“Now that I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also should wash one another’s feet. I have set you an example that you should do as I have done for you.”

John’s Gospel chapters 1 through 12 chronicle Jesus’ three-year public ministry. But chapters 13 through 20 describe only three days of Jesus’ private ministry. The Last Supper took place on Thursday night and its theme was love. Jesus demonstrates this love by personally washing his disciples’ feet. The act is symbolic of spiritual cleansing as well as a model of the attitude believers are to have toward one another. I pray that God may bless us so that we may have the humble attitude of washing one another’s feet.

It was just before the Passover Feast, the day before crucifixion. Jesus knew that the time had come for him to leave this world and go to the Father. Jesus knew that he would die the next day. Jesus also knew that one of his disciples would betray and sell him to the religious leaders. He was also aware that his top disciple, Peter, would deny and disown him, and that all his disciples would run away from him. The time was dark, gloomy and painful. Humanly speaking, it must have been an unbearable situation.

In that painful situation, what did Jesus do? Verse 1b says, “Having loved his own who were in the world, he now showed them the full extent of his love.” Instead of hiding himself in a closet, Jesus loved his own disciples. When a person faces a painful situation, his natural reaction is to complain or become angry. But Jesus was different. Instead of becoming angry at his disciples or complaining to God the Father, Jesus loved his disciples to the full extent.

How could Jesus love them, showing the full extent of his love, in the midst of betrayal, denial and impending death? Someone said, “Knowledge brings about troubles, but ignorance is virtue.” In some sense it is true. If Jesus hadn’t known about Judas’ betrayal, Peter’s denial, and his disciples’ abandonment, he would have been in less pain. But I would say, “Real knowledge brings about peace and love.” Here, real knowledge is the knowledge of one’s destiny. John, the author wrote twice about Jesus’ knowledge of his own destiny in verses 1 and 3, which say, “Jesus knew that the time had come for him to leave this world and go to the Father. Jesus knew that the Father had put all things under his power, and that he had come from God and was returning to God.” Jesus knew that his destiny was to go to the Father in heaven, the better place. John wrote “Father,” instead of God. Jesus knew that going to the Father was such a delightful experience, because he had possessed an intimate knowledge of his Father. Jesus knew that the place he would go would be glorious and fantastic, because the Father was there. Because of his knowledge of his destiny, he was secure in the midst of pains, troubles and even death.

Let me ask you a question. What is your destiny? Do you know your own destiny? Many Christians believe in their own destiny, saying, “Yah, I will be with God in heaven.” But the question is not do you believe but do you know your own destiny? Believing in one’s own destiny without knowledge is premature and vague. But knowing one’s own destiny with faith is clear and concrete, because knowledge gives concrete information. Jesus knew how good and how glorious it was to be with God the Father in heaven, because He had an intimate knowledge of the Father in heaven. Do you have an “intimate,” not general, knowledge of the Father in heaven? Many Christians have a general, not an intimate, knowledge of the Father, even though they are sons and daughters of God in heaven. A general knowledge of the Father comes from Bible study, but the intimate knowledge of the Father comes from intimacy with the Father in prayer. If we have the intimate knowledge of the Father through prayer, we will concretely know our destiny. If we have concrete knowledge of our destiny, our attitude toward life on earth will be different. We will have genuine love toward people; we will live in peace without anxiety and fear; we will live in joy. Because Jesus had a concrete knowledge of his destiny, he could love his disciples with the full extent of his love.

Being assured of his own destiny, Jesus loved his own who were in the world, showing them the full extent of his love. Jesus knew that he would go to a better place, heaven, but his disciples would stay in the worst place, the world where the Devil rules with sin, sickness, pain and death. Realizing that his disciples would remain in the dark and sin-sick world, Jesus had compassion on his disciples; so he showed them the full extent of his love. What does it mean “the full extent of his love”? It means that Jesus showed them the full size and scale of his love. Just several days before, Mary showed the full extent of her love for her Master. Intuitively realizing that her Master Jesus would die soon, Mary poured out the full extent of her love on Jesus by pouring out her expensive pure nard perfume on Jesus’ feet. She poured out 100% of all her love. Similarly, Jesus poured out 100% of all his love on his disciples, not leaving even one ounce of love in her heart
How did Jesus show the full extent of his love? Verse 2-5 says, “The evening meal was being served, and the devil had already prompted Judas Iscariot, son of Simon, to betray Jesus. Jesus knew that the Father had put all things under his power, and that he had come from God and was returning to God; so he got up from the meal, took off his outer clothing, and wrapped a towel around his waist. After that, he poured water into a basin and began to wash his disciples’ feet, drying them with the towel that was wrapped around him.” Jesus showed them the full extent of his love by washing their feet with his hands. Washing feet is a servant’s job. Since the meeting was intended to be secret, no servants were present. None of the disciples was ready to volunteer for such a task, for each disciple considered himself greater than others. Jesus knew that there was a competitive spirit in the hearts of his disciples. So sometime during the meal Jesus rose, removed his outer cloak, tied a towel around his waist, and began to perform the work of the servant who was not present.
Verse 3 says that the Father had put all things under Jesus power; literally in his hands. Jesus knew that all power was put in his hands. Usually when power is given to a person, the person tends to become authoritative, abusing his authority and squeezing his opponent’s neck with his hands. Jesus knew that all power was put in his hands. Jesus got power in his hands. So he could squeeze Judas’ neck with his mighty hand. But he didn’t. Rather, Jesus, the Holy Son of God, washed his disciples’ dirty feet with his holy hands. His disciples should have washed their Master’s feet. But Jesus, the Son of God, picked up a towel with his hands and washed their feet, becoming their servant. Jesus’ acts reminds us of Phil 2:5-7, “Christ Jesus who, being, in very nature, God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness.”

Why did Jesus wash their dirty feet? What is the meaning of washing their feet? It is Jesus’ act of love for his disciples, saying that I still love you and I forgive you. Jesus knew that his beloved disciple Judas would betray him, lifting up his heel against him (Jn 13:18). But Jesus still forgave him by washing his betraying heel, saying “Judas, I know you will betray me; but I still love you and forgive you. That is why I am washing your feet.” Jesus knew that his beloved disciples would all abandon him. But Jesus still forgave them by washing their dirty feet one by one, saying, “Matthew, I know you will abandon me; but I still love you and forgive you. Thomas, I know you will abandon me; but I still love you and forgive you. That is why I am washing your feet.” Jesus demonstrated for them the full extent of his love, showing full attention to each person one by one. Judas didn’t deserve forgiveness. His disciples didn’t deserve forgiveness. But Jesus forgave them. Here we learn one truth that forgiveness is the best expression of love, because forgiveness is the most difficult thing to do to the most unlovable person. When someone after getting all our love and benefits betray us, hatred arises from our heart. It was right for Jesus to take revenge, not to forgive, Judas. It was right for Jesus to rebuke, not to forgive his disciples. But Jesus didn’t take revenge nor rebuke them. Rather he forgave them. How could Jesus forgive them? Jesus could forgive them because Jesus had the full extent of his love. The full extent of love drives out hatred, just as the perfect love drives out fear.

Then, how can we have the full extent of love? We can have the full extent of love in our heart, first when we admit that we don’t have love at all in our heart. When we admit this fact, then second, we don’t look into our heart but look out for help from God and ask God to give us love. God is Love. Love is God’s nature, God’s character and God’s heart. Love is God’s language, God’s voice and God’s Word. Love comes from God. There is no one but God who can give us love. 1Jn 4:16b says, “God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in him. In this way, love is made complete among us.” 2Tim 1:7 says, “For God did not give us a spirit of timidity, but a spirit of power, of love and of self-disciples.” Rom 5:5b also says, “God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given us.” Gal 5:22 says, “The fruit of the Spirit is love.” We fail to have love because we try to get love from men. Love comes only from God. We cannot obtain love without knowing God through Bible study. We cannot obtain the full extent of love without intimately knowing God in prayer. When we become close to God, we intimately know God. When we intimately know God, we love God more. When we love God more, God pours out His love into our heart. The amount of love we receive totally depends on how close we are with God. When we receive His love without limit through an intimacy with Him, we will have the full extent of love that drives out hatred. Then we can truly love people. We can truly love our spouse, our children, coworkers, and even the most unlovable person. I pray that God may help us to have an intimacy with Him so that we may be filled with love without limit that drives out hatred.
Jesus came to Simon Peter to wash his feet. But Peter said, “Lord, are you going to wash my feet?” Jesus replied, “You do not realize now what I am doing, but later you will understand.” “No, you shall never wash my feet.” Never! Peter said. Jesus said, “Unless I wash you, you have no part with me.” “Then, Lord,” Peter replied, “not just my feet but my hands and my head as well.” Jesus answered, “A person who has had a bath needs only to wash his feet; his whole body is clean. And you are clean, though not every one of you.” For he knew who was going to betray him, and that was why he said not everyone was clean.

Feet are the lowest part of the body. Due to their position people ignore feet. Feet are also very stinky and dirty due to sweat, dirt and germs in between toes. So feet are considered an unpleasant or inglorious part of the body (except for soccer players’ feet). Feet are also the only part of the body that contacts the dust of the ground and constantly becomes dirty. In those days people visited public baths to bathe. Then a man would put on his sandals to come home. In his home was a basin of water for him to wash his feet because they had gotten dirty walking through the streets of the city. So even though he had just come from a bath, he had to wash his feet when he entered the house.

Jesus said that a person who has had a bath needs only to wash his feet; his whole body is clean. Because of the sacrifice that Jesus made on the cross our whole body is entirely bathed by the blood of Jesus once for all. By the Blood of Jesus we are clean. We don’t need to take a bath anymore. It is a settled matter that no one can change. But we need to wash our feet every single day because our feet constantly become dirty, as we walk on the ground. It means we need to come to Jesus, confessing our sins in repentance so that Christ may wash our dirty feet. If we don’t allow Christ to wash our feet but hide it, we will be stinky and dirty Christians. If we hide our dirty feet, the dirt piles up; sweat spread out; and germs grow up in between toes so that feet become cracked and infected with fungus. This is exactly what happened to my feet. When I was in high school, I borrowed my friend’s shoes for my gym class. I put his shoes on my feet, not knowing that my friend had fungus. Several days after gym class my feet began to itch. I got fungus in my feet. But the problem was that I didn’t take care of it well. I just ignored it over time, thinking that it was not a major problem. But the real problem occurred after 5 years. The fungus penetrated into my toe nails so that my toe nails became really gross, thick and twisted with a dark yellow color. If I don’t cut my toe nails on time, they become like monster nails. My children run away as soon as they see them. Not only that, my feet had a lot of cracks, peeling of skin, and rashes. It was all because I hid my feet. Imagine how gross our spiritual feet would be if we didn’t allow Christ to wash our feet. Therefore, daily confession of our sin to God is a very crucial thing to do. If we ignore it, we will be in big trouble. But if we confess our sin every day, Christ will wash our dirty feet as 1Jn 1:9 says, “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.” And we will have a holy walk, walking in the light. 1Jn 1:7 says, “But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin.” I pray that each of us may confess our sins daily so that we may walk in the light.

When he had finished washing their feet, he put on his clothes and returned to his place. “Do you understand what I have done for you?” he asked them. “You call me ‘Teacher and Lord,’ and rightly so, for that is what I am. Now that I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also should wash one another’s feet. I have set you an example that you should do as I have done for you. I tell you the truth, no servant is greater than his master, nor is a messenger greater than the one who sent him. Now that you know these things, you will be blessed if you do them.”

Jesus commanded us to wash one another’s feet as he has done for us. Why do we have to wash one another’s feet? Isn’t it enough for Jesus alone to wash our feet? We don’t want to show our dirty feet to others. But Jesus said, “You also should wash one another’s feet.” What does it mean to wash one another’s feet? It means to forgive one another. We are a community, the body of Christ where forgiven sinners get together by grace. Since we are forgiven sinners, we cannot avoid sinning against others as long as we live in community, because by its nature sin is relational. Sin is unavoidable. Therefore, forgiveness is an indispensable element for the community. Without it the community cannot stand on its own. If we don’t wash others’ feet by forgiving them, there will be hurt, bitterness, hatred, indifference and finally division in community. Let’s say that someone speaks badly about me to others. His dirty feet are his evil tongue. If I don’t wash his feet by forgiving his evil tongue, but rather hold a grudge against him, I already build a barrier against him. Then, there is no flow of love energy between him and me. If another person holds a grudge against another, then, there is also another barrier in between them. In this case, the community is sick with sin and cannot grow in love, because there is a blockage of the love flow. When blood circulation stops flowing into leg, the leg begins to rot, and eventually the leg has to be amputated. Then the person has a deformed body. Likewise if we don’t wash one another’s feet, we will have a deformed body of Christ. Washing one another’s feet means forgiving one another so that the love energy may flow into each relationship and spread into the entire body of Christ. Forgiveness breaks the barriers between people. Forgiveness breaks the wall of hostility. Forgiveness opens the channel of love into each person. Forgiveness allows the love energy to flow into the whole body of Christ.

But someone may say,” I cannot forgive that person. He doesn’t deserve my forgiveness, because he really hurt me.” Yes, washing his dirty feet by forgiving him is very hard. It is like changing a baby’s diaper. It smells really bad and it is very painful. But we should remember that our feet also smell really bad; it is really offensive, yet our Lord, Jesus washed our dirty and smelly feet. Without his forgiveness we cannot be where we are now. Jesus also commanded, “You should wash one another’s feet as I have done for you.” Judas didn’t deserve forgiveness, yet my Lord Jesus still forgave him. Not only Judas but we also don’t deserve forgiveness, yet our Lord still forgave us. So we have to wash that person’s feet by forgiving him. Col 3:12-14 says, “Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. Bear with one another and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity.” James 5:16 also says, “Therefore, confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed.” If sin is not confessed or forgiven, but hidden in the community, sin gains its own power, growing, spreading like cancer into community and destroying community. But when the sin is confessed and forgiven, sin loses its own power and dies down. And we build a beautiful community of Christ. We need to be humble and mature enough to confess our sins in public as well as in private and to be forgiven. We need to wash others’ feet and be washed by others. It requires humility and maturity. I pray that we may build such a beautiful community in our church through humility and maturity. I pray that Friday meeting may be the meeting where we can freely and humbly confess our sins and be forgiven. May God help us to confess our sins during the Friday meeting. May God help us to wash one another’s feet by forgiving each other this fall semester. In this way, we may build a beautiful community in our church where love energy flows into each relationship and flow into the whole community.

John 12:1-36
Key verse: 12:24

“I tell you the truth, unless a kernel of wheat falls to the ground and dies it remains only a single seed. But if it dies, it produces many seeds.”

We are picking up chapter 12. Verse 1 says that this story happened 6 days before the Passover. There are 21 chapters in John’s gospel. So, about Half of John’s gospel describes the last six days of Jesus’ life on this world. How can I summarize chapter 1-11? I find out that in almost every chapter Jesus teaches about life.

• 1:4 In him was life, and that life was the light of men.
• 3:16 says For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.”
• 4:13 Whoever drinks the water I give him will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life.”
• 5:21 “For just as the Father raises the dead and gives them the life, even so the Son gives life to whom he is pleased to give it.”
• 5:24 “I tell you the truth, whoever hears my world and believes him who sent me has eternal life and will not be condemned; he has crossed over from death to life.”
• 5:39-40 “You diligently study the Scriptures because you think that by them you possess eternal life. These are the Scriptures that testify about me, yet you refuse to come to me to have life.”
• 6:40 My Father’s will is that everyone who looks to the Son and believes in him shall have eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day.”
• 6:47-48 “I tell you the truth, he who believes has everlasting life. I am the bread of life.
• 6:53-54 “I tell you the truth, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you have no life in you. Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day.”
• 6:63 “The Spirit gives life; the flesh counts for nothing. The words I have spoken to you are spirit and they are life.”
• 8:12 “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.”
• 8:51. “I tell you the truth, if anyone keeps my word, he will never see death.”
• 10:10 “I have come that they have may have life, and have it to the full.”
• 11:25 “I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will live, even though he dies; and however live and believes in me will never die. Do you believe this?”

Don’t you want to have a life that is full of life? I do. Jesus is almost begging to people. “Please believe me. I can, and I will give you life only if you believe in me. If you don’t believe you will die in your sins.” But many people rejected him and were even determined to kill him. (chapter 5) Despite of the numerous miracles that showed who Jesus was, they didn’t want to accept him as their promised messiah. Many disciples left Him after Jesus fed the five thousands people with ‘five small barley loaves and two small fish’ because He refused to give them any more bread. (chapter 6) The conflict between the Jews and Jesus reached its apex when Jesus raised Lazarus from the dead. They were waiting for Jesus to come to the Passover feast to arrest him and to kill him. It is in this circumstance that the story began.

Jesus knew perfectly well that he would be arrested and killed when He came to this Passover Feast. But he didn’t avoid this “would-be” the final trip. His love compelled Him to do so. The only way for Him to give life to people is to give His own life. That is why “this chapter is a love story. It is the story of love and sacrifice. It begins with the love and sacrifice of one woman who poured out her treasure for Jesus. It is the story of love that triumphs over sin and Satan. But the real love story is the story of Jesus’ love and sacrifice for the sins of the world. It is the story of love that falls to the ground and dies and produces many seeds.”1

Look at verse 20. Just at this time, the world came to him (as the Pharisees said in verse 19). It came in the person of some Greeks who had come to Jerusalem to worship.1 They spoke to Philip, “Sir, we would like to see Jesus.” Philip, not sure what to do, told Andrew. In turn, Philip and Andrew told Jesus. Jesus replied, “The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified.” Very soon, he would be glorified on the cross, for his love would be poured out on the ground there. His obedience to death glorified God. His resurrection would glorify God. And God would glorify him through raise him from the dead. He would be glorified as he ascended to the take his place on the throne at the right hand of the Majesty on high.

