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The rich young ruler was educated and respected. He had already achieved the three Ps of success: power, prosperity and posterity. He was a bottom-line guy who cut to the chase and asked, '..what must I do to inherit eternal life?' Even the way he worded the question suggests that he thought he could get eternal life the way he'd gotten everything else in life - by self-effort. So when Jesus replied, '..sell all that you possess..he became very sad; for he was extremely rich' (Luke 18:22-23). He had mistakenly assumed that heaven was just a payment away. But it's not! Paul says, 'What the law was powerless to do..God did by sending His own Son..' (Romans 8:3). Only a cold-hearted God would sell salvation to those who can afford it! That's a hard concept to grasp, since we've always been rewarded for our performance. But just as you wouldn't impress the space-shuttle crew with your paper aeroplane, or you wouldn't show your crayon sketches to Picasso, so your character and good works don't qualify you for heaven. Eternal life costs more than you can afford. That's why you don't need a CV - you need a Redeemer! Money wasn't this man's problem, self-sufficiency was. It wasn't his big income, it was his big ego! And it's not just the wealthy that have difficulty grasping this; so do the educated, the strong, the good-looking, the popular, even the religious. To receive salvation you must first declare that you're spiritually bankrupt; that your cupboard is bare, your reputation worthless, and your options gone. You can't approach God demanding justice - you can only come pleading mercy. So come to Him today!
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