One Thing Missing

Matthew 19:16-26: “Someone came to Jesus with this question: “Teacher, what good deed must I do to have eternal life?” “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.” “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.  Honor your father and mother. Love your neighbor as yourself.’” “I’ve obeyed all these commandments,” the young man replied. “What else must I do?” 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.” But when the young man heard this, he went away sad, for he had many possessions. 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.  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!”  The disciples were astounded. “Then who in the world can be saved?” they asked.  Jesus looked at them intently and said, “Humanly speaking, it is impossible. But with God everything is possible.”

It’s a familiar story – the one of the rich young ruler. He comes to Jesus and he asks Him what he needs to do to inherit eternal life.  What is Jesus’ reply? Keep all the commandments. He says he had and Jesus says there’s one thing he lacks.  And we’re so tempted to read this and think it’s simply to sell all of his possessions, but that’s not it. Notice Jesus says, “And follow Me.”

You can try to keep all the commandments or laws, but there will always be one piece missing. Remember, Jesus in the Sermon on the Mount showed the actual interpretation of the Law. He said if you even look at a woman lustfully, you’re guilty of adultery and if you are even angry with your brother, you’re the same as a murderer.  What’s the point of that? We cannot keep the Law.  Even if we don’t commit those acts, we still fall short. We lack one thing.

The disciples were shocked and asked in verse 25, “Who then can be saved?”  It’s probably the same thing we wonder when we come to that realization that we’re not good enough to earn our way into heaven. 

Romans 5:19: “Because one person disobeyed God, many became sinners. But because one other person obeyed God, many will be made righteous.”  Who is the one person who disobeyed God?  It’s talking about Adam.  What did Adam do in the Garden of Eden and what was the end result?  We’re born into sin.  But who was the one who obeyed God?  Jesus did.  And what’s the result?  Many will be made righteous.  The Amplified Bible says to put man into right standing with God.  Because of what Jesus did – He lived the perfect, sinless life, He suffered on the Cross and all of our sins and transgressions were literally imputed onto Him – and because of that, when we accept Jesus as Lord and Savior, His righteousness is imputed on us.

The word impute means: ¹represent (something, especially something undesirable) as being done, caused, or possessed by someone; attribute. ²assign (a value) to something by inference from the value of the products or processes to which it contributes. ³ascribe (righteousness, guilt, etc.) to someone by virtue of a similar quality in another.

God has assigned us as righteous because of what Jesus accomplished, not because of our own actions. He wants to bring us into right standing with Him so that we can have a great life and live righteous and holy and for Him. Once you realize it’s not by your works, but by Jesus’ finished work, you learn to first rest in Christ and then let Him direct you by the Holy Spirit.