GO SELL YOUR POSSESIONS / MATTHEW 19:21

START YOUR DAY RIGHT DAILY DEVOTION

(KJV) Matthew 19:21

Jesus said unto him, If thou wilt be perfect, go and sell that thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come and follow me.

The Cost of Surrender: What “Go, Sell Your Possessions” Really Means

When the rich young man approached Jesus in Matthew 19, he asked a question many of us have pondered: “What good deed must I do to have eternal life?” (Verse 16). He was looking for a checklist, a transaction, or a badge of righteousness he could earn through his own efforts.

Instead, Jesus looked past his outward religious obedience and pierced straight to the heart of his identity, testing him in his weakest and most vulnerable area—his wealth.

In verse 21, Jesus delivered the ultimate challenge: “If you would be perfect, go, sell what you possess and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow me.”

Exposing Our False Securities

Jesus wasn’t establishing a universal rule that every believer must live in absolute poverty. Rather, He was exposing the source that this young man truly believed to be his security. His wealth had become his functional god, the very thing keeping him from fully following the True God.

Spiritual salvation is never a matter of our own good works (Ephesians 2:8-9, Titus 3:5). We cannot buy, earn, or achieve our way into the Kingdom. Salvation is a matter of absolute surrender to Christ’s leadership. Tragically, this young man was not willing to put Christ above his possessions, and he walked away sorrowful.

Is Having Nice Things a Sin?

Does this passage mean it is wrong for a Christian to have nice things, a successful career, or financial stability? No. Scripture does not condemn wealth itself, and God expects us to responsibly provide for the needs of our families and bless others.

The danger arises when our possessions begin to possess us. The real question Jesus asks each of us is not necessarily, “Will you sell everything?” but rather, “Are you willing to let go of anything I ask of you?”

Nothing less than total commitment can be our response to the one who gave up everything for us.

A Closing Prayer for Surrender

Heavenly Father,
We come before You recognizing that everything we have is a gift from Your hand. Forgive us for the times we have turned Your blessings into our security, and for the moments we have allowed comfort to take the place of Christ’s leadership in our lives.

Search our hearts today, Lord. Expose the hidden areas where we are holding back, and grant us the grace and courage to surrender our false securities to You. Help us to hold the things of this world loosely, knowing that Your presence is our ultimate treasure. May our lives be defined not by what we possess, but by how fully we follow You.

In Jesus’ name, Amen.

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Some of our Post That Might Interest You, All Out of the Current Book / Chapter

