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Everything But the One
Thing
He Needed the Most
By Evangelist
Philip R. LiCalzi
“And, behold, one came and said unto
him, Good Master, what good thing shall
I do, that I may have eternal life?
“And
he said unto him, Why callest thou me
good? there is none good but one, that
is, God: but if thou wilt enter into
life, keep the commandments.
“He
saith unto him, Which? Jesus said, Thou
shalt do no murder, Thou shalt not
commit adultery, Thou shalt not steal,
Thou shalt not bear false witness,
“Honour thy father and thy mother: and,
Thou shalt love thy neighbour as
thyself.
“The
young man saith unto him, All these
things have I kept from my youth up:
what lack I yet?
“Jesus said unto him, If thou wilt be
perfect, go and sell that thou hast, and
give to the poor, and thou shalt have
treasure in heaven: and come and follow
me.
“But
when the young man heard that saying, he
went away sorrowful: for he had great
possessions.
“Then said Jesus unto his disciples,
Verily I say unto you, That a rich man
shall hardly enter into the kingdom of
heaven.”—Matt. 19:16–23.
Seldom, if then, do we meet someone who
appears to have everything. And if we
should, it is likely we would never
forget him. Three of the four Gospel
writers tell us this story of the rich
young ruler. All that the world holds
dear was his. Many would find it
difficult to name a single worthwhile
thing he did not possess. The Gospel
accounts tell us:
He
Had Wealth. Economically, he was on top
of the world. How he got his wealth, we
are not told. We only know he had it in
lavish abundance. Luke says he was “very
rich.” All three of the Gospels
emphasize the fact of his wealth in
terms employed to describe no other.
There is no doubt about it: he was one
of the richest men in Christ’s day.
He
Had Youth. True, we may not always think
of youth as an asset, yet men in all
walks of life would gladly give all they
have to regain it. Life, with its
possibilities and privileges, lay before
him like a vast, untouched legacy.
He
Had Position. As a “ruler,” he occupied
a place of distinction and prestige. It
is likely he received one of the highest
ratings in the social register of his
day.
He
Had Interest in Life Beyond. A man may
have everything else, but if his
interest begins and ends with this
world, at best he will live only a
little above the animals. Interest in
the life beyond is one of the attributes
which distinguishes a man from, and
exalts him above, all other creatures.
Not only did this man have that
interest, but he had it in such
intensity that he came to Jesus,
running!
He
Had Reverence. Mark tells us the young
man knelt at the feet of Christ and
addressed Him with the words “Good
Master”! Reverence is more than an
admirable characteristic. Reverence is
the mark of good breeding and the
barometer of intelligence. Reverence is
to a man what fragrance is to a flower
or golden hues are to a sunset. The rich
ruler had reverence.
He
Had Morality. In clean, wholesome,
noble, upright living, this youth was
without peer. When Christ enumerated the
six of the Ten Commandments which God
ordained should govern the relationship
of man to man, the lad could look Christ
in the face and answer, “All these have
I kept from my youth up.” That the youth
made an honest reply, Mark indicates by
saying Christ thereupon beheld him and
loved him. And He who “looketh on the
heart” was not deceived. Morally
speaking, this youth was one man in a
million!
Yes—wealth, youth, position, interest in
the life beyond, reverence, morality—all
were his. Should such a person come to
us with the same request with which this
man came to Christ, it is likely we
would slap him on the back and venture
to say, “Fellow, you don’t have a worry
in the world. If anybody gets into
Heaven, you will!”
A
Nameless Longing
There is every reason why this young
man’s life should have been a rich,
rewarding experience. There is every
indication that he was a normal,
healthy, well-balanced personality. Even
so, we may have everything this youth
had and still die of an empty heart.
Perhaps this youth could not have
expressed his inner yearning in so many
words, but he knew it was there. And he
knew it because of a hunger and thirst
deep within his soul which he had not
been able to stifle. Try as he might, he
could not silence its cry.