Jesus gave his disciples and the Greeks and all of us the principle of the life. Let’s read verse 24 together. “I tell you the truth, unless a kernel of wheat falls to the ground and dies it remains only a single seed. But if it dies, it produces many seeds.” The kernel of wheat is a seed. It has life in it. When it is planted, it dies as a seed and sprouts up to new life and produces many seeds or fruits. If it is not planted, it remains as a single seed. If it does not loose his ID as a seed, it can not produce many fruits. It’s a simple truth of nature.

What are the spiritual implications of this truth? I think of the implications in three ways.
(1) The response of Jesus is first applied directly to Himself. It was His time to be glorified to die on the cross of Calvary. Look at verse 32. “I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all men to myself.” He said this to show the kind of death he was going to die. This is not first time that he mentioned the way of his death. In John 4:14-15, He says, “Just as Moses lifted up the snake in the desert, so the Son of man must be lifted up that everyone who believes in him may have eternal life.” Again in 8:28, “When you have lifted up the Son of Man, then you will know that I am the one I claim to be and I do nothing on my own but speak just what the Father has taught me.” “Lifted up” means His death on the cross. And it is the ultimate sign that He is the promised Messiah who will drive out the prince of this world (which is the devil himself) and give us the true life. Having said that, Jesus is telling us that He will produce much life by means of His death. He cannot be the Savior of the world without first dying. He cannot give the eternal life to men without first dying. At the “triumphal entry,” those who heralded Jesus as the “King of Israel” expected Him to “save now” (this is what “Hosanna” means). What the people failed to understand was that He could only save men by giving up His life, by experiencing the death penalty for sin in the sinner’s place. It was not His immediate inauguration as the King that would save many, but His death. It was not His acceptance by Israel, but His rejection, that would produce “much fruit.” Our God cannot let us go without punishment for our sins because of His righteousness. Only punishment would be the death of our soul and spirit. The Satan claims our death. Here, God gave His own life through His One and Only Son, Jesus.

It is the message of the cross. “The cross of Jesus is a principle of love and sacrifice. Selfishness is excluded.”1 Did he like to follow His own principle? Apparently not! He said, “My heart is troubled, what shall I say, “Father, save me from this hour? No, it was for this very reason I came to this hour. Father, glorify your name.” He wanted to avoid the cross if possible – like many of us. But he wanted to obey the will of Father because He loves His Father so much. “My food is to do the will of him who sent me and to finish his work.” (4:34) “My Father is always at his work to this very day, and I, too am working. ….. the Son can do nothing by himself; he can do only what he sees his Father doing, because what ever the Father does the Son also does. For the Father loves the Son and shows him all he does.” (5:17, 19-20) He freely gave his life because he knew that his Father God loved him. He could surrender to God’s will because he loved God. The Gospel story is indeed a love story. Sacrifice is love. Love is sacrifice. Because of His obedience, the door of salvation has opened to all mankind – both to the Jews and the Gentiles. So, he did answer to the questions that the Greek might want to ask Him.

(2) The second implication of the principle is to the sinners. Until the sinner dies to his own work and to his own efforts, merit, and righteousness, he cannot know life and be saved. This is what we have learned from Galatians. “May I never boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, through which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world. Neither circumcision nor uncircumcision means anything; what counts is a new creation.” (Gal 6:14-15)

(3) The seed must first die before it can produce new life, before it can produce much fruit. The third implication of this principle is to Christians. Now, Jesus extended the principle to the followers of Him in verses 25 and 26. Let us read verses 25 and 26. “The man who loves his life will lose it, while the man who hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life. Whoever serves me must follow me; and where I am, my servant also will be. My Father will honor the one who serves me.” What does he mean by “love his life” and “hate his life”? Let’s look at St. Paul’s understanding of this teaching. St. Paul says in Roman 6:4 “We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the father, we too many live a new life.” According to him, we too have been planted in the likeness of Jesus’ death, when we believe in His love on the cross. And as God glorified Jesus we will be also glorified through the resurrection. He continued to explain what it means that we are planted in the likeness of his death in Roman 6:6. It means that our “old” self is crucified with Jesus. To become fruitful, we need to crucify our “old” self so that we can have new life. We must put to death our flesh (our sinful nature). We must die if there is to be the fruitful victory of resurrection.

Those who would follow Jesus must follow the same principle and practice as their Master. If they would serve Him, they must follow Him. To follow Him, they must do as He does. If they do so, they will not only enter into His suffering and death, they will enter into God’s favor, for the Father will honor them as He does His Son. What a wonderful promise we have in Jesus!

This is His last public teaching before his death on the cross. He has said everything that he had to say. He has shown everything that he had to show. He had fulfilled all the things that the Scripture promised. Now, He urged people to make a decision by saying. Look at verse 36. “Put your trust in the light while you have it, so that you may become sons of light.” Even though Jesus had done various miraculous signs to show that He is the way, the truth, and the life; even though He would give everything that He had even His own life, the responses by the people to the love of Jesus were not the same. I noticed four different types of responses in the gospel of John.

(1) The response of Judas Iscariot: Judas was a disciple; he was especially trusted. He was the treasurer of the disciples. But Judas loved money. John tells us that he was a thief. He saw Mary’s act of love as a great waste. “This should have been sold and given to the poor.” His words sound so right and reasonable–like high level altruism.1 Judas didn’t love Jesus. He loved money. He tried to save something for himself. He found bitterness and failure and death.1 We may say “I am not like Judas.” Are you sure? I ask myself. Do I really love Jesus more than anything else in this world – including my wife, my children, my hobby, etc? He served Jesus as long as his ego was satisfied. We all have this ego-centric tendency. Often we are asking, “how far do we have to go?” In our book club, when we discuss the forgiveness, our blood pressure goes up – how can we forgive such a terrible person! When we discuss the Christian marriage, our blood pressure goes up again – how can you ask a wife to love her husband who is physically harassing her repeatedly! (It’s better to divorce than to maintain the marriage!) I don’t know how far we need to go. But I will say we need to remember the love of Jesus. Jesus died on the cross for everyone, even for Judas. When I try to save something for myself in this world, I will meet the limitation. I pray that I may remember how far Jesus went to save me when I meet my limitation. And I pray that I may go one step further through the love of Jesus.

(2) The Response of the Confused Crowd: Look at verse 34. “We have heard from the Law that the Christ will remain forever, so how can you say, ‘The Son of Man must be lifted up’? Who is this Son of Man’?” These were the people who shouted “Hosanna” when Jesus entered Jerusalem (v. 13). We can see their attitude has changed. They didn’t say, “We read the Law that the Christ will remain forever.” Instead, they said, “We have heard that the Christ will remain forever.” Nowadays, we are hearing many different things about Jesus and His gospel that make us confused. I have heard that the Holy Spirit is not with Churches any longer; that the Bible that we are using is not the complete one; that the Bible we are using is different from the original copy (It’s not authentic!). I have also heard that there is no judgment what so ever. So, we are facing two choices; should we believe what Jesus tells us or should we believe what we have heard? Jesus says, “Put your trust in the light”. Accepting the love of Jesus is very personal matter. Each one of us makes careful decision what we ought to believe not what we want to believe.

(3) The response of Greeks: Who were these people? Most likely, they were Greeks who worshiped God in synagogues scattered throughout the Roman Empire. (Acts 15:17; 18:7) They have come to worship in Jerusalem. These Greeks do not merely wish to look at (i.e. “see”) Jesus; they wish to speak with Him. They hear about all that Jesus had been doing in recent days. They probably heard about the healing of the man born blind (chapter 9). They most certainly heard that Jesus had raised Lazarus from the dead. Some may even have seen Lazarus himself. They must have wondered if Jesus was the Messiah they had been seeking. If so, what would be their relationship with Him, since they were Greeks. To obtain the answers to their questions, they would have to arrange to talk privately with Jesus. They came to Philip. Philip and Andrew led them to Jesus. Andrew mentioned in 3 times in John’s gospel. In each time, he brought people to Jesus. Sometimes, we can be confused; we become doubtful; sometime we don’t understand. But we must try to see Jesus. If we don’t know what to do, we need a bible teacher who can lead us to Jesus. But point is we need to see Jesus, nothing else – not the crowd of people.

(4) The response of Mary: Look at v. 3. “Then Mary took about a pint of pure nard, an expensive perfume; she poured it on Jesus’ feet and wiped his feet with her hair. And the house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume.”

She loved Jesus so much. She loved to listen to His teaching. Once, her sister Martha was so mad because she only listened to Jesus, not doing any work. But she didn’t care. She loved him purely. She trusted his love absolutely. But her love was tested. Their – Mary and Martha’s – only brother was very sick. In fact, he was dying. He was their older brother and was like a father to the girls. It was hard to imagine what their house would be without their brother. So they sent word to their best friend: “The one you love is sick.” They trusted him. They believed that he loved them. But he didn’t come. Their brother died. Their friends came; their rich neighbor from Jerusalem came to console them. Others came, but he didn’t come. They were disappointed in Jesus. “Does he really love us?” Then, he came. He had waited so that he could give them something better than a healing miracle. He raised their brother to life and planted in them resurrection faith. Mary was so ashamed for having doubted his love, even for a moment. She was so thankful to him for saving her brother. She was so thankful for the restoration of her faith in Jesus’ love and in his life-giving power. Now, just before Passover time he had come back to Bethany. They had a dinner party in Jesus’ honor. Lazarus was there. Martha served. Mary wanted to express her gratitude to Jesus. She wanted him to know how much she loved him. She took the pint jar of the special perfume that she had saved (probably) for her wedding and poured it out–the whole pint on his feet–not on his head, but on his feet. Then, she loosed her hair, her beautiful long hair, a woman’s crowning glory, and used it like an old rag, to wipe his feet. She loved Jesus. She did not hold back anything. She poured out her precious perfume, her pure, expensive nard, all of it–no reserves. She gave her heart to Jesus; she gave her future to Jesus. People didn’t understand what she was doing. But Jesus understood her heart and accepted her expression of love, for he would also pour out everything, his life blood, in love for her and for all of us.

This story is about Mary’s love and sacrifice. The gospel is about Jesus’ love and sacrifice. He held back nothing. Jesus would soon pour out his precious life blood to deliver the world from slavery to sin and the devil. This was his act of love. It proclaimed his Father God’s love. “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son…,” Jesus said, “Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends.” (Jn 15:12-13) and that is what he did. Mary’s love and sacrifice also produced much fruit. She did a beautiful thing. Wherever the gospel is preached the story of Mary’s love and sacrifice is told.

“God wants us to love him without reservation. If we love ourselves and cling to the material or human things of the world in order to enhance and protect ourselves, we lose the life that is life indeed. If Mary had taken Judas’ advice and saved her perfume, she would never know the real meaning of love and life. She poured out her most precious possession and held back nothing and she found love and eternal life. The secret of love and life is sacrifice and giving.”1

William Borden was the heir of the Borden millionaires. He met Jesus in high school. His family gave him a trip around the world for a graduation present. He felt the pain in Jesus’ heart for the world’s hurting people who were living without Christ, so he made a decision to give his life to Jesus for world mission. He loved Jesus and he wrote in his Bible, “No Reserves.” He would hold back nothing. He went to Yale, studied hard, and challenged fellow students to answer God’s call for world mission. After gradation, he turned down lucrative job offers and set out for China. He wrote in his Bible, “no retreats.” He wanted to preach the gospel to the Muslim people of north China. He stopped in Egypt to study Arabic and while he was there he contracted spinal meningitis and in a month, at the age of 25, he was dead. Was his short life wasted? Not from God’s perspective. Before he died he wrote in his Bible, “No regrets.” He had followed Jesus to become a kernel of wheat which was planted and died to produce many seeds. Many students were moved by his love and sacrifice for Jesus, and a great student missionary movement was born.

I have presented 4 spiritual conditions that I can find in John chapter 12. What is your condition at this moment? How should I know where I am? Think of the following verses. (1) “Look how the whole world has gone after Him.” (v19) Whom are you going after at this moment? (2) “Sir, we would like to see Jesus” (v21). What do you like to see at this moment? (3) “The man who loves his life will lose it”. (v25) Do love or hate your “old” self? (4) “Whoever serves me must follow me”. (v26) Do you serve Jesus or yourself?

Jesus became a kernel of wheat to give us life. He wants us to have true life and live it to the fullest. He wants us to live a fruitful life. Some of us may be like the people who hesitate to put their trust in Jesus – like a seed folding their arms, saying “I am not going to die.” Some of us may still struggle to bear the fruits. Let us ask in prayer: what do I need to lay down at the cross; what do I need to give up; what do I need to crucify? Before that, let us pray that the Spirit of God help us to remember the love of Jesus and to know that we are in the unfailing and unconditional love of Jesus. It is the time for each of us, in one’s own situation, to remember Jesus’ love and sacrifice with thanksgiving. It is time for each of us to put our trust in His love. It is time for each one of to renew our love for Jesus and our commitment to him and to the work he has given us.

[ Download the sermon "Jesus, the Kernel of Wheat" ]

A NEW CREATION

“Neither circumcision nor uncircumcision means anything; what
counts is a new creation.”

Once I met a gentleman at the YMCA in Flushing, who asked me if I was a pastor? I said, “Yes, I am.” “But how did you know?” I thought to myself. He told me that there are so many huge Korean churches in Flushing that seem to be doing good business. He said, “You know that those big churches make a lot of money.” At first, I felt a little offended by his remarks. Yet, I began to realize that there is a lot of confusion among the general public, concerning the role of churches today. Some people actually think that the church is not different from a secular business. It is true that the impression of some churches is not a house of worship but a business center. Although it’s painful to admit it, I must also admit that the success of a church is often measured by the size of the church building and the number of people in the congregation on Sunday. What kind of impression do we give to the world? Of course, we don’t try to impress the world. But can we blame the world for having a crooked view of God’s church? Maybe not!

There is also a great deal of confusion among the general public about what it means to be a “Christian”? What does it mean to be a “Christian”? Does it mean that you go to church on Sunday and the rest of the week, you do whatever you want to do? We call this kind of Christian a “Sunday Christian.” What does it mean to be a “Christian”? Does it mean that you are baptized in the church and attend the church service once in a while, like on Easter or Christmas day? Does it mean that you try to live up to Christian moral standards or to improve your behavior? Does it mean that you practice regular rituals of worship, like communion? Although being a Christian originally meant to belong to Christ by being united with him, crucifying the sinful nature with its passions and desires and being led by the Holy Spirit, many of those who call themselves “Christians” seem to be ignorant of what it really means to be a Christian. In fact, these days when someone says that he or she is a Christian, there is a danger that he or she may be considered narrow-minded, self-righteous and judgmental. Anyway, what does it mean to be a “Christian”? Definitely it does not mean just to become religious, join a church or be baptized and follow the church doctrines. According to Paul’s letter, especially in today’s passage, what really counts is not what we do or don’t do. What really matters is a new creation. Paul said, “Neither circumcision nor uncircumcision means anything; what counts is a new creation. (6:15)

Today’s passage, 6:11-18, is the conclusion of Paul’s letter to the Galatian Christians. Before getting into his final conclusion, let’s review the background of Paul’s letter, and in particular, the reason that Paul decided to write the letter to the Galatian Christians. Paul said in 1:6-7, “I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting the one who called you by the grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel – which is really no gospel at all. Evidently some people are throwing you into confusion and are trying to pervert the gospel of Christ.” As the founder of the church in Galatia, Apostle Paul was deeply concerned about the people’s spiritual well-being. What really perplexed him was not that their membership didn’t increase but that they were deserting the gospel they first received from him. They were turning to a different gospel – which was really no gospel at all.

The fact is that some false teachers, the legalistic Jewish Christian leaders, infiltrated the church and persuaded the members that faith in Christ was not good enough. They told them that they also needed to observe the law of Moses, beginning with circumcision. The naïve Galatian Christians were deceived and began to follow their teachings. When Apostle Paul heard about it, he became alarmed. Paul had been adamant about defending the gospel he preached and even rebuked them severely by saying, “You foolish Galatians! Who has bewitched you?” (3:1) He also warned them seriously about those false teachers again and again, treating those false teachers as God’s enemies (1:8-9, 5:12), saying “If anybody is preaching you a gospel other than what you accepted, let him be eternally condemned!” Yet, Paul was not carried away by his anger. He was very logical and self-contained in defending the gospel. In chapters 1 and 2, Paul defended the authenticity of the gospel he preached. The gospel he preached was not something manmade but was something he received by revelation directly from Jesus Christ. (1:11-12) And the gospel he preached was the same as the gospel of the other apostles, like Apostle Peter, James and John. What is the apostolic gospel which they received? It is the gospel of Jesus who gave his life as a ransom for our sins on the cross and rose from the dead. (1:2; 2:10) Apostle Paul defended the gospel of salvation by faith in Jesus Christ, both biblically and theologically, using the examples in the Old Testament. In chapters 3-4, his main point is that the gospel cannot be mixed with any form of legalism. The last two chapters, chapters 5 and 6, give a practical application of the gospel in our lives. In today’s passage, before closing his letter, Paul concludes that being a Christian does not mean becoming religious but becoming a new creation.

