THE FUTILITY OF TRUSTING IN SELF RIGHTEOUSNESS

THE FUTILITY OF TRUSTING IN SELF RIGHTEOUSNESS
Saturday, 17th October 2020
Pastor Victor

Luke 18:18 And a certain ruler asked him, saying, Good Master, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?

This grace encounter is really remarkable. It is a story that is side by side with Zacchaeus’ in Luke 19. It shows the weakness of trusting in one’s righteousness. This rich young ruler was a hypocrite. He pretended to be something he was not. This is the state of those who trust in themselves and not in God for their righteousness.

He asked Jesus “what must I do to inherit eternal life?” His emphasis was on doing instead of trusting in Jesus. Jesus knew what was in this man’s heart. He commanded him to obey the commandments. This was his reply: And he said, All these have I kept from my youth up (Luke 18:21). What an answer! This guy claimed he has kept all the Ten Commandments since his youth up.

I love Mark’s account of this story. Jesus looked at him and loved him and gave him the bomb: One thing thou lackest: go thy way, sell whatsoever thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come, take up the cross, and follow me. Now look at the attitude of this fellow who was ready to obey every commandment of God. Mark 10:22 says, “And he was sad at that saying, and went away grieved: for he had great possessions.” This fellow who claimed he has kept all of God’s commandments couldn’t keep just one. He went away grieved and sorrowful. He was not ready to lay it all down before Jesus.

In fact, he broke the very first commandment of God: Thou shall have no other gods beside me (Exodus 20:3). This rich young ruler’s god was money; he was worshipping money. This guy is a picture of a lot of folks in the world and even in the church. This man was not generous; he couldn’t give what Jesus commanded him to give. His trust was not in God but his money. This man who trusted in himself couldn’t obey God. Self-righteousness will always fall apart. For those who think that they can keep all of God’s law are deceiving themselves. Jesus was the only person that kept all of God’s commandments. Hence faith in Jesus grants us acceptance before God.

Folks who don’t give to God have made money their God. This is plain truth. If you don’t tithe and give your offerings and don’t support the preaching of the gospel, you are trusting in your riches; and you have made money your God. You can fight it and kick against it but that’s the truth of God’s word. Our giving to God is an expression of our faith in God.

There is no human law that says that when you give you will have more; that concept is only found in the word of God. It is amazing there are believers who fight against tithing; some have even written volumes on it. There are those who are against Pastors receiving offerings. Interesting! No wonder they struggle in life. If you trust in God you will give freely to God.

This rich young ruler’s trust was in his money. And Jesus said “they that trust in riches cannot inherit the kingdom of God.” Let’s heed to Paul’s admonishing: Charge them that are rich in this world, that they be not highminded, nor trust in uncertain riches, but in the living God, who giveth us richly all things to enjoy (1Timothy 6:17).

You see the Bible calls these worldly goods uncertain riches. Why will you trust in things that are uncertain? Our trust should be in the living God who gives us all things richly to enjoy. The lesson in this story is to not trust in ourselves but in Jesus for everything in life.

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