Mark 10:17 ” As Jesus started on His way, a man ran up to Him and fell on his knees before Him. ‘Good Teacher,’ he asked, ‘What must I do to inherit eternal life?’ “

“What must I do?”   The short answer to the question  is that you can’t  do anything.  No amount of good works will get you any closer to the promised land  and the peace you seek.  The only thing you can do is to say Yes to Jesus,  turn from your sinful life, and  come into agreement with Him that you can’t run your miserable  life anymore.

Psalm 44: 6-7 ” I do not trust in my bow, my sword does not bring me victory; but You give us victory over our enemies, You put our adversaries to shame.”

We can’t put our trust in others.  Our security can’t be found in our  shrewdness or the most noblest of acts.  For the confident expectation we seek can only be found in God.   Zechariah 4:6 states, ” Not by might nor power, but by My spirit, says the Lord Almighty.”  Our victory can only be in and by the Lord.

John 1:12 ” Yet to all who received Him, to those who believe in His name, He gave the right to become children of God.”

As a Christian, we have the birthright and authority as children of our Heavenly Father.  We have identified and embraced the name above all – Jesus Christ…for it is only by His name we can be saved.  Thus as joint heirs, we are beneficiaries of the glorious riches and splendor of heaven.

Romans 10:9 ” That if you confess with your mouth, ‘Jesus is Lord,’ and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.”

Do you admit that you’ve been living a life far from God?  Do you accept the fact that you’ve made a mess of your life so far? Do you acknowledge that Jesus came into this fallen world to save your soul from eternal damnation and hell?  Do you recognize that saying yes to Jesus and turning from your old life isn’t the end but just the beginning of a brand new life…a life filled with peace rather than strife, and love where there was loneliness and fear.  Do you agree that you need a Savior today?

John 3:36 ” Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life, but whoever rejects the Son will not see life, for God’s wrath remains on him. “

Inward unbelief in God is expressed outwardly in many ways.  You may think that cursing and using the name of the Lord in vain makes you tough or cool…even texting OMG seems so innocent until you realize it too is using the name of God in vain.  Unbelief can be expressed by what you watch, listen to, live stream, and share on social media.   Your unbelief can also show up in what or who you scoff at, mock, or make fun of.  Unbelief or even apathy towards God is dangerous and potentially deadly…listen to His voice and choose you this day who you will believe.

Romans 5:8 ” But God demonstrates His own love for us in this: while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”

God’s love for you was being manifested even while you were far from Him…His care and kindness were being revealed, even while you used  His name in vain and scorned His very existence.  Yes, over the course of your life God has continued to make it very clear that He loves you…to the point,  that if you were the only person on earth – Jesus would have died to save your soul.

Romans 3:23 “…for all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God.”

Every one of us has missed the mark in our relationship with God.  No one is found right before Him,  for even our “good works” are like filthy rags  in His eyes.  We are a  desperate, sinful people, living in a dangerous, evil world…unable to save ourselves…incapable of  redeeming our souls.

Psalm 10:1 ” Why, O Lord, do You stand far off? Why do You hide Yourself in times of trouble? “

We just think God is far off or even worse – hiding from us when times are tough.  But it’s only our own apprehension and doubt that causes us to question.  In Psalm 46:1 it states, ” God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble.” The Hebrew meaning for the word ever-present is – to be exceedingly present or found, emphasizing the speed, completeness and might of the Lord’s help.   The  truth is…God has never left, nor will He ever leave you.  Just because we think He’s not “doing anything” does not mean He’s not working in ways we aren’t aware of… for He’s still in control of the entire situation and will work things out for the good of those who love Him.

Mark 6:7 ” Calling the Twelve to Him, He sent them out two by two and gave them authority over evil spirits.”

Why did Jesus send the Disciples out in twos?  It goes back to Deuteronomy 17:6, “On the testimony of two or three witnesses a man shall be put to death, but no one shall be put to death on the testimony of only one witness.”   By sending them out in pairs, there was built-in   accountability, safety,  and responsibility for them.  With them both witnessing the same thing…they could then validate and verify the miracles, signs, and wonders they saw.

John 10: 27-28 ” My sheep listen to My voice; I know them, and they follow Me. I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one can snatch them out of My hand.”

Elsewhere in John, Jesus proclaimed,”…that I shall lose none of all that He has given Me.”  We can not be deprived of eternal life.  We can not be plucked out of God’s hand.  Our salvation is secure…our soul redeemed.