5 September | EVERYONE
“Now behold, one came and said to Him, ‘Good Teacher, what good thing shall I do that I may have eternal life?’” Matthew 19: 16
The greatest longing of human beings throughout time has been to attain salvation, or eternal life. The question we all carry in our hearts is "what shall I do to be saved?" For some reason, our mind links salvation to our actions. It unconsciously believes that something needs to be done to merit salvation. Hence the question of the rich young ruler who approached Jesus that day.
The Master's answer was, "keep the commandments." The young man was perplexed by that answer because his parents and religious leaders had taught him to keep the Ten Commandments since he was a child. So, he replied without a second thought, “‘All these things I have kept from my youth. What do I still lack?’ Jesus said to him, ‘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” (cf. Matthew 19:17, 20-21). The Bible story relates that the young man went away sad because he had many possessions. He was more willing to "do things" than to give his heart to Jesus.
You may feel relieved thinking that this is not your case since you have no riches. But the essence of the message is not riches, it is what is placed in the heart instead of God. Salvation is not by merit. It is by grace. You pay nothing, and you do nothing. Christ did it all for you on the cross of Calvary.
Nothing and no one has the right to take the place of Christ in your heart. He is the essence of Christian life, the raison d'être, the beginning and the end, the Alpha and the Omega. Take Jesus out of the Christian experience and you will only be left with a lot of good intentions, frustrated but correct behavior, or a disguise that tries to hide multiple defeats and failures.
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We are all idolaters. As soon as you think about it, you will identify which idol or idols you keep: That thing that captivates your heart instead of God. Therefore, your salvation (freedom) does not come from doing this or that "good,” but from giving your heart to Jesus and letting Him direct your will.