2014 – Page 13 – Sungrak Church

Tag Archive for: 2014

2014.04.20_Our Hope is the Resurrection

in 2014, Sung Hyun Kim

(1 Corinthians 15:12-19)

Outline

God

is the Father of life.

He gave us the Savior, who is the Life.

God informed us how to receive Him as the Savior (Mt 17:5)

We have become holy saints (1 Co 1:1-3)

by God’s love and grace.

He did not give us a religion

and push morals and ethics.

It is a reality that was bestowed on us from Heaven

because the Living God desired

to save us with truth and power (Jn 3:16).

Therefore,

He made certain of the covenant by giving us His power,

signs, and blessings to our faith (Jn 10:35).

He gave us the Holy Spirit on our faith in Jesus

and thus, our fruits has become certain.

By showing us the resurrection of Jesus Christ (1 Co. 15:23),

God made certain that resurrection

is a gift soon to be given to us.

The resurrection that we believe in is not a dogma.

Jesus is the Resurrection and our secure hope (Jn 11:25-26).

○We do not believe in a religion.

We believe in God and Jesus Christ, Whom He has sent.

○We are not cultivating ourselves.

The resurrection is right before our eyes;

and we believe that it would soon be fulfilled.

○We obey the teaching of the Holy Spirit

and always receive His inspirations.

※The resurrection is our faith and definite hope.

We wait patiently for the day of its fulfillment.

Summary

Life and the Breath of Life

God is the Father of life. He has bestowed life upon us. Life is imperishable and hence, nothing else is more precious to man than life. However, the world is unaware of life. It is only through the church that one is able to hear the news being delivered from God and hence come to know about life.

Every man is on the earth for some time and ultimately goes to the grave. Although people endeavor to prevent this with all their might, they cannot but eventually end up there. The time given to man until then is very short, that it cannot even be classified as life from God’s perspective. As man’s life signifies the time remaining until death, it does not mean anything before God. Therefore it is probably appropriate to differentiate it from ‘life’ and label it ‘breath of life’.

People struggle and make every effort to preserve the breath of life that cannot even be classified as life, yet their hearts are always downcast because they know such efforts will fail in the end. As man watches his breath of life deteriorating endlessly despite his wish for it to constantly remain healthy and lively, his heart is always looming with sorrow. Still, even the person who has been beset with sadness all his life, is overcome with great shock once again when the older members of the family pass away one by one. And after having gone through that several times, he realizes that it is his turn to go and shudders at the futility and transience of human life.

The writer of Ecclesiastes has candidly illustrated the vanity of human life from the standpoint of a philosopher rather than a believer. He has written that everything which man does on the earth is all vanity like grasping for the wind (Ecc 1:14); before death there is no difference between the wise and the foolish for they would all be forgotten from people’s memories alike after the passing of time (Ecc 2:16); and no matter how the man toils under the sun, all that he leaves behind to his descendants is vain labor (Ecc 2:18). Despite the people constantly developing culture and striving for the sake of the breath of life, it is still fading away.

If there is life which God desires to freely give to man, he must take hold of it. The hope of Christians is in that life. The life given by God is more precious than anything in the world. For a person to commit himself to material acquisition in order to preserve the short breath of life on the earth is like fighting a lost battle. Even if he may lose the breath of life to gain life, he must never forsake life just to keep the breath of life.

Peter’s Testimony to the Resurrection of Jesus

After the resurrection and ascension of Jesus Christ, the Holy Spirit came upon those who had gathered and prayed in the Upper Room. When Peter, who was filled with the Holy Spirit that day opened his lips and preached, as many as three thousand people were saved. His testimony, which was the first sermon to be preached in the early church, was a massive shock to the Jews at the time. It was the testimony of a witness to the resurrection. He bore witness to the only One who died and rose again in man’s history. There are some people who come back to life after being dead for a short while. However, that is merely temporary; they have not prevailed over death. Yet, Peter and the disciples’ testimony were as of the witnesses to the One who had overcome death forever.

Peter testified, “Him, being delivered by the determined purpose and foreknowledge of God, you have taken by lawless hands, have crucified, and put to death; whom God raised up, having loosed the pains of death, because it was not possible that He should be held by it” (Acts 2:23-24). And he continued, with reference to Psalm 16 written by David, “For David says concerning Him: ‘I foresaw the Lord always before my face, for He is at my right hand, that I may not be shaken. Therefore my heart rejoiced, and my tongue was glad; moreover my flesh also will rest in hope. For You will not leave my soul in Hades, nor will You allow Your Holy One to see corruption. You have made known to me the ways of life; You will make me full of joy in Your presence’” (Acts 2:25-28).

The Jews of that time had believed that that Scripture was about David himself. However, Peter proclaimed otherwise. He pointed out that David had died unlike his words ‘for You will not leave my soul in Hades, nor will You allow Your Holy One to see corruption’, and asserted, “Men and brethren, let me speak freely to you of the patriarch David, that he is both dead and buried, and his tomb is with us to this day” (Acts 2:29).

If Psalm 16 is not about David himself, who is it about? Peter pointed out clearly that David was only carrying out his role as a prophet and said, “he, foreseeing this, spoke concerning the resurrection of the Christ, that His soul was not left in Hades, nor did His flesh see corruption” (Acts 2:31). David’s prophecy was concerning Christ who was to come from among his descendants. The one to fulfill that prophecy must never fall into decay inside the grave. The Christ concerning whom David prophesied was Jesus who had resurrected. He received the way to return to life, and joyfully returned to life (Acts 2:28).

How did Jesus then come to life? God had raised Him. Regarding this Peter said, “This Jesus God has raised up, of which we are all witnesses” (Acts 2:32). Peter was certain that nobody could deny the resurrection of Jesus, because him and the disciples had personally witnessed the resurrection of Jesus. So then what was it that they had seen? Jesus suffered in the hands of the Roman soldiers and finally shed all of His blood and died. But when the disciples were gathered inside the house with the doors locked, Jesus appeared through the walls and showed Himself to them. On one occasion, about five hundred people witnessed Him at the same time (1 Cor 15:6). Moreover, Jesus was taken up to Heaven in full view of the disciples. The disciples had thus witnessed the resurrection of Jesus who has vanquished death, and as the witnesses bearing that incredible experience they proclaimed that the Christ whom David had prophesied about was Jesus.

The Resurrection of Jesus Proves the Truthfulness of the Word and the Infallibility of the Scripture

Apostle Paul’s preaching was also similar to that of Peter. Paul had neither spent much time with Peter nor did they ever carry out their ministry together. Nevertheless, Paul’s sermon very much resembled that of Peter. Paul testified, “He was seen for many days by those who came up with Him from Galilee to Jerusalem, who are His witnesses to the people. And we declare to you glad tidings—that promise which was made to the fathers. God has fulfilled this for us their children, in that He has raised up Jesus. As it is also written in the second Psalm: ‘You are My Son, today I have begotten You’” (Acts 13:31-33). Continuing on, he made reference to the Scriptures, Psalm 2:7, Isaiah 55:3 and Psalm 16:10, asserting that such words God had given ahead of time were fulfilled through Jesus Christ. Then he concluded by saying, “For David, after he had served his own generation by the will of God, fell asleep, was buried with his fathers, and saw corruption; but He whom God raised up saw no corruption” (Acts 13:36-37).

