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This week we are continuing our study of Chapter 18. Please read verses 18:15-22 every day this week and, if possible, use a different translation each day, asking God to open your eyes to fresh revelation from His Word.
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Luke 18:18 (NIV)
‘A certain ruler asked him, “Good teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?”’
Some time ago, I was watching a television programme and onto the screen walked an actor that I recognised from many years ago when I was a boy. She was very famous and starred in many films that I used to watch.
What staggered me though was how she looked. Her skin was as taught as a drum, her lips were huge and looked like they’d been pumped up and while she was definitely in her 70s now, she was obviously desperately trying to look as young as possible. Some people may consider this to be attractive but to me she just looked awful. It’s amazing the lengths that some people will go to in order to retain their youthful looks. Plastic surgery is common place and even the youngest of people spend a fortune on keeping the wrinkles at bay.
This kind of behaviour is indicative of the desire that so many have to live longer and to look good for as long as possible. There are wealthy people who are paying vast amounts of money in order to have their bodies cryogenically frozen after their death in the hope that science will advance and bring them back to life at some point in the future. So many people want to live forever.
We have to understand though that when the bible speaks of ‘eternal life’, it is not referring to the physical existence that we are all enjoying now. The Scripture is clear in that it states that our flesh will fail and that our lives are only for a short period of time. 70 years or so is mentioned as a normal lifespan although not even that is promised to us all. The Psalms talks of our lives as being a passing shadow. So what was this ruler asking Jesus about? If it’s not a physical thing, then what is it and who can gain it?
We can’t say for sure what this man was actually thinking but we can surmise that it was something that was being taught by Jewish leaders. The concept of ‘everlasting life’ has its origins in the Old Testament and is connected to the resurrection of God’s people. The book of Daniel says: ‘…those that sleep in the dust of the earth shall awaken, some to everlasting life and some to shame and everlasting contempt’. I think it’s fair to say that anyone who was being taught by Jewish leaders would know that everlasting life is associated with the resurrection. He’s asking Jesus what he would have to do to enjoy salvation.
Jesus says that He is the way, the truth and the life. He is the only way and there is no other way to God. One of the most well-known verses in the whole of scripture is John 3:16: “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.” God wants us to enjoy our life now and when that is over, He wants us to spend eternity with Him. What do we have to do to gain eternal life? All we have to do is to believe in Him and to trust Him for our salvation.
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