Good Master, what good thing shall I do, that I may have eternal life?

 It seems that this question, posed by the rich young man, was either not resolved by Jesus Himself in the first century AD or that we perhaps have failed to understand His answer! For to this day among Christians, debates still rage regarding which commandments should we keep, if any at all. from Lucija Tomljenovic

Let us begin by citing the broader context of the verse in question (pun intended)!

16 And, behold, one came and said unto him, Good Master, what good thing shall I do, that I may have eternal life? 17 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. 18 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, 19 Honour thy father and thy mother: and, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. 20 The young man saith unto him, All these things have I kept from my youth up: what lack I yet? 21 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. 22 But when the young man heard that saying, he went away sorrowful: for he had great possessions. – Matthew 19

First thing that should be noticed is that Jesus did not reprimand the rich young man for asking what good thing he ought to do to enter eternal life. This is consistent with what the apostle James later wrote:

14 What doth it profit, my brethren, though a man say he hath faith, and have not works? can faith save him? 15 If a brother or sister be naked, and destitute of daily food, 16 And one of you say unto them, Depart in peace, be ye warmed and filled; notwithstanding ye give them not those things which are needful to the body; what doth it profit? 17 Even so faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone. 18 Yea, a man may say, Thou hast faith, and I have works: shew me thy faith without thy works, and I will shew thee my faith by my works. 19 Thou believest that there is one God; thou doest well: the devils also believe, and tremble. 20 But wilt thou know, O vain man, that faith without works is dead? – James 2

 What James taught is further consistent with Paul’s admonition to the Romans, in which Paul set the salvation-by-grace concept in its proper context:

1 What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound? 2 God forbid. How shall we, that are dead to sin, live any longer therein? 6 Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin. 7 For he that is dead is freed from sin…. 14 For sin shall not have dominion over you: for ye are not under the law, but under grace.15 What then? shall we sin, because we are not under the law, but under grace? God forbid. 16 Know ye not, that to whom ye yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants ye are to whom ye obey; whether of sin unto death, or of obedience unto righteousness? 17 But God be thanked, that ye were the servants of sin, but ye have obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine which was delivered you.– Romans 6

 Now, last time I checked, sin was, is and always will be, a transgression of the Law. God’s Law (or Torah) of course, not the US constitution (or that of any other worldly government for that matter).

2 Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is. 3 And every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself, even as he is pure. 4 Whosoever committeth sin transgresseth also the law: for sin is the transgression of the law. 5 And ye know that he was manifested to take away our sins; and in him is no sin. 6 Whosoever abideth in him sinneth not: whosoever sinneth hath not seen him, neither known him. 7 Little children, let no man deceive you: he that doeth righteousness is righteous, even as he is righteous. 8 He that committeth sin is of the devil; for the devil sinneth from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that he might destroy the works of the devil. 9 Whosoever is born of God doth not commit sin; for his seed remaineth in him: and he cannot sin, because he is born of God. 10 In this the children of God are manifest, and the children of the devil: whosoever doeth not righteousness is not of God, neither he that loveth not his brother.- 1 John 3

We should not be surprised that the Scriptures are consistent with each other, for God is not the author of contradictions nor confusions, if such exist, it is only because of our failure, or perhaps unwillingness to study alleged contradictions properly.

The bottom line of James’, Paul’s and John’s teaching is that true salvation manifests itself in good works which are in harmony with God’s Law. A man who keeps God’s commandments is likened to a fruitful branch which bares good fruits, of which Jesus Himself spoke.

1 I am the true vine, and my Father is the husbandman. 2 Every branch in me that beareth not fruit he taketh away: and every branch that beareth fruit, he purgeth it, that it may bring forth more fruit. 3 Now ye are clean through the word which I have spoken unto you. 4 Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me. 5 I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing. 6 If a man abide not in me, he is cast forth as a branch, and is withered; and men gather them, and cast them into the fire, and they are burned. 7If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you. 8 Herein is my Father glorified, that ye bear much fruit; so shall ye be my disciples. 9 As the Father hath loved me, so have I loved you: continue ye in my love. 10 If ye keep my commandments, ye shall abide in my love; even as I have kept my Father’s commandments, and abide in his love. – John 15

 It should be also obvious that the commandments of God the Son, and those of God the Father are one and the same for the Messiah Himself said:

I and the Father are one. – John 10:30

 The Son can do nothing of himself, but what he seeth the Father do: for what things soever he doeth, these also doeth the Son likewise. – John 5:19

 It is also obvious that keeping the commandments of God is not the way by which we are saved, for truly we are saved by grace alone which is a gift of God (Ephesians 2:8-9). Keeping of the commandments is however a question of love and a reflection of the manner in which we respond to His grace. If we say we love Him but do not keep His Commandments we lie, and we know that no liars shall inherit eternal life!