Look at verse 11 “See what large letters I use as I write to you with my own hand!” Apparently, up to this point, a certain man had been dictating Paul’s letters. But Paul decided to write the rest of this letter himself, using big letters. Perhaps, Paul had to use big letters because he couldn’t see small letters due to his eye-problem. But the real reason that he used big letters was to emphasize the point that he wanted them to focus on.

Look at verses 12-13. “Those who want to make a good impression outwardly are trying to compel you to be circumcised. The only reason they do this is to avoid being persecuted for the cross of Christ. Not even those who are circumcised obey the law, yet they want you to be circumcised that they may boast about your flesh.” Here, Apostle Paul exposed the ulterior motives of the false teachers who tried to compel the Galatian Christians to be circumcised. Their motive behind compelling the Galatian Christians to circumcise was to make a good impression on others so that they could boast about their flesh. In fact, the very reason these false teachers emphasized circumcision was to avoid persecution. On the other hand, Apostle Paul was persecuted because he didn’t preach circumcision but crucifixion of Christ. Didn’t Paul also say in 5:11, “Brothers, if I am still preaching circumcision, why am I still being persecuted?” What was Paul’s motive of preaching the gospel of crucifixion? It wasn’t for the sake of impressing others. Paul’s major concern for the Galatian Christians was not that they looked good to others on the outside. He was most concerned about their inward transformation. He was like their spiritual mother who had been in the pains of the child birth until Christ was formed in them. (4:19)

Why does preaching the cross of Jesus invite persecution? It’s because the cross of Jesus is against human nature and is offensive to the world’s values and system. The cross is the symbol of shame, which represents the cruel death of Christ for our sins. When the world looks at the crucified Jesus, it is not drawn to him. The cross makes the people of the world very uncomfortable because it tells us that we are sinners. So the cross of Jesus doesn’t get positive responses from the world. When the message of the cross was preached in the first century, the majority of Greeks, who considered themselves wise and civilized, considered it foolish. It was also a stumbling block to the self-righteous Jews. (1 Corinthians 1:20) So both the Jews and the Gentiles rejected Jesus, making Jesus like a rejected stone. But God made this rejected stone the capstone of his kingdom. (Acts 4:11) In fact, the cross of Jesus is the power and wisdom of God that can set man free from the bondage of the law, sin and death and give the grace of forgiveness of sins, freedom, peace, joy and most importantly, the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. This is an amazing mystery of God’s salvation in our Lord Jesus Christ. But the cross of Jesus does not impress those with a worldly mindset. We don’t want to be told over and over again that we are sinners. But that’s what the cross of Jesus does. The cross of Jesus makes us uncomfortable. Yet, the cross of Jesus is the only way to salvation for sinners. If we could have been forgiven by our own good works, by being circumcised and keeping the law, there would have been no cross. (Gal 2:21). But every time we look at the cross, Christ seems to tell us, “I am here because of you. It is your sin I am bearing, your curse I am suffering, your debt I am paying, your death I am dying.” Wow, it’s wonderful. But still it makes us feel uncomfortable. Because of our fallen human nature, we like to impress others and boast about our flesh. Even we, as Christians, are not free from the temptation to boast and impress others. Oftentimes, our boasting is more subtle than obvious. Yet, it’s still boasting. When we like to boast and impress others, we are easily tempted. As a result, we are easily provoked and become envious of others. We want to hold on to our inflated views of ourselves, especially our self-righteousness, until we look at Jesus on the cross. Jesus on the cross takes away our self-righteousness and empty-boasting.

Apostle Paul says something interesting but very unusual. Look at verse 14. “May I never boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, through which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world.” What did he mean? What he means is that for Christians all boasting should be boasting in the cross. Why only in the cross? It’s because for redeemed sinners, every good thing was obtained for us by the cross of Jesus. Even bad things God has turned around for good. Remember what Paul said in Romans 8:28? In all things – both in good things and bad things – God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. In fact, apart from the death of Jesus, we sinners get nothing but condemnation and final judgment. But there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ. (Ro 8:1) Therefore, we, as Christians, should boast only in the cross of Jesus Christ.

Look at verse 14 again. “May I never boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, through which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world.” This is an interesting and unusual point. Apostle Paul said earlier in Galatians 2:10 about what the cross of Jesus meant to him. He said that he had been crucified with Christ and he no longer lived, but Christ lived in him. The life he lived in the body, he lived by faith in the Son of God, who loved him and gave himself for him. That’s what the cross of Jesus meant to him. But now in 6:14, Paul explains that the meaning of the cross goes beyond this. In the cross of Jesus, it’s not just Paul who died (or was crucified), but the world was dead (or, was crucified) to him, and he was dead to the world. If we are truly crucified, we are not attracted to the world, and neither is the world attracted to us. The only boasting Paul did was boasting in the cross of Jesus Christ. Why? It’s because Paul had been truly crucified. He crucified his sinful nature with its passions and desires. Because of the cross, the world’s system had lost its appeal to Paul, and he had lost his appeal to the world. He was indeed a spiritual man. If we are boasting about our flesh in the world, we are just carnal and unchanged people. We are not actually living as Christians, no matter how long we have been attending church or no matter how actively we are involved in religious activities. Sometimes, we wonder why we are not changed after so many long years of attending church. It’s because we abandoned the cross of Jesus and turned to a different gospel, just like the Galatian Christians, without realizing it. We should restore the cross of Jesus in the center of our hearts and lives. And anything that does not go through the cross of Jesus does not glorify God. Christians are those who are dead to sin, self and the world. But we like to remain alive to ourselves and the world. Are we dead to sin, to ourselves and to the world? If we are dead, then Christ truly lives in us. But if we are not dead to sin, self and the world, the life of Christ cannot truly and fully live and work in us. When we apply the way of the cross as our life-principle in every area of our lives, we can truly experience the transforming power of God in us.

Paul said in verse 15. “Neither circumcision or uncircumcision means anything; what counts is a new creation.” In fact, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come. (2 Corinthians 5:17) Here, we learn what it means to be a Christian. If we are Christians, it means we are a new creation. It means we are being renewed and transformed into the image of our Lord Jesus Christ. What counts is a new creation – a transformation of our inner self, from a proud man into a humble man, from an angry man into a gentle man, from an unthankful man into a thankful man, from an impatient man into a patient man, from a narrow-minded and critical man into a man who embraces others. But why aren’t many people experiencing this kind of transformation and why do they still remain the same? A new creation! That’s what counts. Saint Paul said in 6:7, “Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows.” Repentance is not an option for any Christian. Unless we repent of our sinful nature, we reap what we sow. No matter how long we attend church, we don’t become a new creation if we don’t repent – we remain as unchanged and miserable Christians.

In last week’s passage, we were taught that we don’t need to compare ourselves with anybody because we are unique in the sight of God and because of the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ. Not only that, we don’t need to compare ourselves with others because we are new creations. I am happy, knowing that I am getting mature little by little. But I don’t feel really excited about the fact that I am getting old physically. Last week, my doctor told me that my blood sugar level is getting high so I have to watch my diet and exercise more. I know the number of grey hair on my head is increasing day by day. To be honest, I want life more than anything. I want my life to be ever young, energetic and fully alive. Is this possible or just a dream?

We are often asked a question, like this: “What was the happiest moment of your life?” Some may say, “It’s the day when I got married.” “Then what? Do you have that excitement in your marriage relationship?” Most people say, “Not really.” That’s the problem with many people who call themselves “Christians.” Christians are not happy because of what they do or what they don’t do. Christians are happy because they know who they are and whose they are – a new creation in Christ day by day. This is a reality for everyone who is in Christ Jesus our Lord. Yes. We can experience the kingdom of God as we become a new creation. In Christ, we have a sense of self-worth. We become men and women of integrity. We become energetic, resourceful and encouraging. We don’t remain in our old knowledge. We are true to the law of God, but open to learning and asking healthy and constructive questions. We don’t complain about our situation but are ready to adapt ourselves to all circumstances with an appreciation of God’s presence. As leaders, we don’t demonstrate authoritarian dictatorship but are ready to serve and demonstrate approachable leadership. When we become a new creation, we cannot say that Christian life is boring. Christian life is indeed exciting, but not because we become attractive to the world, but because we are becoming new creations.

Look at verse 16. “Peace and mercy to all who follow this rule, even to the Israel of God.” This is Paul’s final prayer for the Galatian Christians and beyond. Peace and mercy to all who follow this rule! What is “this rule”? It is the way of the cross – the crucifixion of Jesus Christ in our lives. There is no other way that man can be truly saved and happy, except through the way of the cross.

We live in a world in which people tend to believe that there is more than one way to heaven and more than one truth. It is true that many religions and philosophies offer their versions of salvation and of a happy way of life. In the Garden of Eden, God gave us the freedom to choose between the tree of life and the tree of good and evil. (Gen 2:17 and 18) We now have a choice between the religions of legalism and the religion of God’s grace – between religion by human effort and religion by faith. In that sense, the gospel of Jesus Christ is unique: it offers faith in God’s grace. Jesus, the Son of God, came to this world to die on the cross, so that we may be forgiven of all our sins and receive the gift of eternal life. He not only rose from dead and ascended into heaven but he also sent the Holy Spirit and dwells in those who believe in him. This gospel is unique and cannot be mixed with any form of legalism. That’s why Paul said, “Peace and mercy to all who follow this rule…” (6:16) The way of the cross does not appear to be attractive and charming, so only a few find it and are willing to follow it. But it is the way that leads us to eternal life and glory. God gave us the gospel through his son Jesus Christ. And we need to hold firmly to the gospel that the apostles preached, the gospel of God’s grace – the gospel of the cross. May the Lord enable us to experience God’s powerful work of transformation in our lives so that we can become new creations as we hold on to the gospel of the cross. May we practice the way of the cross daily.

DO GOOD TO ALL PEOPLE

“Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ …Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers.”

In the previous passage, Galatians 5:15-25, we learned that we can have freedom in Christ when we live by the Spirit. According to the teachings of Apostle Paul in Galatians, being filled with the Holy Spirit does not mean having some supernatural or mystical experiences of our own or becoming spiritually superior to others. Rather, when we are filled with the Holy Spirit, we have genuine relationships of love with other people. This is evident and logical when we consider the fact that the primary fruit of the Holy Spirit in us is love (22-23). Galatians 5:13 also reads, “You, my brothers, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the sinful nature; rather, serve one another in love.”

In today’s passage, before concluding his letter to the Galatian Christians, Apostle Paul elaborates how we, Christians, should demonstrate our love for one another. In chapters 1-5, Apostle Paul has been strongly emphasizing that those who believe in Christ are no longer bound to the law of Moses or any elementary principle of this world. But he was not saying that being free from the law of Moses means being free from responsibility. Christians are also bound to the law of Christ, which is the law of love and the Spirit. In fact, Christians have a responsibility to do good to all people in all possible ways. In today’s passage, Apostle Paul teaches us how we shouldn’t treat one another (5:26, 6:3-4) and then how we should treat one another and all other people in the world (6:1-2, 5-10)

First of all, we should not provoke or envy each other. (5:26; 6:3-4)

Look at 5:26. “Let us not become conceited, provoking and envying each other.” What does the word “conceited” mean? It means “having an excessively favorable opinion of one’s abilities, appearance, etc.” In other words, we think of ourselves more highly than we ought to. (Phil 2:3) Christians are not to become conceited in any situation. Why not? It’s because, fundamentally speaking, we are nothing but forgiven sinners who constantly struggle with our sinful nature.

Being spiritual means not becoming conceited and not looking down on anyone else around us. Rather, in humility we consider others better than ourselves. We don’t act proud or even feel inferior to anyone.

Look at 6:3 and 4. “If anyone thinks he is something when he is nothing, he deceives himself. Each one should test his own actions. Then he can take pride in himself, without comparing himself to somebody else.” Is there anybody who can claim that he or she is something before God? No. By nature, we are nothing but the dust of the earth and clumps of desires. So if anyone thinks he is something when he is nothing, it’s an illusion and self-deception. However, when a person knows that he is nothing before God, he can know the grace of Jesus Christ. We feel inferior or superior to others because we keep comparing ourselves to others. For example, in this materialistic world, rich people tend to be proud and self-confident and poor people feel ashamed and envy those who are rich. This is just one of many examples of how we are ruled by the elementary principles of the world. We are not supposed to be ruled by this kind of elementary principle but should live by the grace of God in Jesus Christ.

How can we find true confidence? How can we overcome our pride or low self-esteem? It’s only when we know the grace of God and are determined to remain in the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ. Each of us should find confidence in God’s full acceptance of us, regardless of our short comings and weaknesses. This is God’s grace through our Lord Jesus Christ. And those who are doing well should also humble themselves, acknowledging that it was God who made them well. When we do this, we don’t look down on other people or envy them. Instead, we look at ourselves and others with the same respect. We extend others the same generosity, having confidence in God’s grace and acceptance of them. In other words, we can say that Christian fellowships and relationships should be governed not by rivalry or competition but by humble service. The Bible says that pride is the root of all sins. (Proverbs 16:18-19, 18:12)

When we know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, we can have true confidence in God and don’t treat others with contempt. Even though Apostle Paul was a very fruitful man of God, he knew that he was nothing before God and didn’t compare himself with others. He was truly encouraging, never provoking or envying others. He said in 1 Corinthians 15:9 and 10, which reads, “For I am the least of the apostles and do not even deserve to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God. But by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace to me was not without effect. No, I worked harder than all of them – yet not I, but the grace of God that was with me.”

Second, we should carry each other’s burdens. (6:1-5)

In the following verses, 6:1-5, we learn how we should treat others, instead of provoking or envying them. Verse 1 is an exemplary application of the principle, which is described in verse 2. Look at verse 2 first. “Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ.” We are to carry each other’s burdens. Although we are set free from the burdens of sin, guilt, and shame and the demands of the law through the work of our Lord Jesus, we are still burdened by the many concerns of life and our own weaknesses. After all, life in this world is full of stress and worries and anxieties. We are not completely free from the burdens of our sinful nature, either, as long as we remain in our body. Jesus understood our deep agony and human limitations, so he said in Matthew 11:28: “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.” Also, 1 Peter 5:7 reads, “Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.”

These are great verses, which encourage us so much. We know that when we are burdened, we are supposed to cast all our cares and burdens unto the Lord because we know that our Lord Jesus is the only one who can truly help us. However, Apostle Paul said something more than that. We, as Christians, should carry each other’s burdens. (2) It does not mean that we should not come to Jesus our Lord. Rather, it means that one of the ways in which our Lord bears our burdens is through carrying us as we struggle to carry the burdens of others. When we bear other’s burdens, we have true friendship with others in Christ. This friendship in Christ is the most healthy and wholesome foundation of a Christian community and ministry.

For example, when Apostle Paul was serving ministry work, he was suffering due to many difficulties, both inside and out. Often he was exhausted emotionally, mentally and spiritually. He felt lonely and was misunderstood by so many people, even by some Christian brothers. Of course, he read the Bible and prayed day and night. But he confessed that he was comforted and refreshed by his partners and those who came to share the burden with him, like Timothy, Titus, Priscilla and Aquila. Oftentimes, what Paul really needed the most during crucial times in his life was the genuine friendship and support of his coworkers.

I often see beautiful friendship among us. Some listen to one another and support one another. When somebody makes a mistake, they don’t make fun of him or look down on him but accept and encourage him. We find great relief and encouragement in Christ. Yet, I also hear some coworkers saying “I don’t have friends in our church.” It is true that when our fellowship or church is legalistic, competitive, critical or performance oriented, it’s hard to find genuine companionship among us. When our ministry and fellowship are based on rivalry or human-centered ideas, it is very unhealthy. In some sense, without genuine friendship in Christ we cannot say that we are any better than worldly people. It’s important for us to become true friends to others as much as we expect others to be true friends to us.

Jesus said in John 15:14 and 15, “You are my friends if you do what I command. I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master’s business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you.” Our relationship with one another in Christ should not just be a business relationship. It should be a genuine friendship, which is true partnership in Christ. Apostle Paul said that by carrying each other’s burdens we can fulfill the law of Christ, which is to love one another as He loved us. (John 13:34; 15:12) Isn’t it nice to have a friend with whom you can be transparent, someone you feel safe talking to about what is on your mind without being criticized? Isn’t it wonderful to be fully heard, protected and trusted by someone who cares about you in Christ? We need this kind of friendship.

However, we should not seek such kind of friendship with the wrong kind of person. We must be aware of our vulnerability. For example, one pastor who was very successful and busy couldn’t find friendship with anyone in the church. But there was one lady who seemed to understand him very well. He felt so comfortable spending time with her and naturally drawn to her. Later on, he committed adultery and had to step down from his position. Paul wasn’t talking about that kind of friendship. However, we must be humble enough to let others share our burdens. It does not mean that we can dump all the garbage inside of us, and everything else, onto our friends. Look at verse 5. “for each one should carry his own load.” What does it mean? It means that there is one burden which we cannot share – it’s the burden of our sins. That, no one else can bear. Each of us should crucify our sinful nature and live by the Spirit.

