Who Can Be Saved?

By Danny Saavedra

“When the disciples heard this, they were greatly astonished and asked, ‘Who then can be saved?’ Jesus looked at them and said, ‘With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.’ Peter answered him, ‘We have left everything to follow you! What then will there be for us?’ Jesus said to them, ‘Truly I tell you, at the renewal of all things, when the Son of Man sits on his glorious throne, you who have followed me will also sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel. And everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or wife or children or fields for my sake will receive a hundred times as much and will inherit eternal life. But many who are first will be last, and many who are last will be first.”—Matthew 19:25–30 (NIV)

Today’s passage continues to show us the aftermath of Jesus’ conversation with the rich young man. The man “went away sad” (Matthew 19:22 NIV) because of Jesus’ instruction to lay down all he held dear in this world—his wealth and earthly possessions—for the sake of Jesus’ kingdom and to follow Him (a similar command to Matthew 10:38–39 and Matthew 16:24–26).

You see, to be Jesus’ disciples, we must give our lives to Him! We must be willing to leave, sacrifice, and surrender all for Him and His kingdom in the same way that He gave all (Matthew 20:28; Philippians 2:6–8) to save us and bring us into His kingdom. We must be willing to leave everything behind for His sake. This is the true nature and cost of discipleship. (If you’ve never read it, go pick up Dietrich Bonhoeffer’s The Cost of Discipleship.) This didn’t sit well with the man, which is why he left dejected.

In response to this, Jesus tells His disciples it’s hard for the rich to enter the kingdom of God! We covered this in yesterday’s devotional so, we won’t go too much into it, but the point goes back to the idea of sacrifice and the cost of being Jesus’ disciple. Because those with vast resources often have a greater attachment to the material things of this world, Jesus explains that it’s much harder for them to deny themselves, take up their cross, and follow Him.

So, the disciples pondered amongst themselves about who could live up to this standard of surrender. Jesus’ response should give us hope, security, and peace: “With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.” Apart from God’s grace, neither rich nor poor, male or female, religious or atheist, priest or prostitute, nor anyone in between can do anything to enter the kingdom. Why? Because our sinful nature disqualifies us right standing with God and from being able to enter into the presence of God.

In our sinful state, we’re dead in our transgressions (Ephesians 2:1) and thus can’t choose nor produce life or life-giving goodness. It’s only by God’s gracious hand and work of salvation, and by the gift of faith that is birthed in us through the Spirit, that we can accomplish this. Our role is to respond to the call of Jesus to lay everything down and follow Him. The disciples did respond this way and confirmed it when they said, “We have left everything to follow you!” At this, Jesus reassures them that by leaving everything behind, they had gained glory beyond anything they could imagine in His kingdom and in the presence of the Lord forever.

And then, He addresses us! “And everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or wife or children or fields for my sake will receive a hundred times as much and will inherit eternal life. But many who are first will be last, and many who are last will be first.”

Friends, this is what it means to follow Jesus: We’re to willingly leave or lose all we have in this world to abide in Him. And when we do, Jesus says we’ll receive “a hundred times as much in this present age . . . and in the age to come eternal life” (Mark 10:30 NIV). What a glorious promise!

Pause: Why were the disciples so amazed at Jesus’ conversation with the rich young man and His subsequent words regarding entry into the kingdom? How does Jesus’ response change the way you view your life and your role in His kingdom?

Practice: What are you clinging to? What worldly attachment are you struggling to surrender? Today, ask the Lord to give you the strength and wisdom to let go of anything that keeps you tethered to material things; to be willing to lose all for Him.

Pray: Father, I want to be able to say, like Peter, that I have left everything to follow You, to be Your child, to abide in You. I don’t want anything hindering me or acting as a stumbling block in my life. I desire more deeply to yield all things to You! Help me, dear God, surrender daily and value You and Your kingdom above all worldly things. In Jesus’ name, I pray. Amen.