His Word Today

John Charles Ryle (10 May 1816 – 10 June 1900) was an English evangelical Anglican bishop. For the next several days, His Word Today reprints J.C. Ryle’s essay of The Rich Young Man. Today is the second installment. May the Lord edify you.

“You see, for another thing, from this young man’s case, that an unconverted person is often profoundly ignorant on spiritual subjects. Our Lord refers this inquirer to the eternal standard of right and wrong,—the moral law. Seeing that he spoke so boldly about “doing,” He tried him by a command well calculated to draw out the real state of his heart: “If thou wilt enter into life, keep the commandments.” He even repeated to him the second table of the law.—And at once the young man confidently replies, “All these have I kept from my youth up: what lack I yet?”

“So utterly ignorant was he of the spirituality of God’s statutes, that he never doubted that he had perfectly fulfilled them. He seemed thoroughly unaware that the commandments apply to the thoughts and words, as well as to the deeds, and that if God were to enter into judgment with him, he could “not answer Him one of a thousand.” (Job ix. 3.) How dark must his mind have been as to the nature of God’s law! How low must his ideas have been as to the holiness which God requires!”

“It is a melancholy fact that ignorance, like that of this young man, is only too common in the Church of Christ. There are thousands of baptized people who know no more of the leading doctrines of Christianity than the heathen. Tens of thousands fill churches and chapels weekly, who are utterly in the dark as to the full extent of man’s sinfulness. They cling obstinately to the old notion, that in some sort or other their own doings can save them,—and when ministers visit them on their death-beds, they prove as blind as if they had never heard truth at all.”

“So true is it, that the “natural man receives not the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him.” (1 Cor. ii. 14.) Reader, what is the state of your own soul in the matter of spiritual knowledge? You go to church perhaps; you hear the commandments read; you profess to believe and obey them: but do you really know the length and breadth of their requirements? Oh, beware of spiritual ignorance! It is possible to have eyes and yet not to see.”

To those who have ears to hear, may they hear and understand.

Soli deo Gloria!

John Charles Ryle (10 May 1816 – 10 June 1900) was an English evangelical Anglican bishop. He was the first Anglican bishop of Liverpool. He was a writer, pastor and an evangelical preacher. Among his longer works are Christian Leaders of the Eighteenth Century (1869), Expository Thoughts on the Gospels (7 vols, 1856–69), and Principles for Churchmen (1884).

For the next several days, His Word Today reprints Ryle’s essay of The Rich Young Man. Be edified and enjoy.

“READER, you have in these verses (Matt. 19:16-22) a conversation between our Lord Jesus Christ and a young man who came to Him to inquire about the way to eternal life. Like every conversation in the Gospels between our Lord and an individual, it deserves special attention. Salvation is a matter in which every one must act for himself. Everyone who wishes to be saved must have private personal dealings with Christ about his own soul.”Ry

You see, for one thing, from the case of this young man, that a person may have desires after salvation, and yet not be saved. Here is one who in a day of abounding unbelief comes of his own accord to Christ. He comes not to have a sickness healed; he comes not to plead about a child: he comes about his own soul. He opens the conference with the frank question, “Good Master, what good thing shall I do, that I may have eternal life?” Surely, you might have thought, “This is a promising case: this is no prejudiced ruler or Pharisee: this is a hopeful inquirer.”

Yet by and by this very young man “goes away sorrowful;”—and you never read a word to show that he was converted! Reader, you must never forget that good feelings alone in religion are not the grace of God. You may know the truth intellectually; you may often feel pricked in conscience; you may have religious affections awakened within your heart, have many anxieties about your soul, and shed many tears: but all this is not conversion. It is not the genuine, saving work of the Holy Ghost.

Unhappily this is not all that must be said on this point. Not only are good feelings alone not grace, but they are even positively dangerous, if you content yourselves with them, and do not act as well as feel. Actions often repeated produce a habit in man’s mind; feelings often indulged, without leading to actions, will finally exercise no influence at all. Reader, apply this lesson to your own state.

