Walking away from Jesus Unsaved

Walking away from Jesus Unsaved
Friday, January 03, 2020
by Dr. Paul Chappell

“The young man saith unto him, All these things have I kept from my youth up: what lack I yet? Jesus said unto him, If thou wilt be perfect, go and sell that thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come and follow me. But when the young man heard that saying, he went away sorrowful: for he had great possessions.”

Matthew 19:20–22

After finishing his education for the ministry, John Wesley was ordained by the Anglican Church. He went to the young colony of Georgia in response to a request from the founder, James Oglethorpe, to preach to the people and do missionary work among the Indians. His brief ministry there ended in failure, and he returned to England. After ten years of doing Christian work without much success, Wesley recognized the problem as he attended a service at Aldersgate. He realized that though he had the outward form of Christianity, he had never been truly converted himself. Later Wesley would write, “Having plenty of things and in the midst of amiable friends, still I was not happy. The reason certainly was, I did not know God, the source of present as well as eternal happiness.”

Knowing the truth does not take us to Heaven. Being able to recite Scripture and regularly attending church does not take us to Heaven. Doing good things for others and serving in a church does not take us to Heaven. The only way of salvation is by grace through faith in Christ alone. Some people, like the rich young man who came to Jesus seeking the way to eternal life, understand what is required for salvation, but are not willing to do it. Instead they cling to what they have, unwilling to give it up in exchange for a gift of salvation freely offered from Jesus, and as a result, remain unsaved.

Today's Growth Principle:
Unless we personally accept Christ’s gift of salvation, we are hopelessly lost no matter how much good we may do.