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Luke 18:18 18And one who was a nobleman came to him and said to him, “Good teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?” 19Yeshua said to him, “Why do you call me good? There is no one good except the one God.” 20”You know the commandments: ‘You shall not murder, You shall not commit adultery, You shall not steal, You shall not testify a false testimony, Honor your father and your mother.’ “* 21He said to him, “I have kept all these things from my childhood.” 22But when Yeshua heard these things, he said to him, “You lack one thing: Go sell everything that you have and give to the poor, and you shall have a treasure in Heaven, and come after me.” 23But when he heard these things, it grieved him, for he was very rich.

WHOLE LOT OF “DOING” GOING ON....

Those who pick out passages to use as proof texts for their beliefs make a mistake when they ignore the passage's context like what was said before and/or after, as well as to whom it is addressed and the specific words that are used.

This passage, for example, which you insist has Jesus telling a man he can be saved if he "keeps Torah" misses some major points. First of all, this happened after Jesus had given a parable about the Pharisee (one who prided himself on his Torah keeping) and a publican going to the temple to pray:

And he spake this parable unto certain which trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and despised others: Two men went up into the temple to pray; the one a Pharisee, and the other a publican. The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, God, I thank thee, that I am not as other men are, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this publican. I fast twice in the week, I give tithes of all that I possess. And the publican, standing afar off, would not lift up so much as his eyes unto heaven, but smote upon his breast, saying, God be merciful to me a sinner. I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other: for every one that exalteth himself shall be abased; and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted. (Luke 18:9-14)

Here you had a self-righteous, self-exalted religious person who DID all that the Law commanded, yet he did NOT walk away justified while the sinner, who WAS humble and confessed his sinfulness, did go away justified. Then Jesus and his disciple have a man walk up to them asking how HE could inherit eternal life. He addressed Jesus as "good teacher" and Jesus, though He WAS perfectly righteous, asked the man why he called him good since ONLY God is good. Wait, you're probably thinking, people CAN be good, right? So what did Jesus mean? He was talking about sinlessness. NO one is sinless - truly GOOD - BUT God and Jesus because he IS God. This man was a ruler, a Politician, and rich, and he was like the Pharisee of the previous parable, because he claimed he had always kept the law perfectly since he was a kid - but was that true? Doesn't Scripture tells that ALL have sinned and fall short of the glory of God? So, Jesus answered him - because He knew the man's heart - you lack one thing (you who insist you are perfect) "go sell all you have and give it to the poor and then you shall have treasure in heaven". I'd like you to notice that Jesus NEVER said "you shall inherit eternal life" but "you shall have treasure in heaven". That is a distinction.

The truth is that no person can keep the law perfectly and be justified of his own works and efforts. That is why Jesus came to die in our place. If we want to inherit eternal life, we must first admit we NEED grace and mercy because we are sinners. Even IF someone could keep the letter of the law, Jesus taught that there is a SPIRIT of the law behind just keeping the outward law. This young man walked away unjustified in the same way the Pharisee did - they wouldn't humble themselves and admit they were sinners. If you cannot do that, you won't ever see your need for a redeemer, a savior, and you won't accept the gift of God which is eternal life in Jesus Christ.

Like I already said, we SHOULD be living holy lives when we follow Jesus. He has given us the power to do that through the indwelling Holy Spirit. When we live such lives, when we help others, when we do good unto others, we will have rewards in heaven. Jesus said, "For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also." (Luke 12:34).

Finally, the man goes away sorrowful because he was very wealthy and he wasn't willing to do what he needed to do.

"And when Jesus saw that he was very sorrowful, he said, How hardly shall they that have riches enter into the kingdom of God! For it is easier for a camel to go through a needle's eye, than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God. And they that heard it said, Who then can be saved? And he said, The things which are impossible with men are possible with God." (Luke 18:24-27)

That is the rest of the story, LadyL. We inherit eternal life by faith in Jesus Christ and what He has done for us. We live as children of Almighty God in holiness and obedience - not to BE saved, but because we ARE saved. Inheriting eternal life of ourselves is impossible but, with God, all things are possible.