Barriers (Part 3) Today's Three-minute Bible Study Print, Study and Apply Title: Barriers (Part 3)------------------------------------ Date: 12/20/2000 Keywords: "good" "grieved" "trust" Welcome to eXXit, the web site designed to help you stand strong in the face of sexual temptation. Passage: Mark 10:17-22* 17. And as He was setting out on a journey, a man ran up to Him and knelt before Him, and began asking Him, "Good Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?" 18. And Jesus said to him, "Why do you call Me good? No one is good except God alone. 19. "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.'" 20.  And he said to Him, "Teacher, I have kept all these things from my youth up." 21. And looking at him, Jesus felt a love for him, and said to him, "One thing you lack: go and sell all you possess, and give to the poor, and you shall have treasure in heaven; and come, follow me." 22. But at these words his face fell, and he went away grieved, for he was one who owned much property. Question What do you depend on to help you be a good person?   Practical help Today we conclude the story of the rich young man, focusing on verses 21 to 22. Reviewing verse 20, the young man has just responded to Jesus' "goodness" criteria for attaining everlasting life by confidently chiming "I have kept all these things from my youth up." He's very sincere in his understanding that if verifiable compliance to the commands of verse 19 is the standard then he measures up really well. The next two verses tell us something about the nature of God and the nature of mankind. In verse 21 Jesus looks into the heart of this young man and lovingly sees one of his created children who genuinely wants to be "good enough" for God. He just doesn't understand what "good enough" is. To help this young man understand where his trust really lies, Jesus challenges him to make a great sacrifice. You are rich and around you are the poor. Give your riches to the poor (and by the way you'll have treasure in heaven) and come follow me. The young man's response points to his particular barrier — dependence on wealth. He wanted to be measured as "good enough," but only if it didn't risk what he depended on. He couldn't see his wealth for what it had become — a barrier between his heart and a God who loved him and wanted him to attain that "good enough" status. Has a pornography habit become a barrier between your heart and a God who wants you to be "good enough" for Him? Do you want to become "barrier free"? Did you know that to become "good enough" you just have to know that "God's enough?" (Click here, if you don't.) eXXit homepage Index of three-minute studies Copyright 2000 by eXXit *"Scripture taken from the NEW AMERICAN STANDARD BIBLE®, © Copyright The Lockman Foundation 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995. Used by permission."