…“Then who can be saved?” But he said, “What is impossible with man is possible with God.”

Luke 18:26-27 ESV

Our salvation is supposed to be impossible for us. We’re not supposed to be able to do it.

What would salvation look like for the rich young ruler? It’s not God saying, “Okay, nevermind, I was being too demanding before.”

To be saved, he was going to have to give up His wealth. Why? He loved it. Christians need to fulfill the law, which is the law of love: love God, love others. We get no other loves. Jesus gave up His life for us. We give up our life for Him. We give Him everything. Some things He will take away. Some things He will sanctify and give back consecrated for His purposes.

He really had to give up His wealth to be saved. The good news isn’t that we can sin because we have forgiveness. The good news is that we’ve been saved from sin and its consequences.

With God it is possible for the ruler to give up His wealth joyfully. Whatever it is you don’t think you could give up or know you don’t want to and justify you don’t have to, those are exactly the things you must give up to God. Ask Him to take them away. Ask for help to hate them.

When we are fulfilling the law of love, we know we have salvation.