Paul presented various passages of the Scripture as the proof to show that they are all testifying to the resurrection of Jesus. When Paul preached to the Jews, he premised on a fact with which both the Jews and himself concurred – that God’s word is faultless. Through this, Paul uncovered the Jews’ error. Before the resurrection of Jesus, even if the prophecies of the Old Testament including the Psalms were all denounced as a lie, it could not be refuted. However, it could now be testified that the prophecies in the Scripture are true because Jesus Christ has resurrected. Likewise, Paul testified that Jesus’ resurrection is a testament that firmly established God’s word, and the power demonstrating the infallibility of God’s word.

Paul also gave similar testimonies elsewhere. Before King Agrippa he said, “Therefore, having obtained help from God, to this day I stand, witnessing both to small and great, saying no other things than those which the prophets and Moses said would come— that the Christ would suffer, that He would be the first to rise from the dead, and would proclaim light to the Jewish people and to the Gentiles” (Acts 26:22-23) and thus revealed that the Scriptures are testifying about Jesus Christ. If Jesus had not resurrected the Scriptures would have been in doubt; however, through the resurrection of Jesus, the truthfulness of God’s word and infallibility of the Scriptures have been confirmed.

God Proved Jesus to be the Son of God By Raising Him From the Dead

There is one other thing God wants to make known to us through the resurrection of Jesus. When Jesus had healed a man who was blind from birth, the Jews despised him and questioned him. Then the man said, ‘Why, this is a marvelous thing, that you do not know where He is from; yet He has opened my eyes! Now we know that God does not hear sinners; but if anyone is a worshiper of God and does His will, He hears him. Since the world began it has been unheard of that anyone opened the eyes of one who was born blind. If this Man were not from God, He could do nothing’. Jesus met the man after he was cast out of the synagogue and asked him ‘do you believe in the Son of Man?’ Here, the Son of Man refers to the Son of God whom Daniel had mentioned (Dan 7:13). The man replied ‘Who is He, Lord, that I may believe in Him?’ Jesus answered, ‘You have both seen Him and it is He who is talking with you’. Then the man said, ‘Lord, I believe!’ And he worshiped Him. The man who was blind from birth, believed Jesus to be the Son of God after seeing the miracle He had done (John 9:1-38).

Once when Jesus was walking on the water towards His disciples, He told Peter to come on the water. The disciples were amazed at this and worshipped Jesus saying, “Truly You are the Son of God” (Matt 14:33).

The writers of the Synoptic Gospels documented the moment Jesus was being baptized. The Holy Spirit descended on Him as He came out of the water, and a voice came from Heaven saying, “This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased” (Matt 3:17). Through this they realized Jesus was the Son of God.

Furthermore, Apostle John came to know through John the Baptist that Jesus is the Son of God. John the Baptist confessed, “I did not know Him, but He who sent me to baptize with water said to me, ‘Upon whom you see the Spirit descending, and remaining on Him, this is He who baptizes with the Holy Spirit.’ And I have seen and testified that this is the Son of God” (John 1:33-34).

When Jesus was crucified, the centurion directing the crucifixion and his servants discovered Jesus to be God’s Son in yet another way. As Jesus breathed His last, they witnessed an earthquake and the dead coming out of the graves and walking into the city. They were greatly shocked and said, “Truly this was the Son of God!” (Matt 27:51-54).

Jesus also spoke about Himself numerous times. He said, “He who has seen Me has seen the Father; so how can you say, ‘Show us the Father’?” (John 14:9), and “I and My Father are one” (John 10:30), emphasizing that He is the Son of God.

Then how did God the Father demonstrate Jesus to be the Son of God, that is, the Son of Man? Concerning this Acts 13:30 says, “But God raised Him from the dead”; Romans 6:4 says, “Just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father”; and Romans 1:4 says, “and declared to be the Son of God with power according to the Spirit of holiness, by the resurrection from the dead”. God has raised Jesus from the dead and thus has proven that He is God’s Son. Indeed the disciple Thomas saw the risen Jesus and worshipped Him saying, “My Lord and my God!” (John 20:28).

Ephesians 1:20 says, “which He worked in Christ when He raised Him from the dead and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly places”. Who would dare sit at God’ right hand if not the Son of God, if not the Son of Man, if not the One who has the divine nature of God inherently? Mark 16:19 says, “So then, after the Lord had spoken to them, He was received up into heaven, and sat down at the right hand of God”. Saying that Jesus who was crucified not long ago is now seated at God’s right hand emphasizes that He has resurrected. Colossian 3:1 says, “If then you were raised with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ is, sitting at the right hand of God”. Thus God has proven Jesus to be the Son of God by raising Him and seating Him at His right hand.

Jesus, the Lord of Resurrection

God has made Jesus the Resurrected One our Lord and Christ. Peter made reference to Psalm 110:1 and said, “For David did not ascend into the heavens, but he says himself: ‘The Lord said to my Lord, “Sit at My right hand, till I make Your enemies Your footstool” (Acts 2:34-35). And as he further explained the words, “Sit at my right hand” he testified, “Therefore let all the house of Israel know assuredly that God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Christ” (Acts 2:36).

Even Jesus Himself stressed that He is the resurrected Lord. When Jesus said to Martha, ‘your brother will rise again’, Martha answered, ‘I know that he will rise again in the resurrection at the last day’. As Jesus had intended to raise Lazarus again, He was quite surprised by Martha’s unexpected answer and said, “I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me, though he may die, he shall live. And whoever lives and believes in Me shall never die. Do you believe this?” (John 11:17-26).

Jesus said, “Most assuredly, I say to you, the hour is coming, and now is, when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God; and those who hear will live” (John 5:25) and again, “Do not marvel at this; for the hour is coming in which all who are in the graves will hear His voice” (John 5:28). He also said, “No one can come to Me unless the Father who sent Me draws him; and I will raise him up at the last day. It is written in the prophets, ‘And they shall all be taught by God.’ Therefore everyone who has heard and learned from the Father comes to Me” (John 6:44-45), and prophesied, “I am the living bread which came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever; and the bread that I shall give is My flesh, which I shall give for the life of the world” (John 6:51).

Jesus said, “For as the Father raises the dead and gives life to them, even so the Son gives life to whom He will” (John 5:21); and again, “This is the will of the Father who sent Me, that of all He has given Me I should lose nothing, but should raise it up at the last day” (John 6:39). He also said, “Whoever eats My flesh and drinks My blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day” (John 6:54), and “As the living Father sent Me, and I live because of the Father, so he who feeds on Me will live because of Me. This is the bread which came down from heaven—not as your fathers ate the manna, and are dead. He who eats this bread will live forever” (John 6:57-58). Jesus thus promised to give eternal life to those who obey God’s word.

The Hope of Resurrection and the Duty of Saints

Paul was infuriated upon hearing that some of the members of the Corinthian Church denied the resurrection and wrote as if rebuking them loudly. ‘Now if Christ is preached that He has been raised from the dead, how do some among you say that there is no resurrection of the dead? But if there is no resurrection of the dead, how did God raise Christ from the dead? But if God raised Christ from the dead, isn’t there the logic of the dead being raised to life? And if Christ is not risen, our faith is futile; our work is futile and we are still sinners. Then also those who have fallen asleep in Christ have perished, and Christians are of all men the most pitiable. Why are you losing the hope we have by being swayed by nonsense? Don’t be shaken! Jesus is risen from the dead, and has become the firstfruits and afterward each one in his own order; next will be our turn. You are Christ’s at His coming, I will tell you a mystery: We shall not all sleep. We will not disappear, nor lose consciousness after death; we will not remain forever in the grave, nor sleep incessantly in Paradise. We shall all be changed— in a moment, at the last trumpet. The corruptible will be raised incorruptible, and the mortal will put on immortality. For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus we shall always, that is, forever be with the Lord. Therefore comfort one another with these words. Spur on those who have fallen into confusion’ (1 Cor 15:12-54, 1 The 4:16-18).

