In a Nutshell II
Eternal Life in a Nutshell
Matthew 5:48
48 You must be perfect—just as your Father in heaven is perfect.
- To be perfect is to be like God
- God expects all his children to become perfect, so perfection is possible
- Humans cannot make you perfect
- Your Pastor cannot make you perfect
- Your Evangelist, Prophet, Teachers, Apostle, Parents, Angels, etc do not have what it takes to make perfect
- Following the laws only makes you human, not perfect
- They are to bring you to the point where you are human and help you establish a living fellowship with the Father
- To be perfect, man has to walk with God
- It is personal, not social
- Only God can make a man perfect, and that is why God has placed his Spirit in you, it is by taking steps with God directly, that one obtains Eternal Life
- Eternal life is God's way of life
John 17:3
3 Now this is eternal life: that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent.
Matthew 19:16-22
16 Now behold, one came and said to Him, “Good Teacher, what good thing shall I do that I may have eternal life?”
17 So He said to him, “Why do you call Me good? No one is good but One, that is, God. But if you want to enter into life, keep the commandments.”
18 He said to Him, “Which ones?”
Jesus said, “‘You shall not murder,’ ‘You shall not commit adultery,’ ‘You shall not steal,’ ‘You shall not bear false witness,’ 19 ‘Honor your father and your mother,’ and, ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ ”
20 The young man said to Him, “All these things I have kept from my youth. What do I still lack?”
21 Jesus said to him, “If you want to be perfect, go, sell what you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow Me.”
22 But when the young man heard that saying, he went away sorrowful, for he had great possessions.
The rich young ruler must follow three steps:
- Follow all the commandments
- Give all that he has to the poor
- Follow Christ (for it is by following and imitating God that a man becomes like God)