Perhaps you know what it is to feel religious fears, wishes, and desires. Beware that you do not rest in them. Never be satisfied till you have the witness of the Spirit in your heart that you are actually born again, and made a new creature. Never rest till you know that you have really repented, and laid hold on Jesus Christ and the hope set before you in the Gospel. It is good to feel; but it is far better to be converted.

Soli deo Gloria!

²⁵ “When the disciples heard this, they were greatly astonished, saying, “Who then can be saved?” ²⁶ But Jesus looked at them and said, “With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.” (Matthew 19:25–26 (ESV)

Jesus explained to His disciples the impossibility of anyone being justified before God on the basis of their own personal merit. The Scriptures thoroughly emphasize this truth (Isaiah 64:6; Jeremiah 17:9; Ezekiel 36:26-27; Romans 3:9-20; Galatians 2:15-16; Ephesians 2:1-3; Colossians 2:13-15).

Upon hearing Jesus say this, the disciples were greatly astonished. To be astonished (ἐκπλήσσω; ekplesso) means to be continually astounded and amazed. Another meaning is to be in a state of panic. The adjective greatly (σφόδρα; sphodra) means exceedingly and extremely. You have a group of people who did not like what they heard and understood Jesus to say.

They responded by asking, “Who then can be saved?” Saved (σῴζω; sozo) means to deliver. This was the right question to ask. This is one of the few times the disciples correctly grasped the significance and meaning of Jesus’ words. They may not have liked His words, but they understood them. They wondered who could be delivered from their sin?

Jesus’ reply echoed the theme of divine grace. “With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.” Impossible (ἀδύνατος; adynatos) refers to weakness, helplessness and powerlessness. Salvation is impossible for fallen man to achieve. However, salvation is not impossible with God. He can, and does, save people from the penalty, power and eventual presence of sin. He has the ability to do so.

John Calvin writes, “Christ does not extenuate the danger – though He perceives the terror which it excited in His disciples – but rather increases it. Though formerly he said only that it was difficult, He now affirms it to be impossible. He teaches them to rely on the grace of God alone.”

“The disciples were right to conclude that it is impossible, humanly speaking, for anyone—rich or poor—to be saved. But the transformation of the human heart is possible for the Lord. In today’s passage, then, we have a remarkably clear teaching from Christ on the necessity of divine grace. Without God’s grace, no sinner could ever be saved,” explains Dr. R. C. Sproul.

The only hope any sinner has is in the person and work of Jesus Christ alone, applied to individual by God’s sovereign grace alone, through faith, according to Scripture alone for the glory of God alone.

Soli deo Gloria!

²³ And Jesus said to his disciples, “Truly, I say to you, only with difficulty will a rich person enter the kingdom of heaven. ²⁴ Again I tell you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter the kingdom of God.” (Matthew 19:23–24 (ESV)

“If I were a rich man.” — Jerrold Lewis Bock / Sheldon M Harnick

“Baby, You’re a Rich Man.” – Lennon/McCartney

In the immediate aftermath of His discussion with the rich, young ruler (Matt. 19:16-22), Jesus said to His disciples, ““Truly, I say to you, only with difficulty will a rich person enter the kingdom of heaven.”  The Lord invoked His own authority in the phrase, “I say to you.” The Lord had previously spoken about riches in Matthew 6:19-24.

The word difficulty (δυσκόλως; dyskolos) means hard to accomplish. Jesus did not say those who are wealthy cannot be converted. However, He did say that earthly riches can become a hard object to forsake for the LORD. Jesus compared it to the impossibility of a camel going through the eye of a needle.

“Our Savior’s proverb is similar to other Near Eastern sayings that vividly depict a near-impossible task. Other writings refer to “elephants,” but Jesus speaks of a “camel,” which, as the largest animal used in His culture, is naturally chosen for the illustration. Christ is also talking about the eye of a sewing needle, the tiniest opening known in ancient Palestine, and not, as some assert, a small gate through which a camel can indeed pass, albeit with great difficulty. Jesus often uses hyperbole (see also 23:24), and only a reference to a large animal having to pass through a sewing needle conveys the impossibility of salvation without God’s grace,” explains Dr. R. C. Sproul.