We believe in Jesus, evangelize and testify because there is resurrection. In this world we endure sufferings, give up our pleasures and wealth and willingly dedicate them. We seek the success of the Lord’s kingdom despite ourselves being poor. We even bear persecutions, and do not lose heart when we are rejected. We do not despair even when our families are overcome with trouble. Despite our anguish, we pray instead for the church, have compassion for the saints and love the souls like our own family. This is because we have been given the promise of resurrection.

We have received the Holy Spirit whom God has poured out. We have received the testimony, ‘you will have resurrection. Just as Christ resurrected, you will also be resurrected as Christ has promised.’ Following the path the Lord has taken, we will attain the fruit of resurrection. Therefore, we need to manifest the power of resurrection through the Holy Spirit. Signs and wonders must accompany us, and thus make our hope in resurrection firm. We ought to serve the church with such hope. We have to strive to serve, dedicate and pray for the success of the church. It is only natural to serve the church, the body of Christ, if anyone desires to serve Jesus Christ.

A reward awaits us in Heaven. Therefore, it is not for us to be regretful, fearful or disappointed. Just as Jesus has gone boldly leaving the earth behind, we will do the same. Some say that the resurrection is still a long time in coming. However, it is very near. When we take our last breath, we will be sleeping in Paradise where we cannot feel the passing of time. So if someone passes away an hour later, it will be like being faced with the resurrection an hour later.

We need to make our hope in resurrection secure and while we are on the earth, discharge all of our duties as saints. We must have a faith life that brings success to the church, for the sake of the Lord’s kingdom. We have to receive the inspiration of the Holy Spirit and be led by God. Though the world may shake us in our hearts, we must not be swept away by it. Through the guidance of the Holy Spirit, we must be triumphant in our struggle towards the resurrection.

Semuon’s Letter

We establish the Pentecostal Baptist Church Denomination that forms the General Assembly of Berea Church Union, which considers the Bible as a model of our faith and spiritual life.

The Holy Spirit dwelt among us on the day that the Lord had promised to us, and about 3,000 believers were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus on that same day. Everyone received and was filled with the Holy Spirit who was given to us as a gift of God. Since that day, we have become the Pentecostal Baptist Denomination.

Our faith grows by returning to the Bible and searching the Scriptures daily. Also, through the work and signs filled with the Holy Spirit, we are able to testify of the living God, the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and that Jesus is sitting on the right hand of God. We are prophets who spread what the world does not know and testify of the hope of resurrection that has been given to us. In order to testify of this faith, which is of no interest for the secular, religious people, we testify again as people with God’s calling and mission expecting even martyrdom.

Our hope is the resurrection; our faith also is the resurrection (John 11:25-26). Such evidence resides within our body, and there is always power since our hearts receive the works of the Holy Spirit, from whom is the power of the resurrection. This power will continue on until the day that we leave this world, and God will work with us and confirm the word through the accompanying signs (Mark 16:20).

If we were of the world, then such signs would not appear; however, those signs are alive and working. Thus, we must think to ourselves how fearful and what a loss it is if we do not have the power to perform those signs, and always pray again and again to be filled with such power.

The reason why I am the happiest person in the world is because I am the living proof that Christ’s proof resides in my body. I pray for this daily and give thanks to God. I am truly joyful because the Lord Jesus lives in my body and works together with me through my lips and hands. The Lord will never abandon me, and I cannot never betray the Lord. This is because the Lord is my life.

Through faith, I have seen the Son of Man who is the image of God. Through Him, I drank the blood of the only true God. At that moment, I was set free from the Law. Hence, I have forever taken off the yoke of sin. I give thanks because I was set free from the one with the power of death and became the one to resist the Devil instead of being chased by him. Also, because the Lord resurrected and is always at the right hand of God, He is able to carry my load of sin daily and forgive them. Thus, I am being sanctified.

How can I describe this happiness with words? Since my lips will bear witness until they wear out, the Holy Spirit will also acknowledge and work together with me. The grace of our Lord Jesus is truly deep and wide. My soul sings as it gives thanks.

Pastor Ki-Dong Kim
Lord’s Day Worship Column

2014 Audio

2014 Video

Credits

2014.04.13_Be Rich in the Spirit

in 2014, Sung Hyun Kim

(Luke 12:13-21)

Outline

God

commands blessings.

He bestowed grace upon the world

so that their spiritual sight could open.

This grace is God’s word and covenants.

We believe in His word and promises.

However, man, being deceived by the Devil, betrayed God,

which is a wicked sin (Ge 2:16-17).

God revived man’s spirit and gave eternal life

and so that he might live with Him in Heaven (Jn 3:5-8).

However, man did not accept God’s words

but followed the sinful nature of his flesh.

Thus, his faith could not be sound

and he is greatly disappointing God (Is 1:18-).

Though they seek blessings, they only seek

worldly things rather than spiritual blessings (Mt 6:32-33).

They do not know that their spirit is perishing (Eph 2:2).

Flesh and blood cannot inherit the Kingdom of God.

Only the souls that are rich toward God can.

○Let us be spiritual.

Let us love God and His Kingdom.

This is the way to revive the spirit.

○Faith life is a spiritual life.

God’s covenant is also spiritual.

His blessings are spiritual as well.

○Therefore, be rich toward God’s Kingdom

instead of being fixated on the works of the flesh.

※Do not doubt God nor despise the Holy Spirit

Whom God has given to us.

Summary

God’s Love and Grace; Their Weight and Value

God commands blessings. Blessings are given as God’s grace, not as a payment for something. Those who understand the value of the grace God has given love Him, and do not hold back in serving and dedicating for the works which are for the glory of God’s kingdom. God does not forget such saints but remembers them and adds spiritual blessings to them; even in the face of unbearable adversities, He takes care of them to ultimately have victory and glory. And in order to surely accomplish this, He works from within them.

Many believers themselves believe that they love God and also profess that with their lips. Surprisingly however, not every one of them is able to confidently confess to God, “I love you.” They are cut to the heart and feel guilty that most of them are not bold enough to say that. This is because they lack in their love for God, that is, their faith. They love their flesh more than God, and their first priority is their flesh not God. If such life continues on, the blessings they are to receive will be limited. What is worse is that they will have huge regrets upon entering Heaven later, to discover that what they had built while on the earth because they loved the Lord, their hard work was actually done very poorly.

We need to deeply and achingly understand in our hearts the weight and value of God’s love and grace given. Then, God will grant us faith and we would be able to overcome all kinds of temptations and obstacles in the world and be faithful to the Lord’s church. Only in this way could we stand strong as those who truly possess God’s blessings.

On Reaching Gethsemane…

It was 2000 years ago from now. Jesus went to the Mount of Olives with His disciples and arrived at Gethsemane. It was the day before His death, when His life of 33 years was coming to a close, and only a few hours before He was captured. The Lord said, “Sit here while I go and pray over there” (Matt 26:36) and most of the disciples were left at the entrance to the hill, while He took Peter, James and John inside.

