Mark 12:34
And when Jesus saw that he answered discreetly, he said unto him, Thou art not far from the kingdom of God. And no man after that durst ask him any question.
In this mornings scripture we really need to take the time to read Mark 12:28-34. It will tell us of a scribe that came to Jesus with a question. This question dealt with what the first commandment was. Jesus answered him with, "The first of all the commandments is, Hear, O Israel; The Lord our God is one Lord: And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength: this is the first commandment. And the second is like, namely this, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. There is none other commandment greater than these." Jesus told this man that loving God was the greatest of all commandments.
When the scribe heard the answer of Jesus he responded with, "Well, Master, thou hast said the truth: for there is one God; and there is none other but he: And to love him with all the heart, and with all the understanding, and with all the soul, and with all the strength, and to love his neighbour as himself, is more than all whole burnt offerings and sacrifices." The scribe knew his commandments. He was very well learned in the word of God.
Look at what the response was from Jesus... "Thou art not far from the kingdom of God." Don't you wonder sometimes why Jesus didn't say, "Exactly! Surely you will be with me in the kingdom of my Father"? Jesus said, "Thou art not far from the kingdom".
This scribe was so close, but yet so far away. Many people believed, even today still believe, that keeping commandments is all that you need to do. But the word of God continually tells us differently. When it comes to salvation, it's by Grace through Faith! Keeping commandments without placing our faith in Him can be done by many people but only for a little while. But keeping His commandments after we have placed our faith and lives in His hands is a lot easier to walk in and keep.
This scribe depended on his actions to save him. Why would you play horseshoes with your salvation? It's not about how close you can get to perfection or being good. It is about surrendering our lives to Jesus. It's about getting closer to Him everyday. Ask King Agrippa about playing with horseshoes in Acts Chapter 26. So close!
