Connect Luke 18:26 with Ephesians 2:8-9 on grace and salvation. Setting the scene • Luke 18:18-27 recounts the rich ruler who “kept” the commandments yet walked away sorrowful when told to surrender his wealth. • Hearing Jesus say, “It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God,” the crowd exclaims, “Those who heard this asked, ‘Who then can be saved?’” (Luke 18:26). • Jesus responds, “What is impossible with man is possible with God” (Luke 18:27). Human impossibility exposed • Moral effort, status, or resources cannot purchase eternal life. • Romans 3:23-24 reminds us, “all have sinned… and are justified freely by His grace.” • Titus 3:5 adds, “He saved us, not by works of righteousness that we had done, but according to His mercy.” • Luke 18 underscores our spiritual bankruptcy: even the most outwardly righteous fall short. God’s gracious gift explained • Ephesians 2:8-9 clarifies how the “impossible” becomes reality: “For it is by grace you have been saved through faith, and this not from yourselves; it is the gift of God, not by works, so that no one can boast.” • Key truths: – Salvation is “by grace” — God’s undeserved favor. – It is received “through faith” — trusting Christ’s finished work. – It is “not from yourselves” — entirely outside human merit. – It is “the gift of God” — freely given, never earned. – Result: “no one can boast” — all praise belongs to the Lord. Connecting the passages • Luke 18 poses the desperate question; Ephesians 2 gives the definitive answer. • What man cannot achieve (Luke 18:27), God supplies by grace (Ephesians 2:8). • The rich ruler relied on law-keeping; grace shifts reliance to Christ alone (John 3:16-17). Living in the reality of grace • Rest — cease striving to earn God’s favor; trust the sufficiency of Christ (Hebrews 4:10). • Rejoice — salvation is secure because it depends on God’s power, not ours (1 Peter 1:3-5). • Reflect — extend the same grace to others, remembering we stand only by His gift (Colossians 3:12-13). Key takeaways • Salvation is humanly impossible; grace makes it gloriously possible. • Faith is the hand that receives, never the price that purchases. • Because salvation is God’s gift, assurance and humility grow together. |
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