The Lord was sorrowful and distressed (Matt 26:37). He had great sorrow throughout the three years of His public ministry on the earth. When He saw the sinners and the sick, He simply could not pass them by but helped them and shed many tears for them. Furthermore, He had compassion for the state of the people as they did not know God’s will and could not escape the curse; He was extremely grieved that even their leaders were in the same state of condition. Yet, He had never anguished in such intense sorrow as at Gethsemane. Gethsemane is a place that remembers the intensity of His agony; it is a witness to the climax of His sorrow. Though Jesus is the Son of God, He had to carry upon His weak body all that was ahead of Him, since He had come to the world as a man.

The Lord had continuously performed many miracles and signs; however, from that day on He no longer performed power. His final miracle had already been done. It was the third day just as He said, “Behold, I cast out demons and perform cures today and tomorrow, and the third day I shall be perfected” (Luke 13:32). He was going to be captured very soon. It was such a severe ordeal and an overwhelming task.

Two days before, Jesus had urged His disciples saying, ‘the last day is coming. Use your talents well until then’ (Matt 25:14-30). He also said, ‘when the Son of Man comes in His glory with His angels, He will separate the faithful ones from those that are not’. He then added, ‘There will come a time when I will be hungry, thirsty, a stranger, naked, sick and imprisoned. I will need you then’ (Matt 25:31-46). Then He suddenly said, “You know that after two days is the Passover, and the Son of Man will be delivered up to be crucified” (Matt 26:2).

There was a time when Jesus had requested somebody’s donkey and ridden it as He entered Jerusalem. The Lord also used the offerings He received from the people. And this time, the Lord requested the Passover meal to be prepared in the home of someone residing inside the city. The Lord spent His last night there with His disciples. The Lord took the bread, gave thanks, and broke it and gave it to His disciples saying, “Take, eat; this is My body.” He took the cup, gave thanks and gave it to His disciples saying, “Drink from it, all of you. For this is My blood of the new covenant, which is shed for many for the remission of sins. But I say to you, I will not drink of this fruit of the vine from now on until that day when I drink it new with you in My Father’s kingdom.” The Lord finished the Last Supper with His disciples, sang a hymn and went to the Mount of Olives (Matt 26:26-30).

I Will Not Deny You

The Lord revealed that a critical situation was about to take place that night. The Lord said, “All of you will be made to stumble because of Me this night, for it is written:

‘I will strike the Shepherd, and the sheep of the flock will be scattered,’” but Peter replied, “Even if all are made to stumble because of You, I will never be made to stumble” (Matt 26:33). The Lord responded, “Assuredly, I say to you that this night, before the rooster crows, you will deny Me three times.” Peter asserted, “Even if I have to die with You, I will not deny You!” and so did all the disciples (Matt 26:31-35).

There was a similar situation before when Jesus was teaching the people. He was speaking about the kingdom of Heaven but the people misunderstood it as if Heaven was going to appear right away, and so the Lord quickly changed to speaking in parables (Luke 19:11). And in a way, a similar situation was happening again this time. The disciples were unaware of how the matter surrounding the Lord was overwhelmingly and rapidly developing. Only one person was different. Judas who was quick to discern, considered the severe persecution from the Jews and judged that the work Jesus was planning to accomplish was not going to be easy. He abandoned his apostolic duty and dissociated himself from the Twelve. Unfortunately, even the remaining eleven could not comprehend how severe the Lord’s suffering was.

The darkness was getting deeper at Gethsemane and the Lord’s heart was heavily weighed down with sorrow all the more. The Lord was struggling with His agony. He said to His disciples, “My soul is exceedingly sorrowful, even to death. Stay here and watch with Me” (Matt 26:38).

If we examine the original language used in the Bible, the word agony here in the Scripture means the pain experienced by the one who has left home, the loneliness that hurts the deepest part of one’s heart. Having the body of a man, He was burdened by the task He had to carry out.

The Lord was distressed by the thought of Judas Iscariot, who had sold his teacher for a few silver coins and was coming with the soldiers to capture Him. Even though the Lord washed his feet and promised to love him to the point of sacrificing Himself, in the end he turned against Him. It was as painful as if a knife was carving through His heart. How can he do this when the Lord had called him who was originally destined for Hell, and all this time had comforted and encouraged him, served him and gave everything to him? Once Satan’s thought entered Judas Iscariot, instantly his heart was completely separated from the Lord and he became an enemy who could never again find a connecting point with the Lord.

How about Peter? The Lord considered Peter as His friend. The Lord said, “Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one’s life for his friends. You are My friends if you do whatever I command you. No longer do I call you servants, for a servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all things that I heard from My Father I have made known to you” (John 15:13-15). On a previous occasion, He had called the disciples His friends, “And I say to you, My friends, do not be afraid of those who kill the body, and after that have no more that they can do. But I will show you whom you should fear: Fear Him who, after He has killed, has power to cast into hell; yes, I say to you, fear Him!” (Luke 12:4-5). Even the Jews sneered and called Him ‘a friend of tax collectors and sinners’ (Matt 11:9). That’s right. The Lord said to them, “I am your friend!” The Lord regarded Peter as His friend. However the Lord had known that in a little while, Peter was going to curse and betray Him. Peter was about to show the people how shameful it was to have known Jesus, and that, blatantly three times! Was Jesus really his friend? Is He the Lord of glory?

A similar incident to that at Gethsemane had once occurred before. It was at the Mount of Transfiguration. Again it was only Peter, John and James who were on the mountain with the Lord at the time. The Lord revealed His glory to Peter (Matt 17:1-5). Later on, Peter boastfully preached to the people, “we were eyewitnesses of His majesty” (2 Pet 1:17). But that was later in time. Peter abandoned the Lord on the day He was captured.

As a Hen Gathers Her Chicks Under Her Wings

The Lord, who is the King the Jews had been waiting for, had nurtured His own people with love for a long time. However they rejected the Lord when the He came to His own land to save His people. The Lord’s heart was shattered. He who knows no sin had come to forgive sin, and yet the sinners treated Him as a grave sinner. “O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the one who kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to her! How often I wanted to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her brood under her wings, but you were not willing! See! Your house is left to you desolate; and assuredly, I say to you, you shall not see Me until the time comes when you say, ‘Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord!’” (Luke 13:34-35). The Lord was grieved with sorrow and disappointment over their unbelief.

Being a man, the Lord also had the weaknesses of the flesh. He physically endured all the trials, suffering and distress that came upon Him. The challenge He was facing was death. Death is the source of every weakness, as well as the ultimate end to every weakness. Jesus faced the gravest and most difficult test ever witnessed by man. Man’s fate was to be determined that day; it was the most critical point for man. Yet He is our high priest. Hebrew 4:15 says, “For we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin”. He also sacrificed Himself by becoming the atoning sacrifice. He came in the flesh that man could see, touch, inflict physical oppression, and even force unto death.

Jesus’ position was made more miserable because it appeared as if He was forsaken by the Father. It can be said that an underlying quality of a Spirit is immortality. However, the Father sent His Son to the world to taste death, and hence the Son has to taste death. It would have been quite understandable if Jesus had objected, “Father, a Spirit does not die!” However, the reason He was made a little lower than the angels for a while was that He might taste death (Heb 2:9). Thus His cry ‘Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani!’ (Matt 27:46) on the cross was actually an exclamation of awe, ‘God, You are truly great. How you love them even to this point!’

