Luke 19:15-19
And it came to pass, that when he was returned, having received the kingdom, then he commanded these servants to be called unto him, to whom he had given the money, that he might know how much every man had gained by trading. Then came the first, saying, Lord, thy pound hath gained ten pounds. And he said unto him, Well, thou good servant: because thou hast been faithful in a very little, have thou authority over ten cities. And the second came, saying, Lord, thy pound hath gained five pounds. And he said likewise to him, Be thou also over five cities.
Matthew 19:27-29
Then answered Peter and said unto him, Behold, we have forsaken all, and followed thee; what shall we have therefore? And Jesus said unto them, Verily I say unto you, That ye which have followed me, in the regeneration when the Son of man shall sit in the throne of his glory, ye also shall sit upon twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel. And every one that hath forsaken houses, or brethren, or sisters, or father, or mother, or wife, or children, or lands, for my name's sake, shall receive an hundredfold, and shall inherit everlasting life.
Matthew 18:3-4
And said, Verily I say unto you, Except ye be converted, and become as little children, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven. Whosoever therefore shall humble himself as this little child, the same is greatest in the kingdom of heaven.
Psalm 19:7-11
The law of the LORD is perfect, converting the soul: the testimony of the LORD is sure, making wise the simple. The statutes of the LORD are right, rejoicing the heart: the commandment of the LORD is pure, enlightening the eyes. The fear of the LORD is clean, enduring for ever: the judgments of the LORD are true and righteous altogether. More to be desired are they than gold, yea, than much fine gold: sweeter also than honey and the honeycomb. Moreover by them is thy servant warned: and in keeping of them there is great reward.
Matthew 5:17-20
Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil. For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled. Whosoever therefore shall break one of these least commandments, and shall teach men so, he shall be called the least in the kingdom of heaven: but whosoever shall do and teach them, the same shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven.
By looking at the above verse, can you tell me who will be called “least in the kingdom” and “great in the kingdom of heaven”?
Caution:
If you found out that you were going to be called “great in the kingdom of heaven” would it affect you in a negative way? How about if someone walked up to you today and gave you ten million dollars, would that affect you in a negative way? I know some people who have a lot of money, and they walk, talk and behave with much pride. They think that they should be called “great” on earth. Some of them have the “look at me” attitude. And the real crazy thing is, some of these people were blessed (or cursed) with the money from a marriage, inheritance, or some lucky investment and they still walk around with their shoulders back, in a “look at me” attitude. Many will probably say, “If someone gave me a million dollars, it won’t affect me”. Well, the chances are extremely high that it will.
Matthew 19:23-24
Then said Jesus unto his disciples, Verily I say unto you, That a rich man shall hardly enter into the kingdom of heaven. And again I say unto you, It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God.
There is nothing wrong with having a lot of money. In fact, having a lot of money is supposed to be a good thing. Keeping the law is also supposed to be a good thing, but to the Pharisees, keeping the law was like a rich man showing off his wealth. The Pharisees got “puffed up” by keeping the law. They were very prideful of keeping the law. Pride is first on the list of the six things the LORD hates (Proverbs 6:16-17). By looking at other people, the Pharisees thought that they were more righteous than others because they thought they kept the law better than the others. They would also add things to the law that they thought would make them a more righteous person.
Keeping the law can make you healthy, wealthy and wise, but it will not make you righteous. Just one small sin will make you unrighteous. Don’t look at other people and their failures. Let God be their judge. Focus fixing your own shortcomings and then the true meaning of “grace” becomes much clearer.
Just as someone giving you a ten million dollar gift, Christ gave you salvation as a free gift. You didn’t earn it. Don’t get puffed up! We are only made righteous by the blood of Christ!
There might be a lot of people who are just coming to the realization that the law still applies. Many of these people will want to go out and tell everyone of their “new revelation”. I personally will not teach someone that the law still applies unless they are ready to hear it. There are some things that are not meant for everyone to understand (Matthew 13:10-15). If I think that the person will become like the Pharisees and “puff” themselves up, then I avoid telling them about some of the law and focus on other things in that person’s life first.
To sum it up: Christ gets you in the Kingdom (for those who repent). Keeping the Law of God gets you better rewards in the Kingdom (as long as you don’t get puffed up).
