Application for Eternal Life

Recently, I went through the grueling process of buying a house for the first time in thirty-seven years. With this purchase, I was given multiple steps to follow, including filing an application to indicate my interest, participating in the review process to prove my creditworthiness, wading through conditional approval to have fine-tuning completed, and finally, full approval when my request was marked as complete. Each step in the application revealed my readiness for the next step. It was a time of self-reflection, tedious, exhausting tasks, and giving accounts as every corner of my life was under a microscope and questioned. Yet, I met the standards with every form completed and purchased the home. 

The rich young ruler in Luke's gospel seemed to believe that his way to eternal life was much like buying a house with a heavy emphasis on "things and processes." He believed it would be granted because of who he was, what he was, and what he could buy. He planned to sail through the process of inheriting it by a means not even remotely accepted by the One who could offer this to him. 

In Luke Chapter 18, we read about a man who had everything. According to his wealth, he most likely had dozens of them. He was also not seeking a personal trainer at the nearby country club with a posh workout center to maintain his appearance because he was still youthful and full of vitality. Also, he was not waiting for approval or his turn to talk to Jesus because he was a young man with great authority and was used to being ushered in upon his request anywhere, he wanted to be.

Can I Get an Application?

Yet, this passage gives us a different glimpse of how a man of his means would normally react when he wanted something. This time, he has not requested others to come before him. Instead, he is taking the initiative to go to someone who might help him. He goes to Jesus with a pressing question: What must I do to inherit eternal life?  In short, the Rich Young Ruler applies for eternal life.

Review Process at Work

When Jesus hears the man's question, he responds, unlike most would to a man of his stature and position. Instead, Jesus gives him tasks to accomplish. He tells him to keep the Ten Commandments, but He only mentions a few. Jesus' response was not what the young ruler expected. I imagine Him looking at Jesus puzzled, maybe scratching his head, or if he thought this was a ridiculous request, maybe he threw his hands up in the air and gestured something to the effect of "Really?" Who was this good teacher renowned by so many, yet he suggested such obvious things? This man of great means believed there had never been a time in his life when he had not kept all of them, even the ones Jesus did not mention. Who was this Jesus anyway?

Conditional Approval

Knowing the impossibility of anyone keeping all the commandments for their entire lives, Jesus continued with the young man, knowing he had missed the point of not only the Ten Commandments meant to bring about God's expectations for holy living and also an awareness of sin in our lives, but also who Jesus was. Jesus continued conversing with the rich, young ruler and made yet another request of him. This one was a little more challenging for him. In fact, it was the condition required to measure the readiness of his heart. Jesus told him to go and sell everything he had to inherit eternal life.

Final Approval

This also puzzled the man and brought great sadness, for he could not part with his possessions and went away sad and without eternal life. The transaction was never completed, and the approval so greatly needed was never given. 

Does this mean that Jesus requires us to be impoverished to have eternal life? Absolutely not, but the rich young ruler's request provides insight that proves there can be nothing we can rely on to provide for our eternal life except Jesus. Faith in him alone and not in wealth, status, authority, or any other means is how we come to Jesus and have a relationship that leads to eternal life. I am reluctant, even dreadful, as I write these final words because there have been times when the attitudes of the rich young ruler have been present in my own life, but here goes...

Now, a certain ruler asked Him, saying, "Good Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life? 

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

" And he said, "All these things I have kept from my youth."

 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.

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

Luke 18:18-23 NKJV

Application for Eternal Life:

God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.

John 3:16 NIV

If something is more important than Jesus, it must be realigned or released from our lives.