He was Sorrowful and Troubled

The Devil was still tempting Jesus even at Gethsemane. When Jesus had finished fasting forty days, the Devil tried to shake Him in His heart by aiming at His weakness. What the Devil wanted to say was, ‘don’t you have any authority as God’s Son? Don’t you have the power and the right? Why are you losing yourself when you can simply abandon your commission?’ Even at Gethsemane, the Devil was after the same thing. ‘Why lose everything? Why go through it when you can avoid this shame? Is it even worth doing for those worthless human beings?’ To the Lord who spoke of His coming death, Peter said, “Far be it from You, Lord; this shall not happen to You” (Matt 16:22). But the Lord replied, “Get behind Me, Satan! You are an offense to Me, for you are not mindful of the things of God, but the things of men” (Matt 16:23). Having done all this, the Devil was making all kinds of conjecture about what Jesus was about to do, and with fear tried to hinder His work while Jesus was praying. The Devil was bringing endless anguish to Jesus so that He would renounce His work.

Jesus said, “My soul is exceedingly sorrowful, even to death. Stay here and watch with Me” (Matt 26:38). His heart was enveloped with sorrow and troubled to death. While people use the phrase ‘to death’ as in, “I’m hungry to death!” as a way of exaggerating their situation, but the Lord was not exaggerating when He said He was sorrowful even to death. The Lord offered up prayers and supplications, with vehement cries and tears (Heb 5:7). The sweat that fell from His face as He was earnestly praying became like drops of blood falling to the ground (Luke 22:43). Perhaps that was why, when the Lord crucified, He passed away quicker than anticipated. As the soldiers broke the legs of the crucified, they did not need to break Jesus’ legs for He had already died (John 19:33).

Three times Jesus prayed at Gethsemane. Upon finishing His prayer, He prayed again two more times. This was not Him taking a break in between His prayers. He was so troubled in heart to the point of praying three times about an unresolved matter at hand. The Scripture expressed the Lord’s heart as being “sorrowful and deeply distressed” (Matt 26:37). This does not imply a stationary state but that the state sorrow and distress had just begun and was deepening. The English Bible (NIV) expressed it as “began to be sorrowful and troubled”. To describe the Lord praying in sorrow and distress, the Gospel of Luke said that He knelt down and prayed, however both Books of Matthew of Mark said that He fell on His face, and prayed (Matt 26:39, Mark 14:35). He was truly struggling as He prayed.

Father, Your Will Be Done

Jesus cried out, “O My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from Me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as You will” (Matt 26:39). It was only at Gethsemane that the Lord cried unto God saying, “My Father!” The Jews were shocked and displeased to hear Him cry “My Father!” as if calling one’s own father. Although they acknowledged God as the Father of their nation, they did not believe that could personally call Him as their own Father. When Jesus said, “the Father who sent Me bears witness of Me”, the people ridiculed Him by asking, “Where is Your Father?” (John 8:18-19).

The Gospel of Mark writes that Jesus said, “Abba, Father” as He prayed to God (Mark 14:36). Jesus was calling God as ‘dad’. It is like a child clinging to his or her father’s leg and crying, while someone tries to forcefully take the child away from his or her father. He, who had come as the Savior of the world did not show an air of authority but was actually clinging to the Father in supplication.

Jesus cried, “Abba, Father, all things are possible for You. Take this cup away from Me”. It was the cup of wrath for all the sinners, which Jesus had to take. Jesus supplicated for the cup to be taken away, but in the end He said, “Nevertheless, not what I will, but what You will”, and confessed before the Father that He would take that cup (Mark 14:36).

In such a tense moment, the Lord could only rely on the Father who had commanded His will and desired His Son to obey it. The disciples were not there for the Lord in that critical moment. During His prayer, the Lord came to where the disciples were and found them asleep. The Lord said to Peter, “Simon, are you sleeping? Could you not watch one hour? Watch and pray, lest you enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak”.

He went away, prayed and spoke the same words, and returned. Again the disciples were sleeping. They were so sorry that they did not know what to say to the Lord. The Lord returned a third time and said, “Are you still sleeping and resting? It is enough! The hour has come; behold, the Son of Man is being betrayed into the hands of sinners. Rise, let us be going. See, My betrayer is at hand” (Mark 14:37-42).

Because He Did Not Give Up…

We have been brought to life today because Jesus had overcome the agony of Gethsemane and boldly went towards the cross. We came to the earth as sinners, but we will leave as the righteous ones. Jesus has carried all the sins we had brought into the world. On that day, the Lord had suffered affliction and sorrow for us, and thus we do not despair despite whatever hardships we face in this world. Though we may suffer, the hope, which guards our hearts is very secure. We have not lost anything in this world. Every man comes from his mother’s womb empty-handed, and empty-handed he returns (Job 1:21).

We have been made rich. We came to the earth and have gained the Truth, freedom and the kingdom of Heaven. Now we are the blessed ones who are planning and building the glory and reward of the eternal Heaven. It is such a relief that no one was able to snatch away the heart of the Lord as He struggled at Gethsemane 2000 years ago. We also truly thank the Lord who He did not give up the task He had to carry. The Lord removed the dreadful poison from us and took it upon Himself and thus suffered. The Lord covered us with His blood and offered us up to God. Through the blood of His Son, God remembers our sin no more and gladly receives us. Jesus made us belong to Heaven and has surely written our names in His book. He is our reliable, trustworthy and faithful Lord and God.

Choosing for the Spirit

The living Lord helps and guides us even today. We are the church of Christ, meaning we carry the name of the commission, which the Lord had received. We have been deployed and are battling in the war that the Lord has already won. The Lord commanded us to join our forces as one and fight. God is with us by the Holy Spirit, and has become the Father who commands us blessings. The labor of the flesh cannot bear everlasting fruit. Therefore we must beware of the thoughts of man, fiercely struggle against the thoughts of the flesh so that our spirit would not be hindered in receiving blessings. The Lord spoke of the necessity to choose for our spirit saying, “If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me. For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it. For what profit is it to a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul? Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul?” (Matt 16:24-26) and also said, “For the Son of Man will come in the glory of His Father with His angels, and then He will reward each according to his works” (Matt 16:27). The Lord commanded us to prepare for our eternal life, and anticipates us to do so.

We need to diligently prepare for our eternal life. We should not live with vain blessings but with the sure, spiritual blessings of God. As those who belong to Jesus Christ and are being led towards the kingdom of Heaven, we ought to be freed from the mindset of the flesh, secular practices, principles of the world, carnal desires and especially the oppression caused by money. We need to build a life worthy as those who belong to the spirit. We must love God and His kingdom, and be rich towards God’s kingdom.

The Lord said, “ The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear the sound of it, but cannot tell where it comes from and where it goes. So is everyone who is born of the Spirit” (John 3:8). Our lives should be different to the people of the world. The meaning, approach and purpose of our life are different to theirs. We are the glorious co-workers of God, God’s house, and God’s field. Hence we need to be a wise builder, building ourselves upon the foundation of Jesus Christ through our dedication and service according to the grace we have each received. Just as the Lord has won valiantly, we will also be victorious. The Lord’s endless prayer ensures there is no failure for those who are in Him. On that last day when the Lord calls us, we will see the face of the Lord pleased to see us.