Let’s go back to verse 1. “Brothers, if someone is caught in a sin, you who are spiritual should restore him gently. But watch yourself or you also may be tempted.” This is a practical application of how we should carry each other’s burdens. If we detect that someone is doing something wrong, we are not to stand by and do nothing, as if we don’t know anything about what is going on. Nor are we to despise, condemn or gossip about the person to our friends in the fellowship. Instead, we who are living by the Spirit are to restore him gently. It requires us to be sensitive and prayerful and wise, carefully examining ourselves before God so that we may not be judgmental or exaggerate the situation. We should also be very careful not to assume or imagine things. We should remain calm and ask for the guidance of the Holy Spirit. Actually, we are not told in detail about how we are to restore our sinning brothers gently.

Matthew 18:15-17 gives us some detailed instructions. “If your brother sins against you, go and show him his fault, just between the two of you. If he listens to you, you have won your brother over. But if he will not listen, take one or two others along, so that ‘every matter may be established by the testimony of two or three witnesses.’ If he refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church; and if he refuses to listen even to the church, treat him as you would a pagan or a tax collector.” Still, it’s a very difficult task to restore our brothers who are caught in a sin. But if we carefully examine ourselves before God and are full of God’s grace of forgiveness of sins, we will be able to see how the Lord leads us in the matter of restoring our brothers in Christ.

Third, we should do good to all people. (6-10)

Paul has been telling the Galatian Christians that their responsibility is to carry each other’s burdens in Christ (6:1-5). In verses 6-10, we now read so many different instructions that seem to be loosely connected to one another. But if we carefully look at them, we find that they are all connected. What Paul talks about here is a principle of order and consistency, both material and spiritual.

Look at verses 6-8. “Anyone who receives instruction in the word must share all good things with his instructor. Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows. The one who sows to please his sinful nature, from that nature will reap destruction; the one who sows to please the Spirit, from the Spirit will reap eternal life.” The main point of these verses is in verse 7, “Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows.” In other words, if we sow corn-seeds, we will reap corn, not strawberries. This is an irrefutable law of God. Paul uses phrases like “do not be deceived” and “God cannot be mocked.” He is actually reminding us of what he had described in 5:24-25, which read, “Those who belong to Christ have crucified the sinful nature with its passions and desires. Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit.” Now, in verses 6-8, he says that we should sow to the Spirit. In other words, unless we sow in the field of the Spirit, we cannot expect to reap the fruit of the Spirit.

There is the old saying, “If we sow a thought, we reap an act; if we sow an act, we reap a habit; if we sow a habit, we reap a character; if we sow a character, we reap a destiny.” For example, if we allow our minds to harbor a grudge, nurse a grievance, entertain an impure fantasy, or wallow in self-pity, we are sowing to the flesh. Or if we entertain lustful thinking and keep watching pornographic pictures, we are sowing to the flesh. These days, people are very concerned about their diet. They say “You are what you eat.” If you keep eating junk food, you know what will happen to your body. Likewise, if we keep feeding our minds with sinful thoughts and worldly desires, the result is very obvious. Every time we allow temptation into our minds and hearts, we are sowing to the flesh. In the end, we reap all kinds of problems and our life is completely ruined.

Some Christians may wonder why they are not reaping the harvest of holiness. Basically, it’s because they have been deceiving themselves. That’s why Paul said, “Do not be deceived” and “God cannot be mocked.” We might be able to deceive men but not God. That’s why Jesus warned his disciples by saying in Matthew 7:16-18, “By their fruit you will recognize them. Do people pick grapes from thorn-bushes, or figs from thistles? Likewise every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, and a bad tree cannot bear good fruit.”

To sow to please the Spirit means to walk by the Spirit (Gal 5:16, 25) and to set the mind on what the Spirit desires. Romans 8:6 reads, “The mind of sinful man is death, but the mind controlled by the Spirit is life and peace.” If we feed our minds with what is pure, spiritual, noble, wise and healthy, we are sowing to the Spirit. Philippians 4:8 and 9 reads, “Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable – if anything is excellent or praiseworthy – think about such things. Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me – put it into practice. And the peace of God will be with you.” Holiness is a harvest, not a result of good luck or something you can suddenly make up.

Look at verses 9-10. “Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up. Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers.” Here, Apostle Paul says that we should do good, not just to Christians but to all people, regardless their cultural, religious or racial background. In fact, there are so many things we can do in Christ for the world we live in. Yet, we should also be aware that we cannot do everything by ourselves. Therefore we have to be specific about what we do in the greater picture of God’s master plan. That’s why Paul encourages us to do good to all people as we have opportunity.

Recently, so many parts of the world were hit by floods, mudslides and wildfires, especially China, Pakistan and Russia. Pakistan is a very poor country. Now, one-fifth of the nation is under water. People have no food and no water. Contagious diseases are being spread. And the country doesn’t have enough medical facilities or supplies. The number of people affected by catastrophic floods exceeds 20 million, and the United Nations said 6 million of those victims lack access to food, shelter and water. We are to support them in prayer and even financially. Last Christmas, we sent a donation to Uganda to support the building of a new hospital. A few months ago, we made a financial contribution, through the Red Cross, for earthquake victims in Haiti. Yet, we should do these things more and more as opportunities come to us. Sometimes, even though we feel overwhelmed by the needs of the troubled world, we are not to become tired of doing good. Why not? It’s because it is one of the best ways we demonstrate our love for other people, besides preaching the gospel to them. It’s also because we are sowing to the Spirit if we do it with the right motives. In fact, we should serve others with joy and out of love, not just because we must. No matter how small it may be, we should do good to all people as the opportunity arises. At the same time, we are not to ignore the needs of our immediate family members and of the people around us.

We must not forget to spread the gospel in season and out of season. Psalm 126:5 and 6 reads, “Those who sow in tears will reap with songs of joy. He who goes out weeping, carry seed to sow, will return with songs of joy, carrying sheaves with him.” Christians are not to be passive in doing good, but are to be very active and even creative in doing good. This is our freedom in Christ. We are not to become slaves again to legalism or to our sinful nature. We should live by the Spirit. We are not to sow to the flesh but to the Spirit, for we reap what we sow. May the Lord help us to remember God’s grace, and live by God’s grace and His Spirit. By God’s power, may we stop provoking and envying others, and comparing ourselves with them, so that we may be free to carry others’ burdens in love and do good to all people.

LIFE BY THE SPIRIT

Galatians 5:16-26
Key Verse: 5:24-25

“Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the sinful nature with its passions and desires. Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit.”

During the last seven weeks, we have been navigating through Paul’s letter to the Galatian Christians. We have two more lessons left before we complete our journey. As we enter the last leg of our journey, it seems good to review what we have learned so far. Apostle Paul opened his letter by defending the gospel he preached. He emphasized that the gospel is not something that man made up, but was something he received by revelation directly from Jesus Christ. (1:11-12) The gospel he preached was that men are not justified by observing the law but by faith in Jesus Christ alone. (2:15-16a) This gospel was not different from the gospel of the other apostles, like Apostles Peter, John and James. In fact, it was precisely the same. Throughout the letter, Apostle Paul repeatedly challenged the Galatian Christians, telling them that they were deceived by false teachers who led them astray, persuading them to mix their faith in Christ with legalism. According to Paul, we should not mix our faith in Christ with any form of legalism because if we do, we will be alienated from Christ and fall away from grace. Legalism is slavery. We who believe in Christ are not to be bound by any form of legalism because we are set free from the curse of law and the bondage of sin and death through Christ.

In last week’s passage, 5:1-15, Apostle Paul proclaimed that it is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Therefore, we should stand firm, so that we will not be burdened again by a yoke of slavery. (5:1) Yet, the question is, “How can we have this freedom in our day-to-day life?” For example, some of us might say, “I thought by now that I wouldn’t have to struggle so much with anger. I’ve been a Christian for so many years. But why can’t I control my anger? Why am I still tempted by pornography? Why do I feel that I am still stuck in my sinful nature? Where is the freedom that is promised to us? When can I be completely free from sin and temptation and fly like an eagle?” I am sure most of us want to get an answer to these questions. “Can any of us become completely changed so that we will not be tempted at all?” No way. Somebody might say, “It’s because you are not born again.” (Jn 3:5) “Do born-again Christians still struggle with their sinful nature?” Yes. Then how do we achieve freedom in our lives?” According to today’s passage, it does not take place suddenly through one miraculous happening. It takes place slowly, step by step.

Today’s passage, Galatians 5:16-26, is one of the most important Bible passages on the Christian life. It teaches us a very practical and crucial lesson about what we should do in order to have freedom in Christ. Apostle Paul said in the previous passage, 5:13-14, “You, my brothers, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the sinful nature; rather, serve one another in love. The entire law is summed up in a single command: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.” In the following verses, verses 16-26, we learn more practical lessons about how we can obtain freedom in Christ.

First, we must accept that struggling is a normal thing for Christians. (16-18) Look at verses 16-18. “So I say, live by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the sinful nature. For the sinful nature desires what is contrary to the Spirit and the Spirit what is contrary to the sinful nature. They are in conflict with each other, so that you do not do what you want. But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under law.” Apostle Paul said that we can obtain freedom from sin when we live by the Spirit. This does not mean that we will be completely free from struggles or the temptations of sin. In some sense, we feel more troubled. Why? Is it bad? No. Actually it is good. But that’s what we want. But it’s good. It is one of the signs that we are spiritually alive. But why is it happening? It’s happening because two forces are at war within us.

One is called “the sinful nature” or “flesh.” The other is called “the Spirit.” In other words, we have “God’s Holy Spirit” within us, as well as our sinful human nature. (3:3; 4:29; 5:16, 18, 22, 24; Ro 8:4-6, 9, 13) We experience conflict within us between the desire to follow our sinful nature and the desire to follow what the Spirit desires. This kind of struggle is unending for each and every Christian until he or she goes to heaven.

Some people think that if they come to Christ, all their problems will be solved and they’ll never struggle again. But that’s not true at all. We still fall into temptation and sin. In fact, we are still vulnerable to the devil’s temptations and sin. That’s why Jesus taught his disciples to pray, “Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one” (Mt 5:13) In fact, we don’t need to pretend that we are perfect and are not tempted. From time to time, my wife asks me, “Honey, are you still tempted by looking at beautiful women? Tell me the truth.” I say, “Never!” But she knows that I am not a hundred percent truthful. If I am not tempted at all, I am not a human being. I am like a stone Buddha. 1 John 1:8-10 reads, “If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. If we claim we have not sinned, we make him out to be a liar and his words have no place in our lives.”

I am not saying that it’s okay to sin. No. Yet, what we need to know is that we are vulnerable because we are still in the flesh and have the desires of the sinful nature. So what Paul says here is that we should accept that struggling is a normal thing for Christians. However, we are not to give in to our sinful nature but to choose to live by the Spirit.

We live in a world in which struggling against sin is considered to be something unhealthy and negative. Do you remember the TV commercial by “Sprite” that says, “Obey your thirst!” Many people are indoctrinated by the idea that the way to deal with feelings of sexual temptation is to end the struggle by giving in to the temptation. Many people fall into the sin of fornication, adultery and all kinds of sexual sins. Many families are broken due to sexual sins. The fact is that we all struggle with something natural and unnatural, sometimes secretly, behind closed doors. Yet, we must know that our ongoing struggle and temptations are not in themselves sinful. It is not sin when we struggle. Rather, it is sin when we stop struggling and give in. Hebrews 12:4 reads, “In your struggle against sin, you have not yet resisted to the point of shedding your blood.”

In verses 19-26, we are introduced to two different ways of living, the way of the sinful nature and the way of the Spirit, which Paul calls “the acts of the sinful nature” (19-21) and “the fruits of the Spirit.” (22-23)

Look at verses 19-21. “The acts of the sinful nature are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God.” Apostle Paul listed at least fifteen kinds of acts of the sinful nature. Yet, it does not mean that his list is exhaustive, for he ends it by saying “and the like.” (21) And it seems that there are four different categories of sins: sexual sins, religious sins, social sins and more excessive forms of sins. The first category of sin Paul mentioned is sexual sins: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery. Sexual sins refer to any sexual activity outside of marriage, including premarital sex, extramarital sex, homosexuality, and all forms of pornography. Paul began with the sexual sins because the sexual sins were most obvious and most prevalent in his time. These days, we see so many people who are addicted to sex, drugs, alcohol, gambling, pornography, shopping, shop lifting, video games, etc. All these sinful behaviors are ugly fruit of the flesh that grows out of the heart. (Mt 15:18-19)

Why do people do all kinds of crazy things? It’s mainly because they feel so empty and lonely inside. I don’t think that they do such things in order to be happy. When people do not have God in their lives, they are really lonely and empty. We need God more than anything else because he is the source of our lives. (Jn 1:4) Paul seriously warns that “those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God.” It does not mean that Christians who fall into temptation and commit sins will not inherit the kingdom of heaven. In fact, true Christians will fall into temptation and sin. But they will be convicted of their sin and quickly seek repentance. There is another way of life, that is, life by the Spirit that leads us to fruit-bearing life.

Read verses 22-23. “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.” When we live by the Spirit, we don’t gratify the desires of the sinful nature. And according to verse 23b, we learn that “against such things there is no law.” What does that mean? It means that when we live by the Spirit, there is no conflict with the law. In fact, our life by the Spirit can fulfill the law of God.

As mentioned in 5:6, 13 and 14, the primary fruit of the Holy Spirit is love, which is the evidence of our faith in Christ Jesus. All this fruit – love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control – is the byproduct of our life in Jesus Christ through the Holy Spirit. However, we cannot bear any other fruit without bearing the fruit of love because God is love. According to 1 Corinthians 13:4-8a, “Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, and it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, and always perseveres. Love never fails.” What does it mean that love never fails? It means that love is always right.

Then how can we live a Spirit-filled life and bear the fruit of the Spirit? Some people think that they can be full of the Holy Spirit by having a supernatural Pentecostal experience. So they are drawn to all kinds of revival meetings. We should also not confuse emotional highs with the fullness of the Holy Spirit. We all have ups and downs in our lives of faith. Nobody can always be full of the Holy Spirit because of the flesh, the sinful human nature. Even Elijah who was supposed to be full of the Holy Spirit had a moment of deep despair and darkness, in which he begged the Lord, “Lord, I’ve had enough. Let me die.” (1 Kings 17:22) Actually, Elijah’s depression came from his mental fatigue and physical and emotional exhaustion. He hadn’t eaten food for a while. He was under a lot of stress and had a great deal of tension. And he worked really hard. Elijah was not superman, but an ordinary struggling man, like us. We must know that we have a body, mind and soul. Physically and emotionally unhealthy people cannot be healthy spiritually. Therefore, in order to be filled with the Holy Spirit, we need to manage our physical, emotional, mental and spiritual conditions. In fact, 3 John 2 reads, “Dear friend, I pray that you may enjoy good health and that all may go well with you, even as your soul is getting along well.” Although all of these are important, the core of our struggle should be spiritual.

Apostle Paul teaches us a very basic principle of living a Spirit-filled life in verse 24. Read verse 24. “Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the sinful nature with its passions and desires.” This verse is often confused with 2:20, which reads, “I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live but Christ lives in me.” Paul said in 2:20 that he had been crucified with Christ. But here in 5:24, we see that it was Paul who crucified the sinful nature with its passions and desires. It was not just about dying with Christ. Rather, it was about deliberately putting himself to death. Colossians 3:5-10 reads, “Put to death, therefore, whatever belongs to your earthly nature: sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires and greed, which is idolatry. Because of these, the wrath of God is coming. You used to walk in these ways, in the life you once lived. But now you must rid yourselves of all such things as these: anger, rage, malice, slander, and filthy language from your lips. Do not lie to each other, since you have taken off your old self with its practices and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in the knowledge in the image of its Creator.” Also, Romans 8:13 reads, “For if you live according to the sinful nature, you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the misdeeds of the body, you will live.”

Of course, Christ himself said to his disciples, “If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me.” (Lk 9:23) Here, we learn that following Jesus Christ is never meant to be easy. It is the way of self-denial and the way of crucifixion. But it is the way of life. It is the way of being filled with the Holy Spirit in the most fundamental and biblical sense. But it’s not popular. The great secret of holiness and living a Spirit-filled life is in the degree of our repentance. We need to cultivate the soil of our hearts through sincere meditation on God’s words and repentance. In this way, we can remove the rocks of pride and prejudice, the thorns of worries, anxiety and greed, and all kinds of acts of the sinful nature.

Secondly, we need to keep in step with the Spirit. (25) Look at verse 25. “Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit.” What does it mean to keep in step with the Spirit? Some Bible scholars like to think of it in terms of the military expression “keep in step.” When a host of soldiers marches, their eyes are focused straight ahead and they step together in perfect time. As they move with their fellow soldiers, they follow the lead of their commander. “One! Two! Right! Left!” But I like to compare “keep in step with the Spirit” to a dance. These days, there is a hit TV show entitled “Dancing With the Stars” that pairs professional dancers with celebrities. Assuming that you are dancing with a professional dancer, what do you have to do first? You have to keep in step with the professional dancer. This is not easy, especially if you have never danced before. In fact, the Christian life can be compared to dancing with the Spirit of God, like King David. (2 Samuel 6:16) In order to dance with your partner, you cannot insist on following your own steps. You need to keep in step with your partner, the Holy Spirit. You need to be one with your dancing partner. In other words, we are to follow the Holy Spirit in every part of our lives.

