“If you want to be perfect, then go sell your possessions and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven” (Matthew 19:21). This statement of Jesus leaves the rich young ruler distraught. He thought heaven was just a payment away. You work hard, you pay your dues, and “zap”—your account is paid in full. Jesus says, “No way.”
What you want costs far more than what you can pay. You do not need a system, you need a Savior. You do not need a resume, you need a Redeemer. For “what is impossible with men is possible with God” (Luke 18:27). Don’t miss the thrust of this verse: You cannot save yourself. Not through the right rituals, right doctrine, or right devotion. You see, it wasn’t the money that hindered the rich man; it was the self-sufficiency.