Who Then Can Be Saved?

The rich young ruler asked Christ what good thing he needed to do to be saved. One of the things Jesus said was for him to sell all that he had and give to the poor (Mt. 19:21-22). “He went away sorrowful: for he had great possessions.” This man was covetous and he was proud. In Jesus’ day, people typically thought that the rich had received blessing from God and that the poor had received punishment from God. This man looked down on the poor because he thought so highly of his own supposed obedience.

Jesus took the opportunity to teach His disciples how hard it is for a rich man to be saved. The disciples asked in amazement, “Who then can be saved?” In other words, if the rich have received an abundance of God’s goodness and still reject, how could anyone else possibly come to Christ. We might ask the same kind of question: after all the goodness the lost have experienced from the hand of God, and in some cases have a goodly amount of Bible knowledge, yet they still reject; if people with so much opportunity say no, who then can be saved? Here’s the answer:

“But Jesus beheld them, and said unto them, With men this is impossible; but with God all things are possible” (Mt. 19:26). Be encouraged!