“One thing thou lackest: go thy way, sell whatsoever thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come, take up the cross, and follow me.”
– Mark 10:21 KJV
This is what it means to be justified before God. What it takes to become perfection by God’s standard and to obtain eternal life. Spoken plainly, Jesus has said that there are these specifics in Mark 10:21 above that require attention.
Its context is about when a wealthy man approached Jesus to ask him about how to inherit eternal life. While in his view he kept the commandments and obeyed the Mosaic law on one level, he actually was not perfect. To which Jesus said, “You lack one thing”.
The “ONE thing” the moral and wealthy man heard Jesus say is outlined and parsed here:
(a.) Sell all you have
(b.) Give to the poor
(c.) Take up your cross
(d.) Come to Him
(e.) Follow Him
So we can infer, that as we abide by what God morally requires, these are the specifics about what you must have to inherit eternal life. While on the outside the wealthy man’s behaviors honored God’s moral law, that wasn’t the full condition of his heart. So the answer Jesus gave him was explicit about what is necessary to inherit eternal life. Which is above and beyond moral and righteous conduct. That in this way, Jesus directly and clearly got to the heart of the wealthy man’s question.
On its face, Jesus describes in total more than one thing as required (a, b, c, d, and e above). Where taken together, he must transfer all that he is and all that he has to all that Jesus is. Really, the “One Thing” as compared to his wealth and status. Because of His wealth, Jesus was to reign in his heart over his wealth and anything else.
Even with a high degree of personal righteousness, this is the only way to God’s kingdom. It wasn’t that this outward righteousness isn’t correct and necessary, but it just wasn’t enough because we are not perfect without Christ. It wasn’t possible to achieve perfection on his own, either internally of the heart and externally from behaviors, performance or obedience.
To further see what happens after we trust and follow Christ, there are two historical and scriptural principles to consider. Principles that reinforce Jesus’s words about our transformation as we set aside everything else and follow Him. That over time, and as it is written, we are His workmanship (Eph 2:10 KJV).
A. Trust Him – IMPUTATION | We are given Christ’s Righteousness.
Through Jesus and His life, death, and resurrection, God has accepted His sacrificial atonement for those who would trust and follow Him. Where all our sins are canceled and God doesn’t see us as sinful or imperfect anymore. Jesus himself is the perfection of those who trust and follow Him.
B. Follow Him – SHEMA | Love the LORD and love others as yourself.
The presence and power of Christ and the Holy Spirit within you will transform you. When we trust and follow Him. That love will develop within you toward perfection until fully completed in heaven (Mk 12:37-40).
