It is easier for the camel to go through

The "Eye of the Needle" was a narrow gateway into Jerusalem,
 and camels had to be unloaded to pass through
because they were carrying riders and goods.

Feb 4, 2011, 6:50 AM

Dear Pastor,
The other day PaiKuT asked, since salvation has been granted on the premise of election, justification, regeneration, conversion* and glorification why is it the rich young ruler (Matthew 19; Mark 10) needs to do something like sell off his riches and come to follow the Lord? 
 
I remembered Bro Onathan in one of his sermons included the rich young ruler as a saved person. But then why does the Lord also in the same breath mention it is easier for the camel to go through the eye of the needle than for a rich man to achieve glorification**?
 
Thank you for your assistance.
 
Xunny
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[Please note two things:
* eternal salvation is freely applied to an elect dead in trespasses and sins, i.e. before conversion. 
** It is “for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God”; this is vastly different from “for a rich man to achieve glorification.”]

Dear Brother
You asked An interesting question.
23 ¶ Then said Jesus unto his disciples, Verily I say unto you, That a rich man shall hardly enter into the kingdom of heaven.
 24 And again I say unto you, It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God.

The SOLUTION to the apparent difficulty can only be resolved by rightly dividing the word of truth. And this is centred on two simple principles. If you grasp them, you are 100 miles ahead of many 'theologians' in understanding this particular issue.

1. The Distinction between Eternal and Temporal salvation

There is a great distinction between 'eternal salvation' which is by the free grace of God alone PLUS NOTHING, and 'temporal salvation' which is conditioned upon the obedience of God's children. 

- If we are able to make the clear distinction between these two distinct and different of salvation, we will resolve all the apparent difficulties. The old-school Baptists like John Gill were able to make clear distinctions. The same is plainly stated in the 168CoF... but the new school Baptists have lost that entirely... which explains why they always end up mixing grace and work together in their understanding of salvation by God's free grace. 

- By 'eternal salvation' is meant salvation that is eternal in nature. This salvation involves the saving acts of God alone, such as predestination, election, justification, regeneration and glorification. The effects and nature of God's activities lead to eternal salvation. This needs to be emphasised because many, if not ALL RBs, when they hear the term 'eternal salvation', they automatically accuse that we are teaching that one is already saved in eternity. 

(They have the same problem with the term 'eternal justification' - their knee-jerk reaction is to accuse us of teaching that an elect is already personally justified in eternity, which is not true at all. Personal/vital justification takes place in time, but that justification is ETERNAL, i.e. once justified by God's free grace, that justification is ETERNAL. Sometimes the term 'eternal justification' refers to the justification that has been decreed in eternity, i.e. before time. I have digressed.)

- A man's glorification is inextricably bound up with his predestination, election, calling, and justification by God's free grace. Rom 8:29 "For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren. 30 Moreover whom he did predestinate, them he also called: and whom he called, them he also justified: and whom he justified, them he also glorified."

A man's glorification is UNCONDITIONAL. A man's well-being here on earth in his present short life, i.e. his temporal salvation, is conditioned upon his obedient responses to God's will.

By 'temporal salvation' means the salvation that pertains to the life here and here, and is obtained through the obedience of God's children to God's will for them. Our believing saves us from errors and falsehood and lies and superstition. Our believing does not save us from eternal hell... God's acts alone, based on the finished work of Jesus Christ and applied by His Spirit to us personally, save us eternally, i.e. with eternal salvation. Our obeying and believing saves us by bringing us to know the truth of our salvation, and that deliver us from worldliness, which is the cause of hell on earth... 

Only those whom God has freely bestowed eternal salvation is capable of working out their own temporal salvation with fear and trembling, by their humble obedience to God's will.

Therefore the salvation that requires any condition upon man CANNOT be eternal salvation (which is absolutely and completely by the free and sovereign grace of God while a man is dead in trespasses and sins); it has to be temporal salvation that relates to a man's WELL BEING as a child of God, and NOT to his BEING as a child of God. 

2. Entering the kingdom of God and entering heaven are distinct
Also, please note carefully that Christ actually said: "That a rich man shall hardly enter into the kingdom of heaven... " 

a. It is a common mistake to equate 'the kingdom of heaven' or the kingdom of God with heaven itself. Once we equate the two, the confusion inconsistencies and contradictions are irreconcilable! 

- A classic example of this is found in Mt 7:13 "Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat: 14 Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it.

This passage speaks of temporal salvation. But so many read 'life' as eternal life, therefore concluding that eternal life is obtained by man's effort of entering the strait gate and walking the narrow way... AS THOUGH a man without eternal life is capable of doing so! 

- The term kingdom of heaven is most often used in contrast to the earthly theocratic kingdom of Israel, and it is nearly exclusively used concerning the Jewish hearers. The kingdom of heaven and the kingdom of God are used interchangeably, and it is a NEW COVENANT expression of the people of God.

b. The lesson at hand for the rich young ruler is not the problem with his riches... but his riches hindered him from following Jesus Christ, from professing Christ. (Abraham had great riches, and so did Job and many others.) 
- He is already a child of God, but he is not CONVERTED yet... and his riches are hindering his conversion. He is an upright God-fearing Jew - already a man saved by God. This man's hold on his riches prevents him from following Christ. Riches have their inherent snares, and not many can handle riches well. 
- Men of riches are less inclined to enter the strait gate or walk the narrow road of the kingdom of heaven. The wide gate and broad way of religious clubs and the world are more attractive and acceptable to them. 
- Men of riches are easily put off by the command to live simply and without ostentation. Riches feed the pride of life, lusts of the eyes, and lust of the flesh. The poor also have the same temptation... but they have nothing to feed them to those evils. 
- We see many men of riches comfortably settled in churches because the STANDARD of the kingdom of God have been lowered and compromised... If churches maintained the standard, many men of riches would not want to want to enter the kingdom of God. 

I hope these thoughts help.