Alright, Matthew chapter 19.
I'd like to look at starting in verse 16. And I'd like to preach tonight
on the subject of who can be saved. Who can be saved? Now, our passage starts with
a man coming, a ruler, in the book of Luke it refers to this
man as a certain ruler, who came to the Lord Jesus Christ and
he asked him this question. Verse 16, Good Master, What good
thing shall I do that I may have eternal life? Now, obviously
this man thought that the destiny of his eternal soul rested in
his hands. Good Master, what good thing
shall I do? He thought that he had the power
to do some good thing to merit life eternal. Now, it would appear
at first that this was a very encouraging question. You know, When somebody comes
up and they want to talk about eternal life, I'm always encouraged
whenever we have visitors. Someone will be visiting and
you're hoping, you know, who knows. Maybe this will be one
of the Lords, you know, but when they don't stay, you know, you
say, I hate that. But concerning this man, the
scripture says in just a few verses after the Lord talked
to him, he went away sorrowful. Now, what did the Lord say to
this man that caused him to go away? with sorrow, to actually
leave the one to know is life itself, the Lord Jesus Christ.
What did the Lord say? Well, the first thing that the
Lord responded with when He said, Good Master, what good thing
shall I do that I may have eternal life? The Lord answered this
man with this question. Why callest thou me good? Why are you calling me good?
There is none good but one. That's God. Now based on this
man's original question, obviously he held to the doctrine of the
Pharisees who believed and taught that salvation was by the works
of the law. They didn't believe that the
Lord Jesus Christ was God. They didn't believe that He was
the Messiah. And here comes a man asking a
question based on the doctrine that they believe, salvation
by works, what good thing must I do? And so the Lord asked him, based
on your question, you don't believe me to be God.
You believe in salvation by works. Why do you call me good? There's none good but God. But,
in answer to your question, if thou wilt enter into life, keep
the commandments. Now, this answer that the Lord
gave, was not to tell this man that it was possible. Thou wilt
enter into life, keep the commandments. He wasn't telling him that it's
possible for you to earn your salvation by your works. But
what he was doing is he was going to show him the error of that
belief. Now, you consider the ignorance
of this man and every other man that's unconverted When it comes
to the truth of God concerning salvation, the Lord told him
in verse 17, if thou wilt enter into life, keep the commandments. And immediately, this man in
verses 18 and 19 asked him this question, which ones? He said unto him, seventeen,
Why callest thou me good? There is none good but one, that
is, God. But if thou wilt enter into life,
keep the commandments. He saith unto him, Which? And
Jesus saith, 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, thy mother, thou shalt love thy
neighbour as thyself. Here, the Lord is telling this
religionist the eternal standard of right and wrong. If you're
going to earn your salvation, you're going to have to keep
the law. And you're going to have to keep
it perfectly. Now when we talk about doing
the law of God, honoring the law of God, don't kill, don't
murder, don't, don't, don't, don't, man thinks that his outward
action actually will justify him before God and he does not
consider that the thoughts, the intent of his heart is the measure
by which God Almighty measures that man's obedience, which when
it comes to the heart that man does not see, God does. Man does
not keep the law of God. Who has ever kept perfectly God's
law in their heart? Never deviated, never thought
one thought that was not according to God's standard. Who's ever
done that? All he ever did is consider what he did on the outside. And he says in verse 20, all
these have I kept for my youth up, what lack I yet? I am as perfect as I can be,
reminds me of the Apostle Paul, when Paul says, you know, concerning
righteousness which is of the law, blameless. I never missed a beat. But the Lord, knowing this man's
heart, revealed God's demand for righteousness. And this is
what the Lord said when he says, What lack I yet? Jesus in verse
21 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. Now, our Lord was not saying
that by merely selling everything that this man possessed, and
giving all the proceeds to the poor, that he would then merit
life eternal, because that would be salvation by works. He'd just
