by David Brenneman
Your life is the sum of the responses you have made toward God. Once God makes Himself known to you, what you do next is your decision. Your reaction reflects what you believe about Him - Blackaby on Matthew 19:22. 'The rich young ruler'.
"And someone came to Him and said, “Teacher, what good thing shall I do that I may obtain eternal life?” And He said to him, “Why are you asking Me about what is good? There is only One who is good; but if you wish to enter into life, keep the commandments.” Then he said to Him, “Which ones?” And Jesus said, “You shall not commit murder; You shall not commit adultery; You shall not steal; You shall not bear false witness; Honor your father and mother; and You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” The young man said to Him, “All these things I have kept; what am I still lacking?” Jesus said to him, “If you wish to be complete, go and sell your possessions and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow Me.” But when the young man heard this statement, he went away grieving; for he was one who owned much property. And Jesus said to His disciples, “Truly I say to you, it is hard for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven. Again I say to you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God.” When the disciples heard this, they were very astonished and said, “Then who can be saved?” And looking at them Jesus said to them, “With people this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.” Matthew 19:16-26.
That portion of that devotional I found to be very profound.
Jesus interacts through various ways with people. From nature itself to personal interactions through people or sometimes even Himself personally.
So what have you recognized as His with you and your life?
The rich young ruler wanted to know what he had to do to inherit eternal life.
You might be asking that very same question.
We don't have work to do to inherit eternal life through Jesus Christ.
What we do is simply believe God. There are no lists of tasks to complete.
"But what does it say? “The word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart”—that is, the word of faith which we are preaching, that if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved; for with the heart a person believes, resulting in righteousness, and with the mouth he confesses, resulting in salvation. For the Scripture says, “Whoever believes in Him will not be disappointed.” For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek; for the same Lord is Lord of all, abounding in riches for all who call on Him; for “Whoever will call on the name of the Lord will be saved.” Romans 10:8-13.
Our intentional interaction with Jesus to be saved does everything to bring us to salvation.
The thief on the cross had nothing he could do. Literally his hands were tied. All he had was a belief in the Son of God and Jesus told him that very day he would be with Him in paradise.
Everything grows from that moment in the life of a Believer.
Everything that we need to grow in Christ Jesus begins that very same day. We become His workmanship created in Christ Jesus for good works that we might walk in them. We are given His Spirit to empower us towards that life in Godliness.
We can't earn our way into Heaven. We can't possibly be good enough for if being good enough or doing enough good deeds could accomplish that...then indeed as the Scriptures say...Christ died needlessly. He was scourged needlessly. He was mocked, beaten, humiliated needlessly. He was forced after all that to drag His own cross to the place of His own crucifixion needlessly. He was nailed to the cross needlessly. He was raised up among those others condemned to die needlessly. He was mocked and scorned by the Pharisees and Sadducees needlessly. He went through all of this needlessly if there were any other way to get to Heaven.
But my Dear Reader...it was all necessary to take our place on that cross that was ours to die on.
"for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God," Romans 3:23.
We all deserve Hell because of sin.
"But the free gift is not like the transgression. For if by the transgression of the one the many died, much more did the grace of God and the gift by the grace of the one Man, Jesus Christ, abound to the many. The gift is not like that which came through the one who sinned; for on the one hand the judgment arose from one transgression resulting in condemnation, but on the other hand the free gift arose from many transgressions resulting in justification. For if by the transgression of the one, death reigned through the one, much more those who receive the abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness will reign in life through the One, Jesus Christ. So then as through one transgression there resulted condemnation to all men, even so through one act of righteousness there resulted justification of life to all men. For as through the one man’s disobedience the many were made sinners, even so through the obedience of the One the many will be made righteous." Romans 5:15-19.
How have you responded to your personal interactions with Jesus?
How have you prioritized your life to place and keep in place your relationship with Jesus? Do you even have a right relationship with Jesus? As we read in Romans 10...you must come to Christ for salvation first.
"For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son that whosever believes in Him will not perish but will have everlasting life." John 3:16.
It's on all to recognize that Jesus knocks at the door of their hearts asking to come in. It's on all to realize they, like Peter, fell in the drowning waters of sin and require Jesus to pull them out.
Jesus isn't one way among many ways to get to Heaven.
Jesus is the one and only way to get to Heaven. By no other name given to men under Heaven by which we must be saved.
How we respond to Jesus is what our lives will be judged by Him. Did we acknowledge His pleas to save us? Did we acknowledge His love for us? Did we obey His irrevocable calling for our lives and the gifts we were given by His Spirit when we came to Christ for salvation?
What will your responses look like? Many, or so very few? Will that moment when our lives are tried by fire show all of it going up in flames or will it produce a crown of righteousness to give back to Jesus? All of that is in your hands based on your responses to Jesus.
It's not too late to begin to live a life of obedience to God's Word.
It's not too late to get to know the One who saved your life.
He knows you by name and wants you to personally get to know Him.
How have you responded? Because my Dear Reader He has been with you since before you were born.
Ask Him to make Himself known to you and for you be helped by Him to live for Jesus.
Jesus came to seek and save the lost. That certainly would be you and I.
All NASB 1995 and NASB Scripture Excerpts used by permission. (C) Lockman Foundation.
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