The truth about "it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle...

Believers, recall the story of the rich young ruler who asked Jesus in Luke 18:18: "...Good Teacher, what should I do to inherit eternal life?” See the rest of this encounter in verses 19-23:

19 “Why do you call me good?” Jesus asked him. “Only God is truly good. 20 But to answer your question, you know the commandments: ‘You must not commit adultery. You must not murder. You must not steal. You must not testify falsely. Honor your father and mother.

21 The man replied, “I’ve obeyed all these commandments since I was young.”

22 When Jesus heard his answer, He said, “There is still one thing you haven’t done. Sell all your possessions and give the money to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.”

23 But when the man heard this he became very sad, for he was very rich."

This jewish ruler was under law and not under grace. He believed that his inheriting eternal life depended on his own effort at keeping the law. He even boasted about keeping the law from his youth. So Christ gave him the law when he asked "what must I do..., ": (you must not murder, you must not steal, etc,) to bring him to the end of his tether. This is the exact purpose of the law according to the bible- to show everyone up as guilty before God. See Romans 3:19-20:

"19 Obviously, the law applies to those to whom it was given, for its purpose is to keep people from having excuses, and to show that the entire world is guilty before God. 20 For no one can ever be made right with God by doing what the law commands. The law simply shows us how sinful we are."

Also, Galatians 3:19 says:

"Why, then, the Law [what was its purpose]? It was added [after the promise to Abraham, to reveal to people their guilt] because of transgressions [that is, to make people conscious of the sinfulness of sin], ..."

Of course the rich young ruler went away sorrowful! He could not keep the very first commandment - “You shall have no other gods before Me.” He put his many possessions before God. See verses 24-27: 

"When Jesus saw this, He said, “How hard it is for the rich to enter the Kingdom of God! 25 In fact, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter the Kingdom of God!”"

26 Those who heard this said, “Then who in the world can be saved?”

27 He replied, “What is impossible for people is possible with God.”

Consider v26 “Then who in the world can be saved?” I have never heard this question asked by any pastor in any church in this country. Rather, people are told to walk according to the example of the rich young ruler whose works and law-keeping could not save him; people are still trying to inherit eternal life through their works and obedience to the Ten Commandments, something that Christ said is impossible for anyone to do! Wonderful as these things (law-keeping) are, they cannot save anybody. Absolute righteousness is a pre-requisite for inheriting eternal life and it cannot be obtained "by doing what the law commands." This according to Romans 3:20. Remember Christ's words in Luke 18:25 above:

"In fact, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter the Kingdom of God!”

"Rich" here is not rich in terms of money alone. It is richness in the form of any capital or "good opinion from God" that we think we have generated in heaven from our obedience to the law and "doing good things" aka our own righteousnesses. Many people cannot let go of their own righteousnesses from keeping the law because it gives them something to boast about and makes them feel superior to others. Beloved, under law, the one who only lied about his location for a good reason is as guilty and as cursed as the child-molesting rapist murdering ritual killer, "For whoever shall keep the whole law, and yet stumble in one point, he is guilty of all." James 2:10

Check out the words of Paul, a former Pharisee of Pharisees who "obeyed the Law without fault" in Philippians 3. He counted all of his efforts at law-keeping (his righteousnesses) as DUNG (verse 8 in King James Version) so that He could gain Christ! See verse 9:

"9 and become one with Him. I no longer count on my own righteousness through obeying the law; rather, I become righteous through faith in Christ. For God’s way of making us right with Himself depends on faith.

Isaiah 64:6 has a name for righteousnesses that proceed from keeping the law: filthy rags; menstrual rags in Hebrew.

"But we are all like an unclean thing,

And all our righteousnesses are like filthy rags;"

Let's stop "doing" like the rich young ruler and start "believing" like believers in Christ. All the law-keeping and good works (our righteousnesses) done to inherit eternal life or make God have a good opinion of you are like filthy rags. Someone once told me this horrid lie and perversion that the "eye of a needle" is a term for a kind of passageway in Israel and that if a camel struggles really hard, it will pass through. This is a lie of the devil. The eye of a needle is what it is: the eye of a needle! Anyone who feels that he is rich in terms of capital from good works and law-keeping that he has struggled to achieve by his own power is doomed.

Only the righteousness that proceeds from the "obedience of Christ" (Romans 5:19,) with no additives of human effort, will suffice for our salvation. This is the crux of the gospel: Righteousness by faith.

You see, the book of Luke is one of divine order. See Luke 18-19. Right after the rich young ruler went away sorrowful (obedience to the Law cannot save,) we see our Lord Jesus predicting His death and resurrection; and then we see the blind man at the gate of Jericho, a place cursed by Joshua, receiving his sight through faith (with His death and resurrection, our eyes our opened to His salvation; we are redeemed from every curse) and next the story of Zacchaeus where we see the effect of our salvation in Christ.

Zacchaeus, was a tax collector, one of the worst things a Jew could be in those days when Judea was under Roman occupation. His job was akin to that of a very close family member inviting armed robbers into your home and forcefully removing your valuables from your hiding places for his benefit and that of the robbers. He knew that he was scum!

But after his encounter with Jesus, he did what the law-abiding rich young ruler could not do. Luke 19:8: "Then Zacchaeus stood and said to the Lord, “Look, Lord, I give half of my goods to the poor; and if I have taken anything from anyone by false accusation, I restore fourfold.”

Four times as much as had been unjustly taken was the amount that was required in the Jewish law when a sheep had been stolen, and a man was convicted of the theft by trial at law (Exodus 22:1.) But Christ's visit to Zacchaeus caused him to do this and more - give half of his possessions to the poor!

Believers, this is grace- undeserved, unmerited favour. We don't get "good" to get Christ. We get Christ to get good! We are in Christ first and then He makes us righteous and bear fruit to righteousness. With Christ, we don't live right to get saved; we get saved to live right and "produce a harvest of good deeds for God." See Romans 7:4.

With Christ we don't give to get; we get to give. The law is fulfilled in us but not by us. Seek first the kingdom of God (righteousnesses, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit) and His righteousness (not yours from law-keeping!) and all these things (including the grace to stop sinning and live right) will be added unto you.

The Holy Spirit will teach you all things.

Believe Right and you will Live Right.