Jesus Loved Him

One might think love provides a way to lesson demands. Yet Christ's examples often show love keeping demands as the Father gave them.

Karl Ketcherside for instance taught an agnostic form of baptism where he believed God allowed baptism without man understanding the purpose. He believed man did not have to understand baptism was for the remission of sins.

Baptism without understanding is the opposite of faith however.

Ignatius in his epistle to Phillipi wrote:

and also one baptism, which is administered that we should have fellowship with the death of the Lord;

We know that early Christians believed baptism connected us to Christ's death.

Love did not allow man to fall into faithlessness as Ketcherside proposed. Here is a good example of love keeping requirements, versus lessoning them.

Mar 10:21 Then Jesus beholding him loved him, and said unto him, One thing thou lackest: go thy way, sell whatsoever thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come, take up the cross, and follow me.

Love did not lesson requirements, but caused Jesus to reveal them.

Mar 10:22 And he was sad at that saying, and went away grieved: for he had great possessions.

Mar 10:23 And Jesus looked round about, and saith unto his disciples, How hardly shall they that have riches enter into the kingdom of God!

Mar 10:24 And the disciples were astonished at his words. But Jesus answereth again, and saith unto them, Children, how hard is it for them that trust in riches to enter into the kingdom of God!

The disciples perhaps were astonished how easily Jesus dismissed him. Jesus did not lesson requirements to keep him.

The young man trusted in riches, but the disciples trusted in compromise in the beginning. Men who trust in compromise are simply trusting in themselves to use psychology to win people.

Mar 10:25 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.

Mar 10:26 And they were astonished out of measure, saying among themselves, Who then can be saved?

Again, Jesus did not lesson requirements, he simply showed that God could provide a way for man to meet all demands. Obedience produces grace and later rewards. Christ was such a stickler for meeting God's demands, that it astonished the disciple "beyond measure".

Christ's stance on carrying our personal cross never wavered. Christ wasn't faith only.

Mar 10:27 And Jesus looking upon them saith, With men it is impossible, but not with God: for with God all things are possible.

The doctrine of Ketcherside was backwards, love did not lesson demands such as faith through understanding, but rewarded man for openly acknowledging the purpose of baptism and honoring Christ by sticking with God's stated purpose.

Grace does not allow us to dismiss the purpose of baptism to increase church numbers, the disciples were concerned Christ's harder approach would cause no one to be saved, Jesus' approach was to trust God and be faithful.

It seems the rich young man was as much a lesson for the disciples and us, as it was an attempt to save the lost.