What Is Required For Salvation?

A man came to Jesus in Matthew 19:16 asking a question that religious people have been asking for thousands of years.  “And, behold, one came and said unto him, Good Master, what good thing shall I do, that I may have eternal life?”  Religion focuses on man’s actions, whether following some specific moral code, fasting and praying to obtain some spiritual sign or power, destroying other religions, or giving to some specific cause.  If they just do enough good things, surely they can earn eternal life.   Even many who are called Christians have this idea, often illustrating it with a scale comparing a person’s good deeds to their bad ones.  If the good outweighs the bad, they believe they will got heaven, and if the bad outweighs the good, they will go to hell. 

People can fool us with their words or actions as Solomon warned in Proverbs 23:6-8, their attitude determines what kind of person they really are, as Proverbs 23:7 states.  “For as he thinketh in his heart, so is he…”   This was the point Jesus was making in Matthew 19:17.  “And he said unto him, Why callest thou me good? there is none good but one, that is, God: but if thou wilt enter into life, keep the commandments.”   Human attitudes are inherently evil, as Genesis 6:5 tells us.  “And God saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually.”   As a result, Romans 3:10-12 tells us, “As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one: There is none that understandeth, there is none that seeketh after God.  They are all gone out of the way, they are together become unprofitable; there is none that doeth good, no, not one.” 

If a person were truly good enough to get into heaven they would naturally do the things God has commanded, as Jesus told him.   People nearly always understand they haven’t kept them all, and want to know which ones they have to keep, like the man in Matthew 19:18-19.  “He saith unto him, Which?

Jesus said, Thou shalt do no murder, Thou shalt not commit adultery, Thou shalt not steal, Thou shalt not bear false witness, Honour thy father and thy mother: and, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.”  Thesew are all straightforward actions people can do even though they may resent having to do them, and Matthew 19:20 tells us the young man was confidant he had.  “The young man saith unto him, All these things have I kept from my youth up: what lack I yet?”  Despite his confidence in having done those things he knew something was lacking. 

To be good enough to get into heaven would require more than mechanically keeping the law, as Jesus told him in Matthew 19:21-22.  “Jesus said unto him, If thou wilt be perfect, go and sell that thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come and follow me.  But when the young man heard that saying, he went away sorrowful: for he had great possessions.”   Jesus told the young man the same thing he told the multitude in Luke 14:26-33.  “If any man come to me, and hate not his father, and mother, and wife, and children, and brethren, and sisters, yea, and his own life also, he cannot be my disciple.  And whosoever doth not bear his cross, and come after me, cannot be my disciple.  

For which of you, intending to build a tower, sitteth not down first, and counteth the cost, whether he have sufficient to finish it?  Lest haply, after he hath laid the foundation, and is not able to finish it, all that behold it begin to mock him, Saying, This man began to build, and was not able to finish. Or what king, going to make war against another king, sitteth not down first, and consulteth whether he be able with ten thousand to meet him that cometh against him with twenty thousand?  Or else, while the other is yet a great way off, he sendeth an ambassage, and desireth conditions of peace.  So likewise, whosoever he be of you that forsaketh not all that he hath, he cannot be my disciple.”

While he wanted eternal life, they young man did not want it enough to give up his earthly life to get it.  Jesus warned his disciples that most people who have a good life here will not be willing to give it up to get saved, in Matthew 19:23-24.  “Then said Jesus unto his disciples, Verily I say unto you, That a rich man shall hardly enter into the kingdom of heaven.  And again I say unto you, 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.”  The focus on material belongings and earthly attainments overrides most people’s concern about eternity, if they are forced to make a choice. 

The disciples were just as shocked by Jesus’ statement as many Christians are today at the idea that salvation requires more than simply praying the sinner’s prayer, as we see in Matthew 19:25-26.  “When his disciples heard it, they were exceedingly amazed, saying, Who then can be saved?

But Jesus beheld them, and said unto them, With men this is impossible; but with God all things are possible.”  If what Jesus said was true, how could anyone ever make such a commitment by faith?  It is hard to motivate people to give up today’s pleasure without some kind of short term rewards.  Jesus said only God could give people that kind of faith.  Ephesians 2:8 tells us, “For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God.”  Salvation is a gift from God obtained through faith, but even that faith comes from God.  No amount of psychological tricks or motivational preaching will produce it.  John 6:44 tells us, “No man can come to me, except the Father which hath sent me draw him: and I will raise him up at the last day.”  While God may use our witnessing to reach people, they only get saved as a result of his working, not our impassioned pleas.  Only God can change the heart attitude to make a person fit for heaven.