Luke 10:25-26

Luke chapter 10, I want to read verses 25 through 28 this morning. In particular, we’re going to look at verses 25 and 26. And behold, a certain lawyer stood up and tempted him, saying, Master, what shall I do to inherit eternal life? And he said unto him, what is written in the Lord? law. How readest thou? And he, answering, said, thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart and with all thy soul, and with all thy strength, and with all thy mind, and thy neighbor as thyself. And he said unto him, thou hast answered right, this do, and thou shalt live. and God bless to us is sacred and holy word this morning. In Pilgrim’s progress, Bunyan pictures Christina is saying to her friend Mercy, what was that matter that you did laugh about in your sleep last night? And Mercy said, are you sure that I laughed? And she said, yes, you laughed in your sleep last night. And Mercy said she laughed because she was welcomed into heaven and she enjoyed eternal life. So she was happy with joy about that. Christina said, laugh, ah well, you might to see yourself so well. For us to have eternal life is certainly a joyous thing to know. There’s a wonderful peace that you possess when you know that you know that you know that you have eternal life. who would not wish to know when they died today thou shalt be with Christ in paradise. This story that we have here in the gospel of Luke in our text is only found in the gospel of Luke. Now it’s interesting that Matthew and Mark have a story that’s similar to this story, but has different characters that are involved in. But the same type of question is sort of ask and answer in those passages as well. But here you find Christ having a discourse with a lawyer. Now, for us who are Americans, we have to think about this a minute. In our society today, we think about a lawyer. We think someone who goes to court and argues cases. But in this time period, normally a lawyer, not always, but normally a lawyer in a religious realm is someone who studies the law, a scribe who perhaps writes it out. They’re well versed in the law of God. This is their life’s long work that they spend the time in the law. And so in scripture, an expert in the law of God is called a lawyer. Now we don’t know who this man was. Perhaps you heard Christ speak at one of the synagogues, but he rises up here to ask Christ a question. An important question. How do you inherit eternal life is the question that we want to look at this morning. What should you do to inherit eternal life? Verse 25. We read, and behold, a certain lawyer stood up and tempted him saying, Master, what shall I do to inherit? Eternal life. Now, is this such an important question? It deserves your careful attention. This is not a trivial question. Every man and woman and child ought to know the answer to this question. Sin is one of the most terrible facts of human existence. For all have sin, the Bible says, and comes short of the glory of God, which indicates our standing before God. Being fallen in Adam, you find yourself incapable of living up to the holy standards of God’s law, the Ten Commandments. We went through the Ten Commandments and evaluated them, and asked, and if you looked at it yourself and said, did I violate this commandant, did I violate this? I remember when I was younger, I thought, well, I didn’t do this. I didn’t murder anybody. I didn’t do it. But then I didn’t remember Christ’s teaching in the Sermon of the Mount that there was a spirit. spiritual implication to the law that if I was unjustly angered, angry with somebody, that I was guilty. Well, I was certainly guilty of that. And there are many times I think I was unjustly angry with people when I was growing up. So here we are, we are. We evaluate ourselves, and we see we don’t meet God’s standard. And so we’re alienated from God. We’re under God’s righteous wrath. we deserve to be cast into hellthar. That’s our situation. So the question that we need answered is this. Is there any way to be reconciled with God? Is there any way to be forgiven of our sin? Is there any way for us to be able to enjoy eternal life? And end up in heaven. Now, I don’t know if this lawyer fully appreciated man’s dire condition. The least he knows he needs eternal life. Like many today, this lawyer probably doesn’t grasp the degree of man’s depravity and the absolute hopelessness of man’s condition. But I’ve laid before you the biblical facts so that you may know what is involved here with this idea of obtaining eternal life. Now, Acts 16 that Russell read this morning, in the New Testament. With the Philippian jailer who asked a very similar question of Paul and Silas, who were in prison for preaching the gospel, for actually casting out a demon from someone. And he came in and said, what must I do to be saved? Same thing. How am I going to end up in heaven? How can I have my sins forgiven? How can I have eternal life? The word, what shall I do there, doesn’t necessarily imply he was trying to merit it. I don’t think Paul and Silas’ answer indicates that. I think they took it in the sense is, how can I be made acceptable before God? How can I have forgiveness of sins? And so the Apostles’ answer here is very important, and I think we have pay attention to it. Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saying. It adds in my house, and then they preach the gospel to everybody in the house. For the wages of sin is death, the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ, our Lord. Now, friends, death, not only physically dying, but eternal death, is something you earn. It’s a way, our sins are like wages. We earn it. We get what we deserve if we’re cast into hell. But notice the contrast. Eternal life is a free gift of God’s grace. You don’t earn it. You don’t merit it. It’s given to you freely. It comes by way of Christ sacrificial death. For he tells us here, it’s eternal life through Jesus Christ, our Lord. It’s through Christ that we have eternal life. He became the substitute for sinners. He bore the punishment. of God that was poured out upon those sins that were really ours, that we deserved to suffer. For all those who believe in Him, they have Christ as a substitute for them. So this important question deserves your careful attention. It’s raised in three of the four Gospels, and even in the book of Acts, something similar comes up. Secondly, you shouldn’t ask this question with an evil purpose. This was not an honest question. The Bible tells us he asked this question for the purpose of tempting Christ. Can you imagine that? The motive of this lawyer was evidently not right here. He was not asking Christ this question to learn the truth, but to provoke Christ into saying something by which he could be condemned. He wished to expose Christ to the ridicule of the people, to turn people away from him. How sinful it is to speak of the things of God without an honest motive, with a sinister purpose, as we see here. Now, the scripture warns about tempting Christ. Remember the Israelites were guilty of tempting Christ in the wilderness. We read about in 1 Corinthians chapter 10, verse 9. For Paul tells the church at Corinth, neither let us tempt Christ as some of them also tempted and were destroyed to the serpents, the fiery serpents that God said. What happened in the wilderness? The people spoke against God and against Moses. this. Complaining of God’s provision for them, our soul to loathe this light bread, this manna. Remember God how he rained down manna every day for them. Every morning, it would be there when they woke up. They just had to go out and gather it so they could have something eat, except for on the Sabbath day when you didn’t want them to go out and work. And so you would think they’d be grateful, but they were not. Now, Christ is said to be the angel of the covenant or the messenger of the covenant who led the Israelites through the wilderness. So this complaint was not just against Moses, but it was against Christ. It’s very specifically told us here, which is one of the reasons we should see that Christ is indeed the angel of the covenant that’s mentioned. People have said, wherefore have you brought us out of Egypt to die in the wilderness? This was opposing Christ. This was subjecting him to ridicule. This was turning people away from him. This was tempting him. And the Lord sent the fiery serpents among the people whose poisonous venom caused many of them to die. And remember how Moses had to set up the brazen serpent in the wilderness and all who looked in faith were healed. And you remember John chapter 3 where Jesus tells Nicodemus as the serpent was raised up in the wilderness, so I must be lifted up. And he, in a sense, is portrayed in this lifting up of the serpent and looking on him in faith. The Corinthians could be guilty then. at murmuring and complaining against Christ’s provision. Speaking against Christ and subjecting him to ridicule and by their influence leading others to do likewise. Peter condemned those at the Jerusalem Council who said you can’t be saved by faith alone in Christ. Do you remember that? The Judaizers? They said you had to be circumcised. you had to be brought under the law of Moses in order to be saved. And what did Peter say? Now therefore, why tempt ye God to put a yoke upon the neck of the disciples which neither our fathers nor we are able to bear? This was opposing Christ. This was opposing Christ’s work. There wasn’t enough. But as he went on to say, we believe that through the grace of our Lord Jesus, Christ, we Jews shall be saved, even as they, the Gentiles are going to be saved. Acts 1511. We have to be careful to go through this life that we’re not questioning Christ lest we question with the wrong spirit and tempt Christ. You shouldn’t ask this question with an evil purpose. Thirdly, he ever considered what you must do to inherit eternal life? Sadly, I think few people ever give any thought to this important question. You are concerned about your daily provisions. And most people may even be praying about their food and their drink and their clothing and their shelter and their job, things of this nature. The earthly things. Those are given top priority. Certainly that we would have all the earthly pleasures and enjoyments we would like to have. what about the salvation of your soul? Shouldn’t this be the thing that takes top priority in our lives? Does it in your life. How do you know how eternal life is obtained? Listen carefully to what the scripture says in 1 John 5, 11, and 12. This is the record that God has given to us eternal life and this life is in his