Semuon’s Letter

I became a witness of Jesus at the age of 24 and began to lead revivals as a guest speaker in different churches.

Since then, half a century has flew by and this year also is passing by quickly. I have seen much glory and received great love until now, but obstruction and persecution against me came like strong, ferocious waves. I was able to endure it when I was young, but it makes me emotional as I think of how I relied and worked through the Holy Spirit though I was being strongly persecuted and alienated.

If I were not awake in my mind and if the Lord did not hold me through the Holy Spirit, then I would not have been of this world. It would have been also impossible for me to accomplish such great works. How are the good-hearted Christians of Korean churches that resemble the modern Jews so fierce and strong?

People prostrate before the Lord at church every day, repenting and confessing their love. However, I have seen them turn around immediately and begin to persecute me and make an evil attempt to take away the life of my flesh in their hearts daily. When Jews gathered, they discussed about ‘How do we kill Jesus?’ Even elders and priests congregated and thought, ‘What can we do to kill Jesus?’ They finally killed the Lord when the time came. Isn’t this the truth recorded in the Bible?

I feel terrible difficulties and my shoulder feels heavy right now. It feels as though I am standing before hopelessness and falling into despair, but I am still intact. I am still breathing. The Lord wore the thorny crown and bled in order to wear the crown of glory. Unlike Him, no painful thorns are yet piercing through my forehead to cause any bleeding though I agonize deeply. My forehead is still unscathed. I hoped to receive the crown of glory and the crown of righteousness, but I have not even worn the crown of thorns yet. I have not even shed a drop of blood on my forehead yet. I question myself if my faith is truly justified by hoping for the crown of glory when I am actually wearing a soft, featherlike crown.

I claim to walk toward the goal of resurrection, but there is no bloodstain on the soles of my feet. No blood was shed from my hands or my side. I claimed to walk toward the Calvary hill and proceed toward the goal of resurrection without shedding a drop of blood. Isn’t this abominable? No piece of my flesh has fallen off yet, and I busily clung to treating my body when it became weak. Am I truly the person who is walking toward the goal of the resurrection?

I still have a long way to go. I have the responsibility of only walking forward until the blood drops shed from my forehead, tear my hands and feet apart, and a trace of blood is left on the road. Yet, I am still safe and sound. Basically, I was being a crybaby until now. O my soul, I will go and die for the Lord. I will climb up the Calvary hill, heading toward the goal of the resurrection until my body bleeds and collapses.

Pastor Ki-Dong Kim
Lord’s Day Worship Column

2014 Audio

2014 Video

Credits

2014.04.06_Forgive Without Measure

in 2014, Ki Dong Kim

(Matthew 18:21-35)

Outline

God

is merciful.

He sent His Son into the world

to forgive and save them (Jn 3:16).

The world would perish without being forgiven.

The only one that God does not forgive is the Devil (2 Pe. 2:4).

The Devil is the angel who sinned in Heaven

and was cast out to Hades

without being forgiven (Jud 1:6).

Therefore, only the Devil will be judged (Jn 16:11).

However, if people belong to the Devil and follow his nature,

then they will all perish together (Mt 25:41).

The grace of the Lord that we have received is forgiveness.

The proof is the transformation of our hearts.

There is none righteous in the world (Ro 3:10-12).

Even a righteous falls and gets back up again.

A forgiven person also forgives another.

This is the work of following the Holy Spirit’s law (Ro 8:9).

○A true regenerate heart forgives seventy times seven

and even eternally just as God forgave.

○The world is devoid of forgiveness;

thus, they live in strife as enemies.

The heart of a saint forgives and forgives.

○The Devil, the prince of the power of the air,

and demons that invade people’s bodies

will not receive any forgiveness.

※Forgive among family members.

Forgive among neighbors.

The church is the Lord’s temple, full of forgiveness.

Summary

God Treated Angel and Man Differently

God is full of mercy. He is compassionate towards us with abounding love and mercy. God has treated the Devil and man differently.

There is a myriad of angels in Heaven carrying out each of their own duties under the command of the archangels. Among them are angels under the direction of the archangel, Gabriel, who deliver the good news of Heaven. There are also those who praise the glory of God with everything beautiful, and the archangel in command is the angel of light, namely Luciel. Although Luciel was perfect as an angel in the beginning, he was carried away by his own beauty and splendor that he became proud in his heart and rebelled against God. Thus, he became Satan, God’s enemy. His depravity and sin had desecrated Heaven, so God had him in darkness along with the angels that belonged to him, until the Day of Judgment. The angels that were used for this were the heavenly hosts led by the archangel Michael.

Some people may well ask, ‘How can the angel fall when God created him perfectly?’ We need to remember that angels are perfect as a created being; they are not absolutely perfect like God. As the creations of God, angels could live forever only by God and for this they have to obey God’s word (John 12:50). For any creation to obey God’s word, it must have the will to accept and refuse. A commandment can only apply to a person when he has the will to refuse to follow God’s word, and there must be a commandment in order for the created spirit to obey and thus live.

Originally, man only had body and soul but after God had given to Adam the spirit He had created in Heaven, man came to have body, soul and spirit. God had made man become a living spiritual being because only the spirit created in Heaven is able to commune with God, receive His word, and obey His commandments. Thus by becoming a spiritual being, man is able to receive God’s word and live forever.

This aroused the Devil’s jealousy. The Devil was originally created in Heaven but was hurled to Hades, never to return to Heaven again. When man was not a spiritual being, as soon as the body died, the Devil could not afflict man any more even if he wanted to. At that time, those destined to go to Hell were only the Devil and his servants. However after God breathed into man the breath of life, his spirit was able to go to Heaven even if his body died. Since the Devil could never again return to Heaven, he could not accept the fact that the man created on earth was able to go into Heaven. Hence, the Devil enticed the woman in order to destroy man’s spirit.

To the serpent which had enticed the woman and caused man to fall, God said, “And I will put enmity between you and the woman” (Gen 3:15). It was not man’s flesh but his spirit that the Devil became an enemy of. While oxen or pigs that do not have a spirit are not the Devil’s enemies, man who does have a spirit has become the Devil’s enemy.

Do not Misunderstand God the Father

The people in the Old Testament lived according to the Law. They were not aware of the spiritual reality; they did not even know about spiritual living. The kingdom of God that they had longed for was the kingdom to be established in the land of Canaan, not the New Jerusalem of Heaven, which we are longing for. They served God with only the regulations of the flesh. Under the regulations of the flesh, anyone who broke the Sabbath was cursed and thus stoned to death, put to death by the sword, killed in the war, or died of disease. Such wrath inflicted on the flesh was a kind of a model. With the coming of Jesus Christ to the earth, the governance of the Law was brought to an end, and it was revealed that what God had promised was not a man-made place in Jerusalem but the New Jerusalem in Heaven. Everything that happened under the Law was a copy and a shadow of the spiritual reality.

It is a pity that even today’s Christians who are living under grace, consider the trials in their flesh as punishments resulting from their sins. The flesh was punished under the Law as a kind of a model and a shadow. The stereotype formed under the Law is still dominating the hearts of Christians. We see people who commit many sins, enjoying good health and success in their business. Punishment will begin after the Lord’s second coming. Until then, people could be afflicted by the interference of the demons, but we must not regard them as God’s punishment (Jas 1:13).

