Who is successful before God?

Pastor Rene's Bible studies

The Gospel of Luke-- Chap 18:18-27

Who is successful before God?

Luke 18:18 (NIV) A certain ruler asked him, "Good teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?" 19 "Why do you call me good?" Jesus answered. "No one is good--except God alone. 20 You know the commandments: `Do not commit adultery, do not murder, do not steal, do not give false testimony, honor your father and mother.'" 21 "All these I have kept since I was a boy," he said. 22 When Jesus heard this, he said to him, "You still lack one thing. Sell everything you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me." 23 When he heard this, he became very sad, because he was a man of great wealth.

24 Jesus looked at him and said, "How hard it is for the rich to enter the kingdom of God! 25 Indeed, 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." 26 Those who heard this asked, "Who then can be saved?"27 Jesus replied, "What is impossible with men is possible with God."

28 Peter said to him, "We have left all we had to follow you!" 29 "I tell you the truth," Jesus said to them, "no one who has left home or wife or brothers or parents or children for the sake of the kingdom of God 30 will fail to receive many times as much in this age and, in the age to come, eternal life."

A young, religious and successful business man (manager)

This young man had a high position of respect and honour in his circle. His reputation was blameless. He was used to give orders.

We get easily impressed when we see a person of distinction concerned about their soul and the other world. (A politician, a singer, TV star etc…) Why not of a simple normal person?

We will see the mind and heart of this young man and we will be taught by Jesus some important truths about our salvation and our relationship to God.

He seemed to have the desire to be directed to heaven
He seemed to see a wisdom superior to his own.
Mark 10, says: "He ran up to him and fell on his knees"…He looked sincere, even disturbed by this question: "what must I do to inherit eternal life?" Matt says: What good things must (I) do?

Eternal life With Jewish religion, it was associated with the resurrection of the righteous.

He was looking for assurance for his future as if he was heading in the right direction. (In that he was wise… We should have our own checklist also)
He seemed to be willing to do anything to obtain this peace of mind and assurance that his future blessing was certain.

Good teacher-- 18-19 Jesus shows he's not satisfied with the way the young man called him.

Because he was being superficial
If He had believed Jesus was good in a divine way, he would not have walked away from the command he gave him…
We also see how shallow he was from the praise he gave himself in verse 21
Jesus knew if this guy is going to be saved, he needs to be confronted to the absolute standard of goodness and to the perfection of God.
He may also have approached Jesus using flattery. "Good teacher" as he would used in his business transactions (with self-confidence due to his position of honour and authority.)
Good teacher is not enough; he does not see Jesus as his teaching master, and his ruling master. He is only checking the opinion of another Rabbi…

You know the commandments Jesus starts referring him to the law of God, for "through the law comes the knowledge of sin" (Rom 3:20; Gal 3:24) See Luke 10:25-28 When the teacher of the law was testing Jesus asking: What must I do to inherit eternal life?

We see by his answer that his attitude to God's law was superficial. He seemed not conscious of his sin against God's law, because he did not discern its true meaning as in Matt 5-7
Since I was a boy; Since I became a "bar mitzvah" a son of the law, the name given to a Jewish boy who has reached the age of religious responsibility.
From the day he became acquainted with the law-- (he had knowledge of the law) through a ceremony. He took for granted: "Now I'm OK-- righteous before God". He inherited the same self-righteous attitude as his self-righteous teachers (Pharisees), an external observance of the law, not from the heart.
When we were young; we were taught the cathechism, and were taken to church occasionally for our 1^st communion and confirmation, but these empty ceremonies did not brought us any closer to God. There was nothing else in our heart than boring and dead regulations of religion.
All of these things I have kept-- 21; It's not enough to keep ourselves from the gross violations of the law…Men cannot atone for their violations of the law by some of occasional acts of devotions…
Men like to think they are innocent because they are ignorant. (That might be why many people refuse to hear the truth. They feel they are better without knowing the truth, so their conscience will not be disturbed by morality…
He knew no more evil than the self-righteous Pharisees. He said that since his childhood, he never transgressed the law. (Is it possible?)
A disciple who knows the Perfect God should say: "All of these I have broken through words, thoughts, and deeds.

