The Lord is awe-inspiring, fearsome, fascinating, intriguing, majestic, and full of splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of him and what came to my heart and mind in Matthew 19:25-26,
"'Who then can be saved?' Jesus looked at them [his disciples] and said, 'With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.'"
I find so much in these few words. Jesus had left Galilee and gone to Judea following the astonishing episode of his transfiguration of glory accompanied by Peter, James John, Moses and Elijah. While in Judea a rich man approached Jesus to ask how he could inherit eternal life. Hearing that he needed to sell his possessions and give to the poor, he left sad.
When the rich young man left, Jesus made the well-known statement to his disciples, "Truly I tell you, it is hard for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of heaven. Again I tell you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of God." Verses 23-24.
In astonishment his disciples asked him, who then can be saved? His response is quoted in our verses above.
Some things I observe are: inheriting eternal life requires one to be "saved". Saved from what? While many people think it means to be saved from the devil, it is not that at all. The reference to being saved, is to be saved from God's own judgment of us. We have all sinned and therefore we are all destined to face God's judgment of us. We are told that judgment will be horrific.
Being saved from God's judgment brings with it eternal life. Since we are the ones who have sinned, it is impossible for us to effect our own saving. However, Jesus pointed out that with God, all things are possible.
God made it possible by placing the punishment due each of us for our sins on Jesus, as he hung on that miserable cross. He took what we deserved on himself, satisfying God's sense of justice and opening the way to salvation.
All this become ours, as we learn in the Scriptures, when we place our faith and trust in him. That is when Jesus' payment for our sins gets credited to our account.
"With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible." How wonderful is that?!
A blog with my ruminations over the years can be found here: http://worshipfortoday.blogspot.com/
Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to hear from you!
If you have someone you would like to receive these ruminations, send me their email address. I'm happy to add them to the list. If you are receiving this and would like to be removed from the list, just respond and let me know.
"'Who then can be saved?' Jesus looked at them [his disciples] and said, 'With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.'"
I find so much in these few words. Jesus had left Galilee and gone to Judea following the astonishing episode of his transfiguration of glory accompanied by Peter, James John, Moses and Elijah. While in Judea a rich man approached Jesus to ask how he could inherit eternal life. Hearing that he needed to sell his possessions and give to the poor, he left sad.
When the rich young man left, Jesus made the well-known statement to his disciples, "Truly I tell you, it is hard for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of heaven. Again I tell you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of God." Verses 23-24.
In astonishment his disciples asked him, who then can be saved? His response is quoted in our verses above.
Some things I observe are: inheriting eternal life requires one to be "saved". Saved from what? While many people think it means to be saved from the devil, it is not that at all. The reference to being saved, is to be saved from God's own judgment of us. We have all sinned and therefore we are all destined to face God's judgment of us. We are told that judgment will be horrific.
Being saved from God's judgment brings with it eternal life. Since we are the ones who have sinned, it is impossible for us to effect our own saving. However, Jesus pointed out that with God, all things are possible.
God made it possible by placing the punishment due each of us for our sins on Jesus, as he hung on that miserable cross. He took what we deserved on himself, satisfying God's sense of justice and opening the way to salvation.
All this become ours, as we learn in the Scriptures, when we place our faith and trust in him. That is when Jesus' payment for our sins gets credited to our account.
"With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible." How wonderful is that?!
A blog with my ruminations over the years can be found here: http://worshipfortoday.blogspot.com/
Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to hear from you!
If you have someone you would like to receive these ruminations, send me their email address. I'm happy to add them to the list. If you are receiving this and would like to be removed from the list, just respond and let me know.
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