Eternal life is a free gift.
Okay, that’s clear. But to whom is it given? According
to the word of God it is available for all who overcome
everything that is set against the freedom to drink of the
water of life.
And He said to me, “It is done, I am
the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End. I
will give of the fountain of the water of life freely
to him who thirsts. He who overcomes shall inherit
all things, and I will be his God and he shall be
My son.” (Revelation 21:6,7)
Now some people would think you were a heretic if you
said that one had to actually do something to gain eternal
life. But it’s true, there are obstacles that stand
in the way of the free gift the Father offers all who trust
in His Son. Oh yes, there’s that word: trust. The
rich young ruler was one who could not overcome the obstacles
that kept him from inheriting eternal life. He would not
trust Yahshua.
“One thing you lack: Go your way, sell
whatever you have and give to the poor, and you will have
treasure in heaven; and come, take up the cross, and follow
Me.” But he was sad at this word, and went away
sorrowful, for he had great possessions. (Mark 10:21-22)
But the rich young ruler’s trust was in his riches:
Then Jesus [Yahshua] looked around and said
to His disciples, “How hard it is for those who
have riches to enter the kingdom of God?” And the
disciples were astonished at His words. But Jesus answered
again and said to them, “Children, how hard it is
for those who trust in riches to enter the kingdom
of God.” (Mark 10:23-24)
So, what Yahshua said in verse 25 was the case for him:
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. (Mark 10:25)
In order for the rich young ruler to overcome the obstacle
that stood between him and eternal life, he had to do what
Yahshua commanded him to do. The disciples understood that
this was foundational for all those who would follow Him,
not just for this particular man, as some say. So they asked,
“Who then can be saved?” Yahshua went on to
tell them the certain
good news, which applies to all who wish to receive the
free gift of salvation.
So each one must overcome the obstacles, which stand in
the way of faith, which grants trust (or belief); and trusting
Him completely will motivate us to obey all His commandments.
So we see from the example of the rich young ruler that
eternal life is only given to those who overcome whatever
would stand in the way of drinking freely from the water
of life.
The Obstacles
Yahshua saw and understood the obstacles that would keep
someone from coming to Him to receive the free gift of eternal
life. He outlined these things extensively in the gospels,
such as:
- Possessions
- Family
- Your own life
What Yahshua had to say about Family:
“He who loves father or mother more
than Me is not worthy of Me. And he who loves son
or daughter more than Me is not worthy of Me.”
(Matthew 10:37)
“For whoever does the will of My
Father in heaven is My brother and sister and mother.”
(Matthew 12:50)
So Jesus {Yahshua} answered and said,
“Assuredly, I say to you, there is no one
who has left house or brothers or sisters or father
or mother or wife or children or lands, for My
sake and the gospel’s, who shall not receive
a hundredfold now in this time — houses
and brothers and sisters and mothers and children
and
lands, with persecutions — and in the age
to come, eternal life.” (Mark 10:29-30)
“If anyone comes to Me and does
not hate his father and mother, wife and children,
brothers and sisters, yes, and his own life also,
he cannot be My disciple.” (Luke 14:26)
|
In Revelation 21 it goes on to talk about how those who
do not overcome these obstacles are the worst kind of criminal,
deserving of the second death.
“But for the cowardly and unbelieving
and abominable and murderers and immoral persons and
sorcerers and idolaters and all liars, their part will
be in the lake that burns with fire and brimstone, which
is the second death.” (Revelation 21:8)
First in the list of the worst criminals of humanity in
Revelation 21:8 is the cowardly and unbelieving —
those who have the privilege of hearing from someone sent
from the Father exactly what they must do in order to receive
the water of life, and yet they shrink back from trusting
and believing.
The rich young ruler turned out to be a coward and disbelieved
the Son of God. He may not have been like all the rest of
the criminals in the list of Revelation 21:8, but he became
the worst of them all.
What Yahshua had to say about Possessions:
Then Jesus [Yahshua], looking at him,
loved him, and said to him, “One thing you
lack: Go your way, sell whatever you have and give
to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven;
and come, take up the cross, and follow Me.”
(Mark 10:21)
And He said to them, “Take heed
and beware of covetousness, for one’s life
does not consist in the abundance of the things
he possesses.” Then He spoke a parable to
them, saying: “The ground of a certain rich
man yielded plentifully. And he thought within himself,
saying, ‘What shall I do, since I have no
room to store my crops?’ So he said, ‘I
will do this: I will pull down my barns and build
greater, and there I will store all my crops and
my goods. And I will say to my soul, “Soul,
you have many goods laid up for many years; take
your ease; eat, drink, and be merry.” ‘But
God said to him, ‘Fool! this night your soul
will be required of you; then whose will those things
be which you have provided?’ So is he who
lays up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward
God...” Sell what you have and give alms;
provide yourselves money bags which do not grow
old, a treasure in the heavens that does not fail,
where no thief approaches nor moth destroys. For
where your treasure is, there your heart will be
also. (Luke 12:15-21,33,34)
“So then, none of you can be My
disciple who does not give up all his own possessions.” (Luke
14:33)
|
What Yahshua had to say about “Your Own Life”:
Then Jesus [Yahshua] said to His disciples, “If
anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself,
and take up his cross, and follow Me. For whoever desires
to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his
life for My sake will find it. For what profit is it
to a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his
own soul? Or what will a man give in exchange for his
soul?” (Matthew 16:24-26)
“He who loves his life will lose it, and he who
hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal
life.” (Jn 12:25)
Then He said to them all, “If anyone desires to
come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his
cross daily, and follow Me. For whoever desires to save
his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for
My sake will save it. For what profit is it to a man
if he gains the whole world, and is himself destroyed
or lost?” (Luke 9:23-25)
|
Romans 6:23
Not to be doubted or denied; established as a fact.
1 John 2:4; Matthew 28:20
Revelation 22:17
John 3:18-21
Back
|
Printer-friendly