How can we test our spiritual life?

Come and follow me: my doctrine, my discipline, whatever it costs.
When we are aware of helping the needs of others, How much concern do we show by our actions?
By the way we look at this world… Do we see all the misery? It should move us not to stick to our wealth but to be willing to share and help.
By the way we look at the other world… We desire nothing else than to have treasure in heaven… to know the abundant reward awaiting us far beyond what we may have left or lost for God…

One thing you still lack-- 22 The demand Jesus made on him was appropriate for him and the way he lived.

The Lord does not ask every rich person-- for example, Abraham, David, Solomon, or Joseph of Arimathea and others…
The Lord knows the deepest secret of every man.
This man was young, rich and ruler… Usually, we would find someone arrogant, abusive, not sensitive and respectful…King Roboam and his friends…James 5:4-5
Many have many good things in their life. They think it's enough, but they will perish for lack of one thing: FULLY TRUSTING THE LORD.
This was the test that Abraham received when he went on the montain and was willing to sacrifice his son. He was justified by his faith.

You will have "treasure in Heaven," It does not only mean in the other world, but now in this life: Those heavenly blessings in full measure reserved for God's children… Then come follow me In following Him to be prepared for active witnessing, he needed to learn to deny himself and to take up his cross in the discipline of Christ. He became very sad His response was tragic.

Christ command was an arrow that wounded his most vulnerable spot: His love for eartly possession, of his life, his lifestyle, his position.

He liked to be in control over his own life and of others.

As enthousiastic he was at first, so sad he was now.
He broke with Christ. "If that's the deal, excuse-me".
Many who are struggling between leaving Christ and their corruptions, finally leave him. They feel sorry, they cannot serve both God and Mammon. If they have to quit one, it will be God.
He might have been thinking; "This rabbi's demand is too much of me, I'll find another one… People looks for what they want to hear. (People moving from churches to churches without accountability. They will not mature in the Lord)
Christ was also sorry for him… He loved him…

How hard it is for those who posses wealth to enter in the kingdom of god--23,24

In the hearts of men, there is such a great affection to this world.
This young man did not find fault with Christ, he just did not want to break away from the world.
This we don't find only with riches:
For a man whose mind is rich in knowledge, it is hard to receive Christ's truth. Christ asks him to sacrifice his theories and receive the truth that only can bring him to God.
For a man rich in Honor and authority, it is hard to believe that in God's sight, he is as sinful as the sinners he despised. Human soul must come to Christ in humility.
Picture the scene:
The young man left. There are only Jesus with his disciples probably crowded by other listeners. Jesus want to impress an important truth into their heart.
True abandon to God requires leaving the world aside.
The picture of the "camel and the needle" reinforce the truth of human total inability to obtain heaven on their own merits.

Then who can be saved? truth about salvation Jesus' comments had a great effect on his listeners. They were shocked.

They realized the requirements of salvation-- total surrender to God and Leaving the world aside and our idols-- were not only hard for a rich…

The young man asked about inheriting eternal life (the resurrection of the righteous). That's about the future.
Jesus answered about entering in the Kingdom (at the present, are you in the kingdom of God now?)
Only by entering in the kingdom of God now by the new birth can you be assured of getting to the future resurrection of the righteous.
This man wanted assurance for his futur without disturbing his life now- (while enjoying his life in the world). But the kingdom of God is for now… when God is calling, man has to respond now…
The listeners interpreted Jesus' words as no one could be saved
What is impossible with men… That's the point here…Man is completely dependent on God for salvation. If he is to be saved, he must be born again-- from above.

Peter In Matt, Peter said: "What then shall we have?" Haven't they not done what Jesus asked the young rich man to do?

It is very natural for most of us to speak too much about what we have left or lost, what we have done or suffered…

receive many times as much in this age… This promise is for all true believers (no one…)

Whatever we have left will without fail be abundantly made up for us in this world and in the world to come, heaven is waiting to welcome us…

Is it worth it?

Ephe 1:3 (NIV) Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ.

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