"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, it is such a joy to welcome you to worship today. We're so glad that you could be with us today. I pray that you are having a wonderful time in the Gospel of Luke as I am. It's only been about two and half years, so we're moving right along. As with any book I begin, I am certainly in no rush to finish it, because we cannot afford to gloss over its tremendous richness in a superficial way, that would be a travesty.
We been talking about saving faith, what it takes to enter the Kingdom of heaven and obtain eternal life. Nothing is more important than saving faith. Salvation is by grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ alone, we all understand that is what makes Christianity unique, distinguishing it from all other religions. John 3:16, easily regarded as the most famous verse in the Bible, clearly states "For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life." Verses 17 and 18 are often cited alongside John 3:16, which clarifies that God sent His Son not to condemn the world, but that it might be saved through Him. He who believes in Him is not judged;" And, that is where many people stop, falling short of the rest of the passage which emphasizes a critical theological distinction, "he who does not believe has been judged already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. And this is the judgment, that the Light has come into the world, and men loved the darkness rather than the Light, for their deeds were evil. For everyone who does evil hates the Light, and does not come to the Light lest his deeds be exposed. But he who practices the truth comes to the Light, so that his deeds may be manifested as having been done by God."
Condemnation is not merely a future event awaiting the unbeliever, but a present reality, for having refused the only possible means to escape judgment by God, and receive eternal life, which occurs when you believe in the Son of God. This is certainly an accurate and true representation of what the Gospels consistently teach regarding salvation. Anybody who believes that good works contribute toward salvation believes in a false religious system, a satanic deception founded on Satan's damning lies, which the Jews and all the other false religions, whether it's Roman Catholicism, Islam, Buddhism, Hinduism, Sikhism, Jehovah's Witnesses, Seventh-Day Adventists and Mormons certainly believe in sort of works based salvation-delusion rather than solely salvation by divine grace, through faith, which is the inevitable result, not the cause of. That said, there are then essentially only two religions: the religion of divine accomplishment, where God provides reconciliation through faith in Jesus Christ and His atoning sacrifice and the apostate religion of human achievement, or some variation thereof, which is insufficient for salvation. All religions based on human achievement is essentially man believing he can reach God through self-righteousness and works. If one were to attempt to argue for salvation by works, I imagine Abraham would be the most compelling example of a man justified by obedience to the Law. However, in Romans 4, the Apostle Paul clearly contends that Abraham was justified by faith alone, not works, pointing to Genesis 15:6 emphasizing that Abraham was counted as righteous decades before the Lord commanded him to sacrifice his son Isaac on Mount Moriah Isaac and long before circumcision, ultimately harmonizing the teachings of Paul and James. Who does God justifies the ungodly because there is no one that is inherently righteous? Unrighteous people the only kind of people there are. (Romans 3:10-12) Tragically, there will be many religious people that will in shock as they stand before Christ in surprise judgement, even after He gave them all fair warning! The righteousness of God comes through faith in Jesus Christ. Make no mistake sin hides its true evil by disguising itself as virtue, necessity or often pleasure, preventing individuals from genuine repentance. Eventually, God bring to light everything hidden in darkness, exposing the true nature of our deeds and making manifest the motives of hearts. The biblical invitation to salvation always includes biblical repentance or metanoia, a Greek term that indicates a profound, transformative change of mind, heart, and life.
Seeking the Lord is important, calling upon Him is critical, and by implication, forsaking one's wicked ways and unrighteous thoughts is a necessary component of salvation. It is impossible to talk about salvation without talking about turning from sin. Mark 1:4 states that "John the Baptist appeared in the wilderness preaching a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins." Then, in Acts 2:38, Peter said to them, "Repent, and each of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins; and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit." We live in a society where an entire generation is pure in their own eyes, yet they have not cleansed of their filthiness, they are unwashed by the blood of Christ. There are literally millions of people who associate themselves with Christianity, people who have no hope of entering heaven. People who in spite of their claims to know the Lord Jesus Christ, who will spend eternity in hell. There is no hope of heaven for those who do not believe the gospel, hear the teachings of our Lord Jesus Christ and obeys them. There is no other alternative. While Satan would have us to believe that there are many forms of Christianity, there is only One true Christian Gospel, and the two cannot be mixed with another gospel, which is really not another. If we look at Matthew chapter 3, "Now in those days John the Baptist came, preaching in the wilderness of Judea, saying, what? That's right, "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand."
