1 John 2:15-17
In Luke 18:18-30, a wealthy ruler approached Jesus to learn how to secure his future in eternity. Jesus used the moment to reveal the man’s wrong thinking and a spiritual stumbling block.
First, the affluent man erroneously believed good deeds were the means of entering heaven. Eternal life is not “bought”; it is a free gift through faith in Jesus Christ. Nor is it something we can attain apart from God. Eternal life becomes ours at the moment of salvation, when the life of God comes to us in the person of His indwelling Holy Spirit (John 4:14; John 14:16-17).
Second, the man’s identity was tied up in material things. Jesus addressed this spiritual obstacle by issuing a loving challenge: “Sell all you possess and give to the poor ... and come, follow Me” (Mark 10:21). The Lord was not saying that giving everything away was the path to salvation. He wanted this young man to realize his difficulty—that his possessions owned him. Jesus offered treasure in heaven, but the man turned away.
Have we fallen into the same trap of believing in Jesus for salvation but trusting exclusively in ourselves for daily living? It can be tempting to depend on our own intelligence, talents, material possessions, or family instead of looking to God for direction and solutions. On whom or what do you depend?
Bible in One Year: Colossians 1-4
