It is certainly tempting to become cynical about the claims of nutritionists when what is touted as being unhealthy one year is deemed healthy the next, or vice versa. Chicken eggs, once villains, are now good guys. Avocados were also once scorned due to their high fat content. Then it was discovered that some fats, like those in avocados, are very good for us.
Not only do we receive conflicting information year to year, but there are always so many “experts” contradicting one another.
Although the Law of Moses was given to the descendants of Israel sometime around 1440 B.C., God had already given the entire human race another Law that predated the Mosaic Law by at least 2,500 years—a Law that He wrote upon every human heart. To that Law He held every person accountable, and against that Law every person sinned, which is why people died from Adam until Moses. As Paul points out:
So death spread to all men, because all sinned—for until the Law [of Moses] sin was in the world; but sin is not imputed when there is no law. Nevertheless death reigned from Adam until Moses (Rom. 5:12b-14a).
Thanks to all for the feedback, as well as questions, which I received in response to last month’s e-teaching titled, Five Modern Myths About Jesus’ Conversation with the Rich Young Ruler. Over the next few months, I’ll address some of those questions. This month, I’d like to tackle the most common one, which could be paraphrased, “How does what you taught last month harmonize with the biblical doctrine of salvation by grace and not works?”
Allow me to begin by rephrasing that question to, “How does what Jesus said to the rich young ruler harmonize with the doctrine of salvation by grace and not works?” I didn’t write the Bible, and it wasn’t me who had a conversation with that rich ruler 2,000 years ago. All I did last month is take Jesus at His word, something that consequently exposes the myths so commonly believed relative to His conversation with the rich ruler.
I’m hoping to live to be 100. So far, so good! At 55, I’m more than half-way there—although statistics indicate that my chances of reaching my goal decrease annually. Since I’ve learned that there are currently 53,000 people in the United States who are over age 100, however, I know my dream is possible.
Why do I want to live to be 100? First, more years mean potentially more fruitfulness for God’s kingdom. Since God entrusts those who are faithful with more, then more years mean more opportunity to earn His trust, in hopes that He might grant more opportunities, responsibilities and spiritual gifts. More years also means more Bible study, prayer, experiences and mistakes, all of which means more wisdom. I could then help 55-year-olds avoid mid-life folly!
At the close of last month’s e-Teaching titled Lord, Please Bless This Poison, I promised that this month I would reveal a simple exercise for weight loss that requires very little effort and only requires seconds each day. So I’m going to keep good on my promise.
The secret to effortless weight loss is obviously something that interests many of us, judging from the numerous articles in supermarket magazines with titles such as, “Lose Ten Pounds in Ten Days…by Eating Twice as Much!” In the United States, the weight-loss industry is huge. In the quest to slim down, Americans annually spend $60 billion on diets and weight-loss programs.
Last month, we began to explore the degree of dispossession that Jesus expected of the rich ruler if he was to inherit eternal life. This is of interest to us, as I have shown that Jesus’ words to the rich ruler have undeniable application to every one of us, rather than uniquely to him, as is often thought.
This e-teaching is another follow-up to April’s e-teaching titled, Five Modern Myths about Jesus’ Conversation with the Rich Young Ruler. I would strongly encourage you not to read this e-teaching unless you’ve first read that one, otherwise you will likely be confused. In that e-teaching, I presented compelling biblical evidence that Jesus’ words to the rich ruler have application to all of us, contrary to what so many professing Christians think. I made a very strong case, and I wish that I could persuade every professing Christian in the world to read that e-teaching and the two that followed (The True Grace of God and All Christians Believe “Works” are Essential for Salvation), because neglecting the poor, according to Jesus, is a barricade to eternal life. If you are shocked by that statement, then I beg you to read Five Modern Myths about Jesus’ Conversation with the Rich Young Ruler.
This month I’d like to continue answering questions I received in response to my e-teaching from two months ago titled, Five Modern Myths About Jesus’ Conversation with the Rich Young Ruler.
Last month I answered the question, “How can we reconcile what Jesus required of the rich young ruler if he was to inherit eternal life with what the Bible teaches about salvation by grace and not works?” If you have not yet read that e-teaching titled, The True Grace of God, please do. You must understand that God’s grace is not unconditional, as is so commonly thought, but rather, conditional, in order to grasp what follows below.
I’ve often wondered what would happen if professing Christians would believe the plain and simple truths that are revealed in Jesus’ conversation with the rich young ruler. So in this eTeaching, I’d like to take an honest look at a story that God felt was significant enough to include in three of the four Gospels. Doing so exposes at least five widely-held (and spiritually-deadly) modern myths about the story. If you believe any one of those five myths, reading this short teaching could well be, without exaggeration, the most important thing you ever do. You be the judge of the truthfulness of my bold claim!
We’ve covered a lot of ground so far, and I’m glad you’re still with me. That’s a good sign. You know that your life is a journey to stand before Jesus, the Venture Capitalist before whom you will have to give an account of your time, talents and treasures. You understand that you are among the world’s wealthy elite, and “to whom much is given, much is required.” You are taking action to eliminate foolish debt, to self-dispossess, and to scale down in Disneyland so you can lay up treasure in heaven. You are an intelligent investor, leveraging your time and resources for maximum earthly gain. And you have long-range investment plans for the remainder of your life and on into eternity. Feel good! You are on the right track!
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