“And behold, a lawyer stood up to put him to the test, saying, ‘Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?’” – Luke 10:25
This is the question at the heart of every human religion. What must we DO to please God (or the gods), to be forgiven for whatever we’ve done wrong, and to enter into eternal life or avoid eternal punishment? Every human religion offers a different answer about what we should DO. Perhaps there are five pillars to try and get on God’s good side. Perhaps hard work is necessary. Perhaps courage in battle. Perhaps living a virtuous life. Perhaps emptying one’s mind or heart or life of attachments.
Jesus is emphatic that the question itself is wrong! Salvation isn’t about what we do because we, who are imperfect, can never do enough to enter the perfection of God’s heaven. We can’t DO anything to earn or inherit eternal life! Jesus DID everything necessary when He sacrificed His perfect life on the cross, died, and rose from the dead. All that’s required for your salvation and eternal life is to BELIEVE. Believe in the risen Lord Jesus and repent of your sins.
Humans naturally like to try and DO things to save ourselves. We like to be in control. We don’t like to be in debt to anyone. We want to be masters of our own fate. We can’t be! Any religion that says otherwise is a false one created by humans in our image. Reject the demand to DO and embrace the invitation of Jesus to BELIEVE. Love God. Love neighbor. Believe in Jesus. #FollowJesus