Greetings to you in the precious name of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, The Son of the Living God. Praise the LORD. Today’s message is about inheriting eternal life. 3 kinds of life are mentioned in the Bible:

1. Physical life, Gen. 2:7
2. Eternal life, John 3:16
3. Abundant life, John 10:10

Let us study the spiritual steps to be taken, to inherit everlasting life from the St. Luke’s Gospel 18:18-30.

Keep the Commandments

18.	And a certain ruler asked him, saying, Good Master, what shall I do
	to inherit eternal life?
19.	And Jesus said unto him, why callest thou me good?
	None is good, save one, that is God.
20.	Thou knowest the commandments, Do not commit adultery,
	Do not kill, Do not steal, Do not bear false witness, Honor thy father And mother.
21.	And he said, All these have I kept from my youth up.

A certain ruler, who was an Youngman and leader In the society, came to Jesus for a very important purpose. He was also a rich man. There was a good desire in him about how to inherit everlasting life. His question was, “ Good Master, What shall I do to inherit eternal life?”. Good question. Jesus said: “ God is good, there is none good, but one”. He always glorified the Father. Father in Him, Jesus is God manifested in flesh. We all understand and confess always that Jesus is good. That means Jesus is God manifested in flesh.

In Matthew Gospel, Jesus said: “ … if thou wilt enter into life, keep the commandments. Love God, love your neighbor as you love yourself. The ruler said 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
• Honor thy father and thy mother; and
• Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thy self

The first four commandments are about loving God. The last six commandments are about loving your neighbor as you love yourself. The 10 th commandment is : “ Thou shalt not covet…”.

Distribute to the Poor

21.	And He said, All these have I kept from my youth up.
22.	Now when Jesus heard these things, he said unto him,
	Yet lackest thou one thing; sell all that thou hast, and Distribute unto poor, and thou shalt have treasure in Heaven; and come, follow me.
23.	And when he heard this, he was very sorrowful, for he was very rich.

The Youngman boasted about his moral religious life. I have kept all these commandments, I believe in the 10 commandments. This was his reply. Jesus loved him and said to him, yet you lack one thing. His diagnosis was accurate. The young man transgressed the 10 th commandment by not loving the poor and accumulating wealth for himself for many generations. This is the problem of selfish rich people. They are living in luxurious life, forgetting the poor and down trodden. Jesus said:

Sell all that you have, and distribute to the poor, and you shall
Have treasure in Heaven; and come, follow me ( St.Luke 18:22).

He that hath pity upon the poor lendeth unto the LORD; and
That which he hath given will he pay him again ( Proverbs 19:17).

In St. Mark’s Gospel , Chapter 10: 22 says, And he was sad at that saying, and went away grieved: for he had great possessions. If he had known and practiced Prov. 19:17, and helped and distributed to poor, the LORD would have repaid him and blessed him hundred fold. The ignorant Youngman went away grieved.

There is a great blessing in helping the poor. Remember the poor. God blesses the man who has pity upon the poor. You shall have good life in this world and you shall have treasure in Heaven. The Apostle Paul obeyed Jesus’ call to follow Him. Paul left all to follow Jesus Christ. Paul became a good example to all believers in Jesus.

Come, take up the cross, and follow Me

God is calling you. You should know your destiny. Jesus is calling you to a powerful, humble and simple life style. You shall have rest for your mind, will and emotions.

After his healing, Jesus found him in the temple and counseled him. He talked with him. Relgious Pharisees do not talk with common people. Jesus did follow up ministry. He said, “ Behold, you are made whole”. Sin no more. If you sin, you will become worse, if you live a sin free holy life, you shall become a better person. You shall enjoy your best life. Jesus wants you to live a holy life. The Bible says, in 1 Peter 1:15,16: “ But as He which hath called you is holy, so be ye holy in all manner of conversation; because it is written, Be ye holy; for I am holy”.

“ Come unto me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.
Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart;
and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light”.
( St. Matthew 11: 28-30 )

What a wonderful calling to the hard working people in the world! Are you working very hard and bearing heavy workload which you cannot bear like a bullock? Jesus wants to lighten your work, so that you shall work smart and have rest and peaceful life. This is general calling to the people.

There is a special calling to His disciples: “ Take up the cross, and follow me” said Jesus. Cross is our will and God’s will crossing one another. The horizontal line is our will and the vertical line is the will of God. The Bible says in the book of Galatians:

I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; ye not I, but Christ liveth
In me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the
Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me ( Galatians 2:24).

And they that are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts.
( Galatians 5:24)

But God forbid that I should glory, save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ,
By whom the world is crucified unto me, and I unto the world ( Galatians 6:14).

