“And as he was setting out on his journey, a man ran up and knelt before him and asked him, “Good Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?” And Jesus said to him, “Why do you call me good? No one is good except God alone. You know the commandments: ‘Do not murder, Do not commit adultery, Do not steal, Do not bear false witness, Do not defraud, Honor your father and mother.’” And he said to him, “Teacher, all these I have kept from my youth.” And Jesus, looking at him, loved him, and said to him, “You lack one thing: go, sell all that you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow me.” Disheartened by the saying, he went away sorrowful, for he had great possessions.” - Mark 10:17-22, ESV.

The pathway to salvation is always the same.

• Believe in the divinity of Jesus.
• Be honest about your sin and your inability to keep the commandments perfectly.
• Realize that Jesus loves you and that He died for your sins.
• Turn from your sins and ask for forgiveness.
• Be willing to abandon everything for Jesus.
• And then choose to follow Him.

The young rich man in this story wasn’t even close to the pathway of salvation. He may have believed Jesus was sent by God and cared for him. But he did not admit his sin. He did not ask Jesus for forgiveness and turn from his sin. He was not willing to abandon everything and prioritize following Jesus. And he chose to walk away. That guy was off the pathway by a mile.

Do you have both feet on the path? -Pastor Mike

BTW, I thought about joining the Navy to be on a submarine. But I changed my mind. I had a sinking feeling about that career path.