Matthew 19:25 KJV
When his disciples heard it, they were exceedingly amazed, saying, Who then can be saved?
There is no question that Matthew 19:16-26 is dealing with the subject of salvation; eternal life. It begins with the one asking "...what good thing must I do that I may have eternal life?” It ends with the disciples asking "...Who then can be saved?"
The man comes up asking how he might merit eternal life in his own good works. To that Jesus simply said that he must obey the Ten Commandments. Obviously this guy has a spiritual problem because he thinks he has done that.
So then Jesus took him to where the rubber meets the road for this man. Jesus told him to sell his possessions, give it to the poor and then follow Jesus. The man could not do this good work. His possessions were more valuable to him than eternal life.
It might be something entirely different that riches and possessions that we can't give up to follow the Lord
It might be a career
It might be a relationship
It might be popularity
It might be family
Eternal life is the result of following Jesus.
It does not necessarily require selling everything to follow the Lord - Mary and Martha were never required to sell their house.
It might not even require that we leave our particular way of life to follow the Lord. Mary and Martha did not leave Bethany.
But it does require that we give it all away in our heart to follow the Lord. And that may be the most impossible thing of all. It is so impossible that the disciples said, "Who then can be saved?"
And that is where the real hope comes in. I doubt that anyone is genuinely converted until they ask themselves the question "Who then can be saved?" As long as we think it is possible to be saved in our own good works and in our own efforts, we will never truly trust in Jesus Christ. But when we give up all hope of eternal life that is when God does the impossible.
Trust Him alone.
When his disciples heard it, they were exceedingly amazed, saying, Who then can be saved?
There is no question that Matthew 19:16-26 is dealing with the subject of salvation; eternal life. It begins with the one asking "...what good thing must I do that I may have eternal life?” It ends with the disciples asking "...Who then can be saved?"
The man comes up asking how he might merit eternal life in his own good works. To that Jesus simply said that he must obey the Ten Commandments. Obviously this guy has a spiritual problem because he thinks he has done that.
So then Jesus took him to where the rubber meets the road for this man. Jesus told him to sell his possessions, give it to the poor and then follow Jesus. The man could not do this good work. His possessions were more valuable to him than eternal life.
It might be something entirely different that riches and possessions that we can't give up to follow the Lord
It might be a career
It might be a relationship
It might be popularity
It might be family
Eternal life is the result of following Jesus.
It does not necessarily require selling everything to follow the Lord - Mary and Martha were never required to sell their house.
It might not even require that we leave our particular way of life to follow the Lord. Mary and Martha did not leave Bethany.
But it does require that we give it all away in our heart to follow the Lord. And that may be the most impossible thing of all. It is so impossible that the disciples said, "Who then can be saved?"
And that is where the real hope comes in. I doubt that anyone is genuinely converted until they ask themselves the question "Who then can be saved?" As long as we think it is possible to be saved in our own good works and in our own efforts, we will never truly trust in Jesus Christ. But when we give up all hope of eternal life that is when God does the impossible.
Trust Him alone.
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