The Review and Herald
September 11, 1900
“Deny Thyself, and Take Up the Cross”
In the nineteenth chapter of Matthew is recorded the case of the rich young ruler. This young man's tastes and desires were not offensive, but favorable to the growth of spirituality. As he saw Jesus blessing the little children, he was convinced that this must be a good man. He was sure that he could live in perfect harmony with him. Hastening to the Saviour, he knelt before him, and said, “Good Master, what good thing shall I do, that I may have eternal life?” “Why callest thou me good?” Christ asked. “There is none good but one, that is, God: but if thou wilt enter into life, keep the commandments. He saith unto him, which?” Jesus said, “Thou shalt do no murder, Thou shalt not commit adultery, Thou shalt not steal, Thou shalt not bear false witness, Honor thy father and thy mother: and, Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself.” RH September 11, 1900, par. 1
“The young man saith unto him, All these things have I kept from my youth up: what lack I yet?” He had been flattered for his amiable traits of character. He was willing to do good things, and he flattered himself that by his integrity in dealing with his fellow men he was fulfilling the law. The perfection of character he thought he possessed, ranked him in the same state spiritually as was Paul when, touching the letter of the law, he thought himself blameless. But no human standard can save a soul from death. God's standard must be seen, acknowledged, and followed. RH September 11, 1900, par. 2
“If thou wilt be perfect,” Christ said, “go and sell that thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come and follow me.” Jesus needed the co-operation of just such men, whom God had intrusted with his goods. It is God's plan that those to whom he has given money or houses or lands shall act as his faithful almoners, relieving the sufferings of their fellow beings, and in this way winning them to the Saviour. RH September 11, 1900, par. 3
By helping the Saviour to help the needy, suffering ones around him, the young ruler would indeed have been laying up treasure in heaven. The test had come to him. What would be the result? When he heard Christ's words, “he went away sorrowful, for he had great possessions.” RH September 11, 1900, par. 4
Jesus tested the young ruler by a true standard,—the law of righteousness,—which requires man to love his neighbor as himself; and the ruler proved himself to be destitute of love for either God or man. He thought himself perfect, but he was weighed in the balances of the sanctuary, and found wanting. He was alienated from God; for he regarded that which God had given him in trust as of far more value than heavenly treasure. He went away sorrowful, because he could not selfishly retain his possessions and at the same time have the pleasure of following Christ. RH September 11, 1900, par. 5
“Then said Jesus unto his disciples, Verily I say unto you, That a rich man shall hardly enter into the kingdom of heaven. And again I say unto you, It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God. And when his disciples heard it, they were exceedingly amazed, saying, Who then can be saved?” They expected the young ruler to do as Matthew had done, and because of his refusal they were sorrowful and dejected. Jesus said, “With men this is impossible; but with God all things are possible.” RH September 11, 1900, par. 6
Today the Holy Spirit works upon some who are not as self-confident as this young ruler. There are men and women who are truly converted, as was Paul. He says, “What shall we say then? Is the law sin? God forbid. Nay, I had not known sin, but by the law: for I had not known lust, except the law had said, Thou shalt not covet.... For I was alive without the law once: but when the commandment came, sin revived, and I died. And the commandment, which was ordained to life, I found to be unto death. For sin, taking occasion by the commandment, deceived me, and by it slew me. Wherefore the law is holy, and the commandment holy, and just, and good.” If the rich young ruler had seen by the light of the commandment that he was sinful; if, like Paul, he had honored God by obeying the commandments in spirit and in truth, his sinful nature would have been slain by the law, and he would have laid hold of eternal life. RH September 11, 1900, par. 7
“Whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all.” A great work needs to be done in our churches. The members are not prepared for the coming of the Lord. God's law needs to be written in mind and heart. Many, like the rich young ruler, when tested and tried, will refuse to deny self, to take up the cross and follow Christ. When the test comes to a man, and he refuses to obey, he shows that he is unregenerate in heart, whatever may be the outward propriety of his conduct, or whatever belief he may claim to have in the truth. He needs to have the law brought home to his conscience, that he may see the exceeding sinfulness of sin. He must die to self. Until self is crucified, he can not know what spiritual holiness is. RH September 11, 1900, par. 8
The question was asked by Christ, “What is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?” Man sells himself cheaply when he spends his life in securing worldly advantages; for in the ambition to secure earthly estate, God is forgotten, and he reaps loss to all eternity. His money and lands can not pay a ransom for his soul. Better, far better, to have shattered hopes and the world's denunciation with the approval of God, than to sit with princes and forfeit heaven. “Ye can not serve God and mammon,” Christ declares. RH September 11, 1900, par. 9
The young ruler represents many in our world today. God has intrusted his goods to them, that they may advance his kingdom by planting the standard of truth in places where the message has never been heard. But they do not carry out God's purpose. The words, “Deny thyself, take up thy cross, and follow me,” cut directly across their cherished plans, and they refuse to obey. God's messages come to his people, but they have not been, and are not yet, willing to receive them. He is testing them as he was testing the young ruler when he said to him, “If thou wilt be perfect, go and sell that thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come and follow me.” God calls upon his people to turn from the earthly to the heavenly, to yield up to him his own. Nothing that they have is theirs; they themselves are not their own; for God's word declares, “Ye are not your own; for ye are bought with a price; therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God's.” RH September 11, 1900, par. 10
There is no caste with God. Those who believe that there are certain principles to which the poor must adhere, and from which the rich are exempt, are under a fatal delusion. There is not one standard for the poor, and another for the rich. God does not call upon one to do all the self-sacrificing, while the other lives according to his own ideas and plans. It behoves us at this time to live as if in sight of eternal realities, to lose sight of self, to tear out of the heart every fiber of selfishness. If rich men keep the commandments of God, they will do the work that needs to be done for those whom Christ purchased with his blood. In this way only can they follow Christ. In order to save suffering humanity from perishing in sin, he left the royal courts and came to the earth. Laying aside his kingly crown and royal robe, he resigned his high command in the heavenly courts, and for our sakes became poor, that we through his poverty might be made rich. When God intrusts man with riches, it is that he may adorn the doctrine of Christ our Saviour by using his earthly treasure in advancing the kingdom of God in our world. He is to represent Christ, and therefore is not to live to please and glorify himself, to receive honor because he is rich. RH September 11, 1900, par. 11
When the heart is cleansed from sin, Christ is placed on the throne that self-indulgence and love of earthly treasure once occupied. The image of Christ is seen in the expression of the countenance. The work of sanctification is carried forward in the soul. Self-righteousness is banished. There is seen the putting on of the new man, which after Christ is created in righteousness and true holiness. “If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God.” God is a rich provider. He is a fountain of inexpressible love; and he desires all his servants to remember that, as his faithful servants, they are to use his bountiful provisions to relieve the necessities of suffering human beings whom he has bought with the blood of his only begotten Son. RH September 11, 1900, par. 12