Excerpt from Chapter Two: The Needy Heart

“…the intent of man’s heart is evil from his youth…” Genesis 8:21

No one is good enough to gain eternal life. All of us have sinned, and all of us fall short of God’s glory. The Law of Moses was set up so that we can see clearly just how short we fall! Who can keep all the commandments in his own power and strength?

“For whoever keeps the whole law and yet stumbles in one point, he has become guilty of all.” James 2:10

Even if one was able to keep the whole law every moment of every day, he would become a slave to it and the freedom that comes through faith would be nullified. Would being a slave to the Law be any better than being a slave to sin? The actions may change, but the heart remains needy. Freedom from sin, as well as Law, means becoming a slave to righteousness (Romans 6).

A young man approached Jesus and asked how to inherit eternal life. After telling Jesus that he had kept the Commandments from his youth, Jesus asked him to sell all his possessions and give to the poor. The young man went away sad because he was very rich. Was it his wealth that prevented him from entering the kingdom of God? Surely not. The fact is he physically had everything he needed and yet his heart was needy. We all have needy hearts. Because we are unable to make the sacrifice on our own, Jesus had to make it for us. His shed blood covers all our sin.

“And I was once alive apart from the Law; but when the commandment came, sin became alive, and I died; and this commandment which was to result in life, proved to result in death for me; for sin, taking opportunity through the commandment, deceived me, and through it killed me.” Romans 7:9-11