COV LIFE BLOG

Mark 10:13-31 – How to Enter the Kingdom of God

What was the one thing that this young man lacked? It was the full surrender of his heart to God in Christ. He had not done that. Our Savior gave him, therefore, a command which tested him. He bade him go, sell all that he had and distribute it to the poor. This is not a command which He gives to all men, but He gave that particular command to that particular young man according to his particular circumstances—He saw that he was not the man that could endure to be poor. He saw, too, that he had made his riches his idol.
 
This lack of the full surrender of his heart to God’s will made him shun the reproach of being a follower of Christ. Hence, though he would call Christ, “Good Master,” he would not turn and follow Him and learn of Him. So the Master said, after He had bid him sell his goods, “Take up the cross.” That is to say, “Come out and confess Me. Having done as I bid you, then come and say I am a disciple of that man who is despised and rejected. I will follow Him to prison and to death, and I will preach His word though I be put to death for it. I will take up the cross. ”
 
Christ knew that the one thing he lacked was the full giving up of his heart to God and, therefore, He said, “Follow Me, for if you really do love God, you will follow His Son. If your heart is fully given to God, you will be willing to be obedient to Christ, to take Him for your Leader, Master, Savior, Guide, Friend, and Counselor.” Now, in this the young man failed. He could not so give himself up wholly to God. He could not at that time, at any rate, so give himself up as to be completely Christ’s servant. Now, no man who fails in this respect can enter heaven! Christ will save you, but a part of the agreement on your part must be this, “You are not your own, but are bought with a price.” If you would have Christ’s blood to redeem you, you must give yourself up to Christ—your body, your soul, your spirit, your substance, your talents, your time, your all! You must from this day be Christ’s servant, come what may. If persecution should arise, you must be willing to part with all that you possess—with your liberty, with your life, itself, for Christ—or you cannot be His disciple. He may never call you literally to sell your goods and distribute all, but He does call you to acknowledge that your goods are not your own, but His. That you are only a steward and must be willing, therefore, to give to the poor and to dedicate to the honor of His kingdom, such part as shall be meet and right of all that you have, not as though you were bestowing anything of your own, but only as yielding up to God what belongs to Him! He claims that you now turn over, if you would be saved, yourself and everything you have by an indefeasible title deed to the great Lord of all whose you must be. If you would be saved by the blood of Jesus, you are not from this day to choose your own pleasures, nor your own ways, nor your own thoughts, nor to serve yourselves, nor live for yourselves or your own aggrandizement. If you would be saved, you must believe what He tells you, do what He bids you and live only to serve and honor Him. I am ashamed to have to say that a great many Christian professors seem to be false to this, their agreement, but, as my Lord will take no less, I dare ask no less of you. It seems to me all too little. He has bought us, not with silver and gold, but with His own precious blood! Surely, then, we should be quite willing to say— “‘Tis done, the great transaction’s done, I am my Lord’s, and He is mine.”

Charles Spurgeon

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SCRIPTURES FOR THIS SUNDAY
Read Mark 10:13-31. Does your heart more often reflect the surrendered, trusting heart of a child or one that struggles to give up the things of this world? Where do you stand to grow most in this?

SONG FOR THIS WEEK
Christ Is Mine Forevermore by CityAlight