically involves months, if not years, of Bible study, prayer and discipleship, rather than the single "make a decision" events we so often see today. Jesus repeatedly made it clear that we are to count the cost, to know what's involved in following Him, before saying in Luke 9:23-24, He said "If anyone wishes to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily and follow Me. For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake, he is the one who will save it." This young man was not there, and Jesus knew it, so for the sake of this discussion, He hit him where he lived, so to speak by putting up a huge barrier, saying go and "sell all that you possess and distribute it to the poor, and you shall have treasure in heaven." I have lost count of the number of people who have said, "Isn't Jesus asking a bit much of this young man? He didn't do this to Matthew!" No, He didn't need to, Matthew was ready to abandon everything for Jesus, as were the others, with the exception of Judas Iscariot, who betrayed the Son of God with a kiss for thirty pieces of silver. This man completely misunderstood the intent of the law, it was never intended to be a means to salvation. We know that no one ever got saved by giving away all their possession, that isn't the point. However, I'd like you to keep in mind, generational wealth is a multi-stakeholder system, consisting of cash, family land, animals and crops, managed by a single decision-maker responsible for increasing its value, and passing it on to the next generation, unlike personal wealth, which focuses solely on individual security.
Following Jesus comes down to one simple question, "Do you want Eternal Life badly enough to abandon every temporary pleasure this life has to offer?" True discipleship, As illustrated in Matthew 13:44-46, Luke 14:33, and here in the story of the Rich Young Ruler, involves a radical commitment to abandon the "god of convenience and worldly desires" by choosing the Kingdom of Heaven over family, home, or financial security. Ultimately, the call to follow Christ is really a question of priority and devotion to determine if anything hinders a person’s commitment to Him. John 3:31, reminds us, "He who comes from above is above all, he who is of the earth is from the earth and speaks of the earth. He who comes from heaven is above all." Jesus holds ultimate authority over everything, ensuring that nothing holds priority over God.
So, the real question Jesus is asking all of us today; "Do you want Eternal Life badly enough to abandon everything this life has to offer?"
I pray that it is so..
And now may the Lord bless you and keep you;
the Lord make His face shine upon you,
And be gracious to you;
The Lord lift up His countenance upon you,
And give you peace.
Now and forever, in Jesus' name
Amen
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