Do you want to dance with the Holy Spirit? Then you should practice a lot. You may make many mistakes and fall down in the beginning. You may even feel awkward. But as you continue to practice and discipline yourself to dance with the Holy Spirit, you will improve. One more exciting fact is that the Holy Spirit, our dancing partner, is willing to dance with us even though we are poor dancers. We should not look around to see how others are dancing. We don’t need to compare ourselves with others. What we need the most is focus. We need to focus on the Holy Spirit, the Spirit of our Lord Jesus Christ, who is our dancing partner, and move along as he moves. Are you ready to dance? This reminds us of what the Lord Jesus said in John 15:5, “I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.” We need to control our thoughts and be sensitive to the guidance of the Holy Spirit and have constant dialogue with God through prayer and deep meditation of God’s words.

In conclusion, we learn that struggling against our sinful nature is a normal and essential part of Christian life. When we repent of our sins, we are no longer bound to sin. We are free from sin and guilt. The degree of our repentance determines the degree of freedom that we can experience and the size of spiritual fruit that will be born in and through us. In order to be free from sin, we need to learn how to live by the Spirit, keeping in step with the Spirit. It may be difficult and slow. Yet, we need to learn how to walk one step at a time, like how a little toddler learns to walk. We may fall from time to time, but we should get up, and try again and again. It may be a huge challenge. Yet, unless we try, we will never learn to walk. We will never experience freedom in Christ.

Can you imagine that each of us can dance with the Holy Spirit? A life by the Spirit will never be boring or shallow. Wouldn’t it be an exciting experience and adventure, worthy of our energy and commitment? Will you practice dancing with the Spirit, beginning from today? Although we may not be able to dance from the beginning, we can start by walking one step at a time. You will never lose anything but your sinful nature. You will never be the unchanged self. You will be the person whom God wants you to be, far better than you could have ever dreamed. Read verses 24 and 25. “Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the sinful nature with its passions and desires. Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit.”

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FREEDOM IN CHRIST

“You, my brothers, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom
to indulge the sinful nature; rather, serve one another in love. The entire
law is summed up in a single command: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’”

In the previous passage, Galatians 4:21-31, Apostle Paul warned the Galatian Christians that legalism and grace cannot be mixed together, just as Ishmael and Isaac could not live together in the same house. God’s way of salvation for all mankind is by faith in God’s grace alone, never by any form of legalism. Legalism, no matter how noble or convincing it may look, is no more than slavery. Apostle Paul had been saying that Jewish legalism is a mere distortion of God’s truth in the Scripture. In fact, according to Apostle Paul, Christian legalism is one of the worst spiritual viruses and one that every Christian needs to be on his guard against. He said in verse 9 that legalism is like a little yeast that spreads through the whole batch of dough. Unless we detect and get rid of even a small trace of legalism, there is a great danger that our spiritual life will be crippled and that the entire faith community will be ruined. In Galatians chapters 1-4, Apostle Paul gave a meticulous defense of the gospel he preached – which is salvation by faith in Jesus’ grace alone, and nothing else. Chapters 1 and 2 are his personal defense. Chapters 3 and 4 are his doctrinal defense. Now in Chapter 5, Paul turns his argument into practical application. The main issue in Chapters 5 and 6 is how we, as God’s children, who believe in Christ Jesus, should utilize our freedom in Christ.

Look at verse 1. “It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery.” Here, Apostle Paul almost sounds like a freedom fighter. “Hey, my brothers, we are no longer slaves but sons. We are free! But you should stand firm and defend your freedom in Christ so that you don’t get tied up again in slavery to the law.”

We are set free from the bondage of law, sin and death through our Lord Jesus Christ. The freedom we received through Jesus Christ was not free. Freedom came to us at a very high price, which our Lord Jesus Christ paid on the cross of Calvary. Through his sacrificial death and resurrection, the chain of sin and death that had bound us for so many long years was completely removed. Now, those who believe in Christ Jesus are no longer slaves to sin, death and the law, but are God’s free children. So why should we go back to a yoke of slavery again?

Apostle Paul was warning that unless we make a constant effort to defend our freedom in Christ, there is a great danger that we will fall back into slavery. That’s why Paul said, “Stand firm!” What did he mean by saying “Stand firm!”? Stand firm on what? We should stand firm on Jesus Christ, the rock of our salvation. It’s a spiritual battle that we, as Christians, should fight almost every moment. Otherwise, we are prone to the entanglement of slavery. For example, it’s not easy for any of us to maintain our freedom in Christ in a performance-based world, which is extremely competitive and legalistic. Legalism is like a slave master. We are always pressured and forced to perform well. Unless we do things well, or even perfectly, we are losers. The only way we keep our freedom is by standing firm in our Lord Jesus Christ. In other words, we have to constantly remind ourselves that even though I may not be a high achiever by my own standards, much less anyone else’s, God has already accepted me as his beloved child. I am a beloved child of God, God’s heir. Even though I make many mistakes, my status as God’s beloved child does not change. This status is hard to accept due to our own legalism. But we must stand firm in our faith, believing that we are accepted by God only because of his grace and mercy and not by our good performance. Apostle Paul himself stood firm in God’s unchanging love and grace in Jesus Christ and said in Romans 8:38-39, “For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Are you standing firm in the grace and love of our Lord Jesus Christ?

Standing firm in Christ also means more than having a conviction of God’s love. It also means that we abide in Jesus’ words as he said in John 8:31 and 32, “If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” John 15:5 also reads, “I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.” Here we learn that we cannot enjoy freedom without Jesus Christ. It is Jesus Christ who enables us to be free from beginning to end. The gospel truth is that we have freedom in Christ Jesus. The only reason we don’t have freedom is that we allow ourselves to be enslaved by failing to stand firm in Christ.

I assume that most Galatian Christians were not so spiritually mature at that time. The gospel truth hadn’t been deeply rooted in their way of thinking and lifestyle. Most likely, they could not really enjoy the freedom they had in Christ Jesus because of their old sinful habits and vulnerable human nature. They didn’t know how to live by the Spirit. They felt that living a life in the grace of God was obscure. They felt they needed more solid rules and strict regulations, rather than just the simple gospel of God’s grace. No wonder the legalistic Judaizers were so successful in infiltrating the minds of the Galatian Christians who were not sure about their salvation and future spiritual growth. They said, “You guys should circumcise.” Even though they might not have said that they should keep all the laws of Moses in order to be saved, circumcision was dangerous enough to ruin their faith in Christ.

Look at verses 2-4. “Mark my words! I, Paul, tell you that if you let yourselves be circumcised, Christ will be of no value to you at all. Again I declare to every man who lets himself be circumcised that he is obligated to obey the whole law. You who are trying to be justified by law have been alienated from Christ; you have fallen away from grace.” In fact, getting circumcision does not appear to be harmful at all; rather it appears to be beneficial. But according to Apostle Paul’s view, there are serious consequences to doing that. What are the consequences? First, Christ would not be a benefit to them at all. Circumcision is a simple and painful procedure. But by allowing this, one can begin to depend on the flesh and have a false security of his salvation. According to the law of God, a person is required to obey all the laws of Moses in order to be saved. Because of this, we know that physical circumcision alone cannot guarantee one’s salvation. However, focusing on laws, like circumcision, can alienate a person from Christ and thus cause him to fall away from God’s grace. In short, Christ Jesus would become of no value to a person’s salvation.

Some of us might say, “Wait a second! I have no problem with justification by faith in Jesus’ grace alone. But I feel that something is missing in my life. Don’t we need more than just faith in Jesus’ grace? Is faith in Jesus’ grace enough to complete my salvation? Paul’s answer is “Yes.” Look at verses 5-6. “But by faith we eagerly await through the Spirit the righteousness for which we hope. For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision has any value. The only thing that counts is faith expressing itself through love.” Here, we learn that we are not only justified in Jesus through our faith, but we are also sanctified and glorified through the work of the Holy Spirit in us. In other words, the Holy Spirit in us will do what the law was powerless to do due to our sinful nature. (Romans 8:2) Therefore, we see that our salvation is the work of the Triune God: God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit. It is also God’s work through our faith, absolute trust and the obedience that come from faith. (Romans 1:5) We need to remember that although we Christians are not bound by the law any longer, we should not break the law. That’s not freedom. Our freedom or faith in Christ does not nullify the law but rather, upholds it. (Romans 3:31) Verse 6 shows it well. “For in Christ neither circumcision nor uncircumcision has any value. The only thing that counts is faith expressing itself through love.” We are going to think about this later, in verses 13 and 14.

Here, it seems that Paul’s warning against getting circumcision is irrelevant to us who live in the 21st century. Who cares about circumcision anyway? But we should learn the serious consequences of legalism in our time. Legalism does not have power to save us from sin, guilt or shame. Legalism does not heal our wounds, bitterness, anger or hatred. But our faith in Jesus does. Jesus sets us free from sin, bitterness, anger, hatred, doubt and fear. That’s why Apostle Paul said in Romans 1:16 that he was not ashamed of the gospel because it is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes, first for the Jews and then for the Gentiles. Why did he say that the gospel is the power of God? Why “power”? In light of today’s passage, it’s because freedom without power is no freedom at all. If you are powerful, we can be free. But if you are weak, you can not be truly free. Where can you find that power of salvation? Legalism? Religions? Human efforts? No. Only Jesus Christ, the Son of God, has that power, the absolute power to set us free, completely free in His Spirit.

In verses 7-12, Apostle Paul makes a very serious statement against the false teachers who perverted the gospel. Look at verses 7 and 8. “You were running a good race. Who cut in on you and kept you from obeying the truth? That kind of persuasion does not come from the one who calls you.” According to these verses, it was not God who started legalism, but the devil, through false teachers. Look at verse 9. “A little yeast works through the whole batch of dough.” Here, Apostle Paul compares legalism to yeast. Although the work of yeast is unseen, its influence is wide and critical. Likewise, legalism is detrimental to one’s soul and to the entire community. It stops our spiritual progress and pulls us away from the holiness of God. It’s no wonder that someone said that legalism is worse than adultery. (John 8:4-8) Therefore, we should watch out so that the yeast of legalism does not spread. We should also get rid of the yeast of legalism in our own hearts. (1 Corinthians 5:6-7)

Look at verse 10. “I am confident in the Lord that you will take no other view. The one who is throwing you into confusion will pay the penalty, whoever he may be.” Apostle Paul considered the infiltration of legalism as the work of the devil through false teachers. Yet, he still had confidence in the Lord that God would eventually keep the Galatian Christians from believing and following false teachers. In fact, Paul entrusted everything to God, believing that God would bring His punishment to those legalists who harmed God’s flock and persecuted God’s children. (12) Look at verse 11. “Brothers, if I am still preaching circumcision, why am I still being persecuted? In that case the offense of the cross has been abolished.” Apostle Paul was persecuted mainly by the legalistic Jewish believers because he preached the gospel of the crucified Christ Jesus, which offended them. Yet, if he preached circumcision, he would not have been persecuted.

Look at verses 13-14. “You, my brothers, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the sinful nature; rather, serve one another in love. The entire law is summed up in a single command: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’” In verse 13, Apostle Paul restates what he said in verse 1, which says, “It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery.” What Paul meant in verse 1 is that we should defend our freedom in Christ and not to be yoked by any form of slavery. But what he says in verse 13 is that the purpose of Jesus’ setting us free is not to give us a license to sin freely. Instead, we are given freedom to live a new life of love in Christ. Look at verse 13 again. “You, my brothers, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the sinful nature; rather, serve one another in love.” The freedom we have in Christ is not the freedom to indulge the sinful nature. What does “indulge the sinful nature” mean? When you say someone is indulging the sinful nature, it means that he or she is engaging in irresponsible and selfish behavior. Many people may simply want to mind their own business- ignoring the needs of others and only being interested in themselves. But that’s not Christian freedom. That’s selfish indulgence. Christian freedom means serving one another in love. Apostle Paul said that the entire law is summed up in a single command: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.” (14) In fact, Jesus said these final words to his disciples before his death on the cross: “A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.” (John 13:34-35)

What does our love have to do with our freedom in Christ? Our freedom in Christ is a glorious freedom that enables us to love others – our lovely neighbors and even our enemies. How can we love them? It’s only God’s love that empowers us to love others. Jesus said, “Love one another as I have loved you.” We were enemies of God. “But God demonstrated His own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” (Romans 5:8) God loved us not because we were lovely. He loved us in spite of the ugliness of our sins. Therefore, we who are forgiven, accepted and healed by God’s love and grace can also forgive, accept and embrace those who sinned against us and hurt us. Sometimes, even though we believe in God’s forgiveness of our sins, we don’t want to forgive those who hurt us. It’s because we are still emotionally hurting. It’s hard to let go of those feelings. It takes time. Sometimes, we don’t want to forgive those who hurt us as our way of getting even with them. We hold grudges, anger and bitter feelings toward them. But in reality, we are not free at all. We are slaves to darkness. It’s only when we forgive those who sinned against us that we can truly enjoy our freedom in Christ. God’s grace and love gives us freedom and makes us whole, so that we can be fully alive.

Those who are bound by legalism tend to be unforgiving, critical and judgmental. They are quick to judge others. They have no freedom in their soul. But those who have freedom in Christ can accept others, forgive others, confess their sins to one another, bear other’s weaknesses, submit to others, encourage others, build others up, serve others, and be devoted to others. It is the powerful and glorious freedom we have in Christ.

Look at verse 15. “If you keep on biting and devouring each other, watch out or you will be destroyed by each other.” When we exercise our freedom without love, we become murders, not martyrs for Christ. I see so many relationships that are broken and that have remained broken for such a long time due to unforgiving and legalistic attitudes. I see so many Christian fellowships and congregations that are dysfunctional and destroyed because members of the church keep on biting and devouring each other. God’s name is blasphemed because of them and the Holy Spirit is grieved.

We should be on our guard against the spread of legalism. To do so, we should watch out. We should pray and be ready to take any necessary action to become the new batch without the yeast of legalism, even though it may require sacrifice and suffering for awhile. Then we will continue to make spiritual progress and be able to enjoy the powerful work of the Holy Spirit, working in us and through us. Freedom in Christ is indeed the glorious blessing of God. We don’t want to exchange our freedom for recognition and good looking, but empty performance. It is for freedom that Christ set us free. Therefore, we should stand firm no matter what sacrifice we may have to make. We should continue to practice our freedom to serve one another in love. When we do so, we are indeed the glorious children of God, the free people. We don’t have to envy worldly people who appear to be free but are not truly free. The freedom we have is not free. It is bought with the high price that Jesus paid on the cross. This gospel of freedom is far superior to any wisdom, philosophy or possession that the world offers. It is something that we should be confident and proud of, not something of which we should be ashamed. So many people are addicted to alcohol, drugs, and the internet, especially pornography. The word “addiction” has the meaning: “being nailed to.” Christ was nailed to the cross, so that we may be set free from addictions. There is enough grace in Jesus for a sinner to be set free and live in glorious freedom. Everyone needs this freedom. God our Father wants to set all those who are under the bondage of sin and the broken systems of this world free. He is so loving and generous that he sent his son Jesus Christ, so that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. (John 3:16) The more you look at Jesus on the cross by faith, the more freedom you receive. So let us lift up our eyes and look at Jesus Christ by faith. Let us also share this wonderful gospel with those who are still in slavery.

WHO IS YOUR MOTHER?
(Children of the Free Woman)

“Therefore, brothers, we are not children of the slave woman, but of
the free woman.”

When the Galatian Christians accepted the gospel of Jesus Christ, they also received the Holy Spirit. But they lost their joy and freedom in Christ because of the infiltration of legalism by false teachers. What Apostle Paul was mainly perplexed about in regards to the Galatian Christians was not that they were turning to paganism but that they were turning to a counterfeit gospel, which was not the gospel at all (1:7). We may call it “Christian legalism” or “legalistic Christianity.” The word “legalism” is not found in the Bible. It is a term Christians use to describe the idea or the doctrine that emphasizes a system of rules and regulations for achieving both salvation and spiritual growth. The tricky thing about legalism is that it’s so easy for any sincere believer to fall into it. As a matter of fact, there are many legalistic Christians who are bound by certain rules and regulations in their day to day lives. As a result, they cannot live by the Holy Spirit, which is the core of Christian life.

In the previous passage, 4:1-11, Apostle Paul reminded the Galatian Christians that those who are washed by the blood of Jesus Christ also received the Holy Spirit, by whom they call God “Abba, Father.” They are no longer slaves but sons, and heirs of God. (4:6,7) In today’s passage, 4:12-31, Apostle Paul explains why Christian faith cannot be mixed with any form of legalism. He uses the examples of Abraham’s two sons, Ishmael and Isaac, and their mothers, Hagar and Sarah. The passage, especially the second part – 4:21-31 – is very hard to understand. In fact, many Bible commentators regard this passage as the most difficult passage in the book of Galatians. Even though we are familiar with the stories of Ishmael, Isaac, Hagar and Sarah, the way Apostle Paul explained them sounds very strange and does not seem to make any sense to us in our first reading. For example, verses 24-25 read, “These things may be taken figuratively, for the women represent two covenants. One covenant is from Mount Sinai and bears children who are to be slaves: This is Hagar. Now Hagar stands for Mount Sinai in Arabia and corresponds to the present city of Jerusalem, because she is in slavery with her children.” Do you understand what this passage means? Some of us probably said, “So what?” Additionally, the vocabulary Paul uses here is not familiar to most of us. We are tempted to skip this part and move on to the next chapter, especially to the part about the fruit of the Holy Spirit in 5:22-23. But we shouldn’t skip it because there is a profound truth of the gospel in this section that Apostle Paul really wants us to know. Let’s see what it is that he really wants to share with us.

