The Desire of Ages--57--One Thing Thou Lackest

[Beacon]

"Christ's dealing with the young man is presented as an object lesson. God has given us the rule of conduct which every one of His servants must follow. It is obedience to His law, not merely a legal obedience, but an obedience which enters into the life, and is exemplified in the character.

God has set His own standard of character for all who would become subjects of His kingdom. Only those who will become co-workers with Christ, only those who will say, Lord, all I have and all I am is Thine, will be acknowledged as sons and daughters of God. All should consider what it means to desire heaven, and yet to turn away because of the conditions laid down.

Think of what it means to say "No" to Christ.

The ruler said, No, I cannot give You all. Do we say the same? The Saviour offers to share with us the work God has given us to do. He offers to use the means God has given us, to carry forward His work in the world. Only in this way can He save us."

Ezekiel 18:31 says: Cast away from you all your transgressions, whereby ye have transgressed; and make you a new heart and a new spirit: for why will ye die, O house of Israel?

The "only" way that we can become vessels of honor for Jesus is through "FULL SURRENDER"  What will "OUR" response be?

[Pastor Sean Brizendine]

In complete surrender to Christ there is perfect peace, along with all of the fruits of the Spirit without one missing! Then the life bears witness to the eternal realities that God intends to reveal to us, manifesting through us His divine nature made accessible to us by His infinite promises! Let us realize we are all in high positions of trust simply because of WHEN WE LIVE! We live RIGHT BEFORE Jesus returns, and we have a message to bear (Revelation 14:6-12) and a Savior who will finish the mystery of His character being fully manifest in us (Colossians 1:27, Revelation 10:7). The key is being fully surrendered on a moment-by-moment basis! As we let our Heavenly Father cut away any and all forms of selfishness and unlikeness to Christ in our characters, the message of the loveliness of Jesus in the context of the everlasting gospel will blaze with glory, and the Holy Spirit will be poured out in FULL measure!

"To those who, like the young ruler, are in high positions of trust and have great possessions, it may seem too great a sacrifice to give up all in order to follow Christ. But this is the rule of conduct for all who would become His disciples. Nothing short of obedience can be accepted. Self-surrender is the substance of the teachings of Christ. Often it is presented and enjoined in language that seems authoritative, because there is no other way to save man than to cut away those things which, if entertained, will demoralize the whole being." {The Desire of Ages, page 523, paragraph 3}

Had the rich young ruler realized that Jesus was offering him a promotion from his current experience to one that was in harmony with the present truth, he would gladly have yielded. Why the struggle for him? And why do we struggle to surrender so often? Because we have a fallen nature that is naturally deceptive and we must learn to walk by faith (what God says) rather than by feeling. What our flesh, the world, and the devil seek to deceive us to believe is all an attempt to get us to miss out on the eternal life Jesus has planned for us and the most weighty trust and highest honor this side of His coming--fellowship with Christ in His sufferings. Had the rich young ruler been like Moses who forsook Egypt  and all its "advantages," that young man would have been such a help to Christ's work and there would have been MANY MORE SOULS in heaven because each soul saved in total surrender to Christ becomes another agency that God can use to save MANY MORE SOULS!! Let God use you in ANY WAY He chooses and you will always be happiest in light of eternity, even though trials and tribulation come because of following God's word!!

[Richard Myers]

Amen Pastor Sean. There must be something very powerful that would cause an intelligent educated ruler to trade eternal life with Jesus for mere pottage in this world. We are born with enmity towards God and righteousness and aligned with Satan and sin. The wealthy young ruler was captive to sin and could not break away. It is why he traded eternal life for a mess of pottage as so many are doing. Only a few will choose to learn of God so they can overcome their evil nature. God would have given him power to keep the evil flesh under and obtain the "very holiness of God."

    Christ gave this man a test. He called upon him to choose between the heavenly treasure and worldly greatness. The heavenly treasure was assured him if he would follow Christ. But self must yield; his will must be given into Christ's control. The very holiness of God was offered to the young ruler. He had the privilege of becoming a son of God, and a coheir with Christ to the heavenly treasure. But he must take up the cross, and follow the Saviour in the path of self-denial. 