The
very presence of this nameless longing
must always be taken as evidence that
God is working in the life. How do we
know? Because each of us must say as
Paul said, “In me (that is, in my
flesh,) dwelleth no good thing.” Each
aspiration to be better, each craving
for good, each thirst for God, you
should regard with awe and gratitude,
for it is not of yourself but of Him!
A
young man, Herb, home on leave, asked if
he could speak with me alone. It was
easy to see that he had a heavy heart.
“I
hardly know where to begin,” he said,
“but I am so miserable and unhappy I
just can’t go on.”
As I
waited, his story slowly unfolded: In
his later teens he had accompanied some
of his friends to a church where
something was astir among the younger
set. It was reported that any number of
them had undergone strange and wonderful
transformations. There, for the first
time, he came face to face with Christ
and yielded his life to Him.
“For
the next two or two and a half years,”
he continued, “I lived in a veritable
heaven on earth. Such joy in living the
Christian life I never dreamed possible.
“Along about then,” he recalled, “I
joined the merchant marines. Deprived of
Christian fellowship and nourishment of
soul, I began to drift away from God.
Later on I started to gamble, then to
drink. More recently I have stopped at
nothing. I determined to see life, but
life has become no longer worthwhile.
Misery dogs me even in my sleep. I just
can’t go on. Something has got to
happen.”
The
young man’s words, although simple and
quiet, vividly portrayed the sad
disillusionment of one to whom the
enchantments of the world had become
unbearably sickening. As the man
finished, we sat together.
“Herb,” I said presently, “in that dark
picture there is one blessed ray of
hope: right now God is working mightily
in your life!”
As
one would expect, no little surprise
marked his sin-worn countenance. I went
on to explain, “Man has been so utterly
marred by sin that apart from God, he no
longer yearns for purity and holiness.
His warped, depraved nature loves sin
and grovels in it. The faintest cry of
dissatisfaction, the weakest pangs of
remorse, the slightest sigh to be
better—all are conclusive evidence that
God Himself is at work within that
heart.
“The
very fact that you want again to live
the Christian life, that you are unhappy
in your sin, even the fact that you came
here to talk with someone else about
your need, must be interpreted as
unquestionable proof that God is working
in your life.”
And
so it was with the rich young ruler. For
let us never forget, the same tender
love prompts Him to send restlessness to
the lost in order that their discontent
will lead them to seek Him.
A
Tragic Misconception
Observe the youth’s misconception of
man’s role in the plan of salvation.
“What good thing shall I do?” he asked.
This
has been the universal misconception
since the Fall of man. This
misconception, still shared by millions
today, is the natural reaction of the
carnal heart to the consciousness of
need. It is the mistaken belief upon
which all the religions of the world
have been built, the belief that man,
whose nature is sinful, must perform
some work or attain some merit which
will entitle him to Heaven.
All
the man-conceived religions of the
world, without a single exception, show
the sinner striving, struggling,
sacrificing, suffering and trying in his
own strength to reach up to God. Only
the Gospel of Jesus Christ tells of a
God of infinite love who reaches down to
man! Man-made religions are based upon
the belief that the sinner can be saved
provided he attains enough goodness. The
Gospel of Christ tells us that God seeks
to save us in spite of our evil!
Why
is it, then, that Christ did not
immediately expose the youth’s
ignorance? He had asked, “What shall I
do?” Why not at that very point tell him
he was on the wrong track, that
salvation is a gift, “not of works, lest
any man should boast”? The answer is
given in the story itself. Christ was
leading the youth on, drawing him out
and helping him to see for himself that
if eternal life were the reward for
works, no one, not even he, could
measure up.
See
how intense the youthful seeker becomes!
For the time being, at least, he sees
life in its true perspective. And seen
in that light, only one thing matters!
Christ or Riches?
Christ begins by speaking in terms the
young man can grasp. ‘Keep the
commandments: Don’t murder, don’t steal,
don’t commit adultery, don’t bear false
witness, honor your father and mother….’
