God the Living One

God is alive. Often when we hear the statement, ‘God is alive’, we may be tempted not to think that seriously about what that means, but that is a very scary situation in which to find oneself. When someone looks at a beautiful picture, they might say, “This picture is alive!” but you must not confuse the statement, ‘God is alive’, to mean in the same way as the picture. God is actually alive. Just as a person is alive, talking and moving, God is alive, and even now does His work.

The living God wanted us to know Him. For this reason, the Word of God put on flesh, becoming a man, and made His dwelling among us. However, there would be some who would doubt, saying, “Would God who is so high and exalted recognize me who am so small and insignificant? Nevertheless, the very fact that the Word became flesh is sufficient to settle such doubt.

When the Word became flesh, He did not circumvent the experience of childbirth. He was conceived in the womb, underwent a natural birth, matured in the normal and natural way, suffered scorn and mistreatment just like any other man, and He eventually died on the cross and was buried in a tomb. The reason that the Word of God became flesh was to taste life as a man. (Hebrews 2:9) When we consider Jesus’ life and experiences, we must be aware that God’s attention was focused on Him from the moment He was conceived. We can easily verify this by the word of God delivered by the angel to Mary, “You shall conceive and bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus”

In this way God says to us who are united with Him, that just as God focused His attention on Jesus from the Word of God was conceived, so too does He pay attention to us. Even though we are weak and small, God has been attentive of us from the moment we were conceived. Indeed, we can see this recorded in the scripture in that God knew Jacob and Esau even before they were born.

Though the Word became flesh and died, He was raised from the dead. Even now He is in heaven pouring the Holy Spirit out on those who believe in Him. And it is God who raised Him from the dead. Because God is alive, Christians can pray and receive an answer and see miracles. Not only that, but we can also lay hands on the sick and heal them because God is alive, and we can lay hands on those who believe and are baptized so that they may receive the Holy Spirit.

The Holy Spirit bears witness that God is alive. For a man to remain in the faith without receiving the Holy Spirit, is like finding a needle in the darkness. On the other hand, anyone who is filled with the Holy Spirit can experience the living God as sure as you can see someone when you light a fire. If a man has not experienced the living God, he may not have received the Holy Spirit.

Grace

The living God still fulfills His promises. Ezekiel 34:26 says, “I will make them and the places all around my hill a blessing. I will send down showers in their season; there will be showers of blessing.” If we are prepared to accept the blessings of God, we will be able to receive the blessings that God pours out like showers. But if someone murmurs and says, “I don’t want God’s blessings” or “I don’t want to be a blessing”, that is a foolish rejection of God and a wicked act of rebellion.

The most basic thing that God has granted to us by His great mercy is salvation from eternal destruction. Every man was doomed to receive eternal punishment because of sin. But God gave us salvation through Jesus Christ. Salvation has been given to each of us by grace. If you are Christian you have received grace. Someone might ignorantly say, “I did not receive grace” (as if they had no need of grace!) If it is true, that person might not be saved. 2 Corinthians 13:5, says, “Examine yourselves to see whether you are in the faith; test yourselves. Do you not realize that Christ Jesus is in you?—unless, of course, you fail the test!”

Christians have received grace. Receiving grace has nothing to do with individual merit. Rather, whoever embarks on a spiritual journey on the basis of his or her own merit cannot receive grace. Someone might say, “God will give me grace because I pray fervently.” However, having your prayers answered is not the same thing as receiving grace, but rather it is God rewarding your prayers with an answer just as He promised. In one sense, some might have a misconception that by doing much service or working in the church they might receive grace. This is incorrect. Grace is a completely free gift that God has given us and it cannot be earned.

Unlike the grace that you have received when you were saved, your reward is that which you reap for your labor. Your reward is not received by grace. You can only receive a reward by doing work for the kingdom of God. Rewards can be given while you are still on the earth, resulting in material prosperity, or they can be given in heaven. In the Old Testament time, those under the Law enjoyed the physical blessings of prosperity by keeping the commandments of God. However, the eternal rewards that God will give His people in heaven after the resurrection are much more important. If you have done nothing for the kingdom of God while on earth you will not receive a reward, even if you have received grace. Nevertheless, you will be saved but as one escaping through the fire. (1 Corinthians 3:10-15)

If you are to live a faithful life like a man who builds his house with gold and silver rather than with wood and straw, you must invest your life for the sake of the kingdom of God which will involve sacrifice. As a Christian, your giving and service in the church should not be so that others see you doing it, but rather so that you may receive the reward for the sake of your soul in eternity, like depositing your treasure in a spiritual savings account. So what about those who claim to be Christians but do not tithe? Malachi 3:8-9 says, “Will a man rob God?” Yet you have robbed Me! But you say, ”In what way have we robbed You?” In tithes and offerings. You are cursed with a curse for you have robbed Me, even this whole nation.” If you withhold that which belongs to God and are cursed, how can God bless you? If you want to prosper on earth and receive an eternal reward in heaven, you must work for the kingdom of god.

