"If you want to be perfect, go, sell what you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow Me." (Jesus, as recorded in Matthew 19)
Evangelicals have said of Jesus' encounter with the "rich, young ruler," that our Lord was not saying that keeping the law would save him, but, I guess, some "sinner's prayer" would. I have led people in "the sinner's prayer," and there is indeed something in it which speaks of coming to Father in Jesus Christ. One must always keep in mind, however, that while there are Biblical principles contained in it, it can mislead us in regards to the Law of God. We must be very careful with this evangelical fear that people will get the wrong understanding of The Law of God. Each of the commandments which Jesus told the young man to keep are just as applicable today as they were on Sinai----------------------
and to that searching young man.
"If you want to be perfect (complete)," was the key. The Law without a life of following Jesus Christ is useless. This is not a disparagement of the Law, rather, it is an affirmation of the Bible as a whole, complete, that one part without the other is incomplete. A person can labor to keep The Law so that he can go to Heaven, but without a surrendered life to Jesus Christ, Heaven is unattainable. This is what Jesus was saying to this self-made young man. He did right in that he kept the law, but Luke's record says, "You still lack one thing....follow Me."
Our Lord Jesus did not come to start a know-what-you-need-to-know-just-to-get-by religion. He came to bring us to completion/perfection, in other words, to Himself. John 14 says that Jesus came so that we can, "come to the Father...by Me." I suggest this as perfection: Follow Jesus and He will bring us to Father so that we in Jesus in the Holy Spirit will be in Father in Jesus in the Holy Spirit Eternally."
Father, in Jesus' Name, I pray for a continual attitude of, "sell all that you have and distribute to the poor..; and come, follow Me." Amen.
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Disturbing Trends in Eastern Europe: www.apf327.blogspot.com
Unreached People Group: www.apfunreachedpeoples.blogspot.com
When Peter, an 18 year old Norwegian, "heard the call to evangelize China, on that day he not only emptied his wallet into the collection plate, but included a small note with the words, 'and my life.'"
"Looking unto Jesus"
Hebrews 12:2
