Man in Desperate Need of Life
Every parent wants to provide the best for their children. Nevertheless there is something even parents cannot give. When their children’s life is in danger, there is very little parents can do. The reason people are not too concerned when their children become sick is probably because they think they will recover quickly once they go to the doctors. However there are times when even doctors can do nothing. While no parent ever wants to go through that, the reality is that people are being confronted by situations where it feels like the sky is falling down
Man cannot give life to anybody. There is not much that man can do when it comes to matters concerned directly with life. He can do nothing but helplessly watch his dying child. In any such critical situation, every parent would try to give what their children need. Yet, there is no one who can give the very thing the child needs, that is, life.
The very little life every person is born with from their mother is so-called the breath of life. But that life is so feeble that in order to sustain it, a person has to consume something soon after birth. And he cannot just eat anything; he must consume a variety of nutrients including protein, carbohydrates, vitamins, iron, etc. Not only that, he must drink water and breathe oxygen. He also needs sunlight and maintain optimal temperature. Likewise there is a variety of elements he is required to consume in order for man to support his breath of life.
It is hard not be amazed by the wisdom of man when we see the development of scientific development. It is incredible how such masses of heavy metal is able to fly in the sky, and how we can communicate with people on the other side of the globe through such a tiny device. It makes us think that man has limitless capabilities. However man is not so competent in every field. It might seem as if man is efficient in the cultivation of something by using his intelligence to store up knowledge. Yet he is utterly powerless when it comes to preserving his own life.
For survival, man has to search and utilize the things God has provided on the earth and extend his time given. When such supply and provision ends, his existence also ends. The same is when each person’s lifespan reaches its end. Man needs the provision of something in order for him to sustain his breath of life. Hence if there exists someone who gives him that provision, he must wholly depend on that supply source. Once that provision stops, he will be ruled by death. So if man is so incapable of sustaining his own life, how can he handle his spirit that lives forever?

Respond If You Received Life
Jesus said, “I am the vine, you are the branches; apart from Me you can do nothing” (Jn 15:5). God is the source of life who shares His life to us. In other words, our relationship with God is that between the life-giver and life-receiver. God is not in need of anything that He needs to be served by the hands of men; rather He gives to all life, breath, and all things (Acts 17:25).
The Son of God came to the world to give life to man, not rule over them (Jn 14:6). He said, “I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly: (Jn 10:10). The life He brought to us is more precious than the breath of life we have. He said, “I am the living bread which came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever” (Jn 6:51). In the Son of God is the eternal life that God is giving us (1 Jn 5:11).
What is man’s fatal weakness? It is the absence of life. And we are not in a position where we can reject or neglect the help of God that is trying to fill that very deficiency of ours. By the life of God we received, we became children of God liberated from the power of death. Furthermore, we came to overcome the sicknesses of our flesh, because Jesus not only shed His blood on the cross but was scourged to carry our infirmities too. Thus we need to possess God’s given life in our spirit and flesh.
There is something we have to do in order to obtain God’s life. For example, electricity might be invisible but it certainly exists. The reason it is possible to use electronic goods in the household is because electricity generated in the power station is supplied into our homes. Electric cables normally consist of two wires: electricity flows in through one and out the other. It must flow in both directions. In the same way, we need to react and respond when life comes into us.
Romans 10:10 says, “For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.” If we do not have the confession of how we gained Jesus Christ, our faith life will stop there. This is very similar to having the cable connected but not getting any power. Even if God pours His life abundantly, if we do not respond and confess Jesus Christ, God’s life cannot come into us.
So many Christians think that saying, “I believe in Jesus Christ”, is sufficient as a confession of Jesus Christ. However agreeing to a creed does not make one a true Christian. At the time when the New Testament was being written, those who confessed (acknowledged) Jesus Christ had to endure great suffering. Under Roman Empire and oppression from the Jews, they even had to put their lives on the line. And it was in such times that Christians confessed Jesus Christ.
God knew that Abraham was faithful and upright. Yet He did not acknowledge him until he took his son on a three-day journey and was about to strike him with a knife. Though Peter’s faith confession surprised even the Lord, when he said he would die for Him, the Lord instead said, “You will deny Me”. And Peter indeed failed to confess the Lord. He might have confessed the Lord in words, but that was not complete. Ananias and Sapphira too were more than able to confess Jesus Christ in their hearts. However they failed in putting their faith into practice. Then there was Jacob, a person who feared God and treasured His blessing. Nevertheless God did not acknowledge or accept that precious heart of his until he hurt his bone after struggling all night.
Just as electrical current that has flow out again, if we have received grace from God, we should not only acknowledge it with our lips but glorify God through worship, thanksgiving, praise, service and dedication. If we have received anything from God, then we have to practice our confession of faith. This is the way we confess Jesus Christ.

