Matthew 19:16-26 #2

Matthew 19:16-26 #2
I would like you to focus on verse 18. When the ruler asked what good deed he needed to do to have eternal life, Jesus simply said, “Keep the commandments.” Indeed, could Jesus have given a better answer? Could there be anything more required by God than, “Keep the commandments?” Jesus’ reply not only indicts the ruler but also indicts our world today. Millions proclaim they are seeking eternal life. But instead of going to the word of God and keeping the commandments, their answer is to find good things to do. More likely, their answer is to find things they like to do and then convince themselves that salvation is doing what they like to do. No, the answer is in keeping the commandments of God.But notice the ruler’s answer: “Which ones?” That is an amazing answer. Does the ruler actually believe that there are certain commands of God that can be left out? Or, is he suggesting that there are some commands so much more important than others that the lesser commands can be left undone? Why would God give commands that He was not serious about us keeping?

Do you think the ruler is the only one who had this problem? Think about yourself. Are there commands in the Bible that you put on the back burner? Do you look at the commands of God in terms of percentages? In other words, do you think that because you do 90% of the commands, you are exempt from the rest? Listen to what James said: “For whoever keeps the whole law but fails in one point has become accountable for all of it” (Jas. 2:10). A transgressor of the law is a transgressor of the law whether in little or much. We cannot pride ourselves in not committing adultery if we are involved in stealing. The problem with those who deal in percentages is that the commands they keep are the commands they agree with and do not mind keeping. The commands they do not keep are the commands they either do not agree with or do not like to keep. Either way, such an attitude is not submissive. Who can truly say they are submissive to God but refuse to obey the commands they don’t like? When we only obey when we want to obey, we are serving self, but we are not serving God.
Berry Kercheville