Punishment will proceed after the Lord returns. God has given us the truth because He wanted our spirit to have eternal life by obeying the truth. Likewise, God has treated man and the Devil differently. The Devil was not given a chance to be forgiven and will ultimately receive eternal punishment in Hell, however man has been given the love of forgiveness. Man must choose to either obey God’s word with a living spirit, or remain dead in spirit and follow the Devil and go with him to Hell.

Some people imagine the prosperity of their business or work when they hear, “You have received God’s love.” Indeed such things are possible through the warmth of love. However the fundamental meaning of receiving God’ love is to receive God’s forgiveness. Man was doomed to perish with the Devil who is unable to return to Heaven, but man has received forgiveness by the love of God, through the God’s Only Begotten (John 3:16).

God did not give the Devil a chance to be forgiven but has granted us forgiveness. Isaiah 1:18 says, “’Come now, and let us reason together,’ says the Lord, ‘Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red like crimson, they shall be as wool.’”. If we have received God’s grace, it means we have been forgiven; to have received God’s love also means to have received forgiveness. Despite their many weaknesses, Christians are those who have been forgiven by God.

To angels, God is a judge. However, to Christians, He is the Father. What is the father like? The heart of a father is to forgive his children without measure. A father tries to teach his children about his own experiences so that they would not undergo trial and error. Still, he would forgive their mistakes without measure. In this world, people are subject to criticism and punishment for their wrongdoings but God the Father forgives us without end. God the Father knows all too well that we will have to perish with the Devil if we do not receive forgiveness.

The Law of the Holy Spirit, Rather Than Our Conscience or the Law

Even if the world does not condemn, every person is condemned by his own conscience. Yet what is more fearful is faith-conscience. There is not a single person who would not be condemned as they read the Old Testament. That is because there is no forgiveness in the Law, which is the central point of the Old Testament. Yet the Pharisees deemed themselves as righteous before the Law. In reinforcing the Law, Jesus said that anyone who hates his brother is committing murder, having lustful thoughts is adultery, and if anyone covets s/he is committing theft. There was no one who could stand before the Law of Jesus without being condemned. He said, “till heaven and earth pass away, one jot or one tittle will by no means pass from the law till all is fulfilled” (Matt 5:18) and “For I say to you, that unless your righteousness exceeds the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, you will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven” (Matt 5:20).

Despite believing in Jesus, unless people know the truth, they cannot have freedom and instead may come under a greater fear than when they had lived by their conscience. Jesus said, “And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free” (John 8:32). God had said to Cain, “sin lies at the door. And its desire is for you, but you should rule over it” (Gen 4:7). However, Cain did not have the power to master over sin. The Law is able to condemn man but it cannot give man the power to rule over sin. It is only the Law of the Holy Spirit, which can give the power to rule over sin.

Many Christians put great weight on the Law and fear it. Yet, while the sin of breaking the Law may be forgiven, the sin of disobeying the Holy Spirit cannot be forgiven in this age and in the age to come (Matt 12:31-32). What is more fearsome than the Law is the Law of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit leads our spirit to God. However, people do not fear the Holy Spirit while they do fear the Law. When things are not going well, they become oppressed under the Law or their conscience and believe that everything is the result of their sin; they do not follow the Law of the Holy Spirit. Likewise, anyone that does not acknowledge the Holy Spirit cannot be led by the Holy Spirit, even if s/he goes to church.

Christians Have Received Forgiveness

The love of God we have received is forgiveness. God has sent Jesus Christ to carry our iniquities and die on the cross in order to forgive us. He said to us, ‘drink my blood and be forgiven!’ and plunged His body into the curse. The Holy Spirit seals those who have been forgiven by His merits so that they would not be lost. 2 Corinthians 1:22 says, “who also has sealed us and given us the Spirit in our hearts as a guarantee.”

Christian faith is not about self-cultivation or practicing asceticism. Because of the flesh, we could not but live an unclean life in the world, having a nature that is contrary to God’s will. However, we have now come to the church and received forgiveness. We were able to receive forgiveness in the church because the church is Jesus’ body. If anybody wishes to come before Jesus and receive His love and grace, s/he must come into the church.

Some people say, “I went to church but nothing turned out for the better.” They would say that if they had expected their business to grow as a result of going to church. But the flesh will die, regardless of how much money a person has. The problem is that, without receiving forgiveness, a person’s spirit will be judged afterward (Heb 9:27). The spirit of a man, who has not been forgiven will go to Hell that is prepared for the Devil and suffer forever together with the Devil (Matt 25:41).

Anyone who desires to believe in Jesus must have the confession, “I am a sinner.” This means to acknowledge how s/he needs to be forgiven and prostrate before the name Jesus. Philippians 2:10 says, “that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth.” The name Jesus has the meaning, ‘He will save His people from their sins’ (Matt 1:21). Therefore, to kneel down before the name Jesus means that the person acknowledges that s/he needs to be forgiven by the One who saves sinners.

God seals those who confess they have received forgiveness through the sacrifice of Jesus Christ. And He gives the Holy Spirit to those who acknowledge that they have been sealed. Although the Holy Spirit is invisible, the people who have received the Holy Spirit are able to testify that the He is within them. It is the power of the person who has received the Holy Spirit that causes the demon inside another person’s body to tremble and then finally leave. We must show that we have received forgiveness by driving out demons, laying our hands on the sick and healing them, preaching the word and so on, thus radiating the perfume of Christ.

The Devil tries incessantly to subdue us by using the Law and our conscience as a snare. However, those that have already come into Christ are no longer sinners but have received forgiveness and thus call God as their Father. The purpose of us going to church is not in trying to stop committing sins such as having lustful thoughts, coveting or hating another person. These are not real sins, but ignoring God is. God has bestowed love on man, yet if people disregard that love saying, “Has God ever given me money? Forgiveness? I don’t care if I don’t get that. I don’t need forgiveness”, that is the sin which cannot escape Hell.

We do not know when we will leave this earth suddenly. Our spirits must receive God’s forgiven before that time. Unbelievers have not entered through the door of forgiveness that God has already opened for them. The fact that they are not coming into the church means that they are outside of Christ. They have not received forgiveness. Compared to the population of mankind, the number of those who have been forgiven is so limited. During the time of Noah, barely eight people were saved from the Flood (1 Pet. 3:20). In the same way, God has bestowed grace to the world through Jesus Christ; however, only few are receiving forgiveness.

Show Evidence of Being Forgiven

Among those that go to church, there are some people who are not able to testify of being forgiven. They do not emanate the fragrance of Christ. If anyone has surely been forgiven, s/he should be able to forgive others. Peter asked Jesus, ‘Lord, how often shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? Up to seven times?’ Jesus answered, ‘I do not say to you, up to seven times, but up to seventy times seven!’ The Lord said to forgive without measure (Matt 18:21-22).

We need to testify that we have been forgiven. Jesus said, “If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained” (John 20:23). Also James 5:16 says, “Confess your trespasses to one another, and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much.” If we meet a sick person, we need to help them confess their sins and receive forgiveness. There is power in the prayer of those who have been forgiven. An absence of power indicates a lack of faith in being forgiven. Those who do not confess that they are forgiven do not have power. This is because they have not been sealed by the Holy Spirit, meaning they have never received the Holy Spirit.