Look at verse 12. “I plead with you, brothers, become like me, for I became like you.” When Apostle Paul told the Galatian Christians to become like him, he was pleading with them to have the same freedom in Christ that he had. Having been delivered from the bondage of the law and the power of sin and death, Apostle Paul experienced freedom in Christ. He was no longer a prisoner of sin or legalism when he remained in Christ Jesus, just as he said in Galatians 2:20, “I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.” He constantly struggled to remain in Jesus Christ. Because of his freedom in Christ, he could say, with great confidence, to the Galatians: “I plead with you, brothers, become like me!” We Christians should be able to say something like this, especially to our unbelieving friends and family members. Are we truly free in Christ so that we can say to others, “Become like me”?

Paul told the Galatian Christians to become like him also because he became like them. How did Paul become like them? When Apostle Paul came to Galatia, he did not try to keep a distance between him and the Galatians due to racial prejudice, religious or cultural differences. Instead, he put himself in their place and identified himself with them. Even though he was a Jew, he became like one of them in every possible way. He stated this principle in 1 Corinthians 9:20-22, “To the Jews I became like a Jew, to win the Jews. To those under the law I became like one under the law (though I myself am not under the law), so as to win those under the law. To those not having the law I became like one not having the law (though I am not free from God’s law but am under Christ’s law), so as to win those not having the law. To the weak I became weak, to win the weak. I have become all things to all men so that by all possible means I might save some.” He could become everything to everyone because he had freedom in Christ. This kind of freedom in Christ is something that we Christians should be able to enjoy and practice since we are called to be free. (5:13) But it’s not easy to do so when we are spiritually immature or bound by legalism.

In verses 13-16, Apostle Paul reminded the Galatian Christians of the beautiful love relationship he had with them. Look at verses 13-16. “As you know, it was because of an illness that I first preached the gospel to you. Even though my illness was a trial to you, you did not treat me with contempt or scorn. Instead, you welcomed me as if I were an angel of God, as if I were Christ Jesus himself. What has happened to all your joy? I can testify that, if you could have done so, you would have torn out your eyes and given them to me. Have I now become your enemy by telling you the truth?” Despite Paul’s severe illness, the Galatian Christians dearly loved and respected Apostle Paul. It seems that their attitude toward Apostle Paul was too good. But all of a sudden, they began to treat him as their enemy. One time, they said, “Paul, we love and respect you. You are awesome.” And now they said, “We hate you, a liar!” They were so changeable, from one extreme to another.

Why had their attitude toward him changed so drastically? It was mainly because of the work of the devil through false teachers – mainly Judaizers or Christian legalists. Look at verses 17 and 18. “Those people are zealous to win you over, but for no good. What they want is to alienate you from us , so that you may be zealous for them. It is fine to be zealous, provided the purpose is good, and to be so always and not just when I am with you.” Apparently these false teachers spoke against Paul and his teachings and indoctrinated the body of believers with their version of the gospel, which is Christian legalism. The tricky part is that they didn’t deny that Jesus is the Messiah. They simply added something to supplement the gospel that Paul preached. At first, it didn’t appear to be a big deal. As a matter of fact, adding some rules and regulations seems to be a positive move to make Christianity much more effective and inclusive. But Paul didn’t think so. He knew it was the work of the devil, trying to corrupt the gospel. Now, the Galatian Christians not only began to follow these false teachers and their teachings but also turned against Apostle Paul, treating him as their enemy.

How do you handle it when you are totally rejected by someone you love? I am sure Apostle Paul could have felt betrayed and hurt. He could have fallen into deep sorrow and even despair. He could have accused them for their whimsical and capricious behavior or, at best, he could have just walked away from them, shaking the dust from his feet, and saying “It’s all your fault. I am not responsible.” (Mt 10:14). But we see that instead of showing animosity or indifference toward them, Paul had deep compassion for them. Look at verses 19-20. “My dear children, for whom I am again in the pains of childbirth until Christ is formed in you, how I wish I could be with you now and change my tone, because I am perplexed about you!” Sometimes, we don’t know what to do with someone who shows his or her weaknesses and, as a result, seems to be quite hopeless. It’s easy to give up. Saint Paul was afraid that he might have wasted all of his efforts on them since they not only went back to Jewish legalism but also stood against him. Yet, he didn’t give up on them. Why not? It’s because he treated them like his own children. Because he was aware of the fact that they were attacked by savage wolves, he made a firm decision to rescue them from these savage wolves or false teachers. He also made a firm decision to endure the pains of childbirth again for these ignorant people until Christ was formed in them.

I don’t think Apostle Paul knew exactly what it meant to deliver a child since he was a man. But through his life as a missionary and shepherd for so many people, he came to know the pains of childbirth, which was totally one-sided sacrifice and hard labor. Paul’s primary concern was not getting people’s approval. His primary concern was somehow to restore their faith in Christ and engrave Christ-like characters in them, no matter what sacrifices he had to make. He was ready to suffer for them like a compassionate mother. Here, we learn that we are to preach the gospel to many people and should be willing to suffer for those who have accepted Christ until Christ is formed in them.

In verses 21-31, Apostle Paul explains again why we should not mix Christian faith with Jewish legalism. His explanation is based on a story of two women, Hagar and Sarah, in Genesis. Read verses 21-23. “Tell me, you who want to be under the law, are you not aware of what the law says? For it is written that Abraham had two sons, one by the slave woman and the other by the free woman. His son by the slave woman was born in the ordinary way; but his son by the free woman was born as the result of a promise.” When God called Abraham to leave his homeland with the promise of many blessings, he was 75 and his wife Sarah was 65, and they had no children. Over the course of time they obeyed God’s command and stayed in the land of promise. But God didn’t give them a son, even after 10 years had passed. At that time, Abraham was 85 and Sarah 75. Abraham and Sarah figured that they should take matters into their own hands and help God out by getting a son through Hagar, a slave woman from Egypt. Although it was a decision that was made based on the custom of the times, it was also a decision that was made because of their unbelief and impatience. In truth, it was a huge mistake, which they could not undo. Yet, surprisingly enough, God did not cancel His promise with this sneaky old couple. Fourteen years later, when Abraham was 99 and Sarah was 89, God visited them and announced the birth of Isaac through Sarah. At the time, Sarah’s body was as good as dead, meaning it was biologically impossible for her to conceive. However, God revived her body, and Isaac was born in God’s due time.

Now, we see that Ishmael was born in the ordinary way and Isaac was born as the result of God’s promise. Ishmael was born a slave because his mother was a slave, whereas Isaac was born free because his mother was a free woman. Most of us already know this about the Biblical stories of Hagar, Ishmael, Sarah and Isaac. But what Paul really wanted to say to the Galatians is in the following verses, verses 24-31. Look at verses 24-27. “These things may be taken figuratively, for the women represent two covenants. One covenant is from Mount Sinai and bears children who are to be slaves: This is Hagar. Now Hagar stands for Mount Sinai in Arabia and corresponds to the present city of Jerusalem, because she is in slavery with her children. But the Jerusalem that is above is free, and she is our mother. For it is written: ‘Be glad, O barren woman, who bears no children; break forth and cry aloud, you who have no labor pains; because more are the children of the desolate woman than of her who has a husband.’” Apostle Paul was a great Bible scholar. By using the historical events of these people, especially the story of these two women, Apostle Paul explains a deep truth of the gospel. He sees a huge difference between Sarah and Hagar.

According to Paul’s analogy, Hagar and Sarah, the mothers of Abraham’s two sons, stand for two covenants of the Bible, the old and new covenants. A covenant is a solemn agreement between God and men, by which God makes them His people and promises to be their God. God established the old covenant with Moses and the new covenant through Christ Jesus, whose blood sealed it. The old covenant was based on law, but the new covenant is based on God’s promises, foreshadowed through Abraham and foretold through Jeremiah. Through the law God laid the responsibility on men and said “You shall…, you shall not…” But through the promise God keeps the responsibility Himself and says “I will… I will…”

In this passage, not only two covenants, but also two Jerusalems, are mentioned: the present city of Jerusalem and the Jerusalem above. The present city of Jerusalem represents the old covenant people of God, the Jews, whereas the Jerusalem above represents the new covenant people, the Christians. Thus, the two women, Hagar and Sarah, the mothers of Abraham’s two sons, stand for the two covenants, the old and the new, and the two Jerusalems, the earthly and the heavenly. In other words, Paul is saying that Sarah is in the line of faith and Hagar is in the line of works. And all humanity is either in one line or the other. There is no “third line” you can choose. Sarah presents Grace and Hagar represents Law. If we are born of Hagar, the slave woman, we have no freedom. We are slaves no matter how hard we struggle. If we are born of Sarah, the free woman, we have freedom.

Verse 27 is a quotation from Isaiah 54:1. “For it is written: ‘Be glad, O barren woman, who bears no children; break forth and cry aloud, you who have no labor pains; because more are the children of the desolate woman than of her who has a husband.” Here, barren woman stands for the Jews who broke God’s covenant and were sent into exile in Babylon. At that time, the Jews were like a desolate woman, abandoned by her husband. But the Lord prophesied through Isaiah that there would be more children of Abraham after their return to their homeland than before, when they went into exile. Was he talking merely about the increase of children of slavery, the children of the law? No. He was talking about the increase of children of promise – children of grace and freedom, the children of the new covenant. Both Jews and Christians are Abraham’s descendants, but the question is not “who is your father?” The real question is, “Who is your mother?” “Is your mother free or a slave?” “Are you a child born into the old covenant – slavery to the law – or into the new covenant – freedom in Christ Jesus?”

Look at verses 28-31. “Now you, brothers, like Isaac, are children of promise. At that time the son born in the ordinary way persecuted the son born by the power of the Spirit. It is the same now. But what does the Scripture say? ‘Get rid of the slave woman and her son, for the slave woman’s son will never share in the inheritance with the free woman’s son.’ Therefore, brothers, we are not children of the slave woman, but of the free woman.” Here, Apostle Paul says twice that we who believe in Jesus are the children of promise, the descendants of Abraham through Isaac, not through Ishmael. (28, 31) Here, we learn a few important lessons.

First, we will be persecuted because of our faith. Look at verse 29 again. “At that time the son born in the ordinary way persecuted the son born by the power of the Spirit. It is the same now.” This verse reminds us of Genesis 21, in which we learn that Ishmael mocked young Isaac, trying to humiliate him. What Apostle Paul was saying here is that as Ishmael mocked young Isaac, those who stand for the truth that salvation comes only through Jesus Christ and that he is the only way to heaven, will be hated and persecuted by religious people. Therefore, when we are persecuted by those who depend on their human effort, either in secular or religious circles, we shouldn’t be surprised.

Second, we must not compromise. Look at verse 30. “But what does the Scripture say? ‘Get rid of the slave woman and her son, for the slave woman’s son will never share in the inheritance with the free woman’s son.’” Actually it was Sarah who told Abraham to throw Hagar and Ishmael out of the house. Although what Sarah said and did appear to be cruel, inhumane and unfair, she knew what she was doing. She knew that if Hagar and Ishmael stayed in the family, there would be unending strife. Someone had to go. If you let Ishmael live with Isaac, there will be nothing but trouble. Of course, we Christians should be open minded in order to embrace all kinds of people in these postmodern times. Yet, we should not compromise the basic truths of the gospel, such as the Bible as the Word of God, Jesus as the Son of God, his virgin birth, his blood atonement, his second coming, the holy Trinity, salvation by faith in God’s grace alone, the resurrection of the dead, the forgiveness of sins, the final judgment, the universal church of Christ and communion of the Saints.
Third, we will inherit all the promises of God. Those who believe in Christ Jesus are true heirs of God, the gift of salvation, the Holy Spirit and eternal life, along with all spiritual blessings in the kingdom of heaven, such as freedom, love, joy, peace, etc. Therefore, Christians have no reason to envy anyone. No one is as free as we are. No one has peace as we do. No one has such wonderful spiritual assets as God has given us. Some unbelievers may excel in business and rise to the top of the entertainment world, while many of us will not be super-rich and will often be poorer than our friends who do not know God. Regardless, we have no reason to envy them. Those who don’t know Jesus are enslaved, like Hagar and Ishmael. Their happiness is only temporary. Our joy is eternal. We are forgiven, redeemed, justified, accepted, adopted, reconciled, empowered, filled, called, gifted, sanctified, and commissioned. So we have no real reason to whine or complain. If any of us has been doing that, he should stop. One of the marks of slavery is complaints.

In conclusion, Apostle Paul says in verse 31. “Therefore, brothers, we are not children of the slave woman, but of the free woman.” By nature, we were slaves to our sinful nature. No matter how hard we may have struggled, we were bound to the basic elements and principles of the world. But we were born again into the family of the living God through the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit. We are no longer subjected to the bondage. We are called to be free in Christ. Therefore, we should defend our freedom no matter what cost we have to pay. All we need is to accept Jesus Christ and remain in him. Life in this world is hard. Sometimes temptations are overwhelming. But we can have freedom and ultimate victory as we dwell in Jesus Christ.

How can we dwell in Jesus? First of all, we should know who we are. We are no longer slaves but sons and daughters of God through Jesus Christ. We are free only when we are in Christ Jesus. How can we dwell in Jesus? As God’s children, we need to stop complaining, as if we were slaves. Instead, we should learn to be joyful always, pray continually and give thanks in all circumstances, trusting in God’s unchanging love for us and acknowledging that God is sovereign over all things. We must learn to let go of everything in order to remain in Jesus Christ. If we don’t, we remain as slaves, not free in Christ.

2 Peter 3:1-18
Key verse : 3:11

“Since everything will be destroyed in this way, what kind of people ought you to be? You ought to live holy and godly lives.”

By Moses Kang Sr.

I don’t have good eyesight. When I read a book for an hour, I need to close my eyes for 10 minutes for rest for my tired eyes. Once my doctor recommended me not to do that but, instead he suggested me to look at a far distance for ten minutes. Seeing at a far distance is better than closing the eyes to reduce its tiredness. Do you know which country’s people have the best eyesight? The answer is Mongolian. Average people in Mongolia have twice as better eyesight than normal people (eyesight is 20/10 vision). Some of them have 20/5 vision. Do you know why they have such good eyesight? They live on the open fields where there are no mountains, so they always look at a far distance to the horizon.

Why do people wear glasses? Why do people become nearsighted? The reason is that they always see things very near. We can apply this principle to our spiritual life. If we always see the things near us, such as difficulties in our lives, all of our problems, things we have to manage daily, conflicts at the working place, health issues, we become spiritually nearsighted. Sometimes, we need to look far away, to the end point of our lives and see our present life from that point of view. The end point of our Christian life is not death because we already crossed over death by participating in Jesus’ death on the cross. The end point of Christian life on earth is “Jesus’ Second coming”, which is the day of the Lord. On that day, all the promise of God will be fulfilled and our salvation will be completed in glory. Sometimes, we feel like we lost the direction of our lives not knowing exactly what to do or where to go. Viewing our lives from the “day of the Lord” enables us to have the right direction like the sailors who are in the open sea readjust their direction looking at the Poraris (the North Star).. Someone said, “Having a right direction is more important than working hard.”

Viewing our life from the “day of the Lord” gives us different perspectives of our lives. If we are going to be ended up in glory, if we are going to be ended up in eternal life, why should we worry about the present difficulties? Why should we be easily upset or nervous or fall into doubt and discouraged with the small things of this world? If you missed the World Cup soccer game but you know that your team won already, would you worry about the mistakes of your team player when you watch it later, even though he had a suicide goal? No! When we see our lives from the point of Jesus’ second coming, we can enjoy more freedom and peace.
I believe this is the reason that Apostle Peter talked about Jesus’ Second Coming in today’s passage to the audience at his time and to us who live in 21st C.

In this letter, Apostle Peter deals with false teachers. Who are day? They were the insiders of the church, not outside non Christians. Look at verse 4. “They will say, “where is this ‘coming’ he promised?” Ever since our fathers died, everything goes on as it has since the beginning of creation.”

It simply says, the laws of nature are constant and unchanging. The Sun has come up and gone down, the seasons have followed each other. The tides have risen and fallen for thousands of years in perfect order. Therefore, any thought that the sky might be rolled up like a scroll and the Earth purged fiery judgment by the returning Christ is unimaginable and unwarranted.
These kinds of questions are also in our minds. Is Jesus really coming? How could we believe all these unimaginable events would happen? Early apostles expected that Jesus would come in their own generation. However, almost two thousand years have passed. Why is Jesus’ coming so slowly? We all have the same questions in our hearts. Let’s see how Apostle Peter tried to answer these questions.

I. God Creates and Upholds by His Word

Peter responds to this skepticism in three ways. First Look at verses 5-7. The first thing the false teachers ignore is that the world was made by God and that its order hangs on his word. The course of natural events is no more locked into one pattern than God is. If God is free to speak a new Word, then nature is free to change. Modern Physics describes how the universe is delicately balanced by four fundamental forces. For example, if God changes the Gravitational constant by 0.00000000…1% of its value, present universe wouldn’t exist, and neither would the solar system. If there are no magnetic fields around the Earth, Earth would be already baked by cosmic rays. If God doesn’t uphold the law of nature by his word, everything will be changed instantly.
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God brought judgment on the world in the flood of Noah’s day. God will alter the course of history of judgment. In the past he did it with water. In the future it will be with fire at the coming of Jesus Christ.

