WHAT MUST I DO TO INHERIT ETERNAL LIFE?

Luke 18:18-30 / Keywords 18:22

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."

The Rich and the Kingdom of God

18:18 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: ‘You shall not commit adultery, you shall not murder, you shall not steal, you shall not give false testimony, honor your father and mother.’[a]”

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 very wealthy. 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 someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of God.”

26 Those who heard this asked, “Who then can be saved?”

27 Jesus replied, “What is impossible with man is possible with God.”

28 Peter said to him, “We have left all we had to follow you!”

29 “Truly I tell you,” Jesus said to them, “no one who has left home or wife or brothers or sisters 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.”

Footnotes

a. Luke 18:20 Exodus 20:12-16; Deut. 5:16-20

 

1. A rich ruler asked Jesus a serious question, “What must I do to inherit eternal life?” Eternal life is a gift of God in Jesus. But he thought he could earn eternal life by his own goodness and noble activities. Jesus reminds him of the ultimate standard of God’s goodness, which no one can attain, by mentioning the commandments. It was to help him see himself in light of God’s standard. But he was blind to his true condition. Jesus pointed one thing he lacked by challenging him to sell everything he had, give to the poor, and follow him. Jesus helped him to apply God’s word practically and know the value of eternal life. It required total commitment to Jesus. It was hard, but necessary for him to have treasure in heaven, eternal life. But he became sad, for he could not give up his great wealth on earth. This reveals his love of wealth more than God and his poor neighbors. But eternal life is worth selling everything we have.

 

2. The disciples were puzzled by Jesus’ words (24-25) and asked, “Who then can be saved?” Jesus’ reply was “What is impossible with man is possible with God.” Indeed, all things are possible with God, even the conversion of the wealthy. God can change our value to desire Jesus more than prosperity when we follow Christ.

 

Prayer Lord, please help me sell everything to gain Christ and be found in him so that I may enjoy eternal life in this world and in the world to come.

One Word Sell everything to have eternal life