We live in a works-based world. Every person is either resting in the futile efforts of their own righteousness or resting in the finished and perfect work of Jesus Christ. As followers of Christ, we are called to proclaim the gospel of salvation by grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ alone. This article will argue that our Lord Jesus, in Mark 10:17-25, gives us the perfect example of how to share the gospel in a works-based world. Once this has been established, we will look at practical tips on how to evangelize moralistic people.

Mark 10:17–27 provides one of Scripture’s clearest examples of how Jesus lovingly exposes the human heart and directs sinners to Himself. In this passage, Jesus engages with the rich young ruler, a man who embodies the universal human problem: confidence in what I must do to inherit eternal life.

The Self-Deceived Man (Mark 10:17–20)

A man runs to Jesus, kneels before Him, and asks: “Good Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?” At first glance, he looks sincere. He’s earnest, respectful, and outwardly eager. But his very question reveals his heart: he believes salvation is something achieved by human merit, and not received by grace, through faith. This is an original sin diagnostic of the human heart. We all, by fallen nature and sinful practice, think that we have some merit to offer God. Without the illuminating work of the Holy Spirit, we do not see ourselves as guilty criminals in the courts of God and subject to His wrath. Ask ten unbelievers how someone can get to Heaven, and nine out of ten will say some version of: “Try to be a good person.”

To evangelize the self-deceived man, Jesus first brings the man to the law of God to expose his sinful heart (Mark 10:17-20):

And Jesus said to him, “Why do you call me good? No one is good except God alone. 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.’” And he said to him, “Teacher, all these I have kept from my youth.”

The law of God exposes our spiritual bankruptcy. We have all broken God’s commandments. Our best deeds are stained with sin, and therefore we need a perfect sacrifice to stand in our place and face the judgement we rightfully deserve for our sins. We also need the righteousness of God to clothe us if we are to stand in God’s holy presence. The rich young ruler, like many today, was blind to his true condition. He believed he had kept the commandments “from his youth.” But Jesus is about to diagnose this man’s sin-sick spiritual heart with precision.

The Exposition of the Human Heart (Mark 10:21)

In love, our Lord Jesus opens up this man’s spiritual heart and exposes his idol:

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” (Mark 10:21).

The young man believed that he was externally a moral person in the sight of God. Externally, this man looked at his life and believed that he had never murdered someone, never committed physical adultery, never stolen, never bore false witness, never defrauded someone, and never dishonored his parents. Externally, this man believed that he was right before God. However, he failed to see himself internally as a guilty sinner. Our Lord showed this man that the real problem is not merely external conduct; it is the spiritual condition of the heart.

Jesus put His finger on the man’s idol—his wealth. The first commandment, “You shall have no other gods before Me,” had been violated first in his heart (Exodus 20:3). Jesus called the man to turn from his idol in repentance and embrace the Christ. In other words, this man could not cling to his idol and cling to Christ at the same time. Repentance and faith are two sides of the same coin; turn from your idols and turn to Jesus. Our Lord Jesus Christ is a willing and able Savior for all who believe.

The Tragic, Yet Hopeful Ending (Mark 10:22–27)

The story of this young man ends on a tragic note. In Mark 10:22, we read the following, “Disheartened by the saying, he went away sorrowful, for he had great possessions.” The face of this man fell. He turned away from Jesus Christ and the salvation that He offered. He would rather have silver and gold than Jesus Christ, the greatest treasure. So, the man walked away with a heart full of idolatry and a soul void of the gift of eternal life. Later, Jesus would warn His disciples of the spiritual danger of the idol of riches. Riches are not sinful in themselves, but they easily become a master in your life that competes with Jesus Christ. In Matthew 6:24, Jesus said, “You cannot serve God and money.”

Further, in our text (Matthew 6:24-26), Jesus turned to the disciples and taught them a lesson:

But Jesus said to them again, “Children, how difficult it is to enter the kingdom of God! It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter the kingdom of God.” And they were exceedingly astonished, and said to him, “Then who can be saved?”

The text brings us to the only hope for sinners. In a works-based world, we realize that we need the perfect work of Jesus Christ, accomplished on behalf of unworthy sinners. In Mark 10:27, Jesus said: “With man it is impossible, but not with God. For all things are possible with God.”

Salvation is impossible from the works of men. Human merit cannot satisfy divine justice and offer a righteousness that we need to stand in the court of Heaven. We need a righteousness from God. We need the perfect works of the God-Man, Jesus Christ, given to us freely (Romans 1:16-17). We need Jesus Christ’s penalty-paying, substitutionary, atoning death in our place (2 Corinthians 5:21). We need God to save us from our sins and the wrath to come. Salvation is of the Lord (Jonah 2:9; Romans 11:36). As followers of Christ, we are called to proclaim the gospel of salvation by grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ alone. Our Lord Jesus, in Mark 10:17-25, has shown us the perfect example of how to share the gospel in a works-based world.

Conclusion

So, how can we practically be evangelizing legalistic or moralistic people? In Mark 10, we learn from Jesus that the law of God is a tool that we must use in our evangelism towards moral or legalistic people. They must understand the bad news first, before the good news makes sense. They must understand that they stand before God as a guilty sinner, under His holy wrath.

In Galatians 3:24, the Apostle Paul said: “So then, the law was our guardian until Christ came, in order that we might be justified by faith.” Toward unbelievers, the law functions as a schoolmaster to point them to Jesus Christ that they might be justified by faith, and not by works of the law.

A practical way of exposing the sinfulness of moral man is to bring them to the Ten Commandments. Show them that it is not just external obedience that we need, but also perfect internal obedience before God, if we are to stand in His presence. The law shows us our spiritual bankruptcy. We have all fallen short of the glory of God, and the wages of our sin is death (Romans 3:23, 6:23). Once the law has exposed their sinful heart and tragic state before God, the good news of the gospel truly becomes good news! The free gift of God in Christ Jesus must be preached! That is the good news. It is a proclamation of hope and eternal life to the guilty criminal. Christ must be freely and indiscriminately offered to every sinner.

In Jesus Christ we have a willing and able Savior for all who repent and believe. Our Lord has promised that He will never turn away those who come unto Him. There is full and free pardon for sinners who embrace Jesus Christ with the empty hands of faith, holding to the Risen and only Savior who can save.