By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God, and keep his commandments. 3 For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments: and his commandments are not grievous. 1 John 5:2-3

 If ye love me, keep my commandments. – John 14:15

 He that overcometh shall inherit all things; and I will be his God, and he shall be my son. But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death.- Revelation21:7-8

 Let us now briefly turn again to the account of the rich young man in Matthew 19. We see that when he asked Jesus which commandments he ought to keep to enter life, the Messiah did not answer him: “Actually, forget about the commandments, because soon I will do away with all of them and you will be able to do whatever you please.”  Hm, that indeed would seems to me more like the “gospel” according to Alistair Crowley (1875-1947), the infamous British occultist and spiritist and founder of the occult Thelema society. In 1904, Crowley visited Egypt, where he and his spouse engaged in spiritism and invoking of Egyptian deities. The séances must have worked for, according to Crowley, not long after, he heard a disembodied voice of a spiritual entity who called himself Aiwass, and claimed to be the messenger of the Egyptian sun god Horus! Aiwass dictated to Crowley The Book of the Law, a sacred text that served as the basis for his Thelema society. The book proclaimed that the humanity was to enter a new aeon (age), the Aeon of Horus! The book also declared that a supreme moral law was to be introduced in this Aeon, which is: “Do what thou wilt shall be the whole of the law“, and that people should seek to align themselves with their “True Will” through the practice of magic!!! Other famous quotes from Crowley’s (or Aiwass’) Book of the Law, include, “There is no law beyond Do what thou wilt”, “Love is the law, love under will”, “I am above you and in you. My ecstasy is in yours. My joy is to see your joy.” [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aleister_Crowley ,https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Aleister_Crowley]

 If this sounds funny, it really shouldn’t be, because Alistair Crowley’s type of theology is extremely popular these days. It is being taught under the Christian vernacular of hyper-grace which espouses the idea that the “Law has been done away with” and “nailed to the cross” and all that matters now is that “we love each other”.

To such who claim thus, I would say, really? Jesus died so that we could all be lawless? Was this not what we were from the beginning? Sometimes the shear absurdity of a claim can only be made manifest by taking it to its logical conclusion. However, do not take my word for it, let God speak and let God be true and every man a liar.

Who [Jesus] gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all lawlessness (anomia), and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works – Titus 2:14

 For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them. – Ephesians 2:10

 Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with lawlessness (anomia)?  And what communion hath light with darkness? – 2 Corinthians  6:14

The Son of man shall send forth his angels, and they shall gather out of his kingdom all things that offend, and them which do iniquity (anomia) – Matthew 13:41

“Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven. Many will say to Me in that day, ‘Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name? And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness (anomian)!’ “– Matthew 7: 21-23

 God did not abolish His own Law. But He did redeem us from all lawlessness. The Law reflects the Lawgiver, God could no more abolish His Law than He could abolish Himself. And here is the proof:

17 Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil. 18 For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled. 19 Whosoever therefore shall break one of these least commandments, and shall teach men so, he shall be called the least in the kingdom of heaven: but whosoever shall do and teach them, the same shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven. – Matthew 5

 For the commandment is a lamp; and the law is Light; and reproofs of instruction are the way of Life – Proverbs 6:23

 Thy Word is a lamp unto my feet and a Light unto my path – Psalm 119:105

 Thy righteousness is an everlasting righteousness, and Thy law is Truth – Psalm 119:142

 You are near, O LORD, And all Your commandments are Truth – Psalm 119:151

 Parallel =

 Jesus saith unto to him, “I am the Way, and the Truth, and the Life – John 14:6

Then spake Jesus again unto them, saying, “I am the Light of the world; he that followeth me shall not walk in the darkness, but shall have the Light of Life.” – John 8:12

 1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 The same was in the beginning with God. 3 All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made. 4 In him was Life; and the Life was the Light of men. 5 And the Light shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not. – John 1

 And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us – John 1:14

 The Law of the LORD is perfect, converting the soul: the testimony of the LORD is sure, making wise the simple. – Psalm 19:7

 The apostle of grace (Paul) gave this exhortation:

Be ye followers of me, even as I also am of Christ. – 1 Corinthians 11:1

 And the beloved apostle John said that those who claim to belong to Christ (are born again) ought to:

He that saith he abideth in him ought himself also so to walk, even as he walked.

 And we know that Jesus never sinned and moreover, that His saving grace gives us power to walk even as He walked:

2 Grace and peace be multiplied unto you through the knowledge of God, and of Jesus our Lord, 3 According as his divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of him that hath called us to glory and virtue: 4 Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust – 2 Peter 1

 And finally, guard against heresies!!:

To the law and to the testimony: if they speak not according to this word, it is because there is no light in them.- Isaiah 8:20

 “The wise men are put to shame, They are dismayed and caught; Behold, they have rejected the word of the LORD, And what kind of wisdom do they have? – Jeremiah 8:9