Jesus Speaking to a Troubled Young Man and the Crowdby CBPepper
18:26Luke 18:26
And they that heard it said, Who then can be saved?
The question belongs to the account of the young ruler who asked how to receive eternal life, whom Jesus directed to the goodness of God and to keeping the commandments whose principles must guide every action. It was asked by those who heard Jesus teaching about the rich ruler, specifically His warning that trusting in riches makes entrance into the kingdom of God hard. The warning exposed that the disciples themselves were not free from a grasping, mercenary desire for power and wealth, and it made them fear for themselves.
The question raises how difficult salvation is for people who trust in wealth. The surrounding answer is that salvation is impossible through human effort but possible with God. The event opened the way to teach that the favor of God and the reward of the righteous are not earned by human works. No wealth earns a place in heaven, and entrance comes only through the unearned grace of Christ made possible by His costly sacrifice.
That provision for salvation gives reason to turn from the world, to surrender self and possessions to Christ, and to make doing His word the highest aim. God can change a selfish heart through the love of Christ so that possessions are treated as a trust to be used to help others rather than held as one's own.
The question belongs to the account of the young ruler who asked how to receive eternal life, whom Jesus directed to the goodness of God and to keeping the commandments whose principles must guide every action. It was asked by those who heard Jesus teaching about the rich ruler, specifically His warning that trusting in riches makes entrance into the kingdom of God hard. The warning exposed that the disciples themselves were not free from a grasping, mercenary desire for power and wealth, and it made them fear for themselves.
The question raises how difficult salvation is for people who trust in wealth. The surrounding answer is that salvation is impossible through human effort but possible with God. The event opened the way to teach that the favor of God and the reward of the righteous are not earned by human works. No wealth earns a place in heaven, and entrance comes only through the unearned grace of Christ made possible by His costly sacrifice.
That provision for salvation gives reason to turn from the world, to surrender self and possessions to Christ, and to make doing His word the highest aim. God can change a selfish heart through the love of Christ so that possessions are treated as a trust to be used to help others rather than held as one's own.