When Jesus heard this, He said to him, “One thing you still lack; sell all that you possess and distribute it to the poor, and you shall have treasure in heaven; and come, follow Me.”
Luke 18:22
King David wrote in Psalm 27:4 that he asked only one thing from God. This simple prayer, the foundation of the current 24/7 prayer movement, is central if we are to capture God in this generation. The simplicity, the focus, the potential. There is no lack to those who seek Him.
Yet, in the same right, to the man who had “too much” for his own good, as this passage describes, Jesus was bold and direct. The man wanted to be perfect, and Jesus, not trying to soften or work the man into agreement, told him His requirements. The man went away sad when Jesus said only One Thing was lacking. What did this poor man lack? Real treasure.
The call to the Gospel has never been more plain than this. Unless you hate father, mother, sister, brother, children, wife, and your own life, you cannot be His disciple. The call to the Gospel is the call to die, and it’s justification is found in just one place, it’s worth.
“The kingdom of heaven is like a treasure hidden in the field, which a man found and hid again; and from joy over it he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field.
Matthew 13:44
You cannot prove the superiority of the Gospel. Yes, there are arguments proving it beyond any doubt, yet they are all entirely worthless for salvation. They might prop up a dying thing for a little while, and they might cut through some of the intellectual nonsense that comes against the body of Christ. But, to know Christ, and to believe in Him is not only the only proof, it is the perfect proof, far above any criticism for the one who has it, and ludicrous to anyone without.
The Kingdom stands beckoning. It transcends space and time. It is Beyond revelation, and hidden revelatory knowledge. While there may be prophecies, and there may be gifts, and there may be all these things, it is the Kingdom itself, God’s throne and His Majesty, who He is, in all His power and authority for which you are trading your life for.
And, it comes at the end of a sword. You either die to it, or you remain dead in the flames. Eternal fire. And, of the destructive type. You see that throne, and your life is lost–it is His.
Jesus said to the rich young man, who was doing everything else perfectly, I only want One Thing.
What is yours?
One thing I ask of you, this one thing I seek: That I may dwell in your house all the days of my life, gaze upon the beauty of the Lord, and inquire of Him in His temple.
Psalm 27:4