Eternal Life by Practicing Our Confession of Jesus Christ
Tithe and giving offering is the rightful duty of a people of God. If we are calculative and seek our own profit and interest before the One who gave up His own life to give us life, how will we maintain our relationship with Him? If we neglect so great a salvation we received, how will we be able to stand before the Lord boldly when He comes? When it comes to this matter of life, we should not let our fleshly desires and self interests hinder it. For those who do not show any response to the salvation they received, it is obvious what their final state would be like. A flag worn and torn by a blood-stained battle! Starving cattle little more than skin and bone in a drought-stricken land! A survivor barely salvaged from a terrible fire! These images are probably what their end would be like.
God gives us His commandments because He anticipates that we would continually obey. Our confession of Jesus Christ must continue and never cease. The way to eternal life should not be regarded as complete just because we received salvation. We cannot go on living like unbelievers once we have realized that God has forgiven our sins. To just attend the Lord’s Day worship and think that to be enough, means one desires not to fellowship with God and does not consider confessing Jesus Christ as something that concerns him personally.
Romans 13:11 says, “And that, knowing the time, that now it is high time to awake out of sleep: for now is our salvation nearer than when we believed.” The phrase “our salvation nearer than when we believed” reveals that this passage is addressing believers. Philippians 2:12 says, “Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling.” Even here the words, “my beloved” show that this verse is speaking to believers. Hence believers are being told to work out (fulfill) their salvation.
Whoever believes is already saved. Then why does the word say to ‘work out salvation’? Philippians 3:20-21 says, “For our citizenship is in heaven, from which we also eagerly wait for the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, who will transform our lowly body that it may be conformed to His glorious body, according to the working by which He is able even to subdue all things to Himself.” 1 Peter 1:13 says, “Therefore gird up the loins of your mind, be sober, and rest your hope fully upon the grace that is to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ,” and verse 17 says, “Conduct yourselves throughout the time of your stay here in fear.” Then in Hebrews 9:28 it says, “So Christ was offered once to bear the sins of many. To those who eagerly wait for Him He will appear a second time, apart from sin, for salvation.” We are waiting for that day when our salvation will be complete.
Because of their hope in that day, the early church saints laid down their own lives (Rom 16:4). Confessing Jesus Christ with words is not enough. We must have sound communion with God, for that give us the power of eternal life. While we obtain salvation through our faith in the blood of Jesus Christ, the power of eternal life is gained by practicing our confession of Jesus Christ. Until the day of our Lord’s return, we need to work out our eternal life like one who builds a house. We cannot glorify God’s name simply by saying or thinking, “I am a Christian!” When Jesus Christ obeyed the Father’s will, He practiced His obedience even unto death. He said, “I lay down My life for the sheep. I lay down My life that I may take it again. This command I have received from My Father. And I know that His command is everlasting life” (Jn 10:11, 15, 17, 18, 12:50). Whether it is God’s Son or us, in order to gain God’s life we must not spare our own lives.
Mark 8:35-38 says, “For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake and the gospel’s will save it. For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul? Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul? For whoever is ashamed of Me and My words in this adulterous and sinful generation, of him the Son of Man also will be ashamed when He comes in the glory of His Father with the holy angels.”
The Lord did not say that it is sufficient to just love God with the heart. He said, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind” (Matt 22:37). He also said, “If anyone comes to Me and does not hate his family, and his own life also, he cannot be My disciple” (Luke 14:26). He did not say these things to just put us in a difficult position. The Lord is working so that we may obtain eternal life. The reason He keeps giving us the word to obey and duties to carry out is because that is the way to receiving eternal life. We ought to gain eternal life by practicing our confession of Jesus Christ. Because He knew God’s commandments were eternal life, Jesus Christ obeyed to the point of death. We also need to lay down our lives and gain God’s life. We ought to use this breath of life, which will deplete over time, in confession Jesus Christ, and take possession of the eternal life God is giving.
In Christ we have become priests. The Levites in the Old Testament were not given their own possessions because God became their possession. Like them, we have become God’s temple, God’s building, God’s field (1 Cor 3:9). The land that drinks in the seasonal rain and produces plants useful for those by whom it is cultivated, receives blessing from God but if it bears thorns and briers, it is rejected and near to being cursed, whose end is to be burned (Heb 6:7-8). Therefore we all have to show the same diligence to the full assurance of hope until the end (Heb 6:11).