But
no one could convince the youth that was
all there was to it. Was he not innocent
of such transgression? Had he not kept
all these from his youth up? We can
almost hear a wail in his voice as he
cries, “What lack I yet?”
Like
a spontaneous outburst from within, the
agonizing cry laid bare the need of his
life. Words can be such shallow things!
Often they form on the surface of life
like wind-swept dust on a desert. But
these words were rent from the depths of
the soul, like molten lava from the
bowels of the earth.
“Thou shalt have no other gods before
me,” eternally thunders the commandment
of the Almighty! Whatever we elevate
above God becomes an idol which must be
torn down. Often that which takes the
place of God is perfectly harmless in
itself.
It
may be a choice association, a worthy
cause, a noble ambition, a prized
possession or an innocent pastime. But
whatever it is, however desirable it may
seem, when once it receives the
affection meant for God, it becomes a
false deity which wields the power to
dwarf and blight and damn.
Wealth is one of those things which in
themselves are neither good nor bad.
Sure, in the hands of some it is “filthy
lucre,” but it is also true that in the
hands of others it is golden
opportunity. It all depends upon who has
it.
To
the rich young ruler, perhaps without
his ever realizing it, wealth had become
an idol. He loved it more than anything
else in the world. Christ’s demand to
forfeit his material possessions in
their entirety fell upon the youth as a
sudden, unexpected blow. It left him
stunned and uncertain.
A
terrible price, it was more than he had
expected to pay. Billows of agony broke
upon his soul. In deep deliberation, he
became oblivious to those about him, to
the passing of time, to the wild
pounding of his heart within. He had
thought of himself as righteous—yet he
was breaking the First Commandment of
all!
A
friend of mine, the son of a preacher,
told me about an experience his father
had while holding services in one of the
Southern states. After the meeting one
night, a well-dressed man walked up
front to shake his father’s hand. As he
did so, the man handed him a folded
check. “It’s yours,” he said, “no
strings attached. Do with it just as you
like.” The stranger then turned to
leave. Inquisitive, the preacher
unfolded the check and saw that it was
written in the amount of one thousand
dollars.
“Just a minute!” the preacher summoned
the departing donor. “Before you go, I’d
like to know more about you. After all,
it’s not every day of the week a
preacher meets a man who shows such
interest in his work. First, tell me,
are you a Christian?”
“No,” replied the man, “I am not. You
are surprised, I am sure, and it will
only take a minute to tell you why I am
not.”
As
the preacher waited, the man related his
tragic story.
“When I was a youth, I was consumed with
the ambition to become wealthy. I wanted
money more than anything else.
“Then one night I happened to attend a
service very much the same as that which
you conducted tonight. There, for the
first time, I came face to face with
Christ and recognized His claim on my
life.
“But
there was my burning ambition!
Intuitively, I knew it must be one or
the other. I could not yield to Christ
and at the same time travel the pathway
of my own selfish pursuits. The
preacher’s invitation came to an end,
and I left the church.
“But
even as I departed, the conflict of soul
became more intense, and I promised
myself, one way or the other, for time
and eternity, I would make the decision
before I closed my eyes in sleep that
night. All the way home I weighed the
matter.
“As
I approached my dwelling, I stopped in
the gateway. I determined to settle the
issue then and there. So I placed one
hand on one gatepost and the other hand
on the other gatepost. Turning to the
left, I said, ‘Now, if you take your
lifelong ambition, that means your love
of wealth.’ Turning to the right, I
said, ‘If you take this, that means you
will have Christ; that means you will
share the love of God. Which will it be?
Take your choice!’
“Once more I weighed the matter. Then,
believe it or not [here he lifted his
left hand], I took this! From that day
to this,” said the stranger, “wealth has
come my way. But from that day to this,
I have never again heard the call of
Christ.”
In
much the same way, this young man faced
the eternal issues. Still kneeling at
the feet of Christ, he weighed the cost.
Forces of good and evil locked in deadly
combat upon the battleground of his
soul. Time and space became lost. How
long he knelt, how long he struggled, we
do not know. We only know that all the
while above him in compassionate concern
stood the loving Son of God who came to
earth to seek and save such as he.
