Solutions to stumbling blocks – The believer owns nothing on this earth; John 16:1; Mark 10:17-31.

Title: Solutions to stumbling blocks - The believer owns nothing on this earth; John 16:1; Mark 10:17-31.

 

THE CHRISTIANS. A new humanity appears on the earth with an incomparable new headship in the resurrected Christ, which Company is being formed by the regenerating power of the Spirit.

 

I am going to present you with a number of facts that you may already know, but I’m going to ask you not to so much learn them but to ask yourself how much you believe them, and faith has its result in the fruit of a prosperous soul.

 

In fact, all former distinctions are lost, those thus saved having come upon new ground where there is neither any earthly distinction, but where Christ is all in all (GAL 3:28; COL 3:11).

 

The New Testament also records that the individual Christian, being indwelt by Christ, now possesses eternal life and its hopeconfidence of glory (COL 1:27), and, being in Christ, is possessed with the perfect standing of Christ, since all that Christ is, even the righteousness of God, is imputed unto him.

 

 

The Christian is thus already constituted a heavenly citizen (Phil. 3:20) and, being raised with Christ (COL 3:1-3), and seated with Christ (EPH 2:6), belongs to another sphere, so definitely, indeed, that Christ can say of such: “They are not of the world, even as I am not of the world” (John 17:14, 16; cf. 15:18, 19).

 

It is likewise to be observed that since this spiritual birth and heavenly position in Christ are supernatural, they are, of necessity, wrought by God alone, and that human cooperation is excluded; the only responsibility imposed on the human side being that of faith which trusts in the only One who is able to save.

 

To this heavenly people, who are the New Creation of God (2 Cor. 5:17; GAL 6:15), is committed, not in any corporate sense but only as individuals’ a twofold responsibility, namely, (a) to adorn by a Christ-like life the doctrine which they represent by the very nature of their salvation, and (b) to be His witnesses to the uttermost parts of the earth.

 

It is similarly believed that the Scriptures which direct the Christian in his holy walk and service are adapted to the fact that he is not now striving to secure a standing with God, but is already “accepted in the beloved” (EPH 1:6), and has attained unto every spiritual blessing (EPH 1:3; COL 2:10).

 

It is evident that no human resource could enable any person to arise to the fulfillment of these heaven-high responsibilities and that God, anticipating the believer’s inability to walk worthy of the calling wherewith he is called, has freely bestowed His empowering Spirit to indwell each one who is saved.

 

Of this sameheavenly Company it is declared that they, when their elect number is complete, will be removed from this earth. The bodies of those that have died will be raised and living saints will be translated (1 Cor. 15:20-57; 1 Thess. 4:13-18).

 

False app: raptards.

 

In glory, the individuals who comprise this Company will be judged as to their rewards for service (1 Cor. 3:9-15:9:18-27; 2 Cor. 5:10, 11) [not sins or salvation], the corporate Church will be married to Christ (REV 19:7-9), and then return with Him to share as His consort in His reign (Luke 12:35, 36; Jude 1:14, 15; REV 19:11-16).

 

Either you believe these things about yourself and your destiny in the heavenly future or you doubt it, and how sad it is for Christians to strive for earthly blessing and rule when something so much more magnificent is promised for all eternity. Again, this is not said to degrade earthly blessings at all, but just to simply put them in their correct priority appointment.

 

But, it will be remembered, the Christian possesses:

No land; Ex 20:12

Honor your father and your mother, that your days may be prolonged in the land which the Lord your God gives you.

 

There is a vast difference in how one thinks of material things like land from the viewpoint that it is his as opposed to the viewpoint that God graciously gave it to me to use, but I never own it.

 

No house; John 14:2

In My Father's house are many dwelling places; if it were not so, I would have told you; for I go to prepare a place for you.

 

This is the reason behind a passage that we have studied not very long ago, and here I will show you the enduring freshness of the word of God:

 

Mark 10:17 And as He was setting out on a journey, a man ran up to Him and knelt before Him, and began asking Him, "Good Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?"

 

Mark 10:18 And Jesus said to him, "Why do you call Me good? No one is good except God alone.

 

Mark 10:19 "You know the commandments, 'Do not murder, Do not commit adultery, Do not steal, Do not bear false witness, Do not defraud, Honor your father and mother.'"

