One of the most important questions anyone can ask in life is this:
“What must I do to inherit eternal life?”
This question was asked directly to Jesus in Gospel of Mark 10:17–22, and the conversation that followed reveals a great deal about the human heart, about God’s expectations, and about the true cost of following Christ.
A Sincere Question
The story begins with urgency:
“As Jesus was starting out on His way to Jerusalem, a man came running up to Him, knelt down, and asked, ‘Good Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?’”
This man was sincere. He ran to Jesus and knelt before Him. In the parallel account in Gospel of Matthew 19, we learn he was young. In Gospel of Luke 18, we discover he was a ruler. He is often called the rich young ruler.
He had three things many people want:
- Youth
- Power
- Wealth
And yet he knew something was missing.
Success had not answered the deepest question of his life.
The First Lesson: God’s Standard Is Perfection
Jesus responded by pointing him to the commandments:
“You know the commandments: ‘Do not murder. Do not commit adultery. Do not steal. Do not testify falsely. Do not cheat anyone. Honor your father and mother.’”
The man replied confidently:
“Teacher, I have obeyed all these commandments since I was young.”
At this moment, Jesus was revealing something important.
If eternal life could be earned by keeping God’s law, then the requirement would be perfect obedience.
But Scripture makes clear that no one reaches that standard:
“For everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God’s glorious standard.” — Romans 3:23
The law reveals God’s holiness, but it also exposes our inability to save ourselves.
The Second Lesson: Jesus Goes Straight to the Heart
Mark records a remarkable detail:
“Looking at the man, Jesus felt genuine love for him.”
Jesus loved him enough to tell him the truth.
Then He said:
“There is still one thing you haven’t done. Go and sell all your possessions and give the money to the poor… Then come, follow Me.”
Jesus was not creating a universal rule that every believer must sell everything. Instead, He was exposing the one thing that ruled this man’s heart.
His wealth had become his god.
And eternal life requires that nothing sits on the throne of our hearts except God.
The Third Lesson: The Greatest Barrier Is Often What We Love Most
The Bible says:
“At this the man’s face fell, and he went away sad, for he had many possessions.”
He came running with enthusiasm, but he walked away sorrowful.
Why?
Because he wanted eternal life—but not at the cost of surrender.
Many people today face the same struggle. They want forgiveness, peace, and heaven someday, but they hesitate to give Jesus full authority over their lives.
Yet Jesus calls people not merely to admire Him, but to follow Him.
What Must We Do?
So what is the answer to the original question?
What must we do to inherit eternal life?
The whole message of the New Testament gives the answer:
- Recognize that we cannot save ourselves.
Our good works will never be enough. - Turn from the things that rule our hearts.
Repentance means surrendering whatever competes with God. - Trust completely in Jesus Christ.
He alone provides forgiveness through His death and resurrection. - Follow Him wholeheartedly.
Eternal life is not just a future destination—it begins with a life surrendered to Christ today.
Jesus later told His disciples something astonishing:
“Humanly speaking, it is impossible. But not with God. Everything is possible with God.” (Mark 10:27)
Salvation is not achieved by human effort—it is a gift of God’s grace.
A Question For All of Us
The rich young ruler asked the right question, but he struggled with the right response.
His story leaves every reader with a personal challenge:
What is the one thing that might keep me from fully following Jesus?
Eternal life is not earned by wealth, status, morality, or religious effort.
It is received by those who are willing to say:
“Jesus, I surrender everything. I will follow You.”
And that decision changes both our present life and our eternal destiny.
