The Rich Young Man

Introduction

We live in a very religious age and country. There are some, perhaps, who might deny this. But we do. For one thing there are churches and religious societies of every stripe in every part of this town alone. You have Methodists and you have Roman Catholics and you have Anglicans and Lutherans, not to mention independent churches. Go further down to the west into Steelton and you have a Spiritist who has been in business at least as long as I have been around this area. Go east and you will see a Kingdom Hall for the Jehovah's Witnesses. But then there are also those who do not belong to any religious denomination. They do not believe in God, they would say, but rather express faith in man and his ability to solve his own problems. Well, this is a religion too. It is humanism. And it is the same throughout our country, known for its toleration of a multitude of religious beliefs. We are a religious country and live in a religious age. But the question arises, which one is correct? It cannot be that all of them are correct. Two opposite claims to truth cannot be accurate at the same time. Truth is exclusive-and there can only be one truth. Which religious belief system is the right one-what religion teaches the way of salvation? The right way to God? You see, in the midst of this multi-religious culture, there is one common thread. People want to be right with God, they want peace with him. Further, they want to know they are forgiven and loved by him. And many will take the first religious train that will get them there. Which brings us back to the need to know what the truth is. How can a man be saved from his sin and be assured of God's love?

That question is the same one asked by the man in our text. Notice the question in verse 17-Good teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life? Do you see the question? What is the right way to God? How do I get to heaven? What is the way of salvation? That is the question this young man was asking. I put it to you, that his question is the most important one that anyone can possibly ask. For we all are placed on earth for a set amount of time. None of us knows when our time to die will be. And when we die, we will go someplace. Your soul is immortal and it will not disappear or cease to exist when you die. It must go somewhere. And this young man in our text knows that one possibility is eternal life, or heaven. The alternative, of course, is eternal death, or hell. If you die tonight, where will you be? Do you want to go to heaven or to hell? And assuming you want to go to heaven, for who would want to go to hell! how will you get there? You see, you need the same answer this young man needed-what must I do to inherit eternal life, how can I be saved? Let us listen in on the conversation and see what answer Jesus gives him. It is given in three parts: To inherit eternal life, to be saved, there are three things you must do: You must know what God is like, You must See that you have broken his Law, and You must Repent of your Sin and Believe.

• You must first know what God is like (17-18)
• The very first thing Jesus gives in answer to his question is a description of God's character. The young man wanted to show respect to Jesus. He calls him a good teacher. Jesus concern in response was that this young man had missed the mark. Jesus was good but knowing that would not save this young man's soul. Respect for Jesus as a good man or a good teacher will save no one. So Jesus proceeds to answer his question by giving him the first fact he must know in order to do what is necessary to be saved. He tells him what God is like. No one is good-except God alone. He points the young man to the character of God.
• Jesus tells the young man that God alone is good. Again, the young man wanted to compliment Jesus and so he addressed him as good teacher. Jesus, instead of accepting the compliment, and knowing the young man did not realize who he, Jesus, was, told him that only God is worthy of being considered good. The young man needed to know that because in order to inherit eternal life he must go to the Lord for it. But in order to go to the Lord he must know what that Lord is like. So must you; before you can ask God to save you, before you can be assured that he will forgive your sins, you must know what God is like-you must know his character.
• Here is what you must know of the character of God. The first is that there is only one true God. He is the Creator, the one who made heaven and earth and all that live on the earth. And he has revealed himself in the Bible. And this God is holy-without sin or moral imperfection. He is righteous-he cannot endure unholiness but is offended by it. He is also just-he must punish unholiness, which he calls sin. And with the sin he must punish those guilty of sin. The Scripture says he will by no means exonerate the guilty. He will punish them.
• Therefore, if you would be saved the first thing you must understand is that God is the one who created you, that he is the only God who can save you, that he is holy, righteous and just. You must know that this God, from whom you hope to receive salvation, is without sin and that he expects you to be the same way. If you are not then he will judge you for your sin. And if he judges you and finds you unholy then he will condemn you to hell forever. As we said before, you will either die and go to heaven or you will die and go to hell. Do you want to go to heaven? Then you must first understand that God is holy and that you must be holy like him or you will be condemned to hell.
• If you would be saved then you must first see the character of the God whom you would have save you.

