A Pastor’s Thoughts: Go and Sell Everything! Really? Are You Kidding Me?

By Pastor Wayne Sibrava, Living Water Baptist Church —

Can you imagine someone having the audacity to tell another to go and sell everything they own and give it to the poor? Yet this is exactly what happened, and it’s a true story from the Bible.  

A religious leader came to Jesus one day and asked the most important question that can ever be asked: Luke 18:18 (NLT) ¹⁸ “Once a religious leader asked Jesus this question: Good Teacher, what should I do to inherit eternal life?”

Jesus responded by saying to him in verse 19, “Why do you call me good?” Jesus asked him. “Only God is truly good.” Jesus went on to tell him in verse 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.”

To this, the man said in verse 21: “I’ve obeyed all these commandments since I was young.” Finally, Jesus responded in verse 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.”

To this, the man went away sad, for he was very rich. Verses 24-25 tell us that “Jesus, seeing that he had become sad, said, How difficult it is for those who have wealth to enter the kingdom of God! For 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.” 

In this true Bible story, Jesus spoke of difficult spiritual issues that we all face. First, he dispelled the idea that good works are the basis of going to heaven. It’s possible to think that I’m going to heaven because I’m good.

Jesus clearly said that no one is good, or good enough, except God. Next, Jesus dispelled the idea that one can go to heaven by keeping the commandments, for He said the religious leader still lacked one thing. Finally, Jesus seemed to say that this man would have eternal life and go to heaven if he sold everything that he owned. At this point, the man went away sad, for he was very rich. In reality, Jesus was saying that this man’s riches were his focus. They stood in the way of him having a relationship with God.  

As a pastor, my first and foremost responsibility is to tell people the truth of Scripture. As I see it, the most important thing that I can tell a person is how to know for sure that they will go to heaven when they die.  

Considering the Scripture, there are three things a person must do to have eternal life in heaven. First, there must be the admission and confession of sin: Romans 3:23 (NLT) ²³ For everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God’s glorious standard.  

Second, there must be belief that Jesus died on the cross as the payment for your sin: Romans 10:9 (NLT) ⁹ If you openly declare that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.

Finally, there must be confession of Jesus as Lord: Romans 10:13 (NLT) ¹³ For “Everyone  who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”  

Everyone has eternal life. The question I would like to pose to you is this… WHERE WILL YOU  SPEND ETERNITY? The choice is yours.