Then, back in Luke chapter 5, Jesus uses two very distinct metaphors to illustrate that Christianity is not merely an improvement of one's moral behavior but a profound supernatural transformation of life. "No one tears a piece of cloth from a new garment and puts it on an old garment; otherwise he will both tear the new and the piece from the new will not match the old. And no one puts new wine into old wineskins; otherwise the new wine will burst the skins and it will be spilled out, and the skins will be ruined. But new wine must be put into fresh wineskins." While repentance is required, it is a response to God's free gift of grace, and not of any human work. I want to be very clear, according to Scripture, without repentance there is no forgiveness of sins, and without the forgiveness of sins, there is no salvation. Demonstrate that your repentance is real by bringing forth fruit in keeping with repentance, meaning that genuine repentance must produce visible, tangible changes in one's thoughts, speech, behavior and lifestyle that align with God’s will. Jesus said He did not come to call the righteous, but sinners to what? You've got it, repentance! Jesus has said over and over again that for anyone to enter the kingdom of God, to enter into the realm of salvation, to obtain eternal life, to receive forgiveness of sins, including those they cannot remember, that person must be born from above and no one can be born from above apart from repentance wrought by the Spirit of God.
Yet, there are many people in the church today who still mistakenly imagine that they can compel Jesus to grant them salvation without being willing to pay the price of turning away from sin, viewing Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross as permission to persist in wrongdoing rather than as the cost that frees them from its power. Beloved, This is the type of false convert "easy-believism" produces, those who claim to be saved but show no desire to bear the "cost of discipleship." When we truly receive Christ, through the Holy Spirit working within us, we become more like Him every day. That is what salvation is all about. Many talk a lot about believing, they love to talk about salvation, but they don’t like to talk about repentance and turning away from sin. You are free to choose to keep your coveted sin. You just can’t choose anything else. And, you certainly cannot claim to be a follower of Christ. Sin is a voluntary act of the will, not an unavoidable compulsion. Scripture affirms that true Christ followers are no longer slaves to sin but have been set free and are able to choose obedience. It’s fascinating to me that so many preachers neglect talking about repentance, despite the command to "repent and believe" for the forgiveness of sins. When people talk about their salvation, I can't recall ever hearing someone say, "I repented, and turned away from my sins."
The attack on the Gospel, is to convince people to believe in "another Jesus," who says things about inclusiveness and tolerating sin, that He didn't say, offering a salvation He didn't offer. The Jesus of the Bible teaches, there are two groups of people, the many and the few, who are headed to completely two different destinations. One is eternal life and the other, is destruction. Every one has a choice, the narrow gate or the broad way. The broad way, that allows for all kinds of religions viewpoints, though claims to be marked for heaven, is a direct path to hell. The narrow way, with the very narrow gate, is very constricted, and is the only path to heaven. Though both roads are religious, both promising heaven, there is only one True Christianity. The other sells heaven but can only deliver hell. Jesus spells that out the warning against damning doctrine so clearly, "do not be deceived by false teachers, wolves disguised in sheep's clothing, who promise something they simply cannot deliver, deceiving many." Many today teach Jesus' words "Enter through the narrow gate" as an invitation, but in the Greek, it is not an invitation, in the imperative form, a structure used to issue commands.
That shouldn’t surprise us because we are by now familiar with the purpose for which the Gospel was written, "so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and through that belief, you may obtain eternal life in His name." Since the alternative to eternal life, is eternal judgment for those who reject Christ's offer of salvation, Satan's goal is to keep as many individuals as possible "faithless" by obscuring the true identity of Jesus. Satan's strategy of downplaying eternal punishment serves as a primary mechanism to hinder this belief, by minimizing the reality of Hell—described in Scripture as "eternal fire" prepared for the devil and his angels (Matthew 25:41) as a place of conscious torment (Revelation 20:10)—where their worm does not die, and the fire is not quenched (Mark 9:48). Hell will be full of people who have listen to those who have misinterpreted Jesus' words, who will not to enter into eternal life but eternal punishment, with the severity of punishment proportional to the Truth rejected. That's why the author of Hebrews 10, issues a strong warning, "For if we go on sinning willfully after receiving the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins, but a terrifying expectation of judgment and the fury of a fire which will consume the adversaries."
