Possible with God

“Now when Jesus heard these things, he said unto him, Yet lackest thou one thing: sell all that thou hast, and distribute unto the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come, follow me. And when he heard this, he was very sorrowful: for he was very rich. And when Jesus saw that he was very sorrowful, he said, How hardly shall they that have riches enter into the kingdom of God! For it is easier for a camel to go through a needle’s eye, than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God. And they that heard it said, Who then can be saved? And he said, The things which are impossible with men are possible with God.” Luke 18:22-27

It is quite natural for people to think that good works somehow earn us favor with God. The ruler who came to Jesus in this passage asking about how to gain eternal life certainly was thinking that way. He told Jesus that he had kept the commandments his whole life. The people standing nearby who heard their conversation were also thinking the same way. They assumed that since this man was living a good life and had plenty of money, he would certainly get to heaven. When they heard Jesus say how difficult it was for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God, they asked, “Who then can be saved?” Jesus told them that God can do things which are impossible for people. What they didn’t understand was that it is impossible for any person to save himself. Jesus came to earth to die for our sins so that it would become possible for everyone to be saved. All things are possible with God!