As Brother Beacon has said, we must make a full surrender of self to God. And, we cannot do this until we know God and trust Him with all we have and all we are. As we behold our Savior hanging on the cross how can we deny Him all that we have in this world, we can't. The young ruler did not know God as it was his privilege. Let us cease saying no to anything God asks of us as did the rich young ruler.

He who uses his entrusted gifts as God designs becomes a co-worker with the Saviour. He wins souls to Christ, because he is a representative of His character."

We have been deeply amazed to see what God does when self is put aside and others become your focus for God. We are humbly grateful and give all glory to Him.

Amen. And when we give all the glory to Him, we have love, joy and peace.

"Who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God." Matthew 25:23; Hebrews 12:2. The joy of seeing souls redeemed, souls eternally saved, is the reward of all that put their feet in the footprints of Him who said, "Follow Me." 

[Pastor Sean Brizendine]

"Self-surrender is the substance of the teachings of Christ." {The Desire of Ages, page 523, paragraph 3}

[Dorine]

"To those who, like the young ruler, are in high positions of trust and have great possessions, it may seem too great a sacrifice to give up all in order to follow Christ. But this is the rule of conduct for all who would become His disciples. Nothing short of obedience can be accepted. Self-surrender is the substance of the teachings of Christ. Often it is presented and enjoined in language that seems authoritative, because there is no other way to save man than to cut away those things which, if entertained, will demoralize the whole being."

It's only through the grace of Jesus working in the heart that self can be surrendered. I can do nothing of myself. When Jesus has my heart sacrifice doesn't seem like sacrifice because His yoke is easy and His burden is light. May we be ready to give up all if that is what Christ is asking of us.

[Beacon]

"Christ's dealing with the young man is presented as an object lesson. God has given us the rule of conduct which every one of His servants must follow. It is obedience to His law, not merely a legal obedience, but an obedience which enters into the life, and is exemplified in the character.

"God has set His own standard of character for all who would become subjects of His kingdom. Only those who will become co-workers with Christ, only those who will say, Lord, all I have and all I am is Thine, will be acknowledged as sons and daughters of God. All should consider what it means to desire heaven, and yet to turn away because of the conditions laid down."

Think of what it means to say "No" to Christ.

"The ruler said, No, I cannot give You all. Do we say the same? The Saviour offers to share with us the work God has given us to do. He offers to use the means God has given us, to carry forward His work in the world."

"Only in this way can He save us."

Ezekiel 18:31 says: Cast away from you all your transgressions, whereby ye have transgressed; and make you a new heart and a new spirit: for why will ye die, O house of Israel?

My dear Remnant-On-Line Family...The things of this world are very, very soon to be on No Value or Pleasure. If there was ever a time for God's Remnant People to say...ALL TO JESUS I SURRENDER...I believe that time is NOW! Probationary time for planet earth and all it's inhabitants will soon close.

"The "only" way that we can become vessels of honor for Jesus is through "FULL SURRENDER"  What will "OUR" response be?

[Philip T]

  Christ's words were verily to the ruler the invitation, "Choose you this day whom ye will serve." Joshua 24:15. The choice was left with him. Jesus was yearning for his conversion. He had shown him the plague spot in his character, and with what deep interest He watched the issue as the young man weighed the question! If he decided to follow Christ, he must obey His words in everything. He must turn from his ambitious projects. With what earnest, anxious longing, what soul hunger, did the Saviour look at the young man, hoping that he would yield to the invitation of the Spirit of God!

Just as Jesus yearned for the rich young rulers conversion, He yearns for the lost of this world, we must be willing to let go of all to Jesus. The ruler had just one thing left to surrender to the Lord, and Jesus did not force but pointed it out to him and waited for him to make his decision. He does the same for everyone today. Do we have cherished sins we refuse to surrender, can we say as the Hymn says I surrender all, all to Jesus I surrender? I sincerely hope the answer is YES!