Let's pray
Heavenly Father,
Father, we thank You for the richness and consistency of Your Word. We are so tremendously blessed by the way Your Spirit opens up the Truth to us, making it clear, never confusing those of us who belong to You. There's nothing really like confidently knowing the Truth, understanding Your Truth, which provides divine protection and freedom from the bondage and is key to avoiding the snares of the enemy's traps in a world that is constantly in a state of confusion, deceived by the damning lies of Satan, convincing people that they can either be made right with You, escape judgment, escape hell or that Hell is not exactly what You have clearly stated it is in Your Word, a place of eternal torment, where the fire is never quenched and the worm never dies rather than a place with an unrestricted license to do whatever you want. Since the Garden of Eden, Satan's goal is to cause people to doubt the Truth and believe the lie. Lord, we know that the true church is the society of redeemed people, delivered from the power of sin, and we have to keep that distinction very clear. Father, by the power of Your Holy Spirit, we pray that You would open the eyes of those who are blinded by Satan's lies, granting them the gift of repentance leading to true saving faith. We ask and pray these things in Christ's precious Name, for Your glory and for His sake.
Amen.
Today's Message: When Having It All Isn't Enough- Pt 2
When we deal with the subject of salvation, it obviously raises questions that are often difficult for some people to reconcile such as "How could a loving God, who loved sinners so much that He sent His only begotten Son to die on a cross and pay the penalty for their sins, allow them to be punished eternally for failing to accept His Son's sacrifice, spurning God’s offer of grace and forgiveness?" Because God is holy and just, sin requires a penalty and Paul tell us in Romans 6:23, "For the wages of sin is death, but the gracious gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord." Jesus Christ voluntarily paid this debt on behalf of humanity, allowing God to extend grace and forgiveness without compromising His righteousness. The resolution to this paradox rests on the cross, ensuring that sin is punished while sinners who put their trust in Christ are spared, preventing justice from being compromised or overlooked, believers despite their sinful state, through faith in Christ, receive the righteousness of Christ, therefore, standing blameless before God, without requiring the sinner to pay the penalty themselves. The very heart of this profound divine exchange is clearly articulated by our beloved Apostle Paul in 2 Corinthians 5:21, "He made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him."
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, then, we'll pick back up with verse 23, as we continue our study of this great passage.
"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 23, But when he heard these things, he became very sad, for he was extremely rich." If you will recall, in the previous verse Jesus told him, there was one thing he still lacked; and He instructed him sell all that you possess and distribute it to the poor, and you shall have treasure in heaven. And come, follow Me" Much like all of us today, this wealthy young man was faced with a decision, on the one hand, he had his possessions; on the other hand, there was Jesus Christ.
I believe that we are all well aware that the Word of God and the Church is being marginalized, and Christians are being persecuted, so I find it rather peculiar that at the same time, it has become popular among worldly and sinful people to claim the title of Christian, especially among prominent and celebrity people. while their public lives and conduct bear absolutely no resemblance to what a Christian is. There seems to be very little regard for becoming Christ-like, prioritizing worldliness and comfort over the things of God, with no interest in obeying the commands of Scripture, or living according to it's principals. I am convinced that because churches have become "as much like the world as possible," has lead to a steady decline in passion and pursuit of righteousness and holiness and a significant rise in antinomianism, which accommodates sin by focusing solely on justification while neglecting the call to conformity with Christ. Confessing Jesus Christ as Lord is what sets a Christianity apart. It is an essential element of becoming a Christian. But, beyond that required confession and belief, and confessing Christ as Lord demands complete submission, giving Him absolute ownership and authority, in other words, you are no longer in charge of your life, your possessions, your desires and ambitions anymore, and because the church has become much less interested in sound doctrine, I don't believe many Christians really understand what they are agreeing to. To put it plainly in very strong words, following Christ means you are not your own, you were "bought for a price," you are the slave and He is the Master, and in return, you will be cared for, and protected, and provided for, and rewarded, and unconditionally loved.
I recall when I first became a "Christian," I was incapable of properly responding to God, which is characteristic of people who just "pray the prayer" and continue to live for the world rather than for God. It would be some time before I would finally come to realize that I did not possess the divine life, that though I was on the right track, I had not fully surrendered my life to the rule and reign of Christ, living in an unending communion with Him. Like the Rich young rule, even though I seemingly had it all, health, money, cars, et cetera, et cetera. Still, I knew there was something missing in my life and I felt the deep longing for something more. It wasn't until I came to the end of myself, realizing that having all the worlds goods was longer enough, that's when I finally became alive in Christ, and from that moment on, my life dramatically began to change and it hasn't stopped since. Unfortunately, some people become desperate enough to really want something spiritually they don’t have, so they continue to try to fill the void with worldly pleasures and material possessions. It doesn't matter what you profess, what matters it how you live. I believe this is where modern Christianity falls short of true salvation, complete submission to the Lordship of Christ. That's really the ultimate test. In Matthew 16:26, Jesus said, "For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and forfeits his soul? Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul?"
