Last time, we considered the ‘almost Christians’ who thought they were on-side with Jesus but found themselves denied entry into heaven because of their lack of repentance and relationship with Him (Click here for the article, Almost Christian). Perhaps that’s still too vague for some people, though. Is there a way to evaluate what you believe to make sure you’ve actually responded to the heart of Jesus’ message? One of the places to look is at the people who walked away. We often hear about the crowds who gathered to hear Jesus speak. But there were also those who heard His message and turned from it. Rightly understood, Jesus’ teaching invites some and repels others. Consider his encounter with a man who walked away, and evaluate your own faith in light of the exchange.

The meeting takes place in Mark 10:17-22. A man runs up and kneels before Jesus asking, “Good teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?” The man appears respectful and sincere, so we’re expecting Jesus to just quote John 3:16 and urge him to put his trust in Him. But He doesn’t. In fact, He answers with a question Himself, “Why do you call me good? No one is good except God alone.” It feels like a rebuke. Jesus sees him using the word “good” flippantly and wants to make a point. He then quotes some commandments to him about not murdering or committing adultery or stealing. This is the part of the test where the man feels most confident, answering, “Teacher, all these I have kept from my youth.” You get a sense for his thought process in his response. Instead of calling Jesus “Good Teacher,” he’s decided to go with “Teacher,” because he feels Jesus has a hang-up with the word “good.” But in his response, he’s claiming to not only be “good” but just about perfect. He thinks that he’s kept all of God’s commands since his teenage years. And he completely misses Jesus’ point. You will never inherit eternal life unless you admit your sin and realize that you’re not good enough. No one has measured up to God’s perfect standard and so we all stand in need of a Saviour. Recognizing this is essential to biblical faith. And so, this is the first diagnostic of our faith.

• Do you ignore your sin by pointing to the good things you do?

Jesus doesn’t get mad or frustrated. The next verse merely says, “And Jesus, looking at him, loved him, and said to him, ‘You lack one thing: go, sell all that you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow me.’” It’s clear that what Jesus says to the man is motivated by love rather than greed or cruelty. But surely this is too much! Is a vow of poverty the condition of eternal life? It can’t be, because this is the only person of whom Jesus made this demand. Why would Jesus say such a thing? And how was this loving? The point was that hiding behind a veneer of morality and religion was a man whose real God was his bank account. Jesus could see that money was the thing that had his ultimate loyalty and so he told him to give it away so he could see that he wasn’t as good as he thought he was and realize how much he needed saving. What would Jesus have asked you to give away as a test of your loyalty? Who or what would He identify as the thing that you’re treating like God in your life? Is it your health? Your career? Your religion? A relationship? That’s the second diagnostic question to bring to your faith.

• Does something other than God have your ultimate loyalty?

With someone who has been so diligent in trying to keep all the commands from a young age, you’d expect that this man would be eager to do what Jesus says. Instead, the exchange ends on a tragic note, “Disheartened by the saying, he went away sorrowful, for he had great possessions.” Jesus has put His finger on the thing that controls the man’s life, and he retreats deflated, unwilling to address it. Although he’s worked hard to maintain a “good” reputation, Jesus wants him to see that not only is he not as “good” as he thinks, but he’s acting as his own god and worshipping his money. And so, the man’s response gives us our third diagnostic question.

• Are you willing to let Jesus set the agenda for change in your life?

We can all point to areas in our life and faith where we need to grow. But what do these diagnostic questions reveal about your faith? Do you admit your sin and need of forgiveness or do you think you’re basically a good person? Do you treat God as God in your life or does something else have your ultimate loyalty? And who sets the agenda for change in your life? Are you in charge or do you let Jesus take the wheel, knowing that He loves you and wants what’s best for your life? Making the right diagnosis is essential to getting better and, in the case of our faith, essential to the eternal life that Jesus came to make possible.

In awe of Him,

Paul