1. LITTLE CHILDREN / MATTHEW 19:13
2. FOR MARITAL UNFAITHFULNESS / MATTHEW 19:9
3. UNLESS YOU FORGIVE / MATTHEW 18:35
4. IF TWO AGREE / MATTHEW 18:19-20
5. IF YOUR BROTHER SINS / MATTHEW 18:15
6. ANGELS / MATTHEW 18:10
7. WOE TO THE MAN / MATTHEW 18:7
8. MILLSTONE … AROUND HIS NECK / MATTHEW 18:6
9. UNLESS YOU CHANGE / MATTHEW 18:3
10. WHO IS THE GREATEST / MATTHEW 18:1
11. FAITH … NOTHING WILL BE IMPOSIBLE / MATTHEW 17:20
12. UNBELIEVING AND PERVERSE / MATTHEW 17:17
13. WAS TRANSFIGURED / MATTHEW 17:2
14. COMING IN HIS KINGDOM / MATTHEW 16:28
15. TAKE UP HIS CROSS / MATTHEW 16:24
16. KEYS OF THE KINGDOM / MATTHEW 16:19
17. PETER … ROCK … CHURCH – THE GATES OF HADES WILL NOT OVERCOME / MATTHEW 16:18
18. BE ON YOUR GUARD AGAINST THE YEAST / MATTHEW 16:6
19. YOU HAVE GREAT FAITH / MATTHEW 15:28
20. OUT OF THE HEART / MATTHEW 15:19
21. THAT IS WHAT MAKES HIM ‘UNCLEAN’ / MATTHEW 15:11
22. THEIR HEARTS ARE FAR FROM ME / MATTHEW 15:8
23. FOR THE SAKE OF YOUR TRADITION / MATTHEW 15:5-6
24. DON’T BE AFRAID / MATTHEW 14:27
25. PRAY ALONE / MATTHEW 14:23-24
26. LOAVES AND FISH / MATTHEW 14:19
27. DANCED FOR THEM / MATTHEW 14:6-7
28. SEEING PAST THE FAMILIAR / MATTHEW 13:55
29. SEPARATE THE WICKED FROM THE RIGHTEOUS / MATTHEW 13:49
30. KINGDOM … A NET / MATTHEW 13:47
31. KINGDOM … TREASURE / MATTHEW 13:44-46
32. THE FIERY FURNACE / MATTHEW 13:42
33. WEED OUT … EVERYTHING THAT CAUSES SIN / MATTHEW 13:41
34. YEAST / MATTHEW 13:33
35. A MUSTARD SEED / MATTHEW 13:31
36. LET BOTH GROW TOGETHER / MATTHEW 13:30
37. GOOD SEED … WEEDS / MATTHEW 13:24-25
38. EVIL ONE SNATCHES AWAY / MATTHEW 13:19
39. WHOEVER HAS WILL BE GIVEN MORE / MATTHEW 13:12
40. LET BOTH GROW TOGETHER / MATTHEW 13:30
41. AN EVIL SPIRIT / MATTHEW 12:43
42. JONAH / MATTHEW 12:40
43. BY YOUR WORDS / MATTHEW 12:37
44. THE DAY OF JUDGMENT /MATTHEW 12:36
45. BLASPHEMY AGAINST THE SPIRIT / MATTHEW 12:31
46. TIES UP THE STRONG MAN / MATTHEW 12:29
47. THE KINGDOM OF GOD / MATTHEW 12:28
48. SABBATH / MATTHEW 12:1
49. COME TO ME / MATTHEW 11:28
50. GLUTTON AND A DRUNKARD / MATTHEW 11:19
51. FORCEFUL MEN LAY HOLD OF IT / MATTHEW 11:12
52. GREATER THAN HE / MATTHEW 11:11
53. JOHN / MATTHEW 11:7
54. PROPHET RIGHTEOUS MAN / MATTHEW 10:41
55. TAKE HIS CROSS / Matthew 10:38
56. I DID NOT COME TO BRING PEACE / MATTHEW 10:34
57. ACKNOWLEDGES ME BEFORE MEN / MATTHEW 10:32
58. YOU ARE WORTH MORE / MATTHEW 10:31
59. HELL / MATTHEW 10:28
60. DO NOT BE AFRAID OF THEM / MATTHEW 10:26
61. CITIES OF ISRAEL / MATTHEW 10:23
62. GIVEN WHAT TO SAY / MATTHEW 10:19-20
63. PREACH THE KINGDOM / MATTHEW 10:7
64. AUTHORITY TO DRIVE OUT EVIL SPIRITS / MATTHEW 10:1
65. ASK THE LORD TO SEND / MATTHEW 9:38
66. THE HARVEST IS PLENTIFUL / MATTHEW 9:37
67. NEW WINE INTO OLD WINESKINS / NEW WINE PRESERVED / MATTHEW 9:17
68. THEN THEY WILL FAST / MATTHEW 9:15
69. EAT WITH ‘SINNERS’ / MATTHEW 9:11
70. THEY PLEADED WITH HIM TO LEAVE / MATTHEW 8:34
71. DEMON-POSSESSED MEN /MATTHEW 8:28
72. LET THE DEAD BURY THEIR OWN DEAD / MATTHEW 8:22
73. HEALED ALL THE SICK / MATTHEW 8:16-17
74. GREAT FAITH / MATTHEW 8:10
