Trouble Entering God's Kingdom
Salvation is a free gift. It cannot be earned, and it is never deserved. We have a part in it, but our part is not to work for it, but to surrender ourselves to the Lord in faith. That is very difficult for most people. Many people want to work for their own salvation, so they can take some credit for it. Others simply will not surrender to God in faith, because they want to be in control of their lives. Of course, there are other challenges to overcome, too. However, most of the difficulties of entering God's kingdom are magnified when a person is rich. Jesus made that abundantly clear, when he confronted the rich young ruler, and explained the problem to His disciples. (Luke 18:25,27) Since most of us are rich compared to people in the rest of the world, we need to ponder what Jesus said.
It is impossible for a camel to go through the eye of a needle. In fact, Jesus was using that analogy to prove that very point. However, He said that it would be easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter God's kingdom. That meant both are impossible. His disciples could not believe that, since the belief of their day was that rich people were blessed by God, and that is why they were rich. Jesus was refuting this false belief by explaining this to them. The rich want control even more, and they find it harder to surrender all of their life to the Lord, since they tend to love all of the things they have. Also, they are used to getting what they want by work or self effort, but they can't get salvation that way. Therefore, entering God's kingdom is not possible for us to achieve ourselves, only God can do it for us. Even a rich person can surrender to God in faith, if he or she will listen to the conviction of the Spirit. Yes, it is harder for them than for those who are humble and mired in poverty, but it is possible with the Lord. I pray this helps all of us realize the necessity of total surrender to God and genuine faith in Christ's death and resurrection for our sins, before God will graciously reach down and cleanse us, accepting us mercifully into His kingdom.
Tomorrow, I intend to read Luke 19-21.
It is impossible for a camel to go through the eye of a needle. In fact, Jesus was using that analogy to prove that very point. However, He said that it would be easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter God's kingdom. That meant both are impossible. His disciples could not believe that, since the belief of their day was that rich people were blessed by God, and that is why they were rich. Jesus was refuting this false belief by explaining this to them. The rich want control even more, and they find it harder to surrender all of their life to the Lord, since they tend to love all of the things they have. Also, they are used to getting what they want by work or self effort, but they can't get salvation that way. Therefore, entering God's kingdom is not possible for us to achieve ourselves, only God can do it for us. Even a rich person can surrender to God in faith, if he or she will listen to the conviction of the Spirit. Yes, it is harder for them than for those who are humble and mired in poverty, but it is possible with the Lord. I pray this helps all of us realize the necessity of total surrender to God and genuine faith in Christ's death and resurrection for our sins, before God will graciously reach down and cleanse us, accepting us mercifully into His kingdom.
Tomorrow, I intend to read Luke 19-21.