Now let's go back to Luke 18, notice Jesus didn’t ask other people to sell everything they had a give the money to the poor, He put His finger right on the issue with this young man. Listen, I don't care what you may have heard, Jesus has never been interested in superficial commitments, He always demanded full submission and an undivided allegiance. It's always been all or nothing! Just look at John 2:23–25, where Jesus did not entrust Himself to the many who believed in His name due to signs, because He knew what was in man and recognized their faith was driven by sensationalism rather than genuine conversion. Jesus didn't argue with him, instead, He speaks to this young man in his own terms.
Verse 24, "And Jesus looked at him and said, "How hard it is for those who are wealthy to enter the kingdom of God!" Jesus is emphasizing that salvation is impossible for humans but possible for God. That's the turning point, the defining moment in this young man's life. He was not willing to love the Lord with all his heart, soul, mind and strength. He came to Jesus, the Only One Who could save him, asking: "What shall I do to inherit eternal life?" and he went away grieving——not because the door of mercy was shut because he could not let go of the things that had quietly become his savior. In Matthew 6:24, Jesus said "No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and wealth." Wealth is not necessarily what we possess; it can become what possesses us. In Mark’s parallel account in chapter 10, Mark tells us that Jesus "loved him," with a love too pure for pleasant platitudes and too merciful to leave false idols undiscovered.
Verse 25, "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." Jesus deliberately places the largest ordinary thing beside the smallest ordinary opening to illustrate the impossibility of entering God’s kingdom by human effort. Jesus is not saying there is anything wrong with having money, there are many faithful followers of God who are very wealthy. The issue is this wealthy young ruler wanted eternal life, but he wanted to retain control of his life. The danger is when we tend to hold onto those possessions that prevent us from fully devoting ourselves to following Christ. Wealth need not become a spiritual stumbling block, God blesses us so that we will have resources necessary to meet the needs of those who are less fortunate, the key is not to hoard it for ourselves. My dear Christian friends, the stakes are high, therefore it is imperative that we have a correct understanding of the relationship between material riches and spiritual poverty. Scripture has much to say about wealth and poverty, yet nothing surpasses the significance of our Lord's teaching here, you can't have the kingdom while trying to maintain control over your own life. Jesus warned in Luke 12:15, "Watch out and be on your guard against every form of greed, for not even when one has an abundance does his life consist of his possessions." The question before us today is, "What are you trusting in that cannot fit through the gate to God’s kingdom?"
Verse 26, "And those who heard it said, "Then who can be saved?" This is one of the most honest question asked anywhere in Scripture—and one every generation must answer. If the wealthiest, most respected, super religious elite, most successful people are not automatically safe, then who is safe? Jesus' hearers, like many today, assumed wealth was evidence of God's divine favor and the lack of it, or poverty, obviously was punishment for sin, indicating God was not pleased. But Jesus completely overturns this view by teaching that wealth can actually be an obstacle preventing someone from entering the Kingdom of God, rather than an assurance of it. By the world’s standards, this young man was an ideal candidate, that's what they'd been taught, just keep all the commandments to enter the kingdom and yet, he went away grieving because Jesus had revealed something he hadn't expected, it wasn't what he had done, it was what he hadn't. If no amount of money, and no human accomplishment can guarantee salvation, who then can be saved? Jesus gives us the answer in the next verse.
That brings us to verse 27, "But He said, "The things that are impossible with people are possible with God." The invitation to salvation is not merely a call to just believe all the facts about Jesus, because believing the intellectual facts alone do not constitute saving faith, James reminds us that even demons possess this level of belief without being saved. Belief in Jesus’ death and resurrection must be coupled with a complete reliance on His finished work on the cross. Jesus is not saying salvation is gained by feeling bad about sin or giving away one's possessions, He's affirming self-denial, self-sacrifice and total submission.
Jesus is essentially asking the same question of all of us today: How tightly are you holding to the things of this world and are you willing to forsake everything if you are asked, to follow Him with a surrendered heart? The rich young ruler is not merely a case study in financial idolatry; he is simply a mirror. Jesus is not an accessory to be added to our lives, He must be Lord, we must therefore, surrender complete, unrestricted control to His sovereign authority.
May it be 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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