75. DON’T TELL ANYONE / MATTHEW 8:4
76. JESUS TOUCHED THE MAN / MATTHEW 8:3
77. I NEVER KNEW YOU / MATTHEW 7:23
78. MANY WILL SAY LORD, LORD / MATTHEW 7:22
79. DOES THE WILL OF MY FATHER / MATTHEW 7:21
80. BY THEIR FRUIT YOU WILL RECOGNIZE THEM / MATTHEW 7:16
81. WATCH OUT FOR FALSE PROPHETS / MATTHEW 7:15
82. SMALL IS THE GATE … AND ONLY A FEW FIND IT / MATTHEW 7:14
83. YOUR FATHER … GIVE GOOD GIFTS / MATTHEW 7:11
84. ASK … SEEK … KNOCK / MATTHEW 7:7-8
85. DO NOT JUDGE / MATTHEW 7:1
86. SEEK … KINGDOM … RIGHTEOUSNESS / MATTHEW 6:33
87. IF THAT IS HOW GOD CLOTHES / MATTHEW 6:30
88. DO NOT WORRY / MATTHEW 6:25
89. MONEY / MATTHEW 6:24
90. EYE IS THE LAMP OF THE BODY / MATTHEW 6:22
91. WHEN YOU FAST / MATTHEW 6:16
92. IF YOU DO NOT FORGIVE / MATTHEW 6:15
93. IF YOU FORGIVE / MATTHEW 6:14
94. DELIVER US FROM THE EVIL ONE / MATTHEW 6:13
95. FORGIVE AS WE ALSO HAVE FORGIVEN / MATTHEW 6:12
96. DAILY BREAD / MATTHEW 6:11
97. YOUR KINGDOM COME – YOUR WILL BE DONE / MATTHEW 6:10
98. THIS THEN IS HOW YOU SHOULD PRAY / MATTHEW 6:9
99. PRAY IN SECRET / MATTHEW 6:6
100. ‘ACTS OF RIGHTEOUSNESS’ BEFORE MEN / MATTHEW 6:1
101. DO NOT RESIST AN EVIL PERSON / MATTHEW 5:39
102. EXCEPT FOR MARITAL UNFAITHFULNESS / MATTHEW 5:32
103. HELL / MATTHEW 5:29
104. LOOKS LUSTFULLY / MATTHEW 5:28
105. ANGRY … RACA … FOOL / MATTHEW 5:22
106. UNLESS YOUR RIGHTEOUSNESS / MATTHEW 5:20
107. GREAT IN THE KINGDOM / MATTHEW 5:19
108. THE LAW TO FULFILL / MATTHEW 5:17
109. LET YOUR LIGHT SHINE THAT THEY MAY SEE YOUR GOOD DEEDS / MATTHEW 5:14-16
110. SALT OF THE EARTH / MATTHEW 5:13
111. PERSECUTED BECAUSE OF RIGHTEOUSNESS / MATTHEW 5:10
112. THE PEACEMAKERS / MATTHEW 5:9
113. THE PURE IN HEART / MATTHEW 5:8
114. THE MERCIFUL / MATTHEW 5:7
115. HUNGER AND THIRST FOR RIGHTEOUSNESS / MATTHEW 5:6
116. THE MEEK / MATTHEW 5:5
117. THOSE WHO MOURN / MATTHEW 5:4
118. BLESSED POOR IN SPIRIT / MATTHEW 5:3
119. SERMON ON THE MOUNT / MATTHEW 5-7
120. THE KINGDOM AND HEALING / MATTHEW 4:23
121. FISHERS OF MEN / MATTHEW 4:19
122. SATAN / MATTHEW 4:10
123. ALL THE KINGDOMS OF THE WORLD / MATTHEW 4:8
124. IT IS WRITTEN / MATTHEW 4:6-7
125. FASTING FORTY DAYS / MATTHEW 4:2
126. JESUS … TEMPTED / MATTHEW 4:1-11
127. THE TRINITY IN EXAMPLE / MATTHEW 3:17
128. SPIRIT … ON HIM / MATTHEW 3:16
129. JESUS … BAPTIZED / MATTHEW 3:13
130. WILL BAPTIZE YOU WITH THE HOLY SPIRIT / MATTHEW 3:11
131. FRUIT IN KEEPING WITH REPENTANCE / MATTHEW 3:8
132. PHARISEES AND SADDUCEES / MATTHEW 3:7
133. KINGDOM OF HEAVEN – REPENT / MATTHEW 3:2
134. WARNED IN A DREAM / MATTHEW 2:22-23
135. KILL ALL THE BOYS / MATTHEW 2:16
136. ESCAPE TO EGYPT / MATTHEW 2:13
137. CHIEF PRIESTS AND TEACHERS OF THE LAW / MATTHEW 2:4
138. HEROD – MAGI / MATTHEW 2:1-2
139. NO UNION WITH HER UNTIL / MATTHEW 1:25
140. VIRGIN … GIVE BIRTH TO A SON / MATTHEW 1:23
141. JESUS / MATTHEW 1:21
142. MARY … JESUS / MATTHEW 1:16
143. CHRIST – SON OF DAVID /MATTHEW 1:1
144. GENEALOGY OF JESUS CHRIST / MATTHEW 1:1-16
145. CREWS N AWAY: ANCHORED IN GRACE

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Blessings, Margarita & Stace