son. He that hath the son hath life. He that hath not the son, have not life. That’s about as simple as you can put it. Eternal life is found in Christ and Christ alone. What should you do to inherit eternal life? Well, obviously we need Christ to inherit eternal life. Now secondly, The answer to obtaining eternal life should be sought from the scripture. Those verse 26. And he said on him, what is written in the law? How read his stuff? While here, he had his law. He has a lawyer. He has someone who is an expert in the law. He didn’t ask a fisherman in this question, but he asked the lawyer. Okay, you’re an expert in the law. How do you read it? What does it say? Your only rule of faith and practice is the Holy Scriptures. Did you see this? Do you see how Christ answers this question? Now, this lawyer was certainly a student and expounder law, well acquainted with at least the letter of the law. So Jesus says, okay, tell me what’s written in there. What does it say? And this is a key point. This is worthy of our attention. The scriptures are the sole rule of our faith and practice. What sayeth the scriptures? You want to an answer to these very important and ponderous questions about eternal life, the only answer that is worthy of finding is one is found in the Word of God. To the law and to the testimony, if they speak not according to this word, is because there is no light in them. Isaiah 8.20. Now notice what Jesus didn’t say in answer to this question. He didn’t reply. Well, what does the synagogue teach about obtaining eternal life? What does the church say? He didn’t ask that question. What do the Jewish religious leaders think? He didn’t ask that question either. The scribes are the Pharisees, the priests. What do they think? What has been historically taught by the ancient rabbis? What is the tradition of the elders of Israel? You didn’t ask that question either, did he? No, Jesus didn’t care a hoot about what men thought about obtaining eternal life. He just only cares about what God says about eternal life. I hope you take that to heart this morning. This is a fundamental rule to fix in your mind. There was a little boy who saw his father planing wood and then he would get the carpenter square up and he out and he would check the plane job and see if it was straight. Why are you so careful, Daddy? asked the boy. And his father replied, well, you can’t guess in carpenters of work. You have to be precise. This square is the standard by which everything can be tested to see whether it’s straight or crooked. Friends, the Bible is the square by which every teaching can be tested to see whether it is true or whether it is false. Refuse to allow your conscience to be bound by anything except the infallible word of God itself. Your only rule of faith in practice must be the scriptures. Friends, there is no other reliable guide. beside the scriptures. The Roman Catholic Church maintains that official teachings are the infallible guide for the people. When the Pope speaks officially, all controversies are supposedly then settled by this infallible guide. The only thing they don’t explain to us is when popes contradict one another then why. When the Pope proclaimed the doctrine of the assumption of Mary, all the only thing they don’t explain the doctrine. All Catholics were duty-bound to believe it. The problem is the popes have declared many doctrines. Transubstantiation, auricular confession, purgatory, the worship of Mary. You can’t find warrant for any of these doctrines in the scriptures. Indeed, many practices. of the Roman Catholic Church are directly contradicted by the scriptures. For example, their use of images, idols in worship, directly contradicted. Only by the Ten Commandments, by the New Testament teaching. The old children, keep yourselves from idols. Now, I have to say, we can’t just pick on the Roman Catholic Church this one. The PCA or the PCA Synod had recently allowed homosexual men to be pastors in their denomination utterly opposed by the clear teaching of Scripture. If these men are given over to a reprobate mind, what would they be doing in the ministry? Luther, in his defense before the Roman Catholic leadership in the Leipzig debate, 1519, declared the absolute authority of the Word of God. Here’s what he said. A simple layman armed with Scripture is to be believed above a pope or a council without it. Now that is a powerful statement, isn’t it? You, the common average Joe, Mr. Christian, without a Bible in your hand, are more powerful than any pope or any church council doesn’t use the word of God for their doctrine or position. And he says this. As for the Pope’s decreed on indulgences, I say neither the church nor the Pope can establishes. articles of faith, these must come from the scriptures. And he’s right. So here is the value then of the scriptures. In the scriptures, you have a complete revelation of everything you need for the Christian life. The Bible says that these things are not to be supplemented by any so-called truth drawn from some other sorts. According as His Divine Power has given us all things, all things that pertain unto life and Godliness. 