Stopping at nothing, He would soon go to
the cross and die that they might have
life. Yet He stood there, motionless,
silent, as though His hands were tied
and His lips were sealed.
If
this breathtaking scene means anything,
it means not even God can force a soul
to choose the right. There comes a time
in every experience when God has made
His last move, when He has spoken His
last word. From there on, He must wait
in silence upon the soul’s decision. The
next move is up to the sinner. Life or
death, joy or sorrow, through time and
eternity, will depend upon that choice.
While the Son of Man waits, an almost
unbelievable catastrophe takes place.
The vibrant, virile young man whose
countenance was lighted with a quest for
life, slowly bows his head. As though
awakening from a blissful dream to cruel
realities, hard lines crease his brow.
The glow of color leaves his cheeks. His
lips are tightly drawn. Then, as one
whose heart has at last become
insensitive to Infinite Love, resolute
and determined, he rises from his knees,
turns his back upon Christ and walks
away!
The
end has come. The die is cast. It takes
but a line for the inspired writer to
conclude the picture. In that one tragic
move, the promising young man penned his
life’s story for all eternity. His
biography is summed up in a single,
futile, hopeless word: “sorrowful”!
But God!
Yes,
this is the story of the man who had
everything! The story of the man who had
everything—but God!
“Come and follow me,” had been Christ’s
invitation. He could have had life! He
could have had the eternal satisfaction
of living and walking with God. And joy
of a life so lived would have outweighed
a million times the temporal
satisfaction of material things. Today,
somewhere in the awful darkness of
everlasting doom, he writhes at the
memory of opportunity lost forever! Hour
after hour, day after day, year after
year—on and on until time shall be no
more, then for all eternity, this soul
will suffer endless anguish because this
day he closed the door of his heart in
the face of God.
Your Decision
Like
one depressed by the sight of some
heartrending tragedy, we turn to leave.
But wait! Something bids us linger. What
we see when we look again makes hope
leap within our hearts. Can it be? The
rich young ruler returns once more to
kneel at the feet of Christ! We get a
better view. No, it isn’t the rich ruler
as at first we thought. It is someone
else. Behold, my friend, that someone is
you!
You
are now kneeling in the very same place,
under the very same conditions, as the
wealthy seeker of old. Once more Christ
in compassion and love stands silent
over a soul for whom He died. Once again
those about Him are tense with
expectation. The very air is charged.
Angels are hovering near.
Forgiveness of sin, fellowship with God,
fulfillment in His service, life here,
life beyond—all can be yours! God loves
you! God has a place for you. To you, as
to the rich ruler of old, He has said,
“Come and follow me”! What a plan! What
an opportunity! What a destiny!
The
decision you make will determine your
fate forever! It’s up to you. Don’t
wait. Brush aside all foolish barriers.
Say “yes” to Him. Open your heart to
Christ, and you too will pen your life’s
story for all eternity! Only this time
let the biography be summed up in one
splendid, magnificent, thrilling word:
J-O-Y-F-U-L.
Write Us Today!
The
editor urges you to make the eternal
decision for Christ and salvation just
now. If you will honestly turn to Christ
with a repentant heart, trusting Him for
salvation, sign the decision form below,
put it in a letter and mail it to the
editor. We will send you a letter of
counsel and encouragement.
Decision Form
Dr.
Shelton Smith
Sword of the Lord
P. O. Box 1099
Murfreesboro, TN 37133-1099
Dear
Dr. Smith:
I
have read the sermon “Everything but the
One Thing He Needed the Most” by
Evangelist Philip LiCalzi. I realize
that I too am a poor, lost sinner who
needs saving. I know that nothing in the
world is important enough to miss
salvation for it. So here and now I will
by faith receive the crucified and risen
Christ as my Saviour; I will claim Him
openly; and from this day forth, I will
testify of His salvation, and I will
live for Him.
Date _________________
Name ________________________
Address ______________________
_____________________________
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