devotional post # 2026

Luke 18:18-23

Luk 18:18 Now a certain ruler asked him, “Good teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?”
Luk 18:19 Jesus said to him, “Why do you call me good? No one is good except God alone.
Luk 18:20 You know the commandments: ‘Do not commit adultery, do not murder, do not steal, do not give false testimony, honour your father and mother.'”
Luk 18:21 The man responded, “Yes, I have wholeheartedly obeyed all these laws since I was young.”
Luk 18:22 When Jesus heard this, he said to him, “OK, There is one thing you still lack. Sell all that you have and give the money to the poor, and you will have treasure in the sky. Then come, follow me.”
Luk 18:23 But when the man heard this he became deeply grieved, because he was extremely wealthy.

the sin of self-confidence

“One thing you still lack” — Oh, what a haunting statement. Anyone who sincerely wants to follow Christ knows of a hundred areas where God’s perfection and goodness is lacking in his life. I sure do. But this man’s confidence was in himself, not the Lord’s grace. Contrast his attitude with the praying tax collector earlier in this chapter (18:9-14). If your relationship with God is a matter of ticking off a few extra boxes, you still don’t get it.

LORD, forgive us for the way we try to handle life. Forgive us for putting confidence in ourselves.