go and sell everything he had, give it all to the poor, and
said, I'm a saved man. What the Lord was saying is that
faith in Christ is known by a man's commitment to the Lord Jesus
Christ. Exodus chapter 20 verse 3, Thou
shalt have no other gods before me. What comes before the Lord
Jesus Christ to a believer? Nothing. Nothing. Matthew 6.24,
No man can serve two masters, for either he'll hate the one
and love the other, or else he'll hold to the one and despise the
other. You cannot serve God and Mammon,
the world. So the Lord exposed this man's
true love. This man loved money more than
he cared for his eternal soul. And the Scripture says in verse
22, ìBut when the young man heard that saying, he went away sorrowful,
for he had great possessions.î This man was weighed in the balance,
and he was found to be wanting. Truly, the love of money is the
root of all evil. Man, apart from the grace of
God, will have heaven if it costs him nothing. If he can have it
on his own terms, but how deceitful is the carnal heart. It will
convince a man that he has done all or at best he's done enough,
when in reality he's done nothing but lied to himself. Then the
Lord made this statement that amazed the disciples. Verses
23, The Lord said, 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 heaven. When his disciples
heard it, they were exceeding 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. Now I want us to consider for
just a very few minutes this question. Who then can be saved? Who? can have and possess life eternal. Who? Now let me just quote the
Lord again. The Lord had just revealed when
it comes to this saying of salvation as it pertains to man's ability. This is what the Lord said. When
they ask, who then can be saved? All right. with men, with every human being born in
Adam, this is impossible. When it comes to man and salvation,
it's not merely difficult. It is impossible. What impossible means is it is
not possible. There is no possibility. When it comes to man, the possibility
of salvation with a man meeting all of God's standards is zero. There's no chance. But, the Lord
said, with God, all things are possible. And I looked up the
word possible just so I made sure I understood exactly what
that word meant. Able. Powerful. Mighty. Strong. With man, it is impossible. With God, it is able, powerful,
mighty, strong. Alright. Who then can be saved? Now, I'll be honest with you. I want to know something about
this. Because I'm going to meet God. I know
that. And in that day, I would desire to have known it
this side of the grave, rather than that side of the grave.
Because as a man dies, that's how he's going to spend eternity.
I want to know something about this, and I want you to know
something about this. Who then can be saved? Now I'm
going to tell you these few things from the Scriptures. And this
is the truth. This is the truth because I'm
going to show you in the Word of God. Who then can be saved? Let me tell you who first can
be saved. Those that God has eternally
loved and chosen in Christ Jesus. Now listen to 2 Thessalonians
2.13. I quote this all the time. Listen to this scripture. But
we are bound to give thanks always to God for you, brethren, beloved
of the Lord, because God hath from the beginning chosen you
to salvation through sanctification of the spirit and belief of the
truth. these beloved of the Lord. How long have they been beloved? Well, Jeremiah 31.3 says, Yea,
I have loved thee with an everlasting love. So I know that those who
can be saved are those that God has everlastingly loved and has
chosen. That's what the scripture says. We're bound to give thanks all
the way to God for you, brethren, beloved of the Lord, because
God hath from the beginning chosen you to salvation. Now, who did
the choosing? Me or God? Scripture says God. So the answer
is God. The answer is God. Who chooses? God or man? God. and concerning the Lord loving
his people with an everlasting love. The last part of Jeremiah
31.3 says, Therefore, that is because I've loved you with an
everlasting love, therefore with loving kindness have I drawn
thee. Almighty God has chosen a people
before the foundation of the world loved them everlastingly
and therefore has drawn them. Who then can be saved? Those
that the Lord has loved, chosen in Christ, and draws. Salvation as set forth in the
Scriptures, now listen to this, salvation is eternal. How long Have God's people been
saved? Now I know you and I deal with
time. We're creatures of time. You know, we started at 7 o'clock,
we'll be done in a few minutes. It's time. But listen to this.
