Do you know what you need to do to inherit eternal life? Matthew 17-19

Matthew 19:18-22 (NASBStr)

Then he *said to Him, “Which ones?” And Jesus said, “ You shall not commit murder; You shall not commit adultery; You shall not steal; You shall not bear false witness; Honor your father and mother; and You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” The young man *said to Him, “All these things I have kept; what am I still lacking?” Jesus said to him, “If you wish to be complete, go and sell your possessions and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow Me.” But when the young man heard this statement, he went away grieving; for he was one who owned much property.

Jesus was the master at having a conversation with others and using their own words to expose the fault in their argument, belief or intrenched position.   In the above passage we read about the young lawyer who came to Jesus wondering how he could inherit eternal life.   We know little about him but from his inquire we at least know that he was either a spiritual man who sincerely wanted to know his eternal fate, or was simply a hack sent once again by the Pharisees in a useless attempt to trap Him.   Never-the-less Jesus responds to the man by telling him if he wants to go to heaven upon death he needs to simply keep the commandments.   In fact that is Jesus' words in the proceeding verse.   Salvation has always been a salvation of works.   God established that in the Garden of Eden when He told Adam and Even to not do something (a Law).  If they would have kept that one law they would have been perfect (teleios in the Greek).   But, they didn't.   Now Jesus tells this man that if he wants eternal life he, too, must keep the law.   He can't and that really is the end of it.   The reason Christ came and lived a sinless life was to "keep all of the commandments" and thus fulfill the law.   Yet, despite His fulfillment He died on the cross.   So, He fulfilled the requirements of the works based salvation and the requirements of the death if you don't keep the Law.   By faith we believe that and that Jesus did the "work" for us.  That gives us assurance of our salvation.  Note in the above passage that the lawyer tells Jesus that he has kept all the commandments that Jesus listed out (six of the Ten Commandments).  However, he adds the question, "What am I still lacking?"   When we attempt to keep the Law ourselves and try to do the "work" of salvation ourselves we will have the feeling of "what am I lacking?"   This man was rich and therefore Jesus tells him to simply sell everything he has and that would be the final act of works he needed to do for salvation.   Yet, the man was rich and he "coveted" the riches he had.   Since the Law says, "Thou shalt not covet," and he did, he was lacking.   Knowing this he went away grieving.   The two worse words in these verses are "lacking" and "grieving."   Jesus can take care of each of these.   Jesus told him how to be "complete" (teleios in the Greek).   If he would have simply bowed at the feet of Jesus and confessed his in ability to keep the Law and his need for someone to do it for him, he would no longer be lacking or grieving.   Jesus paid it all.   There is no longer reason to grieve or lack.