“The Lord clearly means that for a rich man in his own power to try to work or worm his way into the kingdom of God is impossible. So powerful is the hold which wealth has on the heart of the natural man! He is held fast by its bewitching charm, and is thereby prevented from obtaining the attitude of heart and mind necessary for entrance into God’s kingdom,” explains Dr. William Hendriksen.

⁶ “But godliness with contentment is great gain, ⁷ for we brought nothing into the world, and we cannot take anything out of the world. ⁸ But if we have food and clothing, with these we will be content. ⁹ But those who desire to be rich fall into temptation, into a snare, into many senseless and harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction. ¹⁰ For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evils. It is through this craving that some have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many pangs.” (1 Timothy 6:6–10 (ESV)

Earthly wealth, in Jesus’ day and in our own, is often cited as evidence of the Lord’s blessing. Therefore, the reasoning is the wealthy are assured of their salvation from God, while the poor are rejected. Jesus turned this perspective upside down.

John Calvin writes, “Riches do not, in their own nature, hinder us from following God; but, in consequence of the depravity of the human mind, it is scarcely possible for those who have so great abundance to avoid being intoxicated by them.”

Living in an affluent culture can impede our relationship with the Lord. Even if we do not have great wealth, our culture tempts us to believe the pursuit of wealth is the ultimate goal of life. May we never believe this lie.

Soli deo Gloria!

¹⁶ And behold, a man came up to him, saying, “Teacher, what good deed must I do to have eternal life?” ¹⁷ And he said to him, “Why do you ask me about what is good? There is only one who is good. If you would enter life, keep the commandments.” ¹⁸ He said to him, “Which ones?” And Jesus said, “You shall not murder, You shall not commit adultery, You shall not steal, You shall not bear false witness, ¹⁹ Honor your father and mother, and, You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” ²⁰ The young man said to him, “All these I have kept. What do I still lack?” ²¹ Jesus said to him, “If you would be perfect, go, sell what you possess and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow me.” ²² When the young man heard this he went away sorrowful, for he had great possessions.” (Matthew 19:16–22 (ESV)

A rich, young man approached Jesus one day. He asked Jesus a question. It was “Teacher, what good deed must I do to have eternal life?” The young individual possessed a mistaken perspective. He thought eternal life was the result of him performing some good deed, favor, or moral act. In his mind, eternal life was the result of his own personal achievement.

Jesus’ response to the young man directed him to a greater principle and purpose. And he said to him, “Why do you ask me about what is good? There is only one who is good. If you would enter life, keep the commandments.”

The rich, young man asked another question regarding the commandments. He was direct and confident. “Which ones? Jesus focused on the second tier of God’s moral commandments. They dealt with man and his relationship to his fellow man.  And Jesus said, “You shall not murder, You shall not commit adultery, You shall not steal, You shall not bear false witness, ¹⁹ Honor your father and mother, and, You shall love your neighbor as yourself.”

The rich, young man again responded directly and confidently. “All these I have kept. What do I still lack?” However, there remained a nagging doubt about his standing with God and the acquisition of eternal life. So it is with everyone who bases eternal life on their self-righteous works. It is an impossible task prompted by an impossible dream.

Jesus proposed a final requirement for attaining eternal life. Jesus said to him, “If you would be perfect, go, sell what you possess and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow me.” ²² When the young man heard this he went away sorrowful, for he had great possessions.”

Jesus told the young man that he needed to forsake everything he trusted in for happiness, contentment and purpose and trust, commit, depend and worship the Lord alone. This is the essence of eternal life; not only in future but also in the present.

The rich, young ruler would not do this. This standard was too high and unattainable for him. His real love were his possession and not the Lord God. He worshiped wealth and rejected the greatest treasure he could ever possess (Matt. 6:19-24).