I Corinthians 12:7 says, “But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to each one for the profit of all.” The Lord wants us to preach as well as pray for the sick. Just as He said that if we forgive anyone their sins they would be forgiven, when we try to heal the sick, they will be healed. Indeed the outcome depends on whether or not the sick person has truly repented, but whatever the outcome, we need to lay our hands on them, pray for them and curse the demon. If the sick person has not repented, the demon will not come out, and even if it does leave, it will return. Still we need to take on the work of helping others receive forgiveness, as the Lord has said.

We must receive forgiveness, not only seven times but even seventy thousand times seven thousand. Though other people may know about our flaws and say, “s/he is a hypocrite,” the fact that we have received God’s forgiveness should not be shaken. The important matter is how God acknowledges us, not what other people accept. We should not even trust what our own conscience tells us. If we trust our own conscience, we would become despondent and eventually go to Hell. We are the ones who believe in the name of the Lord. The name Jesus means He will save His people from their sins. As those who believe in that name, we have been forgiven.

If we have surely been forgiven, we ought to forgive others. We must radiate the fragrance as those who have received forgiveness. If we cannot forgive others, it shows that we have not been forgiven. A minister should not be unforgiving of a church member and say, “don’t come to church anymore!” He should not refuse to visit their homes or look after them just because he is not pleased with them. We have to forgive others, even just for the sake of us to be forgiven. When all the people who were seeking to kill the woman caught in the act of adultery had gone away, Jesus asked, ‘where are those accusers of yours? Has no one condemned you?’ Then He said, ‘Neither do I condemn you; go and sin no more’ (John 8:10-11).

Forgiveness is the power of Christians. The reason families are in conflict is because there is no forgiveness. I went to a photography studio and there were a number of uncollected photographs. They belonged to couples that split up on their honeymoon. It was because they could not forgive each other’s past. They probably spilt out their secrets trusting that the other person would forgive them, but the person who was listening did not have the power to forgive.

Let Us Forgive Others

A certain person does not forgive her husband and speak ill of him even in front of her children. When her child does something wrong, she says, “are you trying to be like your father?” She puts on a smile in front of others, but turn the cold shoulder to her husband. Another person does not forgive his wife. If she happens to break a plate, he scolds her with disdain. These things lead to conflicts and even break families apart. The reason parents throw their children out of home, or children leave home is because they could not forgive one another.

Some people fall into temptation while leading their church life because they do not forgive. If anyone has resolved to attend church, there must be something that they are seeking to receive from God. But why do they start looking at other people and be affected by them? Why do they look on the pastor and fall into temptation, look on the elder and fall into temptation, or look on the deacon and fall into temptation? That is because people do not forgive. People fall into temptation and bring their spirit to ruin, and yet even so they refuse to forgive. The only one to be destroyed by doing so is ultimately their own spirit.

Why do we take the Lord’s Supper every Lord’s Day? Are we not remembering the Lord who never questioned about our sins and instead carried them and sacrificed Himself? Are we not commemorating the fact that we have been forgiven because of such sacrificing of the Lord? What would happen if a partaker of the Lord’s Supper does not forgive others?

Jesus taught His disciples to pray, “And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors” (Matt 6:12). He also told them about a servant who was unsympathetic to his debtor when he himself had his large debt cancelled, and said, “So My heavenly Father also will do to you if each of you, from his heart, does not forgive his brother his trespasses” (Matt 18:35). One knows very well whether s/he has received forgiveness or not. If anyone has an unforgiving heart towards another, it is evidence that s/he has not received forgiveness. When Jesus said to His disciples, “If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them” (John 20:23), He was speaking of what would happen when the Holy Spirit comes.

We must forgive. We need to radiate the fragrance of a spiritual Christian. God has loved us and sacrificed His Son so that we would not perish and that anyone who comes to Him would be forgiven. Therefore, we must forgive the church. The church is led by the Holy Spirit as the body of Christ. We must forgive the minister. We should not deny the blood of Jesus, the name of Jesus and God’s love by refusing to forgive the person whom God has forgiven.

We cannot become like the Devil, being envious when another member has received forgiveness. Some people ask, “Pastor, can someone receive the Holy Spirit when he hasn’t repented? That person sinned a great deal before he believed in Jesus. He probably hasn’t repented of all of them but how can he say he has received the Holy Spirit?” However, if anyone comes before Jesus and professes that he has been forgiven, God will seal him and send the Holy Spirit as a guarantee.

The Lord sternly said that anyone who does not forgive others would neither be forgiven. We do not know when we will leave this world. When our spirit departs this world, there should not be anyone whom we dislike and have not forgiven. As the people set free from the Law, we ought to emanate the fragrance of Christ and forgive others, and receive eternal freedom.

Semuon’s Letter

Until the Holy Spirit inspired my heart, I only relied on my own will, wisdom, honest heart, and faithfulness with all of my strength.

However, from the moment the Holy Spirit held me and commanded me, I realized what type of a person I should be before the Holy Spirit. So I have been only running on that path throughout my life.

Honestly, I did not own anything; I was unemployed, incapable of doing anything. I was a pitiful person who did not even have hope to live. Yet, I started to rely on the Holy Spirit the moment He began to work in me. I also recognized what I needed to do to become a person of the Holy Spirit.

First, I realized that I needed to be humble endlessly before the Holy Spirit. Even if I have received the Holy Spirit, I realized that I could not do anything if I was arrogant before Him. Thus, I used to mumble to myself many times throughout each day, “Oh my soul, be humble before the Holy Spirit.” This was how I should live, a life powerfully led by the Holy Spirit. Instead of pretending to be humble, I also learned from the Bible about the principle of truly humbling myself in order to live. The greatest of my spirit is arrogance. Pride is sin that causes the Holy Spirit to relinquish.

I am just a flesh, a worm, and a man full of desires like a beast. I am full of evil that can never be changed. However, if my spirit even chases after the desires of the flesh, then I would definitely fall into despair. Even if I became a disciple of the Law and become like a Pharisee, what would happen if I blaspheme against the Holy Spirit? Thus, I have lived half a century, trying hard to have my spirit become a disciple of the Holy Spirit and a servant.

Whatever the Holy Spirit commands me to do that I must do in order for my spirit to live. I was a child of hell before, but now I have become a servant of the Holy Spirit. Hence, let’s be humble before the Holy Spirit! I try not to forget even for a moment that humbling before the Holy Spirit is the way for my spirit to live.

Our Lord Jesus was truly humble before the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit did not gently lead Jesus to the wilderness. The Bible says that the Holy Spirit ‘drove’ Jesus into the wilderness. The Holy Spirit must drive my spirit to a place that He desires me to be. I have to obey and humbly submit even in difficult situations. The Holy Spirit does not govern my body. My heart will rule over my flesh. The Holy Spirit does not interfere with works of my flesh in this world, but only govern my spirit. Hence, my flesh and spirit are working separately.

My flesh cannot inherit the Kingdom of God. Even though my flesh may have righteousness, it cannot receive the Kingdom of God. Therefore, only my spirit will follow the truth and obey. My flesh is like the clothes for my spirit; therefore, I desire my flesh to follow what my spirit wishes. A religious person cultivates his body whereas a man of truth is humble in his spirit. “Oh my soul, be humble!”

Pastor Ki-Dong Kim
Lord’s Day Worship Column

2014 Audio

2014 Video

Credits