Faith in Jesus Alone

Then Jesus said to His disciples, "Assuredly, I say to you that it is hard for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven. And again I say to you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God." When His disciples heard it, they were greatly astonished, saying, "Who then can be saved?" But Jesus looked at them and said to them, "With men this is impossible, but with God all things are possible" (Matthew 19:23-26).

The theology of the Pharisees stated that the poor and infirmed were cursed by God for some sin in their life or in the life of their forefathers. Now as Jesus passed by, He saw a man who was blind from birth. And His disciples asked Him, saying, "Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?" Jesus answered, "Neither this man nor his parents sinned, but that the works of God should be revealed in him (John 9:1-3).

Conversely, according to their theology the healthy and wealthy were blessed by God for their righteousness. So, when Jesus said it is hard for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven and it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God, the disciples were shocked. It went against everything they had come to believe. What’s more, if the rich could not enter heaven by their own merit, what chance would the poor have?

With men this is impossible, but with God all things are possible. The point is that salvation is of God, not of men. It’s impossible for any person to enter the Kingdom on his own merit. The Kingdom is for those who trust in the Lord, not in themselves. For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast (Ephesians 2:8-9).

It is God who gives grace to the lost soul. It is God who convicts the sinful heart. It is God who gives life to the dead spirit. It is God who hears the confession of the sinner. It is God who gives faith to believe in Jesus, then empowers spiritual birth in the life of the repentant believer. A man cannot do any of these things in and of himself. As Spurgeon said of salvation, “It is all of grace.” Jesus said (John 6:44), No one can come to Me unless the Father who sent Me draws him; and I will raise him up at the last day.

Cecil Hyatt once said, “The farther we get away from the cross in time, the further we get away from the cross in truth.” In the western world Christianity struggles to remain pure and true to the Gospel of Jesus Christ. So many religious groups mix faith with works as a formula for salvation. It is today as it was with the Judaizers in the days of the Apostle Paul - believe in Jesus, but honor the Commandments or the Mosaic Law. It didn’t save then. It doesn’t save now.

“Thank You, Father, for salvation through Jesus Christ, Your Son. Thank You for Your grace and mercy, and for the gift of faith that allows me to believe in and receive Jesus as Lord and Savior. May the Gospel I preach and teach be the Gospel of Jesus Christ and not the gospel of the modern church. To the salvation of souls and to the glory of Your name, Amen.”

Pastor