• You must next see that you have broken his Law (19-22)
• Jesus next points the young man's attention to the 10 commandments. He mentions the last six commandments. What about the first 4, you ask? That was implied in the instruction about the goodness and holiness of God. The young man did not understand the God with whom he had to do. So he was actually worshipping a false god, one who was something less than uniquely holy, so much so that a good teacher, as he thought Jesus was, was just as good as the god he thought he was concerned with. So Jesus has already dealt with the first four commandments. Now he must deal with the last six.
• What is Jesus point here? Is he saying that the young man must keep the Law to be saved? No. Jesus is attacking this man's conscience. In order for this young man to be saved he has to know, not only that God is holy, but that he has broken God's Law. The Scripture teaches that our sin is like a wall between us and God. And what is sin? In the words of one children's catechism, Sin is not being or doing what God requires-and the place that we learn what God requires is in the Law, in the ten commandments. So Jesus tells him, You know the commandments.... (19b). The young man's reply is that he has kept all of them since he was a boy. And that supplies Jesus with the target. The young man is certain that he has kept the 10 Commandments perfectly, that he has been and done what God requires. Jesus now moves in on his conscience by applying the Law to his heart. One thing you lack, he says, Go, everything you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come follow me.
• Now notice the young man's reaction in verse 22. His face fell. He went away sad. Why? Because Jesus told him he could not be saved? No. Because Jesus told him it was a sin to be rich? No. Because Jesus spoke harshly to him? Not at all. In fact in verse verse 21 it says that Jesus looked at him and loved him. What does the text say? He went away sad because he had great wealth. That is the point. The young man considered his wealth to be too important to give up. He could not bring himself to sell what he had and follow Jesus. And so he said to himself, If I have to choose between following Jesus and my wealth-I will have to choose my wealth and be damned for it. What Jesus words had done was convict him of violating the 10^th commandment which teaches us that we are to be content with what God gives us and be willing to give up what God demands of us. The holy God, Jesus in effect said, wants you to be holy by giving up your wealth and following me. And that is where this young man failed to be and do what God required.
• So how are you doing with respect to the Law of God. Are you all that God requires in his Law? Are you doing all that God requires? If you want to be saved from your sin then you must understand, what God is like, but second of all that you are not all that he requires you to be, that you are not doing all he requires you to do. Perhaps you are not jealous of your possessions like this young man, but are you content with God's provision for you? Or are your material possessions more important to you than God is? More important to you than your soul? That is what coveting is. Perhaps you have never told a lie in your life, but have ever you used the truth to hurt someone else? Perhaps you have never stolen any money, but have you cheated on a test or tried unfairly to get something for nothing? That is still stealing in God's eyes! Perhaps you have never committed adultery, cheated on your husband or wife or had sex outside of marriage, but have you ever lusted after someone in your heart, in secret? To God that is the same as committing adultery. Perhaps you have never killed anyone, but have you ever hated someone? To God that is the same as murder. Perhaps you love your parents, but have you ever disobeyed them? Or the traffic laws? Or any law? Then you have broken the fifth commandment, because from God's perspective, honour your father and mother refers to every authority and not just your parents. You see, you have broken God's holy Law. And even breaking just one commandment is enough to damn you for all eternity, because the Bible teaches that if you don't keep the Law perfectly, do all it requires, you will be condemned by God. And none of us has ever been that perfect. You are not that perfect. Therefore you are unholy. And therefore this holy God must condemn you to hell for all eternity. If you die tonight in that condition, you will go to hell.
• But there is hope offered to you and to every sinner by Jesus. There is a way for you to be saved.

• You must repent and believe in Jesus (21)
• Jesus first points this young man to the path of repentance. What is repentance? It is a change of mind and action. The young man had to change his priorities from his wealth to his soul coming first. So Jesus first tells him that he must sell all he has and give to the poor and he would have treasure in heaven. This was nothing but repentance from living for his wealth.
• Repentance is the first step. Jesus' first sermon in his public ministry was about repentance-repent for the kingdom of God is near. The apostle Paul did this (Phil 4:8-Paul considered his Jewish heritage to be the most important thing, but he repented). Zaccheus the tax collector did it and so did men like Augustine, John Newton the Slave Trader and countless others throughout history. These all wanted to be forgiven for their sin and saved from the wrath of God for sin and so they repented. And if you would be saved, be forgiven for you sin and accepted by God and not be punished for your sin, the first thing you must do is repent.
• The second thing Jesus tells this young man is to follow him. To follow Jesus means to trust in what he has done to obtain salvation from God for sinners-what has he done? He first of all kept the Law of God perfectly, and second of all died to take the punishment that sinners deserve in their place. So when Jesus tells this young man to follow him, he means more than just become his follower, he means to trust him with his soul, to trust Jesus to save him by his life and by his death. Yes, he must learn from Jesus how to live, and yes, he must follow Jesus' example of service to the Father, to really trust in him as the good teacher he started out calling Jesus, but he cannot do that until he believes that Jesus is his Saviour by his life and by his death.
• And so to repentance must be added belief in Jesus as Saviour and Lord. Jesus came into the world to save sinners, but to be saved you must turn from your sin (repentance) and follow Jesus; trust in his saving work alone and serve him as your Lord. That last part, his Lordship, is essential, for to whom Jesus is not the Lord they must obey, he is not the Saviour who will save them. This and this alone is what it means to believe in Jesus. -not joining a religious organization or becoming part of some denomination, not trusting in your good works or good intentions, not in trying to keep the Law of God or lead a good life in general-but resting in the work that Christ has done to save sinners by
1. First obeying God's Law perfectly in their place
2. And second being punished by God in their place by dying on the Cross.
3. Your trust must be in Christ alone and that means committing yourself to him without reservation.

Conclusion

You may sit there and say, I am not worried. Death comes to everyone eventually and I will take what comes. Yes, you will take what comes-that is not a choice you have made but one made for you already-it is given to every man once to die, but I pray you will not be so light hearted about it, for after death then comes the judgment.

Today is a very special day. The members of this congregation have prayed for you and it may be that someone loved you enough to invite you to come and hear this very message of salvation. Christ Jesus had died for sinners and I invite you in his name to accept of the offer of salvation that he himself gives you. Repent of your sins and believe in Jesus. Do that today, for you do not know if you will have another opportunity to do it tomorrow. This night your soul may well be called before God and then where will you spend eternity? It would not take much-what do you think those who boarded the Concord in Paris thought; do you suppose they thought they would die a few minutes later? Probably not. So what makes you believe you will live another minute, much less another hour or day? The time is now. Believe in Jesus this day, this very hour and do not delay. Do it now, before it is too late.

Rev. Arthur J. Fox, Pastor
10 Spruce Street
Middletown, PA 17057
(717) 944-5835