The second response to the false teachers comes in verse 8, “But do not forget this one thing, dear friends; with the Lord a day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like a day.” Here Peter is answering the criticism that Christ has delayed for so long that we can’t really believe he is coming back.

Experiencing the time delay is relative to each person. The older we get, the faster it seems to go. How many older people say, “It just seems like yesterday I was in school.””It just seems like yesterday we got married.” “It just seems like yesterday the kids were young.” And not only age, but joy makes us experience time differently. If you are bored at a program, it seems to drag on forever. But if you come to the conference and have a terrific time, you come to the end and say, “It seems like we just got here.” If our lives are packed with joy and meaning with an unforgettable dialogue with our Lord, our waiting will not feel long. Someone might live like it is a thousand years in one day. On the contrary, someone might live like it’s a day for thousand years. It depends on whether we do meaningful work everyday or not. When Jesus comes back and stands on this earth to make it his own, he will say, “It just seems like yesterday that I was here.” God is not bound by time which He created. He sees all history at a glance. God’s experience with time is different from ours.

However, there is a more important reason why Jesus’ coming seems so delayed. That is the third response to the problem of Christ’s delay. Look at verse 9. “The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. He is patient with you, not wanting any one to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.” Apostle Paul speaks in Romans 11:25 of “the full number of the Gentiles” who must come into the kingdom before the end arrives. God is still running history because the minimum number of people was not filled yet in God’s kingdom.

When I look at the verse 9 carefully, two words drew my attention. Those are “any one” and “everyone.” God is patient with you, not wanting any one to perish, but everyone to come to repentance. I thought God wanted to save the “good guys” and punish the “bad guys.” However, the Bible says, God want to save any one, even bad guys, even Kim JeoungIl. God wants to save everyone. I could feel God’s yearning heart like parents who can not give up any of his children. God is patient because of his unending mercy and love. We can not blame God of his loving patience; rather, we need to participate in God’s patience as his children. How dare God intend to save all people, knowing how sinful we are? Isn’t it impossible? Yes, it looks impossible, but at the same time it is possible because there is no condition to enter the kingdom of God except repentance. Any one and everyone can repent. We don’t need to have special talents to repent. We don’t need to be intelligent to repent. We don’t need money to repent. We don’t need to have bountiful time to repent. We don’t need PhD to repent. Any one and everyone can repent and should repent. Not only the bad guys but also seemingly good people should repent. Why?

What if you clean a room and don’t use the room for a year. Do you think the room is kept clean? You will see a layer of dust on the surface of everything in the room. What if you use the room for a week and do not clean. It would be horrible. Sometimes, no places to sit on in the room like my son’s room. Why? Of course, it’s because we are lazy. But in some sense, that is because of the natural law, which we call the “Law of Entropy.” Everything in the Universe goes in the direction of disorder naturally. Our hearts will be corrupted naturally whether we are good or bad. We become self righteous and selfish naturally.
Then, what does it mean that we repent? These days, computers are easily messed up due to the virus attack. Then I bring the computer to M. Andrew Nam and he reformats the computer. Repentance is like reformatting our hearts. Or Repentance is pushing the “Reset” button on the machine. Then we can cancel the mess and start a brand new beginning. When we drive with GPS, sometimes, by mistake we take different route. Then what does the GPS do for us? “Recalculating.” They find the best way from there to the destination again. When we repent, God becomes our GPS. He leads us to the best way from that point no matter how we messed up our past. Repentance brings refreshment to our soul. Repentance enables us to taste the peace that comes from heaven. Repentance has power to bring positive changes in our lives. Praise God who is very very patient in his mercy and accepts us through repentance. One of the great mistakes we can ever make on earth is ignoring God’s patience and not repenting.

II. What will happen on the day of the Lord?

Let’s look at Verse 10. “But the day of the Lord will come like a thief. The heavens will disappear with a roar; the elements will be destroyed by fire, and the earth and everything in it will be laid bare.” Three things are implied in the day of the Lord coming like a thief:

1. The day of the Lord includes the coming of our Lord Jesus;
2. It will be sudden and unexpected destruction for unbelievers;
3. But, it will bring deliverance and salvation for those who are awake, doing the work assigned to them by the master

How does the Bible describe that day? V6 says “the present heavens and earth are reserved for fire, being kept for the Day of Judgment and destruction of ungodly men.” V10 says. “the heavens will disappear with a roar, the elements will be destroyed by fire.”V12 says, “That day will bring about the destruction of the heavens by fire and elements will melt in the heat.” Isa34:4 says, “All the stars of the heavens will be dissolved and the sky rolled up like a scroll.”

What is the Key word that appears in every verse? That is the “destruction by fire. What things can remain on earth when even basic elements are melted by fire? Scientifically it requires at least million degrees Celsius to melt the elements. In Noah’s time, he was able to survive by riding the Ark. Can we survive on that day by purchasing a ticket for a space shuttle? No. For the heaven will also be disappeared. Then how can we survive? V13 explains. “But in keeping with his promise we are looking forward to a new heaven and a new earth, the home of righteousness.” Those who are looking forward to a new heaven and a new earth will survive. This promise comes from Isaiah 65:17, “Behold, I create new heavens and a new earth; and former things shall not be remembered.” Rev 21:1 says, “Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away.”

Once I looked at the sky to understand the description. “the sky will be rolled up like a scroll.” I could not picture exactly what the Bible describes. But one thing is clear; everything will be destroyed. This gives us a strong message. If you know what will happen tomorrow and you knew that a beautiful beach house would be swept away by a Hurricane, would you be going to buy that house?

People try to build up something on earth, But Peter stresses that every thing will be destroyed. It’s going to be burned up. We should not invest our one and only life for the things that will be destroyed or burned up. Then, is there anything that will not be destroyed on that day? Yes! There is.

Look at verse 11. “Since everything will be destroyed in this way, what kind of people ought you to be? You ought to live holy and godly lives.” Verse 14 says, “make every effort to be found spotless, blameless and at peace with him.” Verse 18 says, “But grows in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.” All these three verses talks about our life style. People in the world focus on the achievement which will be destroyed and forgotten. But God evaluate us through our life style on earth. In order to be evaluated, life style should be remained.

Then, how could we build up our life on the things that will not be destroyed? Apostle Peter admonishes us to live holy and godly lives. The word ‘holy’ doesn’t click in our mind. It’s not about moral achievement as people think. In order to be holy, we should be godly; we can not be godly without holiness. Therefore, holy life is Godly life. Godly life is to live according to Godly principles.” What does it mean to live a life according to Godly principle? When we value what God values, we can live according to Godly principle. For example, the world values money, but God values soul. The world values outward appearance, but God values the heart, pure heart, poor heart, contrite heart and humble heart. The world values the tangible things, but God values the things that have eternal value. The world values how much people accumulate, but God values how much we gave. The world values high position and title, but God values servant ship. When we live according to worldly principle, we will be familiar with the words, envy, hate, greed, anger, dissensions. Etc. , When we live according to Godly principle, we will be familiar with the words, love, joy, peace faithfulness, trust, self-control and hope, etc..
Which life style is cooler, angry life or peaceful life? Empty life or meaningful life? We stand on God’s side because that is better. Let’s live holy and godly lives

What’s Apostle Peter’s last admonishment? Look at the V18 again. “grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.”
How can we grow in the grace of our Lord Jesus? I believe that we need to receive the grace of Jesus constantly. Then, how can we receive his grace? From my experience, I can tell three different ways. First, God gives his grace through the special incidents which we do not expect. Second, God gives his grace when we meditate his words. Third, God gives his grace when we pray daily.

I have lived a law-based life. I don’t know why it happened that way. When I was in second grade, I set one rule that I should not miss school. So I never missed school even one day till I graduated college for 16 years. Setting the rules gave me discipline direction, and discipline gave me strength and the sense of achievement. My motto was “I can do everything if I set the goal.” I tried to reject the words, such as impossible, weak, hurt, or care. I was very independent but very lonely. When I accepted Jesus as my Lord and savior June 1 in 1980, through the one to one bible study with M. David Baik. Heavenly peace came into my heart. I could put all the burdens (meaninglessness, emptiness and greed) of my life down before Jesus. After that I worked hard to pay off the debt I had from God. I did not know what God grace is meant. In 1987, just 10 days before my marriage, I had an accident in the factory I worked. I was ended up 40 days of hospitalization, including 8 hours of surgery on my face. I thanked God that I could have rest from my work. One night, Jesus who is bleeding on the cross, appeared to me in a vision. I could hear the voice of Jesus through my mind, “Moses! Do you think that you can pay off the debt you owe me? I realized that God’s grace is a free gift, not a debt. Through this event, I began to grow in the grace of Jesus. God helped me to grow in the grace by marrying M. Grace who is the most graceful woman in the world. In U.S, God placed me to teach the students in East New York, Brooklyn. Everyday I prayed while I was driving to school, “Lord help me not to scream at the students today.” But my grace ran out even before the first period ends. Everyday was survivor game.

From 2006, I started Morning Prayer. Every morning When I kneel down before God’s presence, God gave me his grace like morning dew. Do you know how the plants in the desert survive? It is because of morning dew. God doesn’t give morning dew in the heat of the day when the plants need the moisture the most. God give moisture before dawn before we meet the harsh reality to strengthen us. God moisturized my heart everyday through his grace. Students need discipline but they also need God’s mercy and grace. I don’t struggle with them any more with my own strength but with the grace of God given to me everyday through prayer. I prayed for the student by naming them one by one. This year, I was supersized that 74 % of E.S students passed the state regents exam even though they were repeaters. School’s average passing rate was 40%. I could see God showed his mercy on them.
I am still strict and legalistic. But I thank God who enables me to grow in the grace of Jesus

Everything What God promised was fulfilled except Jesus’ Second coming. Jesus will surely come like a thief because he promised. Rev 22:7 said, “Behold I am coming soon. V12 said, “Behold I am coming soon.” V20 said, “yes, I am coming soon.” On that day, everything will be destroyed by God’s judgment fire. Only the fruits of holiness will remain. Let’s stand on God’s side and live a holy and godly life, seeking Godly principles. Let’s remember that Glory and Victory was already reserved for us when Jesus comes again. May God give us the Joy of growing in His Grace.

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2 Chronicles 7:11-16

By Teresa Dombach

This morning’s passage actually is part of a larger story. So, at the risk of putting everyone to sleep, I would like to tell you that story.

It begins with Solomon’s father, David. David began as a shepherd boy, who in his teenage years was chosen by God to be king of both Judah and Israel. After many battles, and much hardship, he won the hearts of the people and managed to claim the throne. David was king. He was rich. He had several wives and many children. He had the palace, and he was on top of the world.

Now David knew that God was the one who got him through all those battles and fights, the one who blessed him with a palace and family, the one who gave him riches and gifts. So, David wanted to do something nice for God.

Have you ever wanted to do something for God? Maybe it’s playing in a praise band, organizing a summer Bible conference, beginning a campus ministry, becoming a missionary. It’s that moment when we are so thankful for all that God has done, that we want to do something for God.

David decided to build God a temple — a proper home for God. Because while David lived in a palace, God lived in a tent.  For generations, the Ark of the Covenant where God was believed to dwell was carried around from place to place in a tent. However, a few hours after David made the decision, God spoke through a prophet and said “No.”

God said: “Are you the one to build me a house to dwell in? I have not dwelt in a house from the day I brought the Israelites up out of Egypt to this day. I have been moving from place to place with a tent as my dwelling. Wherever I have moved with all the Israelites, did I ever say to any of their rulers whom I commanded to shepherd my people Israel, ‘Why have you not built me a house of cedar?’”  (2 Samuel 7:5-7) Part of me wonders if God preferred being mobile, so he could seek his people wherever they went.

God continued and said: “When your days are over and you rest with your fathers, I will raise up your offspring to succeed you, who will come from your own body, and I will establish his kingdom. He is the one who will build a house for my Name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever. I will be his father, and he will be my son. When he does wrong, I will punish him with the rod of men, with floggings inflicted by men. But my love will never be taken away from him …” (2 Samuel 7:11-15)

In these verses, many Christians see the parallels with Jesus. Jesus spoke of an eternal kingdom, one that was not of this world and one in which we would have rooms in a house. The Pharisees attacked Jesus because he called God father, and himself the son. Jesus was beaten by a rod and flogged. However, David’s son Solomon came along and took the throne after David’s death. He decided that God’s words were meant for David’s literal son. And he began building.

The temple was 90 feet long, 30 feet wide, and 45 feet high.  Cedar and pine logs were hauled and floated in rafts via the Mediterranean sea by 30,000 men. 80,000 stonecutters cut and dressed stones in a quarry, while 70,000 carriers then brought them to the temple. And an additional 3,300 people supervised the process. The walls were cedar boards, the interior temple and floors were overlaid with gold. Much of the inner furnishings and decorations were made of bronze and cast metal. Only the best for God

It took about seven years to build, and a very, very large amount of blood, sweat, tears and money. On the day of dedication, Solomon sacrificed 22,000 cattle and 120,000 sheep and goats — that’s not including the grain offering.

One night after the temple was finished, God appeared to Solomon. According to verse 12: “The Lord appeared to him at night and said: ‘I have heard your prayer and have chosen this place for myself as a temple for sacrifice.’” Maybe God hadn’t intended for Solomon to build the temple, maybe He did, but God either way accepted their hard work, sacrifice and most of all prayer. God realized that building that temple, and all that went into it, was their way of seeking God, and inviting God to live with them. Maybe the temple was not necessary, but God accepted their prayer.

I have to admit that when Pastor David first texted me about giving message, I really wanted to do it, but not on this passage. Prayer is not my forte, and in fact, I am angry at God for not answering so many of my prayers. But as I mulled over the passage, I realized I really relate to building the temple. I’m a doer, a builder. I will pour everything that I am into something — the orchestra, HBF, Seed messages, 1:1 Bible studies, seminary school — doing all of it for God. I make sacrifices, cry tears, and even go broke. I build temples.

But my first reaction to verse 12, was poor Solomon. After all his hard work, after everything that went into that temple, after sacrificing so much, God doesn’t even say good job? God doesn’t give him a reward or blessing? Some people will say that being with God is a reward, but God was with them in the tent — God’s just changing houses.

Then I stumbled on verse 13. “When I shut up the heavens so that there is no rain, or command locusts to devour the land or send a plague among my people,” In my mind, I still have this crazy idea that if you do something for God, God will bless you. But these Israelites just spent seven years and so much money building a temple, and God said “when” I bring a drought and your food won’t grow, “when” locusts devour all your food and you starve, and “when” your people die from plague. Not “if,” but “when.” Instead of being blessed for all they had done, it seems as if God were cursing them. You can see as a “temple” builder, I’m really frustrated.

But then we come to verse 14.  “If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land.” Although God accepts our temples — our work, our sacrifice — God wants more. God will dwell in our temple — whether it is a message, a ministry, a skit, a worship song — but on its own the temple is not enough. According to 2 Chronicles, this is what God really wants.

First, humility. We can’t even approach God without humility. When we think we can do it on our own, then we believe that we have no need for God. God can seek us out, but we will ignore God — because what use is God to me? I can do everything on my own. Realizing we need help, that personal humility, is our first step to interacting with God.

And it’s also a step we must continue to do all our lives. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve tackled a task or project, or even a message, and not sought God’s help. I might be doing it for God, but in the back of my mind, I think I can handle it on my own. It’s so easy to forget humility and forget how much we desperately need our Lord.

But humility also doesn’t stop at seeking God’s help. I mentioned earlier that often I want credit for building my temples — a pat on the back. Solomon never seemed to desire that, at least outwardly. He was humble. In our generation, the best example I can think of that humility is Mother Teresa.

She was quoted once as saying, “I could never do what I do, if He didn’t ask me to do it. … I don’t take credit for my work. All I have done is His will. … I am only a pencil in the hands of God. It is He, He who writes.” Humility is building the temple, and realizing that God is the designer and God worked harder than we did.

Second, prayer. Prayer in its most basic form is communication with God, but prayer is closely tied with humility. Many people treat prayer as a demand. “Lord, I need a parking space, and I need it now.” And presto, I have a parking space. Now, I’m not saying that doesn’t work because I’ve tried it myself sometimes.

But once a group of us were discussing Mark 11, in which Jesus said, “I tell you the truth, if anyone says to this mountain, ‘Go throw yourself into the sea,’ and does not doubt in his heart but believes that what he says will happen, it will be done for him.” One 19-year-old was perplexed because she had prayed that exact prayer, believing it with all her heart, willing the mountain to go into the sea, but the mountain didn’t move. A 30-year-old in the group, put his hand on her by the shoulder and said, “Young one, when you have the type of faith to move mountains, you realize the mountains are fine just where they are.”

God is not a vending machine, nor a genie in a bottle. We don’t pray with all our hearts, and it magically happens. Instead, our prayers are humble requests. Even verse 15 says: “Now my eyes will be open and my ears attentive to the prayers offered in this place.” God’s eyes will be open and his ears attentive; God will always be listening. But that is God’s only guarantee.

