The Key to Heaven is Grammar!

Introduction

If you have your Bibles, please take them and find Luke 18:18.  I want to share a message with you entitled, “The Key to Heaven is Grammar!”

 

For some of you, that might scare you today.  However, it is actually not as complicated as you might think grammar to be.

 

Today’s text is composed of three conversations involving Jesus and others.  The first is a man who was depending on his own morality to get into heaven.  This is often called the story of the rich, young ruler.

 

 

1. A Request from a Rich Ruler, Luke 18:18-23

18 Now a certain ruler asked Him, saying, “Good Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?”  19 So Jesus said to him, “Why do you call Me good? No one is good but One, that is, God. 20 You know the commandments: ‘Do not commit adultery,’ ‘Do not murder,’ ‘Do not steal,’ ‘Do not bear false witness,’ ‘Honor your father and your mother.’ ”  21 And he said, “All these things I have kept from my youth.”  22 So when Jesus heard these things, He said to him, “You still lack one thing. Sell all that you have and distribute to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow Me.”  23 But when he heard this, he became very sorrowful, for he was very rich.

 

This story is found not only in Luke 18, but it also in Matthew 19 and Mark 10.  When we harmonize all three accounts, we find out that this man was a ruler who was young and rich.

 

In verse 18, we see his request.  He came to Jesus and asked, “What shall I do to inherit eternal life?”

 

In this verse, notice the word do. As it relates to grammar?  This verb is in the present tense.  Remember that for later. 

 

As the conversation unfolds, we see that this rich ruler know the Old Testament and was obedient to the Old Testament. 

 

As it relates to answer his question, Jesus pointed him to the Ten Commandments.  In summary, they were what we think of as commandments 5-9 that relate to our behavior toward others.   

 

BTW…After Jesus made a veiled declaration of His own deity, was He advocating works righteousness?  No, He was using the Law to show this man where he fell short. 

 

Again, verse 20 says he knew the Old Testament.  Verse 21 says he obeyed the Old Testament. 

 

After the young man said he had obeyed all those, Jesus had one more answer for him.  On the outside, the rich young ruler appeared to be righteous, and if anyone could have earned their way to heaven, it would have been him.

 

In verse 22, this first conversation ended in sorrow as Jesus challenged this rich ruler at his weakest point.  He indirectly challenged him with the first four commandments and then the last.

 

How was he challenged with first four?  It seemed that wealth was his God.

 

How was he challenged with the last?  He didn’t want to give up any and most likely wanted to acquire more. 

 

When Jesus asked him to turn from those sins and follow Him by leaving his money behind, he decided Jesus wasn’t worth it.  He left the conversation sorrowful for he was rich.

 

 

1. Clarification for a Confused Crowd, Luke 18:24-27

24 And when Jesus saw that he became very sorrowful, He said, “How hard it is for those who have riches to enter the kingdom of God! 25 For it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God.”  26 And those who heard it said, “Who then can be saved?”  27 But He said, “The things which are impossible with men are possible with God.”

 

When the rich ruler came to Jesus, evidently some of His disciples were close by.  They saw and heard all that transpired.  As a result, they were confused by what they had witnessed and now heard.

 

In verse 24, Jesus said it was hard for those who have riches to enter the kingdom of God.  In today’s story, the kingdom of God means heaven. 

 

He even compared it to a camel going through the eye of a needle.  As the camel was the largest animal they knew, it was more plausible for it to go through the eye of a needle than a rich man entering heaven. 

 

 

However, Jesus wasn’t saying that the wealthy couldn’t be saved, but it was going to be hard or difficult.  The crowd was confused.    

 

In the Jewish culture, the wealthy and rich were seen as having the blessings of God on their lives.  If God had blessed them in this life, why would it be hard for them to go to heaven? 

 

This crowd then asked if the wealthy can’t be saved, then who can be saved.  They needed clarification, and Jesus responded with the most important verse in today’s story.

 

In verse 27, He said with men it is impossible, but with God, all things are possible.  He was saying that it is impossible for any man or woman to earn salvation. 

 

It can’t be done.  It is impossible.  However, it is certainly possible to receive salvation from the author of salvation, and that is God.

 

The great thing about his verse is that not only does it apply to salvation, but it applies to all of life.  That is why I chose it for our verse of the year.

 

You may not be able to save your marriage, but God can.  You may not be able to bring your wayward child back, but God can.  You may not be able to reconcile your finances, but God can.

 

 

• Direction for a Discouraged Disciple, Luke 18:28-30

28 Then Peter said, “See, we have left all and followed You.”  29 So He said to them, “Assuredly, I say to you, there is no one who has left house or parents or brothers or wife or children, for the sake of the kingdom of God, 30 who shall not receive many times more in this present time, and in the age to come eternal life.”

 

Included in this confused crowd, was Peter, a discouraged disciple.  Notice what he said in 18:28, “We have left all and followed you.” 

 

Let me translate.  “We thought we were following you to be saved, but if the rich aren’t saved, then surely we aren’t saved, and now I have nothing.” 

 

Jesus reassured Peter with the direction found in verses 29-30.  He said you have left everything, and you will get back everything + when we get to heaven.

 

 

Conclusion

As I began, the key to heaven is grammar.  The rich ruler wanted to get to heaven by what he could do, present tense. 

 

You can only get to heaven by what Jesus did on the cross.  That is past tense. 

 

Receiving Jesus as your Lord and Savior and putting your trust in Him is the only way to be saved.  Morality can’t save.  Prosperity can’t save.  Sincerity can’t save. 

Generosity can’t save, and genealogy can’t save. 

 

For those who are truly saved, you will never regret following Jesus.  I have never one Christian who regretted giving his or her life to Jesus. 

 

I don’t think I have ever had a genuine follower of Christ say to me, “I’ve obeyed too many times,” or “I’ve attended church too much,” or “I’ve given too much money,” or “I’ve shared the gospel one too many times.” 

 

Jesus was absolutely right when He said to Peter that following Him is the greatest and most rewarding decision that you will ever make.  I agree and invite you today to do the same.