Daily Devo
Remain Teachable
By: John Carrigan
Thursday, September 19, 2024
"...what must I do to inherit eternal life?” Luke 18:18
In Luke, a wealthy young man asked Jesus what he must do to be saved. Jesus reminded him that he knew the commandments, and the man replied, "I've kept them all." But Jesus saw straight through his answer as He peered into the man's heart. Jesus challenged the man to give up his wealth and become a disciple. It's sad, but the man was unwilling to do what Jesus required. Those who heard the man's encounter with Jesus wondered (and asked); "Who then can be saved?"
Jesus replied, “What is impossible with man is possible with God.” Luke 18:27
Whatever seems impossible to do on our own is always possible with God! The story of the rich young ruler reminds me of Abraham Lincoln's famous quote, "You can fool all the people some of the time, and some of the people all the time, but you cannot fool all the people all the time." Why? Because I think some of those people thought that ruler was very successful. Perhaps some of them idolized their money, but thought they were "fooling God" with religious rituals and external obedience. Many in our world have their spiritual priorities backwards, and think they are fooling everyone by sinning in secret. But know this; God's Word says no one can ever fool Him!
Sometimes, it seems hard to live the lifestyle of a leader Paul describes to Timothy in 1 Timothy 3. None of us can meet that standard 100% of the time, but God is faithful to forgive us when we fall short. Keeping our pride in check and having an attitude of humility keeps our hearts soft and teachable. When we mess up, we must repent and confess our failures to the Lord. When we do, He will cleanse us from all unrighteousness (1 John 1:9).
But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against these things! Galatians 5:22-23 (NLT)
The Lord gives us clear instructions for successfully living, but as that young ruler discovered, it requires us to put God above everything! A great way to obey His commands is by exhibiting the fruits of the Spirit found in Galatians 5:22-23. In our own power that too might seem impossible, but the Holy Spirit will equip and empower us to do it! By the way, it would be nice if more people in our world exhibited God's character instead of being characters!
Next time you mess up, fess up! Then repent and ask the Lord for forgiveness.