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And rather than confess, repent, and seek mercy for himself based on Jesus' offer of new birth, instead he began to try to justify himself. Though he gave another right answer to the next question, what did he do? Did he confess his sins and his spiritual blindness, and beg for forgiveness?

Come on, now, you have the answer. I gave you the key that when used, would bring that eternal life to you. The complete story is in the link to a saving summary of how to find eternal life, a presenrarion of the Gospel of the Lord Jesus.

Eternal life can be yours as a free gift from God now, if you will choose to obey God and:

1. Repent and turn to God from sin and disobedience (Acts 17:30; Lk. 18:13; 1 Thes. 1:9,10).
2. Confess your guilt of sin and ask for God's mercy (Lk. 18:13).
3. Unreservedly commit your trust in the Lord Jesus Christ, believing He died for you, rose again, and ascended into Heaven to apply His blood on the Mercy Seat to clear you from all guilt (Rom. 10:9; Heb. 9:14,24-28).
4. Receive Him as your Savior and Lord of your life (Jn. 1:12; Col. 2:6).
5. Publicly and openly confess the Lord Jesus Christ before your fellow men. Tell others how he saved you (Rom. 10:9,10; Mt. 10:32,33).

Are you ready to appropriate this wonderful, free gift of God, The Lord Jesus Christ and Eternal Life NOW?

The choice is yours!

May I ask,

What is your choice?

Or is the hearer/reader just going to reject the answer and walk away as the works-oriented "lawyer" (shyster) disbeliever did. There's no riding the fence here. Is this irresponsive refuser just going to keep on trying to earn a ticket to heaven by adding to simple faith, by adding his works to the works of The Crucified One, and continuing to propagate false doctrine which blinds someone else who is desperately seeking the path to relief from the burden of sin?

But that's not where the narrative stops, my FRiend. If you think about this for a moment, you will see what the interpreter of the law saw immediately: that he could never hope to meet the standard just set for him by Jesus. And rather than confess, repent, and seek mercy for himself based on Jesus' offer of new birth, instead he began to try to justify himself. Though he gave another right answer to the next question, what did he do? Did he confess his sins and his spiritual blindness, and beg for forgiveness?

The first error I see is the error of the lawyer, ie., not accepting the words of the LORD and doing them, but rather looking to continue the debate with Him.

The second error I see is eisegesis. The LORD did not tell him confess your sins and spiritutal blindness, and beg for forgiveness. He told him do likewise, which in this case is to love your neighbor as yourself. This passage is all about love, not the words that drop so easily from the mouth into the dust, but rather the works, which can only be done by hearts obedient to the Word of the LORD. He did not hide it in heaven or beyond the sea so people would be in doubt about what they must do. It is right there in the text.

If one has unconfessed/unforgiven sins, one must confess them. That is not the subject of this passage however. It is not in the text. There are other texts that cover it.

This text dovetails so well with the parables in Matthew about the ten virgins, the men and their talents, and the sheep and the goats.

The important takeaway is to do what the Messiah said to do. He did not deceive. He spoke the truth for He is the Truth.

But he, willing to justify himself, said unto Jesus, And who is my neighbour? And Jesus answering said, A certain man went down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and fell among thieves, which stripped him of his raiment, and wounded him, and departed, leaving him half dead. And by chance there came down a certain priest that way: and when he saw him, he passed by on the other side. And likewise a Levite, when he was at the place, came and looked on him, and passed by on the other side. But a certain Samaritan, as he journeyed, came where he was: and when he saw him, he had compassion on him, And went to him, and bound up his wounds, pouring in oil and wine, and set him on his own beast, and brought him to an inn, and took care of him. And on the morrow when he departed, he took out two pence, and gave them to the host, and said unto him, Take care of him; and whatsoever thou spendest more, when I come again, I will repay thee. Which now of these three, thinkest thou, was neighbour unto him that fell among the thieves? And he said, He that shewed mercy on him. Then said Jesus unto him, Go, and do thou likewise.

Luke, Catholic chapter ten, Protestant verses twenty nine to thirty seven,
as authorized, but not authored, by King James