Inherit Eternal Life

You’ve heard this before, this is the most important question in life:

“What must I do to inherit eternal life?”

There certainly is life after death. It is eternal.

There certainly is punishment after death-it’s not life. It is eternal anguish. Remember the account of the rich man and the beggar Lazarus? (Luke 16:19-31)

Jesus gave the rich man a clear answer: “sell all you have…come follow me.” That’s the answer to the question…this is what came next:

 “But when he heard these things, he became very sad, for he was extremely rich. For it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter the kingdom of God.” Those who heard it said, “Then who can be saved?” Jesus, seeing that he had become sad, said, “How difficult it is for those who have wealth to enter the kingdom of God! But he said, “What is impossible with man is possible with God.” And Peter said, “See, we have left our homes and followed you.” And he said to them, “Truly, I say to you, there is no one who has left house or wife or brothers or parents or children, for the sake of the kingdom of God, who will not receive many times more in this time, and in the age to come eternal life.”

Luke 18:23-30

Have you thought about it? We have a desire to worship. Every human has a built-in yearning to give glory and honor to something. God put this desire in every human heart as He formed us in our mother’s womb. But we are misled. Our enemy tempts us to worship everything BUT God: a football team, a super star player, clothes, fancy house, and- like the ruler- money. Besides the ruler, and you and I worship another god. Its self. The ruler couldn’t give up his riches because he loved himself first. We have the same problem-we worship self.

The ruler went away sad. He couldn’t give up his riches. He couldn’t give up self. And this is a hard truth, neither can you or I. Jesus said, “It’s easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God.”

Then, remember what the people asked Jesus. “Then who can be saved?” (This is our question with different words- What must I do to inherit eternal life?) The answer Jesus gives may surprise us: “What is impossible with man is possible with God.”

How do we inherit eternal life?

Change gods. No god we worship by ourselves can save us. Not our riches, neither can our good deeds become the god that saves us-as the ruler discovered. It is impossible by any human method.

When we tell Jesus we want to “sell” all the other gods we have in our lives and make Him first…He hears. Actually, He waits for us to come to the end of ourselves and “sell out” to Him. The first commandment of the Ten Commandments is:

“You shall have no other Gods before ME.”

Back to the question, what must we do to inherit eternal life?

Change gods. “Sell out” to the ONE True Living God. With Jesus it is possible to change gods. Only He has the power and authority. Riches and possessions last only for this earth. Jesus called them “false riches.” Eternal joy and hope is found in Him. True riches are found in Him alone. In Him we inherit eternal life.