2 Timothy 1.8 and 9. Be not thou therefore ashamed
of the testimony of our Lord, that is, don't be ashamed of
the gospel, what Paul says, nor of me, his prisoner, but be thou
partaker of the afflictions of the gospel according to the power
of God, who has saved us and called us with a holy calling,
not according to our works, but according to His own purpose
and grace which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world
began." When did God Almighty give us
in the Lord Jesus Christ salvation? Eternally. Eternally. He saved us and then in time
called us. Eternally loved, eternally chosen
in Christ, eternally saved with man. That is impossible because
I was born in time. And everything that God Almighty
has revealed concerning salvation is eternal. So therefore, with
man, for these things to be so is impossible, because I am not
a creature that was in existence eternally, only in the purpose
of God. But with God, who is eternal,
all things are possible. Secondly, who then can be saved? Those who have no sin debt before
God's law. No man can say that he's without
sin. Nobody can say, I don't have
any sin. First John 1.8, if we say that
we have no sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. But,
for all who have been eternally found in Christ Jesus. The Scripture
says, 2 Corinthians 5.21, He has made Him sin for us who knew no sin. It was for God's elect that the
Lord Jesus Christ laid down His life. He said, I lay down my
life for the sheep. At Calvary, the justice of God
was absolutely satisfied for every vessel of God's mercy. All that the Lord God had chosen
in Christ out of every kindred and tribe and people and nation. And all praise and honor and
glory is due unto Him who loved us and washed us from our sins
in His own blood. Now, in time, the Lord Jesus
Christ died. But the Father saw the Lamb slain
from the foundation of the world. He's always seen the Lamb slain. He always trusted the Lord Jesus
Christ to finish the work. When he died at Calvary, that
which he was made, sin, and the penalty of it was paid. Now, God's people, regenerated
by the grace of God, have no debt to God's law because the
Lord Jesus Christ bore that sin debt in His own body. To have
no debt to God's law? To be washed in His own blood? To be without condemnation because
I'm found in the Lord Jesus Christ? With man, that's impossible. But with God, all things are
possible. Thirdly, who then can be saved? Well, every person that is born
again, born from above, born as a new man created in righteousness
and true holiness. Now listen to the words of our
Lord to Nicodemus. Verily, verily, I say unto thee,
except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of heaven. What a sinner needs for salvation
I have to have a new man created in me. That new man has
got to be born of God. It has to be born in absolute
holiness, in righteousness, It has to be born from above. In the new birth, we receive
of God, now listen, listen, in the new birth, we receive of
God His nature, the nature of God, is imparted a spiritual,
listen to these words, 2 Peter 1.4, wherefore are given unto
us exceeding great and precious promises that by these ye might
be partakers of the divine nature. I'm going to tell you something,
this is way over our heads, but this is what God has to say.
A new nature is imparted, is put in. There's a new man created. The way I was born the first
time, I was born with the nature of my mom and daddy. A sinful
nature. The second birth is a divine
nature. The nature of God. Now let me
ask you something. Who then can be saved? those
that are born from above, that have the importation of a new
and holy nature, a new creation, a new man, a new birth with man, to impart the nature
of God for man to impart a divine nature
and create a new man that is holy and does not sin. With man, that's impossible.
That is impossible. But with God, all things are
possible. Lastly, Who then can be saved? I can tell you this. All who
by faith cast themselves upon the Lord Jesus Christ for mercy.
John 3.36, He that believeth on the Son. I'm going to qualify this one
more time. And I'll probably qualify it the next time I say
it, too. To believe on the Son is to say, I have no confidence
in myself. I believe on the Son. I don't
have any confidence in anything that I can do. I don't have confidence
in my will. I don't have confidence in my
work. I have no confidence in myself. I have no confidence
in the flesh. He that believeth on the Son,
meaning, His will, His power, His sacrifice. He is my life. He gave me life. I could not
give myself life. He that believeth on the Son
hath everlasting life. And he that believeth not on
the Son, he that believeth in himself, in His will, in His
power, in His ability, in His works, in His faithfulness. He that believeth not on the
Son, but believes in Himself, shall not see life, but the wrath
of God abideth on him. Hebrews 11, 6 says, But without
faith it is impossible to please Him. For he that cometh to God must
believe that he is who he says he is, and that he is a rewarder
of them that diligently seek him. A man must come to the Lord by
faith." Where did he get the faith? The scripture says all men had
not faith. Philippians 1.29 says, for unto
you it's given in behalf of Christ, not only to believe on Him, but
also to suffer for His sake. I must believe on the Lord Jesus
Christ by faith that I don't possess by nature. I've got to
call upon the Lord by faith that I'm not born with. Where am I going to get it? Without
faith, it's impossible to please God. Where am I going to get
faith? God's going to have to give it
to me. And where faith is given, faith is exercised and faith
believes. When it pleases God, the Holy
Spirit in regenerating grace gives faith to the objects of
God's mercy. And it is then and only then
that a sinner comes by that faith to Christ. All those that come to Him by
faith, He said, I'm not going to cast you out. Who then can
be saved? Those eternally loved and chosen
in Christ. Those whose sin debt has been
paid. Those who have been born from
above and possess a divine nature, holy nature. and those who believe
God and cast themselves upon the mercy of the Lord Jesus Christ,
putting no confidence in their flesh. With man, that is impossible. But with God, all things are
possible. May the Lord bless these words
to our heart. Amen.