What Must You Do To Have Eternal Life? Most People Have The Wrong Answer And There Is Only One Correct Answer To The Question

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1 Chronicles 16; Psalm 106; Matthew 19

What Must You Do To Have Eternal Life?

Most People Have The Wrong Answer

And There Is Only One Correct Answer To The Question

Scripture

Matthew 19

¹⁶ Someone came to Jesus with this question: “Teacher, what good deed must I do to have eternal life?”

¹⁷ “Why ask me about what is good?” Jesus replied. “There is only One who is good. But to answer your question—if you want to receive eternal life, keep the commandments.”

¹⁸ “Which ones?” the man asked.

And Jesus replied: “‘You must not murder. You must not commit adultery. You must not steal. You must not testify falsely. ¹⁹ Honor your father and mother. Love your neighbor as yourself.’”
²⁰ “I’ve obeyed all these commandments,” the young man replied. “What else must I do?”

²¹ Jesus told him, “If you want to be perfect, go and sell all your possessions and give the money to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.”

²² But when the young man heard this, he went away sad, for he had many possessions.

²³ Then Jesus said to his disciples, “I tell you the truth, it is very hard for a rich person to enter the Kingdom of Heaven. ²⁴ I’ll say it again—it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter the Kingdom of God!”

²⁵ The disciples were astounded. “Then who in the world can be saved?” they asked.
²⁶ Jesus looked at them intently and said, “Humanly speaking, it is impossible. But with God everything is possible.”

²⁷ Then Peter said to him, “We’ve given up everything to follow you. What will we get?”

²⁸ Jesus replied, “I assure you that when the world is made new and the Son of Man sits upon his glorious throne, you who have been my followers will also sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel. ²⁹ And everyone who has given up houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or children or property, for my sake, will receive a hundred times as much in return and will inherit eternal life. ³⁰ But many who are the greatest now will be least important then, and those who seem least important now will be the greatest then. 

Observation

The disciples were perplexed as the rich man sadly walked away and they were thinking that if a rich man couldn’t be saved then who could be saved? They thought just like most people thought in those days that a rich man was blessed and highly favored by God because he was so wealthy.  

Jesus destroyed that idea with these two statements, “I tell you the truth, it is very hard for a rich person to enter the Kingdom of Heaven. ²⁴ I’ll say it again—it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter the Kingdom of God!”

Then the disciples asked the important question,  “Then who in the world can be saved?” Jesus’ response was a very important one that the entire world needs to hear He said, “Humanly speaking, it is impossible. But with God everything is possible.” 

You can’t get to Heaven by being good. You can’t get to Heaven on your own effort. You can’t save yourself. God saves. Humanly speaking it is impossible to save yourself. But with God everything is possible. 

Most people are trying to Heaven by their own efforts. When I talk to people and ask them what they would say to God if they were at Heaven’s gate and God asked them why should I let you into My Heaven I almost always get an answer showing that they are depending on their own effort to save themselves. 

How about you? How would you answer this question? If you were at Heaven’s gate and God asked you why should I let you into My Heaven what answer would you give Him? 

There is only one correct answer to that question – do you know it? 

Here is a hint and it is found in Ephesians 2:8-9 

“God saved you by his special favor when you believed. And you can't take credit for this; it is a gift from God. [9] Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done, so none of us can boast about it.” NLT    

Here are the same verses in the Message 

    “Saving is all his idea, and all his work. All we do is trust him enough to let him do it. It's God's gift from start to finish! [9] We don't play the major role. If we did, we'd probably go around bragging that we'd done the whole thing!” 

Application

Jesus is the only Way to Heaven! I will continue to share the Good News with everyone that I can.

Prayer

Heavenly Father, so many people are blinded to the Gospel message. I pray that this week people would hear the Gospel and they would be able to understand the message and I pray that their lives would be changed forever! Open their eyes Lord – Open their eyes!

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