Today we read about the two ways to gain eternal life. Yes, two ways. Before you throw rocks, hear me out. There are clearly two ways in Scripture which are revealed which will lead us to eternal life.
Way 1: Live a righteous life before God keeping his commands and decrees, trusting that his commands are good and right. Indeed, if we do this we will be perfect and we will enter life. This is not my opinion. This is what Jesus says in Matthew 19.17. This is a way to eternal life and blessing. It will work for everyone who does it, bar none. Nobody is prohibited from keeping God's commands and decrees, trusting that his commands are good and right.
Way 2: Live a life of humility before God, trusting that his commands are good and right and that they have been fulfilled in Christ, who forgives us when we sin against God and when we confess our distrust in him. Jesus summarizes this now in Matthew 19.26. It's impossible with man, but possible in God's will. Our Lord has kept the decrees of God on our behalf. We trust in his righteous ability to keep those commands and to fulfill all things, and that he has done it for us.
Two ways. Go ahead, choose one. In way #1, we have to earn our own merit before God. We have no recourse when we fail. There is no repentance. There is no forgiveness. One strike and you are out. There is no second or third strike in this game. In way #2 we have repentance for our sin. We have forgiveness in Christ. We have a perfect Lord who has already overcome the world.
I think we'd better stick with way #2, don't you?
Now you can throw rocks if you disagree.
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