These are the highest spiritual experiences as you start and develop in the spiritual life. The spiritual experiences are:

• Taking the cross and following Jesus
• Crucifying the flesh with the affections
• Being crucified with Christ
• Living in Christ, reigning in life through Christ
• Glorifying the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ

When you follow Jesus in this manner, the power of God will be manifested through your Christian life. Jesus said: ‘ Come, take up the cross, and follow me”.

Enter into the Kingdom of God

24.	And when Jesus saw that he was very sorrowful, he said, How hardly shall
	they that have riches enter into the kingdom of God!
25.	For it is easier for a camel to go through a needle’s eye, than for a rich man
	to enter into the kingdom of God.

Jesus is here speaking about entering into the kingdom of God. In John 3, He spoke about seeing the kingdom of God and entering into the kingdom of God. The qualification is : you must be born again. New birth is essential for this aspect of God’s kingdom. “ Jesus said: verily, verily, I say unto thee, except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he can not enter into the kingdom of God”( John 3;5). Water represents the word of God and Spirit represents the Holy Spirit of God. You need to be immersed in the word of God, and be filled with the wind of the Holy Spirit of the Living God., the baptism of the Holy Spirit. Then you can enjoy righteousness, peace and Joy in the Holy Ghost. The Bible says;

“ For the kingdom of God is not meat and drink; but righteousness and peace,
and joy in the Holy Ghost. For he that in these things serveth Christ is acceptable to God, and approved of men”( Romans 14: 17,18).

They that have lust for riches, it is impossible to enter. But, a born again, Spirit filled, Holy Ghost anointed minister of God can enter and enjoy and inherit the kingdom of God.

Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ

The last step is very simple. Just believe. Have faith in God. Do not fear, only believe. You must have faith in the Son of God.

26.	And they that heard it said, Who then can be saved?
27.	And He said, The things which are impossible with men are possible with God.

Salvation is the gift of God. It is impossible with men. But, it is not impossible with God. All things are possible to him that believes. Therefore, what must you do? Simply, believe on the Lord Jesus. The Bible says in John 3:16:

“ For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him, should not perish, but have everlasting life”.

This is a wonderful promise of Jesus. This Bible verse describes: 1. The love of God, 2. The Son of God, 3. The faith of God, 4. The compassion of God, 5. The life of God.

God loves you. He gave His Son Jesus. He gave His life for you on the cross. Jesus died for you and rose again from the dead. You shall not perish in hell. You shall have eternal life in this world and in Heaven. This is that good news. Believe the gospel. Finally, you shall have 100 fold blessings in this life and in the world to come life everlasting. The Bible says:

28.	Then Peter said, Lo, we have left all, and followed thee.
29.	And he said unto them, verily I say unto you, There is no man that hath left house, or parents, or brethren, or wife, or children for the kingdom of God’s sake,
30.	Who shall not receive manifold more in this present time, and in the world to come life everlasting.( St. Luke 18: 28-30)

God bless you and your Household with present day worldly blessings and Eternal life. Amen.

( This message was preached by me in The Church of The Living God, Chennai in front of Head Pastor Paul Kirubakaran, the elders and before the Believers in one of the seven days sanctification meetings in December 2013, for the Glory of God).

If this God’s Message has been a blessing to your spiritual life, please respond to us by sowing an offering to the ministry as unto the LORD, in this new month and new year by Money order/Cheque/ Demand Draft and forward your offering to the following office:

Rev. C. Peter Chandran, THE LIVING GOD MINISTRIES

NO.46/61, First Floor, Ravi Electronics, East Jones Road, Saidapet,

Chennai 600015 India.

Prayer line : 9445113726

Website: www.thelivinggodministries.org

Email: peterchandran@hotmail.com

You can also send your gift offering through Money Transfer in favor of:

Name: C. PETER CHANDRAN

A/c No. 603301503805

Bank name: ICICI Bank Limited

Branch :Besant Nagar, Chennai India

IFSC : ICIC0006033

May God open the windows of Heaven and pour on you showers of His blessings.

2014 YEAR OF GOD’S FULLNESS, VICTORY AND FAMILY LIFE AND WORLD EVANGELISM : Pray for this year ministry: 1. Planting “ The Living God Church “ ( 100 church buildings construction all over the world) , 2. Monthly help to 100 Pastors, 3. Gospel Crusades, Conferences, 4. Helping the Poor, Orphans and Widows, ( mercy ministry), and 5. Magazines, Newsletters, Gospel Literatures and tracts and spiritual books.

Your’s sincerely,

REV. C. PETER CHANDRAN

God’s servant