The Faith that is Possible with God

And a ruler asked him, “Good Teacher, what must 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 I have kept from my youth.” When Jesus heard this, he said to him, “One thing you still lack. Sell all that you have and distribute to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow me.” But when he heard these things, he became very sad, for he was extremely rich. Jesus, seeing that he had become sad, said, “How difficult it is for those who have wealth 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 person to enter the kingdom of God.” Those who heard it said, “Then who can be saved?” But he said, “What is impossible with man is possible with God.” And Peter said, “See, we have left our homes and followed you.” And he said to them, “Truly, I say to you, there is no one who has left house or wife or brothers or parents or children, for the sake of the kingdom of God, who will not receive many times more in this time, and in the age to come eternal life” (Luke 18:18-30).

Jesus’ revelation of the kind of childlike faith that enters the kingdom of God pierced the heart of a wealthy ruler and prompted a penetrating question… “what must I do to inherit eternal life?” God’s grace prompts this question often as God’s Word is preached or taught or demonstrated through the words and actions of true disciples because Jesus promised that the Holy Spirit will be at work in the hearts of others as we are faithful to proclaim His truth in our deceptive world… “You will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth” (Acts 1:8). Here the Spirit pierced and convicted the heart of a rich and powerful man, revealing to him the impotence of his faith in self, wealth, and worldly power. His great sadness exposed the impossibility of sinners believing the truth of the gospel without the grace of God working in their heart first. I pray you are encouraged today to faithfully share the gospel as you eagerly anticipate God’s grace blessing the lost with the gift of the faith that is possible with God.

To inherit eternal life our faith must be freed from fleeting fortune. Jesus said it is impossible for the heart entrapped by earthly treasure to believe the spiritual truth of the gospel… “it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle”. Taken literally this means it is impossible for a heart deadened by the pursuit of wealth to grasp spiritual truth. The Spirit inspired the Apostle Paul to affirm this truth… “The natural person does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are folly to him, and he is not able to understand them because they are spiritually discerned” (1 Corinthians 2:14). But the gift of faith to believe unto salvation is possible with God… “For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God” (Ephesians 2:8).

To inherit eternal life our faith must be fixed on following our Father. Jesus went on to show that evidence of salvation and true discipleship is a willingness to leave the world behind and press on to follow Him all the way to Heaven. This was an echo of a previous exhortation… “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me. For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will save it” (Luke 9:23-24).

To inherit eternal life our faith must be fortified by forever fulfilment. Jesus’ response to Peter’s boast carries a warning for disciples in every age to be persevering in the faith through the relentless trials and temptations of this temporal journey toward the eternal life that is real life. The Spirit affirms this exhortation through the pen of the Apostle Peter… “Therefore, brothers, be all the more diligent to confirm your calling and election, for if you practice these qualities you will never fall. For in this way there will be richly provided for you an entrance into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ” (2 Peter 1:10-11).

As we grow up into Christ, we are maturing in the grace and…

The Faith that is Possible with God.