All Things Are Possible

 DEVOTION

THE GOSPEL ACCORDING TO MATTHEW

ALL THINGS ARE POSSIBLE

Matt 19:25-26

25 When the disciples heard this, they were greatly astonished and asked, "Who then can be saved?" 26 Jesus looked at them and said, "With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible." 

 NIV

Page two, the rest of the story. Jesus had just said that it is impossible for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven, using the illustration of a camel passing through the eye of a sewing needle. We have problems getting a tread to pass through that little eye and it is without a doubt that it is impossible for a camel to get through it. Now his disciples were greatly astonished, or vehemently astonished as a more wooden translation, and asked in so many words, “Well then, who then can be saved?” This could mean they were questioning their own salvation, although it is doubtful, they were as rich as that young man. Still, the idea strikes them that there are some qualifiers as to who can be saved and that could put them in jeopardy, as Peter makes that comment which we will get to. First, we need to ponder on what Jesus said. In a nutshell, Jesus was saying that salvation is not up to man, that is impossible. There is nothing a man can do to earn salvation. There is no way we can save ourselves. Not any amount of keeping the law or following all the commands of God perfectly will earn us the right into the kingdom of heaven. It is by faith that we are saved, least any one of us should boast. It would be impossible for us to stand around in the kingdom of heaven and say, “I got here because I did this”, “Well I got here because I did this and that, so you shouldn’t be here, because I did more than you” That is just so foolish on so many levels, it cannot even be considered. Even when we do things, such as serving others, or administrating or giving as an example, they are gifts of the Spirit being manifested in us and are not of our human flesh. This also applies to the fruit of the Spirit, those qualities are not from our humanness, but from the Spirit working within us, least we boast about our abilities or traits. We have heard people give some honor or credit or praise for doing things within the church, or being a certain way, like saying, “He or She is such a good person because they do so much”. No, we cannot take the credit for whatever, for it is the Spirit working in and through us. What good can any of us really do? Even our faith is a gift of God, for he gives every man a measure of faith, as Paul says in his letter to the Romans. That is why Jesus says that with God all things are possible. It is God and God alone who saves people, and it is up to him how people are saved and that is only through faith in Jesus. Therefore, any man, whether he is rich, poor, highly educated, or simple-minded, tall, short, fat, skinny, whatever nationality, race, or creed, can be saved through faith in Jesus Christ. God can do anything and everything at any time and any place he desires. This gives us so much peace of mind, and security to know it is all up to God, that we cannot be held accountable or are responsible for our salvation because of what we do or do not do, other than having faith in Jesus. That is the one and the only qualification for our salvation and that is based on what God did for us because he loves us, not only us, but the whole world, all people are his creation.