Note the rest of Matt 19:20,21
.The young man said to Him, “All these things I have kept from my youth.What do I still lack?”21 Jesus said to him, “If you want to be perfect, go, sell what you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow Me.
Note that the young man kept all the commandment and realized he still lacked.
BUT, the thief on the cross who called Jesus "Lord" followed Jesus and was thus perfected (Heb 10:14).
Physical Israel was an example to the world of how far man could get in regards to righteousness by works of the law.
Christians however, attain righteousness by faith, Rom 4:5.
And what is God's will?
John 6:40
And this is the will of Him who sent Me, that everyone who sees the Son and believes in Him may have everlasting life; and I will raise him up at the last day
Hi haz,
Did the man really keep all the commandments? the answer is no and I will show you why from the text itself.
Mat 19:20 The young man saith unto him, All these things have I kept from my youth up: what lack I yet?
The young man though he had kept all the commandments but Jesus knew otherwise. The key is in what Jesus said before this and after. first what did he say before?
Mat 19:18 He saith unto him, Which? Jesus said, Thou shalt do no murder, Thou shalt not commit adultery, Thou shalt not steal, Thou shalt not bear false witness,
Mat 19:19 Honour thy father and thy mother: and, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.
notice Jesus mentions the the commandments that have to do with how we treat each other. here is the list from exodus.
Exo 20:13 Thou shalt not kill.
Exo 20:14 Thou shalt not commit adultery.
Exo 20:15 Thou shalt not steal.
Exo 20:16 Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbour.
Exo 20:17 Thou shalt not covet thy neighbour's house, thou shalt not covet thy neighbour's wife, nor his manservant, nor his maidservant, nor his ox, nor his ass, nor any thing that is thy neighbour's.
however you might also notice that Jesus replaces the last one with "do not covet" with "Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself."
We know that "love thy neighbour" is a summery of the last six.
Rom 13:9 For this, Thou shalt not commit adultery, Thou shalt not kill, Thou shalt not steal, Thou shalt not bear false witness, Thou shalt not covet; and if there be any other commandment, it is briefly comprehended in this saying, namely, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.
Rom 13:10 Love worketh no ill to his neighbour: therefore love is the fulfilling of the law.
Gal 5:14 For all the law is fulfilled in one word, even in this; Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.
Jas 2:8 If ye fulfil the royal law according to the scripture, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself, ye do well:
Jas 2:9 But if ye have respect to persons, ye commit sin, and are convinced of the law as transgressors.
Jas 2:10 For whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all.
Jas 2:11 For he that said, Do not commit adultery, said also, Do not kill. Now if thou commit no adultery, yet if thou kill, thou art become a transgressor of the law.
Jas 2:12 So speak ye, and so do, as they that shall be judged by the law of liberty.
So why did Jesus replace "thou shalt not covet" with a summery of the whole law?
The answer is found in Jesus response after the man says he has kept them all.
Mat 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.
Jesus said that to be perfect he should sell all that he had, give it to the poor and follow Him. In other word Jesus is pointing out that this man covets and thus has many riches. he is breaking the law of do not covet. The mans response to this confirms this further.
Mat 19:22 But when the young man heard that saying, he went away sorrowful: for he had great possessions.
The mans response shows that he was coveting. And he loved his treasure on earth more than Jesus.
by the way his question "what do I still lack" is not a admission to lacking something but rather a self righteous attitude that he was obeying thus how could he be lacking anything. Jesus then shows that he is not obeying at all. The rich man was not obeying and Jesus knew it. And this does not take away from the established fact that Jesus still said and meant:
"but if thou wilt enter into life, keep the commandments".
As to your point on righteousness by works I agree. and as to attaining to righteousness by faith I also agree.
The real issue where we depart is what that righteousness looks like. I believe it looks lake what John said.
1Jn 3:7 Little children, let no man deceive you: he that doeth righteousness is righteous, even as he is righteous.
this is the premise of what John says after and proves that John does not mean that its simply a label. you are only righteous if you "doeth" action word, righteousness.
The only way to attain to this righteousness is by faith in the death and Resurrection power of Christ.
Let me try to explain, If I try to keep the law in my own strength, I will fail. but If Christ lives in me it is He who does the works. Faith enables the human to take hold of the powerful Grace of Jesus and be transformed by God. only by faith is it possible to keep the law.