2. Peter 1.3. Jesus said in the New Testament John 1717, he said, Thy Word is truth. He didn’t say there was truth anywhere else to be found. Thy word is true. My friend, the different passages of Scripture are mutually important. They supplement. met one another. They explain one another. So the infallible rule of interpreting scripture is this. Scripture interprets scripture. If we don’t know what one scripture means, we look at other scriptures that are similar and come to a conclusion. Putting them all together. It’s of great value, friends, to have a written record of scripture. of God’s truth. Friends, can you imagine what it would be like if we had to rely on oral tradition for our doctrine? That somehow rather divine truth could be passed from one generation to another without being subjected to alteration or corruption? I think I was in fourth grade and we tried just experiment in class where the teacher whispered something in the ear of the first person and the front of the class and it was supposed to be passed from each student all way to the back of the class and I was a W so I was near the end. There was a couple Zs so they had to give it. But what she told the first student is not what the last student said. There was a lot lost there and it wasn’t, you know, it wasn’t the whole generation. It was a lot lost and within, you know, 10 minutes or five minutes it took to go through the class. People can’t orally transmit the truth without somehow getting it corrupted and so we see the danger here in that. Heaven and earth may pass away but not one jot or till of God’s word is going to pass it abides forever. And it’s providentially guarded by our Lord. So the scriptures plainly teach the way of salvation and the way of eternal life. We shouldn’t miss that. It’s pretty awesome. and blatant if you read the scriptures. Christ’s words here imply that the scriptures, think about this, even the law, this is the law say about eternal life. Even the law provides the answer, what must they do to inherit eternal life? Listen to Paul’s words to Timothy in 2 Timothy 315, and that from a child thou hast known the Holy Scriptures, they only had the Old Testament, from a child you have known the whole Holy Scriptures which are able to make thee wise unto salvation through faith, which is in Christ Jesus. With this in mind, then, you ought to be reading and studying the Word of God. What or how readest thou? What is written the law? How do you read it? This implies our duty to read and study what God says in his law, in his word. prayerfully read the Word of God asking God to open your understanding to its teaching study the Word of God that you may rightly divide it and know it’s teaching Hide your word in your heart His word in your heart that you might not sin against the Lord So read and study all the scriptures Every book of the Bible has been given to you for its For a purpose it has a value and use In your Christian life. All scripture is given by inspiration of God and is profitable for us. I know there are those who read the Song of Solomon and they don’t see anything more in that than Solomon and Pharaoh’s daughter. My friends, it’s got to be more than that in there for us to be benefited spiritually and for it to be profitable to us. It’s by Christ in the church. Even those things that are so dry in the Lord, of God with regard to the building of the various Ark and the Ark of the Covenant and the table showbread and the bronze altar and all these things and all the dimensions and all this we can get lost in all the detail but the point is all these things point to us the work of Christ in some way or fashion either as a high priest or as the sacrifice himself Look for Christ everywhere in Scripture for He is in the Lord law. He’s in the Psalms. He’s in the prophets as well as he’s in the New Testament. Consider the difference between a strong and a weak cup of tea. The same ingredients water and tea are used for both. It’s how long you steep the tea. Whether it’s going to be a strong cup or weak. How long do you leave the tea bag in the water? You leave it in longer, it gets stronger. You leave it in for a short time. It’s weaker in taste. and so my friends I suggest to you in the same way the length of time you spend in God’s word makes a difference and whether you’re strong in the word or weak in the Word of God just like tea the longer you’re there the strong you get Well friends mercy left because she dreamed she was going to be welcomed into heaven and she had eternal life that’s a wonderful thing joyful thing to know. It’s a great source of peace when you know you have eternal life. It’s an important subject and if you take time to consider it. You can, how can you possess eternal life? Well, the first thing I tell you is don’t go to the church, don’t go to religious leaders, don’t go to the ancient fathers, go to the Word of God itself. What does it tell you? because if they don’t speak according to this word, there’s no light in them at all. So it all comes back to the scriptures, what the scriptures say. So this is the first thing we have to do when we look at this text. Before we get to the answer and the things that Jesus says and this rich man says, we need to understand where Jesus is leading this man. So let’s start with this idea of the scriptures are where we start to find the answer to questions such as where to where to where. we have eternal life? What must we do to happen? Let’s close.