Faith

Faith

Luke’s Gospel records,

“Jesus looked at him and said, "How hard it is for the rich to enter the kingdom of God!  

Indeed, 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." 

Those who heard this asked, "Who then can be saved?" 

Jesus replied, "What is impossible with men is possible with God." Luke 18:24-27.

One commentary I read on this noted that many in the day of Jesus thought that the rich would get into heaven more easily than the poor. The thinking being the rich were blessed of God and the poor not so. 

Some calling themselves Christians even today say if you are not healthy and wealthy you are sinning and therefore cannot enter heaven.

Nothing could be further from the truth. The apostle Paul writes,

“For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—  not by works, so that no one can boast.” Ephesians 2:8,9.

In the book of Hebrews we read,

“And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.” Hebrews 11:6

Scripture is filled with accounts of the poor getting to heaven. The parable Jesus tells of the rich man and Lazarus (Luke 16:19-31) being an example.

In the eleventh chapter of Hebrews the writer tells us of great men and women of God who were all saved by their faith, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Sarah.

Getting to heaven has nothing to do with the size of your bank account. Quite the contrary while there is nothing wrong with being rich it can have its down sides. The apostle Paul writing,

“For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs.” 1 Timothy 6:10.

It’s when your money or anything else for that matter comes before God that there’s a problem.

Jesus speaking to the Samaritan woman states,

“God is spirit, and his worshippers must worship in spirit and in truth.”John 4:23.

Do you? 

Do you worship God in spirit and in truth?

Please think about it.