When asked how to inherit eternal life, Jesus emphasized the holiness of God rather than just His love. He reminded the rich young ruler of God's commandments, which the man claimed to have followed since youth. However, Jesus showed that the man's wealth came before obedience to God, revealing he lacked a full understanding of God's character. True knowledge of God recognizes Him as the sovereign standard of goodness who demands perfect holiness and judges all sin. Preaching only of God's love risks leaving sinners unaware of their offense against His holiness and justice. The Gospel must proclaim both God's love and wrath to properly convey His true nature and humanity's need for salvation.

1. The Character of God
Mark 10:17-22

2. 17 And as he was setting out on his journey, a man ran up
and knelt before him and asked him, “Good Teacher, what
must I do to inherit eternal life?” 18 And Jesus said to
him, “Why do you call me good? No one is good except
God alone. 19 You know the commandments: ‘Do not
murder, Do not commit adultery, Do not steal, Do not
bear false witness, Do not defraud, Honor your father and
mother.’” 20 And he said to him, “Teacher, all these I have
kept from my youth.” 21 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.” 22 Disheartened by the
saying, he went away sorrowful, for he had great
possessions.

3. When presenting the Gospel, many Christians
ignore the question, “Who is God”.
Because of this, the sinner never realizes the gravity of his situation.
He doesn’t know how much and whom he has offended.
Today, we are told that “God loves you and has a
wonderful plan for your life”.
Love is set before sinners as the foremost character of God. This is because
men want to remember the attributes of God that might favor them and
forget those that threaten or alarm them.

4. The character of God
WE MUST NOT BE AFRAID TO CONTINUE TO SPEAK ON THE CHARACTER OF GOD.
GOD IS LOVE
Jesus spoke more about God’s
holiness than all the attributes
put together. Multitudes of
sinners think of God as having
only one attribute – LOVE.
Though that is part of the truth,
when it is taken for the whole
truth – it becomes a lie.

5. Discuss:
What do you
understand the
holiness of God to
mean with regards
to the Gospel and
salvation?

6. What happens when
you tell a person,
“God loves you”
without speaking of
the holiness of God?
THE MIND REGISTERS SOMETHING LIKE THIS – YES, GOD LOVES ME
AND WILL NEVER HARM ME. HE IS MERCIFUL AND FORGIVING AND
SO, ALL IS WELL WITH MY SOUL.

7. The concept of the average
person
No idea that God is holy.
They believe that God is a
gushy, all-embracing kindness
who would never punish
sinners in hell.
•LAW OF GOD
•REPENTANCE TOWARDS GOD
•CHARACTER OF GOD Today’s

8. THE CHARACTER OF GOD
How would you respond to
someone asking you this
question, “What must I do to
inherit eternal life?
Mark 10:17-22
The Rich Young Man
17 And as he was setting out on
his journey, a man ran up and
knelt before him and asked him,
“Good Teacher, what must I do
to inherit eternal life?”

9. How does the Bible describe this
man?
• The young man who came to Jesus indicates
he was a person worthy of your respect.
• He greeted the Lord with courtesy.
• His deep interest in religion was
commendable.
• He came “running” to the Lord.

10. What did Jesus use as God’s
standard for goodness?
He used the 10 Commandments.
Mark 10:19 | ESV
 You know the commandments:
‘Do not murder,
Do not commit adultery, Do not
steal,
Do not bear false witness,
Do not defraud,
Honor your father and mother.’”

11. Jesus reminded him of the
commandments.
How did the young man
respond?
“All these I have observed from
my youth”. He must have really
been a good, moral man since his
youth, a worthy candidate for
“Citizen of the Year Award”.

12. How would your
response be to
someone asking
you how to
inherit eternal
life?
But how does Jesus share the Gospel with him?
Mark 10:21--And Jesus, looking at him, loved
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.”
 Wouldn’t you like to
have him as a “trophy
and convert for Christ?”
 Wouldn’t you jump at
the opportunity and tell
him, “Come and just
pray! All you have to do
is accept Jesus as your
personal Lord and
Savior!”

13. Why did Jesus
rebuke the
young man’s
term of good?
1. If God is indeed totally good, was this
young man willing to acknowledge it?
2. Did he acknowledge that Jesus was
God because He was totally good?
3. Was he willing to bow down to Christ
and follow Him?
Obviously not since he went away.
 When the young man
called Jesus “good
Master”, Jesus did not
accept the compliment.
 Instead, He challenged
him to “think through” his
concept of “good”. Jesus’
forced His listeners to see
the true character of God.

14. What does it
mean that
God is holy?
Did you notice that Jesus did
not soothe the rich, young
rule but stirred up his fear by
showing him how much he had
fallen short? He thought his claim to
goodness was like Christ’s goodness.
When he said God is good, did he think
that He is good because He will
sovereignty honor the will of man at any
cost to Himself?
 It means He
determines what the
standards are.
 His standard is perfect
compliance with the
Mosaic Law.

15. What does it
mean that
God is holy?
When we say God
is good, it means that
He is the One who is
creation, providence
redemption of His
The young man in our story
to that sovereignty by
 It means He
determines what the
standards are.
 His standard is perfect
compliance with the
Mosaic Law.

16. What does it
mean that
God is holy?
He clung to his human
goodness thinking he did not
need a Redeemer.
His claim of keeping the
commandments from his
youth proved false.
 It means He
determines what the
standards are.
 His standard is perfect
compliance with the
Mosaic Law.

17. Our message on the character of
God
 He is holy and He hates sin.
 It is God’s power and His grace, through Jesus
Christ alone, that can deliver from destruction
and lead to eternal life.
Eliminating the character of God is cutting the heart out of our message.

18. This is what the Bible means when it says,
Romans 3:23 - All have sinned and fall short of the
Glory of God.
Without the knowledge of God’s
character, a sinner does not know
whom he has offended, who threatens
him with eternal condemnation, or who
is able to save him.

19. God is Just
 The rich young ruler came running because he
understood he might not inherit eternal life but he
didn’t understand why.
 He did know whom he offended.
 He had no remorse for offending a holy God!
 He was prepared to talk about how good he was,
about religion, but not how his sins offended a holy
God.

20. King David
understood
this truth
well.
Psalm 51:4
Against you, you only,
have I sinned and done
what is evil in your sight,
so that you may be
justified in your words
and blameless in your
judgment.
When Jesus revealed God is holy and just, he revealed
sin had to be paid for. Understanding God is just is
understanding sin will be judged with wrath.

21. 1Thessalonians 1:9-10
9 For they themselves report concerning us the kind of reception
we had among you, and how you turned to God from idols to serve
the living and true God, 10 and to wait for his Son from heaven,
whom he raised from the dead, Jesus who delivers us from the
wrath to come.

22. The world is
perishing for lack
of a God-exalting
declaration of His
true nature.
Let us follow Jesus’ example
in sharing the Gospel.
Teaching the whole counsel
of God.
Declaring the radiant truth of
the unique goodness of God
is. Teaching the whole counsel of God

23. God is Love
21 AND JESUS, LOOKING AT HIM, LOVED HIM, AND SAID TO HIM, “YOU L ACK
ONE THING: GO, SELL ALL THAT YOU HAVE AND GIVE TO THE POOR, AND YOU
WILL HAVE TREASURE IN HEAVEN; AND COME, FOLLOW ME.” 22
DISHEARTENED BY THE SAYING, HE WENT AWAY SORROWFUL, FOR HE HAD
GREAT POSSESSIONS.

24. End of Presentation
Soli Deo Gloria!