There is persistent prayer, breath prayers, personal prayer, two-by-two prayer — there are so many books on prayer and so many people in this room who know more about prayer than I do, or probably ever will.

But prayer, in any form, is a request. Yes, God can do the impossible, but that does not mean that God is going to obey my will. God will do God’s will, even if that means not answering some of my prayers.

Third, seek my face.  This one I found confusing, because if you are building something for God, aren’t you already seeking God? But according to verse 14 either, 1) they were seeking God, but later stopped seeking God, so they needed to seek God again, or 2) even though they built the temple, they were not seeking God to begin with.

We can seek many things in life. For example, we can seek riches and comfort. That’s usually an easy one to spot because all we care about are dollar signs. We will step on everyone and everything in our path all for selfish gain.

But, we can also seek the approval and love of others. That’s a little trickier. Am I going to Bible study because I’m seeking God or because I want my Bible teacher or parents to love me or approve of my actions? Am I the lead dancer, lead actor, or lead singer because I want to honor God or because I want the attention? Do I want to build the “temple” because I want to glorify God’s name or because I want to glorify my name? Sometimes, it can really be hard to discern if I’m truly seeking God.

Harder yet is when I think I’m seeking God, but I’m only seeking human or religious standards. To seek God is to try to be like God, but we can never be like God because we are imperfect humans. But that doesn’t mean we should stop trying. Too often our desire isn’t to seek the perfection of God, but just to do as good as our neighbors. They all go to church every Sunday, so I go to church every Sunday. They go to 1:1 Bible study, so I go to 1:1 Bible study. They all tithe, so I tithe. That should at least make me as holy as they are. If I go to GBS and Friday meeting, maybe I’ll even be holier than them. We are no longer seeking God’s face, but a religious standard.

But we are supposed to “seek God’s face.” Not things of this world or human/religious standards. I also love how the author of 2 Chronicles writes, “seek God’s face.” Not God’s ways, not God’s love, not God’s wisdom, not God’s righteousness, but seek God’s face. Just be in the presence of God, staring at God’s face. That’s what we should be seeking.

Fourth, turn from our wicked ways. It’s hard to believe that these people who had just worked so hard and sacrificed so much to build this temple for God had wicked ways. Most people would consider them holy. But many times we can appear good and holy on the outside, while stuffing our wickedness deep down within us.

I have a confession to make: I am a murderer. In Matthew 5:21-22 Jesus said, “You have heard that it was said to the people long ago, ‘Do not murder, and anyone who murders will be subject to judgment. But I tell you that anyone who is angry with his brother will be subject to judgment.’” So the truth is that I have murdered A LOT of people, some people who are even sitting in this room. Some people will say, “that’s not real murder.” But if that is true then I’m seeking human standards and human approval, not seeking God’s face.

I have a tendency to take that wickedness and stuff it deep down inside of me. I think that I have gotten rid of it, but it always resurfaces — maybe it resurfaces when someone wrongs me again, or when I don’t trust a person, or even when for a split second I give someone a nasty glance. Or for example, when I was writing this message, and was thinking about the temples I’ve built and what I considered the few blessings I’ve received, one night I became consumed by bitterness, jealousy and anger. I thought that I had dealt with that wickedness, but apparently I did not.

Instead of repressing my wickedness so that it rips me apart inside and eventually rears its ugly head again, I need to turn from it. Turn around, leave the wickedness behind — definitely don’t hold on to it. But let go. To use the Christian terms, I need to repent. I need to remove the old clothes, and put on the new clothes. I need to be transformed.

Those four — humility, prayer, seek my face and turning from our wicked ways — that’s what God seeks. That’s what it will take for our sins to be forgiven and for God to heal our land. The temples are nice, but God wants more — God wants us. To work with us, communicate with us, be with us and transform us. God wants us.

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2 Timothy 4:1-8
Key verses: 2-3

Preach the Word; be prepared in season and out of season; correct, rebuke and encourage—with great patience and careful instruction. For the time will come when men will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear.

By Carlos Diaz

Let’s first talk about who Paul was in the context of his role in the bible as preacher: The apostle Paul back when he was called Saul was a zealot, early in his life it was his mission to destroy the followers of Jesus, whether by death or persecutions he made up his mind to rid the world of what he knew was heresy until a trip to Damascus where he met the very Jesus he was trying to destroy, there Paul received God and God transformed his passion against Christ to a passion for Christ, Paul was healed and later became one of the greatest if not the greatest apostle enduring all sorts of hardships working endlessly for the kingdom of Heaven.

Here in one of His final letters Paul realizes that his time is coming to an end he has finished the race as a senior shepherd, and he is giving his last instructions to his spiritual “son” Timothy. We should all put ourselves in Timothy’s shoes and realize this tremendous command, this tremendous responsibility we have as Christians to preach the Good news.

Let’s take a moment to understand the gravity of the times we are in and the urgency for the truth of the gospel –, because everyday we realize that sin is around us and is constantly multiplying, chapter 3 says.

The apostle John agrees with Paul and writes in 1 John 18: It’s the last hour and as you have heard the antichrist is coming so now many antichrist have come, therefore we know that it is the last hour – Some people read this and say “ha, I guess John got it wrong because clearly it wasn’t the last hour since we are still here.” Incorrect, John never meant hour like 60 minutes, he meant hour like period of time and Jesus used the word in the same way when he said in regards to his crucifixion “my hour has not yet come” but Jesus clearly suffered more than 60 minutes. So he is not talking about an hour, but a period of time and clearly there is a period of time from the ascension of Christ to the return of Christ that is called the church age – and it’s important for us to know what time it is.

It says in scripture that false prophets preaching a different gospel will promote the antichrist, it says that these false prophets will promote him and use all the influence that they have to promote that one person. And many people will be led astray and are being led astray as we speak, many celebrities will follow this antichrist and the lost sheep of this world will say “oh wow” and follow this. So what time is it? We know it is late in the hour because MANY antichrists have already come – the proliferation and popularity of antichrist messages is one of the defining features. So let’s ask the question, how popular and how prevalent are antichrist messages today? John writes many antichrists have come therefore we know it’s the last hour- we know it because MANY have come.

There are many false prophets out there and they are trying to keep us away from sound doctrine of Jesus Christ but we have to know what they are and know how to combat them.
The false prophets are as we speak preaching using the media to build up the antichrist, and it’s all in the name of entertainment and the spirit of what feels good must be good.

I’d like to briefly present what the other team is preaching.
1. Oprah video, where she denies Jesus
2. Jay-Z “Run This Town” music video where he says HE is a god and rules this world
3. Audio clip of Jay-Z’s song played backwards, “666, murder, murder, Jesus”

Here’s another example of the so-called “Christian “author Rhonda Byrne who recently wrote a book called THE SECRET. It reads, “You are god in physical body, you are eternal life expressing yourself as you, you are all power, you are all wisdom, you are all perfection – you do not need to ask for forgiveness nor feel shame for the earth turns in its orbit for you, the oceans and rivers flow for you, the birds sing for you the sun rises and sets or you,” and then she proclaims that none of it can exist without you because YOU are the master of the universe. That’s blasphemy, it’s an antichrist message and it’s not a new one Satan told Eve in the Garden of Eden that if you eat this fruit you will be like God, it’s nothing new, just a new package. Satan just has a few lies that he keeps reshaping and we continually fall.

Dan Brown’s world renowned “Da Vinci Code” which sold millions of copies worldwide and scored a block bluster hit movie which states that Jesus is just a mere man and not the Son of God, not the savior of the world. Yet people believe this story even though it sits in the fiction section of the library, but they refuse to believe in the bible which sits in the non fiction – 2 Tim 4:3.

READINESS

So now that we have heard the preaching from the other side we can understand the urgency of the situation and hopefully we may realize that we MUST be READY to preach, AMEN. Some of you have preaching for awhile some of you just started and some of you I know after hearing what the enemy is preaching may now want to get involved. This is the first “R” be ready to preach. We have a command to “be instant in season, out of season” this carries the picture of a soldier on duty (David and Danny Picture), ready for battle at any moment, ready to preach, pray, or die. Preaching is not something we do only when we feel like it or when the audience is receptive to our message.

Listen to what Paul writes: I charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who will judge the living and the dead and in view of His Kingdom, I give you this charge – Preach the Word be prepared in season and out of season.

Proclaim the gospel – which means to declare publicly either in speech or in writing or to give an outward indication, in everything we do we are representatives of Christ we can be good representatives or poor representatives. Ladies and Gentlemen, when a patient comes in with a stage IV cancer [there is no room for wasting time, we have the cure for the sin problem] today I give this message in all seriousness with a strong sense of urgency. Later Paul specifically says that difficult times will come in the LAST DAYS – therefore knowing what time it is, is essential for our everyday living.

When the clock says 6:00 am I know it’s time to wake up (my wife is still sleeping) by 6:30 I have my clothes on (my wife at this point is now on my side of the bed) by 7:oo am I am done eating breakfast and my wife is upside down in bed.

Pastor David Baik once told me this story, and I’d like to share it with you a pastor by the name of James MacDonald visited the Moody church in Chicago and there pastor Erwin Luther has been such a faithful servant there for almost 30 years and he’s showing pastor James the building and on top of the building they built an outdoor courtyard area and as he’s getting history and such from Pastor Luther he kept hearing this noise (NOISE) right, and he was thinking what is that? But didn’t say anything, and then he’d hear it again a couple of minutes later (NOISE) and so eventually he said what is that? And Pastor Luther said well here’s the thing there are so many pigeons, so do you know what that’s a recording of? That’s the recording of a falcon killing a pigeon. So the first part you heard that was the falcon and the eek part was the pigeon and this recording goes off every two minutes in Moody church. Apparently, that’s the memory cycle of a pigeon. They don’t want pigeons on their new and beautiful roof so they constantly play this recording every two minutes because if they play the recording every four minutes the pigeons would land make a mess and then hear the recording and go oh yeah and fly away, but every two minutes is the perfect cycle so the pigeons don’t ever arrive.

O.K well I have to be honest, when I heard that story I thought about myself and I thought about us, and I thought of how soon we forget stuff we get side tracked by many things and I thought to myself that’s why I have to prepare myself I have to be ready at all times. We prepare ourselves by coming to church every week because I have to be reminded of things, I’ve got to be reminded of what matters and what will matter a hundred years from today and where this all really going furthermore not only do I need church every week but I need a small group bible study, I need a community that I meet with and pray with I need because sometimes I’ll land somewhere and I don’t even know where I am and all of a sudden (NOISE) because the enemy is constantly seeking those whom he may devour and I need some reminders to tell me, it’s not safe for me over there.

We need to trust God not every year not every month I need to trust God moment by moment – we need to be reminded and let what you heard from the beginning ABIDE (as the lady missionaries sang earlier) in you let it settle down and be at home in you more and more deeply through the years (we are constantly being refreshed by emptying out and confessing our sins through testimony sharing) and if what you’ve heard from the beginning abides in you then you too will abide in the Son and in the Father and in the Holy Spirit.

Be READY because even as we speak Satan is building his army, training and winning people over to fight for him, meanwhile what are we doing? Our mission from the beginning is to preach the gospel (a Kingdom of Priest and a Holy nation), our mission is raising up disciples and apostles who are willing and able to take on the world through the Word of God. We should ask ourselves once again, am I committed to going into battle? are we ready? Do we have the tools necessary? We need to make a decision of faith because we cannot be neutral on a moving train.

Are we ready? Lets face it you and I are more concerned with public opinion then were willing to admit; we would rather go with the flow, we would rather watch T.V then read the bible, sleep in then be on our knees, we find it easier to wink at wrong rather than deal with it, we are all inclined to let our children get away with things they should not get away with because discipline takes time and effort, we would all rather talk about self esteem then esteeming of others, we would all rather talk about positive affirmations rather than self examination, we would all rather avoid preaching for fear of experiencing rejection.

Let’s face it none of us really enjoy suffering, the Lord Jesus cried out in Gethsemane, “Father, if it is your will…” The apostle Paul prayed 3 times, “God please take this thorn out of the flesh,” three times obviously he prayed with fervor. Peter, when his chips were down, said “Who me? I’ve never heard of Jesus I don’t even know who you’re talking about.” Sometimes we’re ashamed to preach Jesus, we’re afraid to preach because he hate to suffer. Yet sometimes suffering is very part of being ready to becoming faithful to God and when that time comes to you, Paul is saying, “Be like me, young Timothy, young shepherd, young shepherdess! Stand up and be counted! Don’t give up! Don’t choose the easy path!” When you are timid and reluctant it is because you are afraid. What is it that you are afraid of? Deep down, what is the thing that causes your fear? Loss of your job? Money and property? Loss prestige? Loss of life? Fear of death? Don’t you know? Haven’t you been taught? Have you not heard Jesus has OVERCOME the grave there is no need to fear the unknown.

REVIVE

The next “R” stands for revival; now this is my favorite word and it has a special meaning for all of us today because healing comes with revival AMEN. And God has promised to give us revival (we’re looking to your promise of old that if we come and humble ourselves you will come and heal our land) We are crying out for revival, we want to be ignited once again with the same passion, the same zeal we once had when we first met Jesus. Gosh, I remember hearing so many Christian friends describing when they first met Jesus and how there was this fire in your eyes, there was something in your step something different when you spoke, you were unstoppable ready to take on the world. But sometimes during long periods of struggle that fire that we once had is harder to keep lit, it hard to keep that intensity because sometimes bad things happen and it compromises our own testimony, the world makes us bitter and our light is dimmed.

Why do you think we go on retreats? It’s because we are NOT of this world. Since we are called to be different we are in daily battle with this world. What should I compare us to? We are like salmon who swim against the current. Many of us maybe are wounded from battle; some of us might be hurting some might be in despair, discouraged, and disappointed. So we come together to obtain revival, we join together tonight in order to obtain healing we must come to God and poor out our hearts and admit we are in need of personal revival. We are constantly struggling against the world and it’s temptations – we have supervisors, teachers, our grades, co-workers, mortgages, bills, and other worldly cares that are insignificant yet these thoughts creep up and divert our attention away from God.

But here, we are able to retreat from all the things in our daily life that just really bring us down and turn our attention away from God – here we are together in like-mindedness for one purpose to be healed of our heart, which is constantly being broken by this world. There is absolutely nothing that God cannot heal or fix is His arm too short, is His arm too weak? We must say ENOUGH, enough is enough I am up to hear with sin breaking up relationships, breaking up families, make us slaves making us invalids to shame, to curse I WANT TO GET WELL JESUS HEAL ME! JESUS USE ME!

REMAIN

Finally the last “R” stands for REMAIN, [If you remain in me then I will remain in you]. Let’s read verse 4:6 “I am already being poured out like a drink offering…” I pray that we do receive revival and healing in this retreat because we need to work together, we need to stick together now more than ever because we must remain in the race that we started … I know some started their race many years ago, some have only started recently – that doesn’t matter, what does matter is that we finish – you all do realize that there is no social security in the Kingdom of Heaven. We are all called to work together, pray together, sing praises together until we all reach the FULL MEASURE of the knowledge of Jesus Christ.

I was looking through my Dad’s old picture albums and in them I saw pictures of so many young and handsome and beautiful missionaries, those who started the race many years ago (Photos of the FIRST NYUBF bible conference in 1974, the NYUBF Christmas worship service of 1978). This is our heritage, this is our trade: we are fishermen of men and we are together with the responsibility to go out in faith and preach the good news any and everywhere.

Yvette explained it so clearly – God’s gift to us is life, He gave up His only son to die for us to reconcile us to the Father and we gladly received this gift knowing that we did not deserve this awesome gift and so we run around and tell people about this awesome gift we received free of charge from God – we testify to the power of this life by our transformed life: We proclaim to others do you remember me? I was the invalid who was addicted to alcohol, I was the invalid addicted to smoking, sexual immoralities, judging others thinking I was better than others because of some hierarchy, I was the invalid addicted to pornography, I was legalistic, fatalistic but look at me now I have OVER COME!

And so we run our race proclaiming the healing power of God through the sanctifying blood of Jesus Christ we have our vision our goal and we expect to win the crown of life. This may sound selfish but we should understand that the Kingdom of Heaven is not like communism where everyone gets the same pay no matter how much or how little we do. If this were so when we accept Jesus we would become complacent, and say, “Hey, I’m already saved, I should relax why should I go out and preach, correct and rebuke? I already did my part years ago I don’t need to work let the others worry about this or that.

You see this attitude works against our spiritual growth … and we may never end up finishing the race we first committed to finishing. If we think this way then we are like the living dead, physically we are alive but spiritually we are dead. We must continually pursue inner transformation and we must continually pursue Holiness because you cannot separate true happiness from holiness so we run the race (preaching the word of God seeking to win Gold crown of life).

We are running the race to gain the crown of life – but remember what we said earlier? Life is God’s gift to us, do we really want to enter Heaven without returning with some gift? Therefore, what we do with it is our gift back to Him. So when we receive our crown of life the book of Revelations says we place our crowns at his feet and we cry out HALLELUJAH LORD for you alone are worthy to receive honor, praise, glory, wealth and worship.

I don’t know about you but I want to run this race so hard and so fast and so straight so that I can receive the biggest crown I can get so I can go to my daddy and say here dad thank you for giving me life, love, purpose thank you Lord for using my life for making me count for giving me a purpose.

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