THE WEALTHY YOUNG MAN

I am convinced that in our churches this young man from the Gospel according to Mark would be regarded most praiseworthy, as he came to Jesus of his own accord, to ask the way to attain eternal life.  As an esteemed man, of exemplary conduct, he would be invited to join without delay.  He would not even be confronted with the Law – it would be denigratory.  Just think of the financial contribution he could make… Perhaps some of his colleagues might also consider joining our church! But how did Jesus react? Mark 10:17-27 tells us

“And when he was gone forth into the way, there came one running, and kneeled to him, and asked him, Good Master, what shall I do that I may inherit eternal life? And Jesus said unto him, Why callest thou me good? there is none good but one, that is, God.  Thou knowest the commandments, Do not commit adultery, Do not kill, Do not steal, Do not bear false witness, Defraud not, Honour thy father and mother. And he answered and said unto him, Master, all these have I observed from my youth. Then Jesus beholding him loved him, and said unto him, one thing thou lackest: go thy way, sell whatsoever thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come, take up the cross, and follow me. And he was sad at that saying, and went away grieved: for he had great possessions. And Jesus looked round about, and saith unto his disciples, How hardly shall they that have riches enter into the kingdom of God!  And the disciples were astonished at his words. But Jesus answereth again, and saith unto them, Children, how hard is it for them that trust in riches to enter into the kingdom of God! It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God. And they were astonished out of measure, saying among themselves, Who then can be saved? And Jesus looking upon them saith, With men it is impossible, but not with God: for with God all things are possible.”

QUALIFYING FOR THE KINGDOM

Jesus’ reaction shows us that the Kingdom, and only the Kingdom, enjoys first priority.  This wealthy, honest, law-abiding young man, of exemplary behaviour, of course desired to attain everlasting life.  No person would, after all, like to know that on his death he will go to hell to burn there forever!  Small wonder that the disciples were taken aback when the young man didn’t qualify – how would they, rough and unpolished men, ever qualify?

NOT A ONE-ARM BANDIT

Far too many people follow Jesus for the wrong reasons, living with a false idea of the way of the Master.  The extent to which humanism has already infiltrated the church, through the preaching of the Word, is truly shocking.  The impression is given that Christ came to earth to present to sinners, who deserve eternal death, actually the spin-offs or privileges of God’s grace.  The message is presented in such humanistic colouring that people get the idea that they can use God like a one-arm bandit.  Only particular texts from the Bible are deemed important, and it seems as if promises about earthly wealth and a humanistic way of life are wrung from God, without focusing on the essence of the Gospel, namely Jesus Christ.  Jesus was explicit when he told the young man to divide his possessions among the poor and to follow Him.

DIE IN JESUS

My question is:  Would we have followed Christ if there had not been any promises in His Word, or if He had not risen from death for our wellbeing?  We must take a second look at our motives and be honest towards ourselves – and God. Jesus Christ said that we are God’s children when we obey His Word.  This is a word that concerns God’s kingdom and our approach to it, and not primarily our salvation.  When we obey His Word we know that He lives within us and we in Him.  Our attitude is of primary importance; we cannot call ourselves God’s children and merely stick to our selfish way of life.  To conform to God’s Word and His will means that one becomes a new person.  Man should forswear the self and die in Jesus through being crucified voluntarily before he may enter God’s Kingdom.  Forget about the so-called psychological reasons for depression, anxiety, stress, or low self-esteem – all a licence for a sinful life. Our everything must be placed on the altar to be consumed by God’s fire before we may receive a Jesus image as shown in Galatians 2:20:

“I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.”

THE TRUTH IN CHRIST

Paul knew the essence of a Kingdom mentality when he said the following in Romans 9:1-3

“I say the truth in Christ, I lie not, my conscience also bearing me witness in the Holy Ghost, That I have great heaviness and continual sorrow in my heart. For I could wish that myself were accursed from Christ for my brethren, my kinsmen according to the flesh.”

In verse 3 Paul expresses the fact that the disposition of Christ had come into effect completely in his life – that of being accursed himself if it could but be instrumental in the salvation of his fellow Jewish countrymen.  We cannot attain this attitude as long as we are merely bent on the privileges obtained on our behalf through the crucifixion of Christ.  This selfish religious spirit comes from a gospel that puts man as the central figure in God’s work of salvation.  There was no single positive human quality that could have moved God to love mankind.  From the beginning of His creation, He knew that man would fail in that one command He set before him.

MAKE THE SACRIFICE

I have concluded that the origin of the spirit of humanism in the church can be traced back to the false doctrine of the Armenians.  They stress man’s free will to the point that man would be able to take his own decision concerning his eternal fate. This is a long-lasting point of dispute in the church that has brought division, which has widened relative to the heresy spreading to the current situation where psychology has obtained a complete grip on the mind of many Christians, with such an enticing humanistic message being proclaimed.  The message focuses on the wonderful privileges:  Not only will man receive eternal life and escape the fury of hell (although not much is being said on this horrible subject), but he will also enjoy prosperity and the esteem of the community on account of his exemplary life.

DR KRIGE AND HOUSE REGENERATION

This adapted content was extracted from Make your Stand, authored by Dr Ado Krige, the Founding Director of House Regeneration, a South African drug rehabilitation centre offering a comprehensive discipleship training program. By applying principles of Biblical Therapy, using the Scriptures to teach, rebuke, correct, and train in righteousness, House Regeneration counsellors show anyone who has suffered from addiction how to fully understand why they do what they do and how to bring their belief systems in line with the Word of God.