Eternal life is a free gift. Okay,
that’s clear. But to whom is it given? According
to the word of God it is available for all who overcome
everything that is set against the freedom to drink of
the water of life.
And He said to me, “It is done, I am the
Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End. I will give
of the fountain of the water of life freely to him who thirsts. He
who overcomes shall inherit all things, and I will be
his God and he shall be My son.” (Revelation 21:6,7)
Now some people would think you were a heretic if you
said that one had to actually do something to gain eternal
life. But it’s true, there are obstacles that stand
in the way of the free gift the Father offers all who trust
in His Son. Oh yes, there’s that word: trust. The
rich young ruler was one who could not overcome the obstacles
that kept him from inheriting eternal life. He would not
trust Yahshua.
“One thing you lack: Go your way, sell whatever
you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure
in heaven; and come, take up the cross, and follow Me.” But
he was sad at this word, and went away sorrowful, for he
had great possessions. (Mark 10:21-22)
But the rich young ruler’s trust was in his riches:
Then Jesus [Yahshua] looked around and said to
His disciples, “How hard it is for those who have riches
to enter the kingdom of God?” And the disciples were
astonished at His words. But Jesus answered again and said
to them, “Children, how hard it is for those who
trust in riches to enter the kingdom of God.” (Mark
10:23-24)
So, what Yahshua said in verse 25 was the case for him:
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.
(Mark 10:25)
In order for the rich young ruler to overcome the obstacle
that stood between him and eternal life, he had to do what
Yahshua commanded him to do. The disciples understood that
this was foundational for all those who would follow Him,
not just for this particular man, as some say. So they
asked, “Who then can be saved?” Yahshua went
on to tell them the certain good
news, which applies to all who wish to receive the free
gift of salvation.
So each one must overcome the obstacles, which stand
in the way of faith, which grants trust (or belief); and
trusting Him completely will motivate us to obey all His
commandments. So
we see from the example of the rich young ruler that eternal
life is only given to those who overcome whatever would
stand in the way of drinking freely from the water of life.
The Obstacles
Yahshua saw and understood the obstacles that would keep
someone from coming to Him to receive the free gift of
eternal life. He outlined these things extensively in the
gospels, such as:
- Possessions
- Family
- Your own life
In Revelation 21 it goes on to talk about how those who
do not overcome these obstacles are the worst kind of criminal,
deserving of the second death.
“But for the cowardly and unbelieving and
abominable and murderers and immoral persons and sorcerers
and idolaters and all liars, their part will be in the lake
that burns with fire and brimstone, which is the second death.” (Revelation
21:8)
First in the list of the worst criminals of humanity
in Revelation 21:8 is the cowardly and unbelieving — those
who have the privilege of hearing from someone sent from
the Father exactly what they must do in order to receive
the water of life, and yet they shrink back from trusting
and believing. The
rich young ruler turned out to be a coward and disbelieved
the Son of God. He may not have been like all the rest
of the criminals in the list of Revelation 21:8, but he
became the worst of them all.
Romans
6:23
Not
to be doubted or denied; established as a fact.
1
John 2:4; Matthew 28:20
Revelation
22:17
John
3:18-21
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