Spiritual Serenity: Daily Devotions for Inner Calm

MONDAY, 4 MARCH 2024

TEXT: Luke 18:18-30

18. Now a certain ruler asked Him, saying, “Good Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?”

19. So Jesus said to him, “Why do you call Me good? No one is good but One, that is, God.

20. You know the commandments: ‘Do not commit adultery,’ ‘Do not murder,’ ‘Do not steal,’ ‘Do not bear false witness,’ ‘Honor your father and your mother.’”

21. And he said, “All these things I have kept from my youth.”

22. So when Jesus heard these things, He said to him, “You still lack one thing. Sell all that you have and distribute to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow Me.”

23. But when he heard this, he became very sorrowful, for he was very rich.

24. And when Jesus saw that he became very sorrowful, He said, “How hard it is for those who have riches to enter the kingdom of God!

25. For 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.”

26. And those who heard it said, “Who then can be saved?”

27. But He said, “The things which are impossible with men are possible with God.”

28. Then Peter said, “See, we have left all and followed You.”

29. So He said to them, “Assuredly, I say to you, there is no one who has left house or parents or brothers or wife or children, for the sake of the kingdom of God,

30. who shall not receive many times more in this present time, and in the age to come eternal life.”

(New King James Version Holy Bible)

TOPIC: SALVATION IS NOT FOR SALE

The man in this parable is rich, young and a ruler. He genuinely asks Jesus for the requirements for salvation because he thinks that he is wealthy enough to afford it, young enough to work for it and in case it requires physical labour to secure it, he was well endowed in that regard.

Because something was theologically wrong with his question, Jesus employed wisdom in answering him by putting the question back to him.

When instructed him to sell everything and follow Him, he was alluding to the last of the Ten Commandments.

And the call to follow Jesus implies that Jesus is the one God and demands total devotion since to follow Jesus is to leave all for the sake of the Kingdom of God.

If you don’t know Jesus, you don’t know God.

QUESTION: Are you still trying to earn salvation through your own efforts?

PRAYER: Please, dear Lord, help me to know that there’s nothing I can do to earn my salvation. Thank You for the free gift of salvation that is obtainable by placing my faith in Jesus. Amen.