Worshipping as One Seeking Eternal Life
We are in need of God’s help. But receiving God’s help is not a privilege of the forgiven. It is a privilege of those who obey His commandments and practice their confession of Jesus Christ. Thus a successful worship is imperative for anyone who seeks God’s help. Worship is in itself a privilege of those who obey God, because as a result of it they will receive eternal life.
There are times when people are not healed of their sickness even after receiving prayer and the laying on of hands. There are also times when people are not confident that their problems will be resolved despite crying to God for His help. This is expected from those who are not in fellowship with God. If anyone is not practicing his confession of God, he must quickly restore his relationship with God. And for that, successful worship is a prerequisite. Whoever comes before God needs to worship in spirit and truth, and now is the time to do so. God is seeking such worshippers (Jn 4:23-24).
No one can confess Jesus as Lord without the Holy Spirit (1 Cor 12:3), for only those who confess by the Holy Spirit would lay down their own lives in order to purchase life. Hence only those who live by the Holy Spirit can give the worship God is seeking. And such people will also pray by the Holy Spirit, as well as serve and worship by the Holy Spirit. For this reason, we must switch ourselves off from the world when we come to worship. No matter how busy the earthly matters might be, our whole heart has to be fixed upon God during worship.
When the message proclaimed is worthy of glorifying God’s name, all should join together and say, “Amen!” We need to sing praises sincerely with all of our might. If anybody is thinking, “Well if I want to sing or not is up to me,” he needs to change his ways quickly. Just as the people of Israel did in the past, if we are members of the church, we ought to unite forces and make the worship a beautiful masterpiece before God.
When we pray, we have to earnestly cry out. It is not right to be sitting with our lips tightly shut or watch others praying, as if we are not in need of God’s help. Whether we are singing or praying to God, it must be done as those who are confessing Jesus Christ. If we do not confess Him during worship, when will we? Praying alone in our own rooms and praying during worship are different. We cannot say of the latter, “Prayer is about me and God so don’t meddle with it!” Jesus said, “Where two or three are gathered together in My name, I am there in the midst of them” (Matt 18:20). Every member needs to have the heart to contribute to the prayer of the church.
Furthermore, there should not be anyone answering phone calls or texting during the worship service. By turning off our phones before the worship we need to make sure nothing will interfere with the service. Our worship should make unbelievers think, “Wow, they give all their life to worship. They really do confess Jesus!” Even newcomers should automatically be moved and inspired by the way we worship.
By giving all of our heart, our soul and life, we have to offer the most beautiful worship, worthy of God. For this, all members of the church must contribute. Whether it is prayer or singing praises to God, they should all be considered as the masterpiece presented before God together as a church, not individually. And there will be the fullness of God’s life at work wherever such worship is offered.

The word that the Lord imparted to us is eternal.
For example, disobedience to the commandment given to Adam about eating the fruit of knowledge of good and evil was such an evil sin that redemption was only possible by giving up God’s only Son.
Just one word from Him could bring e ternal life; however, I wonder why people hesitate sharing this word of truth. Do they really have faith and hope?
The Lord commanded us, “If you love me, then keep my commandment.” In other words, love your neighbors. The word, “love” is commonly used in the world so much that they call a one-night-stand as love and even breaking up as love. Yet, following the lustful desires of the flesh is not love. Loving eternally like God’s love is the only true love. Affection between male and female can be called love, but it does not contain forgiveness.
The love that Jesus speaks of is the eternal love where there is forgiveness. In this world, there’s nothing like maternal love. Just as the mother of Jesus loved the Son of Man, He speaks of this true love. “Love God and love your neighbor as yourself.” Thus, there’s no love like maternal love. Maternal love eternally covers sin and never leaves you.
Though a mother has never gone to a school to receive education and has no money, she gives birth to many children with all of her strength, educate them, and raise them to become healthy. That is maternal love. If such love exists in ministries, then the whole church would be filled with knowledge and the Holy Spirit. Not even a single person would fall to the world.
A teacher might temporarily worry about a student’s future but he will not take responsibility of the student. Even in the church, there are many teachers but not true fathers (maternal love). Hence, how did I continue in ministry? I tried to do my best but do I lack true maternal love? My heart aches much.
My body became old, and I’m living day by day with a death sentence given by the doctor. But I truly love my church members. I ask God repeatedly so that I would be full of such love, but time is limited and I no longer have physical strength.

Pastor Ki-Dong Kim
Lord’s Day Worship Column

[gmedia id=53]

[vimuse id=”2″]

Outline and Summary translated by Sarah Nam
Letter translated by Jada Shim
Interpretations by Sarah Nam

Chief Editor: Helen Nam
Korean Summary by Ki-Taek Lee