John Calvin wrote, “The heart and mind of main is a perpetual forge of idols.”

“The human mind, stuffed as it is with presumptuous rashness, dares to imagine a god suited to its own capacity as it labors under dullness; nay, is sunk in the grossest ignorance. I substitutes vanity and an empty phantom in the place of God. To these evils, another is added. The god who man has thus conceived inwardly attempts to embody outwardly. The mind, in this way, conceives the idol, and the hand gives it birth,” explains one Bible commentator.

“Wealth does not interfere with everyone’s discipleship (Gen. 13:2; Luke 8:1–3), and not everyone needs to sell all his possessions. Nor are the poor inevitably “better Christians” than the wealthy. Yet riches stood between this man and Christ; thus, he had to surrender his money. Likewise, we all must abandon idols (14:25–33; 1 John 5:21),” explains Dr. R. C. Sproul.

“Will we cling to that which keeps us from full commitment to Jesus, or will we surrender all that we have to the Lord?”

1 Corinthians 10:14 (ESV) – “Therefore, my beloved, flee from idolatry.”

Will we? Will you? Will I?

Soli deo Gloria!

⁷ “They said to him, “Why then did Moses command one to give a certificate of divorce and to send her away?” ⁸ He said to them, “Because of your hardness of heart Moses allowed you to divorce your wives, but from the beginning it was not so. (Matthew 19:7–8 (ESV)

“It is one thing to say to a man, ‘If you don’t like your wife, go right ahead and divorce her.’ It is an entirely different matter to say, ‘If you are convinced that you have a good reason to reject your wife, you must at least provide her with a bill of divorce.’ Besides, you better carefully consider what you are about to do; for if you subsequently regret what you have done it may very well be impossible for you to regain what you have lost.” – Dr. William Hendriksen

The Pharisees’ question to Jesus concerning divorce did not cease with His initial answer (Matt. 19:3-6). They did not respond with silence, but rather with a follow-up question. “Why then did Moses command one to give a certificate of divorce and to send her away?”

The Pharisees referred to Deuteronomy 24:1-4. As usual, they did not properly interpret the Old Testament text. Jesus responded by saying, ““Because of your hardness of heart Moses allowed you to divorce your wives, but from the beginning it was not so.”  

Jesus made an important observation. Moses did not command people to get a divorce for any and all reasons. Rather, he allowed them to do so within specific guidelines within the Law of God. The word allowed (ἐπιτρέπω; epitrepo) means to permit or to give permission.

The only reason Jesu gave for this permission was because of the hardness of the people’s heart; their thinking, emotions and will. Hardness of heart (σκληροκαρδία; sklerokardia) means to be completely unyielding and stubborn. This supports the fact that divorce is only a last resort response to hard-heartedness between couples.

“Moses had done everything in his power to discourage divorce. It was only because of the stubbornness of the people that Moses had made a concession! In this concession of Deut. 24 the Pharisees are far more interested than in the institution of Gen. 1:27; 2:24. So Jesus points back once more to the original marriage ordinance, that is, to the way it had been “from the beginning,” explains Dr. William Hendriksen.

Malachi 2:13–16 (NASB95) says, ¹³ “This is another thing you do: you cover the altar of the Lord with tears, with weeping and with groaning, because He no longer regards the offering or accepts it with favor from your hand. ¹⁴ “Yet you say, ‘For what reason?’ Because the Lord has been a witness between you and the wife of your youth, against whom you have dealt treacherously, though she is your companion and your wife by covenant. ¹⁵ “But not one has done so who has a remnant of the Spirit. And what did that one do while he was seeking a godly offspring? Take heed then to your spirit, and let no one deal treacherously against the wife of your youth. ¹⁶ “For I hate divorce,” says the Lord, the God of Israel, “and him who covers his garment with wrong,” says the Lord of hosts. “So take heed to your spirit that you do not deal treacherously.”

Let all of us who have understanding apply God’s Word in our minds, emotions and wills. Have a blessed day in the Lord.

Soli deo Gloria!