MAN CANNOT SAVE HIMSELF

This Biblical account of the rich man is still typical of people in our day and age.  From man’s perspective, the rich man appeared to have performed every necessary thing to gain entrance into heaven, yet in the eyes of Jesus Christ he was sadly lacking.  Man’s sinful nature is here displayed for our view, for we are prone to make the same mistakes as he did.  We want to be accepted by God on the basis of our own merits.  We want to be able to work our way to heaven by our own good deeds, religion, and morality.  Just like this rich man we often trust in things that cannot save.  As in our text, Jesus explained to His disciples that it is impossible for men to save themselves.  Only God can save sinners. 

HOW DO SINNERS GO TO HEAVEN?

If man cannot save himself, how then does he come to inherit eternal  life?  How can he be accepted before a holy God?  In order to answer this important question, let us look at what this rich man had and what he didn’t have.  For you too may have as much or more than this rich man had.  Or, you may be a good person in your own eyes or in the eyes of others.  Yet, how do you measure up in the sight of God?

WHAT THE RICH MAN HAD

First of all, we see that this rich man had a high standard of morals.  He knew the ten commandments in God’s Word and had endeavored to obey them from the time that he was young.  His friends and family most likely knew him as a person of high moral character.  However, this did not make him accepted before God.  Many people today are like this young man and hope they will go to heaven on the basis of their “good works.”  They view themselves as being a good person and strive to live a moral life in this world.  While it is an honorable thing to be a person of high moral character, it is folly and vain to trust in this for salvation.  It is to embrace a false hope and to trust in that which cannot save.  For Jesus said that it is impossible for man to save himself.  The Scriptures declare:  “For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:  Not of works, lest any man should boast.”  (Eph. 2:8-9)

Second,  we see that this man had religion.  This is observed by the fact that he knew the Scriptures and had studied them from his youth.  He was aware that there is a God and a heaven and a hell.  It was his stated desire when speaking to Christ that he might “inherit eternal life.”  It is very likely that he regularly attended public worship and was familiar with the religious practices of the law.  Yet, with all of this, he was not accepted of Christ.  This is because man cannot save himself, just as Jesus told His disciples.  Multitudes of people have fallen into this grievous error.  They suppose that because they attend a church, or are a member of a church that this will automatically gain them entrance into heaven.  Others trust in their baptism or other religious observances, but the Bible makes it very clear that no person is saved by religious works, rites, ceremonies, ordinances, or sacraments.  “for by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified” (Gal. 2:16b).  Saul of Tarsus was a devout and religious man, but he was not saved until the Lord apprehended him on the road to Damascus.

Third, we can see that this man had some degree of sincerity in making his request to Jesus Christ.  He was not an outright hypocrite.  This is seen in the fact that he had practiced his religion and morality from his youth.  It is also seen in the respectful manner in which he approached Christ.  Still, with all of his sincerity he was not accepted of Christ.  How often have we heard people say; “It doesn’t matter what religion you belong to or what church you join as long as you are sincere.  After all, we all worship the same God and are going to the same place anyway.”  Nevertheless, by our text we see that this rich man was sincerely wrong about the way of salvation.  Similarly, many people today are ignorant about what the Bible teaches concerning sin and salvation.  They are trusting in that which cannot save and have a false hope of inheriting eternal life.

Fourth, this man had a proper desire in wanting to inherit eternal life.  There should be no greater concern to any person than matters of eternity -- the consequences of our sins and the prospect of eternal salvation.  However, just like this rich man, many people want to be saved and to inherit eternal life on their own terms.  They are willing to receive the forgiveness of sins, deliverance from hell, and to possess all the blessings that accompany salvation; as long as it is gained by the merits of their own supposed righteousness.  Because of pride, they must have a part in securing their own salvation.  This grievous error has been propagated both near and far by those who preach that salvation is merely a matter of  “letting God save you, making a decision for Christ, or asking Jesus to come into your heart.”  Here again, the idea is set forth that sinners can save themselves or have a part in attaining their own salvation.  The Lord and His disciples never preached such a misleading message to sinners.  Rather, Christ simply declared that “with men it is impossible.” 

In dealing with sinners, the Lord clearly laid down conditions that He required if any would come to Him or if they had a desire to follow Him.  Please read (Luke 14:26-33,  Matt. 11:28-30).  He did this because these conditions could only be met by those who had truly experienced a work of God’s saving grace in their hearts and lives.  His conditions required genuine repentance, which is a change within the heart about sin and a turning away from it; and a living faith which worketh by love, which is knowing the Lord Jesus Christ as Savior; and a commitment in love to follow Him at all costs, which is manifest by trusting the Lord completely. 

Last, this rich man had a false god which he worshipped.  While he professed to believe in the true God and serve Him, in reality it was his wealth and possessions that held the affections of his heart.  This is proved by the fact that he could not sell them and follow Christ.  His love for the things of this world barred him from the kingdom of heaven.  Likewise, many today are held captive in their sinful condition by a love and worship for the things of this world.  It may be wealth and possessions, or fame and worldly glory, or power and prestige, or the love of pleasure, or any number of things that are in the world.  Yet anything that is loved or adored more than God is idolatry, and idolatry is sin.  Christ told those who had a desire to come to Him to “deny himself, and take up his cross daily and follow me.” (Luke 9:23)  This implies that all who will come to Christ as their Savior, must also come to Him as their Lord; and those who would have eternal life, must love Him supremely.

WHAT THE RICH MAN DIDN’T HAVE

We have seen that this rich man had many admirable qualities; yet, he didn’t have that which he really needed to inherit eternal life.  Let us now consider what this man didn’t have.