In your labors you have frequently aroused an interest, and at the very point when you could work to the best advantage have allowed home interests to draw you away from the work of God. In many cases you have not perseveringly continued your efforts until you were satisfied that all had decided for or against the truth. It is not wise generalship to commence a warfare against the power of Satan and ingloriously leave the field at the height of the conflict, thus giving the enemy opportunity to bind more securely those who were upon the point of leaving his ranks and taking their position on the side of Christ. That interest, once broken, can never again be raised. A few may be reached, but the greater portion can never be affected and their hearts softened by the presentation of the truth. {2T 621.1}

Jesus drager denne unge mands opmærksomhed direkte til manglen i hans karakter. Han argumenterer med sit eget selvfornægtende og korsbærende liv. Han har forladt alt for menneskets frelse og han beder den unge mand at komme og efterligne hans eksempel og forsikrer ham at han må få rigdommene i himlen. Sprang den unge mands hjerte af glæde over den forsikring at han faktisk kunne få rigdomme i himlen? Oh, nej! Hans jordiske rigdomme var hans afgud; de fordunklede værdien for den evige arv. Han vendte sig fra korset, vendte sig fra Forløserens selvopofrende liv, til denne verden. Han har et skjult og vedvarende ønske for den himmelske arv, alligevel vendte han sig modvilligt fra det han havde i udsigt. Det koster en kamp for at beslutte sig hvad han vælger, men han beslutter til sidst at fortsætte sin kærlighed for jordiske rigdomme.