Every time I hear this story in the church, I kind of feel sorry for the young man who always been condemned to Hell, because everybody in the church said that he is not saved for the reason that he was not able to do what many of us also unwilling and incapable to do, means to drop everything we have and follow Jesus Christ. So I took another closer look at this story.
The young rich man approached Christ and asked Him, “What good deed must I do to have inherit Eternal Life?” Jesus Christ answered him with FIVE Statutes from Ten Commandments and stop. So in this situation Jesus Christ decided that even FIVE Statutes from the Ten Commandments of Moses will be enough for this young to enter the Kingdom of GOD and have Eternal Life (if of course he will keep them to the rest of his life).
Seeing that Jesus answered him only with FIVE Commandments from the Law and stop short to saying him the rest of the remaining FIVE, young man asked Jesus another question, “I have kept all these; what do I still lack?” Thinking perhaps that Jesus will deliver him another FIVE Commandments, and he would answer Him that he also fulfills and those too. Jesus did not argued or negatively responded to young man's answer, because Jesus knew that young man told Him the truth.
So, even from this short conversation it is absolutely obvious that by fulfilling the Law, or even a part of it, sometimes it is enough for a person to be saved and enter the Kingdom of GOD and have Eternal Life. All depends who the person is. GOD knows hearts of all human beings.
While New Testaments contains many calls, slogans, and general promises of Salvation, in the case with young man, it seems that Jesus ignored all these general terminology and directly referred to the 10 Commandments, means from promises of Salvation straight to obligation toward the Law.
So in the case with the young rich man, Jesus Christ decided that fulfilling only FIVE Commandments out of Ten, the young man already deserves Eternal Life, and on this answer of Jesus the question and issue of young man concerning Eternal Life ends, he was approved.
But Jesus at this point changed the subject of conversation from Eternal Life to a subject of PERFECTION, and declared to young man, “IF YOU WISH TO BE PERFECT, go sell your possessions, and give money to the poor, and you will have TREASURE IN HEAVEN; then come follow Me.” Matthew 19.21.
By this Statement Jesus declared to the young rich man, that he could do better and go far above 10 Commandments, means to go extra mile in order to receive even more than Eternal Life, certain TREASURE IN HEAVEN. So the question about his salvation and Eternal Life at this point has been solved, he is saved and would posses Eternal Life, but he could have more that that if he make himself more PERFECT, by dropping everything he have and follow Christ.
TREASURE IN HEAVEN, certainly means no gold or silver or bags of money, but it means something spiritual and very important. Most likely it means high status, high position, high authority, high power, beautiful appearance may be, in the hierarchy of Heaven among the servants, the angels of the Lord, and perhaps even much more that we do not know about.
So this means that the Salvation and Eternal Life are not the ultimate goals for us to achieve, and not the end of the line, but beside these things there is much more to have and to achieve, and such work starts not in Heaven but here on Earth.
The young rich man approached Christ and asked Him, “What good deed must I do to have inherit Eternal Life?” Jesus Christ answered him with FIVE Statutes from Ten Commandments and stop. So in this situation Jesus Christ decided that even FIVE Statutes from the Ten Commandments of Moses will be enough for this young to enter the Kingdom of GOD and have Eternal Life (if of course he will keep them to the rest of his life).
Seeing that Jesus answered him only with FIVE Commandments from the Law and stop short to saying him the rest of the remaining FIVE, young man asked Jesus another question, “I have kept all these; what do I still lack?” Thinking perhaps that Jesus will deliver him another FIVE Commandments, and he would answer Him that he also fulfills and those too. Jesus did not argued or negatively responded to young man's answer, because Jesus knew that young man told Him the truth.
So, even from this short conversation it is absolutely obvious that by fulfilling the Law, or even a part of it, sometimes it is enough for a person to be saved and enter the Kingdom of GOD and have Eternal Life. All depends who the person is. GOD knows hearts of all human beings.
While New Testaments contains many calls, slogans, and general promises of Salvation, in the case with young man, it seems that Jesus ignored all these general terminology and directly referred to the 10 Commandments, means from promises of Salvation straight to obligation toward the Law.
So in the case with the young rich man, Jesus Christ decided that fulfilling only FIVE Commandments out of Ten, the young man already deserves Eternal Life, and on this answer of Jesus the question and issue of young man concerning Eternal Life ends, he was approved.
But Jesus at this point changed the subject of conversation from Eternal Life to a subject of PERFECTION, and declared to young man, “IF YOU WISH TO BE PERFECT, go sell your possessions, and give money to the poor, and you will have TREASURE IN HEAVEN; then come follow Me.” Matthew 19.21.
By this Statement Jesus declared to the young rich man, that he could do better and go far above 10 Commandments, means to go extra mile in order to receive even more than Eternal Life, certain TREASURE IN HEAVEN. So the question about his salvation and Eternal Life at this point has been solved, he is saved and would posses Eternal Life, but he could have more that that if he make himself more PERFECT, by dropping everything he have and follow Christ.
TREASURE IN HEAVEN, certainly means no gold or silver or bags of money, but it means something spiritual and very important. Most likely it means high status, high position, high authority, high power, beautiful appearance may be, in the hierarchy of Heaven among the servants, the angels of the Lord, and perhaps even much more that we do not know about.
So this means that the Salvation and Eternal Life are not the ultimate goals for us to achieve, and not the end of the line, but beside these things there is much more to have and to achieve, and such work starts not in Heaven but here on Earth.