Impossible

DEVOTION

THE GOSPEL OF LUKE

IMPOSSIBLE

Luke 18:26-27

26 Those who heard this asked, "Who then can be saved?" 27 Jesus replied, "What is impossible with men is possible with God." 

NIV

This question is in response to what Jesus said about how difficult it is for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God. Of course they understood he was referring to those who sought after the riches of this world instead of seeking first the kingdom of God, at least it would seem so, as they asked who then, which one of us, can be saved. This could not mean all those who heard this were as rich as the ruler was, but it could certainly mean they were indeed chasing after the things of the world, at least many of them. We are going to hear Peter tell him he and some of the other disciples had left everything to follow him, but for now we are dealing with those who asked this question and it would have to be some other than Peter and the disciples. Jesus responsed with an enormous truth. The fact is it impossible for any man to save himself. There is nothing at all, totally impossible for us to do or say anything that would allow us to enter the kingdom of God. Now we are saved by faith, faith in Jesus Christ, faith in what he did on that cross, paying our debt for sin, satisfying the justice of God. It was God who did everything in order for us to enter the kingdom of God. We simply have to accept what he did for us. We cannot buy it, we cannot earn it, nor can we repay him for it as it if a free gift. It is that simple, God did it all and we just need to accept it by faith. In addition, because this is a response to the question which is in response to how difficult it is to be saved, if we are chasing after the things of the world, we need not to chase after them, but we do need to follow Jesus. That is all we can do, follow Jesus. The rest of it is impossible.