 

Christ lists 6 commandments, but only 5 from the ten commandments. Do not defraud is not in the ten commandments though it is in the Law. What was left out are “no other gods before me, make no idols, do not take the Lord’s name in vain, honor the Sabbath as holy, and do not covet.”

 

This man should have noticed the irregularity in what Christ said, but he did not challenge it because he most likely did covet. This is evidenced by the fact that he doesn’t want to give any of it up for even eternal life. He has done only that which is superficial and what he thinks he owns is more valuable to him than eternal life itself.

 

Mark 10:20 And he said to Him, "Teacher, I have kept all these things from my youth up."

 

Mark 10:21 And looking at him, Jesus felt a love for him, and said to him, "One thing you lack: go and sell all you possess, and give to the poor, and you shall have treasure in heaven; and come, follow Me."

 

Does he really possess all the land that he has deed to? The best reply would have been, “Well, it’s the Lord’s land anyway.”

 

Deut 6:10

Then it shall come about when the Lord your God brings you into the land which He swore to your fathers, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, to give you, great and splendid cities which you did not build, [then He said, don’t forget that I brought you out of Egypt and gave you these things so don’t follow other gods]

 

Mark 10:22 But at these words his face fell, and he went away grieved, for he was one who owned much property.

 

Deliverance from anything does not come to us on our own terms.

 

Mark 10:23 And Jesus, looking around [checking the facial expressions of the disciples], said to His disciples, "How hard it will be for those who are wealthy to enter the kingdom of God!" 

 

Mark 10:24a And the disciples were amazed at His words.

 

To the Jews great wealth was a sign of God’s blessing, which it could be if the soul was humble before Him, hence the deceitfulness of riches.

 

Mark 10:24b But Jesus answered again and said to them, "Children, how hard it is to enter the kingdom of God!

 

“for them that trust in riches” is in the KJV, mimicking verse 23 but not in the original in verse 24 as proven by the oldest manuscripts. This phrase was added to help make sense of Jesus’ difficult words. I believe here he is no longer distinguishing only the rich, but all those who desire riches or earthly things more than eternal life with God. It is very difficult for them indeed. Faith in Christ for salvation is an admission that you are poor.

 

 

2 Cor 8:9

For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though He was rich, yet for your sake He became poor, that you through His poverty might become rich.

 

The implication is that everyone is poor. And there is freedom in being poor.

 

Mark 10:25 "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." 

 

The eye of a needle meaning a narrow gate that was difficult for large animals but not impossible is a stretch in interpreting this passage. In Luke’s account he uses a word that is specifically a medical term for a surgical needle. The interpretation is that it is impossible.

 

Therefore, we must focus on the term rich man. It is obvious that rich cannot refer to material wealth for if that’s true then neither Job, Abraham, David, Solomon, Joseph of Arimethia, and millions of other who have believed in Christ are in heaven, not to mention it adds to faith in Christ, as the gospel would have to be believe and be materialistically poor [define poor].

 

Rich man - a person who is not poor in spirit when faced with the question of eternal life, i.e. not hopeless and helpless and therefore concluding that one can do something to attain life eternal.

 

Mark 10:26 And they were even more astonished and said to Him, "Then who can be saved?"

 

Mark 10:27 Looking upon them [checking their facial expressions], Jesus said, "With men it is impossible, but not with God; for all things are possible with God."  [God can put a camel through the eye of a needle]

 

Mark 10:28 Peter began to say to Him, "Behold [Peter draws specific attention to what he has to say, “listen!”], we have left everything and followed You."

 

This statement, now from a believer, implies ownership of things and therefore some compensation for their loss.

 

Mark 10:29 Jesus said, "Truly I say to you, there is no one who has left house or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or farms, for My sake and for the gospel's sake,

 

Mark 10:30 but that he shall receive a hundred times as much now in the present age, houses and brothers and sisters and mothers and children and farms, along with persecutions; and in the age to come, eternal life.

 

 “in the present age” - the believer who knows he owns nothing will become associated with other believers who understands the same truth.

 

 

 

Acts 2:44

And all those who had believed were together, and had all things in common [houses, farms, families, and persecution];

 

Mark 10:31 "But many who are first, will be last; and the last, first."

 

Here we gain insight into what it means to be last.

 

 “last” - knowing that I own nothing, and all things that Christ has given me to use, which are never mine, I use for His sake and the gospel’s sake.

 

You give your life to God and when you are mature enough He gives it right back to you. This is true freedom and truly being first.