The Evidence of the Atonement

More importantly however, it is essential that we receive grace. The only way for grace to be conferred is by faith. This faith is not simply acknowledging that God is alive without any real and personal connection to Him, but rather it involves knowing that Jesus is in fact God in the flesh, and who was sent by God the Father. Jesus was accused of being a sinner, was condemned and killed, and yet He was sinless, so God raised Him from the dead. Why then was He who was sinless executed as a sinner? It is because He paid the penalty for OUR sin in our place. When a Christian claims to have received grace, that means he acknowledges and has received, as a gift, the death of Jesus as an atonement for the sins of all mankind.

It is readily apparent whether or not you have received the atonement for yourself. If you focus on the speck that is in your brother’s eye, that means that you have yet to receive grace. You were once a sinner without any hope in the past, but when you came to Jesus Christ you were saved. However, if do not acknowledge that your brother or sister has also received forgiveness, it is the same as denying that the precious blood of Jesus atoned for his or her sin. Do you think that anyone who denies the atonement of the precious blood of Jesus can be forgiven? If you have truly been forgiven, why do you care about other people’s sins?

Only those who have received grace can minister. That is because only those who have received grace can see others as the righteous who are redeemed by and covered by the precious blood of Jesus rather than sinners. The one who condemns another person is making the claim that they have no need of the atonement and therefore, by default, are claiming not to be the recipient of the atonement. For the precious blood that cleanses another person also cleanses him. But then if he does not acknowledge that the precious blood has cleansed another person, how can he acknowledge that the same precious blood has cleansed his own sin? The reason we partake of the Holy Communion as a congregation is to confess that “We have all been forgiven by the grace of God through Jesus’ atoning death on the cross!”

If you truly have received grace, make up your mind not to see the speck in your brothers’ eyes! Make up your mind not to doubt God’s work! Those who doubt will always doubt, even when they call on Jesus’ name, and even when they hear that Jesus is God. Jesus said to Thomas, “Reach your finger here; and look at my hands; and reach your hand here and put it into my side. Stop doubting and believe!” And Thomas answered and said to Him, “My Lord and my God!” Jesus said to him, “Because you have seen me, you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed!” Whoever wants to ‘see to believe’ will only believe what they can perceive with their own senses. But that is not faith. Spiritually, we walk by faith, not by sight.

Jesus told Thomas to put his finger in His side and in the nail marks in His hands. Could this mean that by doubting what God had done it was comparable to piercing Him once again? Jesus suffered to atone for our sin, but if we pierce and nail Him on the cross again, how much more wicked it is! If you do not want to do that again do not doubt but have faith! Receive God’s grace by faith! Acknowledge that the precious blood that atoned for your sin also atoned for your brothers’ sins as well! Do not try to find the speck that is in someone else’s eye!

Those who are continually pointing out the speck of dust in other people’s eyes themselves. If you become obsessed with works you might forget God’s promise. God has sent the Holy Spirit to us in order to remove such doubts. You should not be satisfied that you received the Holy Spirit and speak in tongues. The Holy Spirit takes away our doubts and testifies that God is with us. Therefore, we must be filled with the Holy Spirit. Let us believe! Let us receive grace! Let us be filled with the Holy Spirit! Let us acknowledge that God is alive!

Beloved Sungrak people, I love you.

Our church has suffered from the worst trial in the history of the church. It originated not from the outside but from inside the church. Based on the seemingly justifiable goal of reforming the church, it has scattered the flock, leading astray humble lambs who loved God and lived spiritual lives. The protagonists of this reform movement pretend to care for them but instead they lead them astray and continually make trouble in the church.

Our church members have become so hostile these days, even to the point that they do not greet each other, living worse than gentiles without love or compassion. Therefore let us pray and repent more and strive to return to our former state that Sungrak church enjoyed in the past.

I patiently wait, in faith, hoping for the prodigal children to return home. On the cross, the Lord Jesus welcomed the robber dying next to him into paradise, not rebuking him but covering his sins. However, those who were once ordained to lead the church with love and unconditional forgiveness have instead treated the Lord’s church harshly and caused much harm. They have trampled on the name of Sungrak church and cursed the Berea movement whose goal is to return to the Bible. They have also killed me, Semuon. I, Semuon, am alive and working only by my spirit because of the dishonor they have heaped upon me.

However, Sungrak church, the Berea movement , and Semuon will never die, nor be destroyed. It is like Jerusalem which was destroyed by the Babylonians. But the Word of the Lord came to the remnant of Judah through Cyrus, King of Persia saying, “Your God is the one true God; Return to Jerusalem and rebuild the temple of God and may God be with you.” Also, he ordered the survivors who were living in other places and could not return to Jerusalem to provide for the builders from their goods, their livestock, and their silver and gold. (Ezra 1:1~4)

The name and honor of Sungrak church, the Berea movement, and Semuon have been dragged through the mud and all but destroyed. Do not say, ‘that does not concern me’ but help to rebuild them. God will be with you. Let us devote ourselves to the church with a generous heart that loves our own soul and the church. Although we cannot have a dedication service like we have in the past, let us restore our church, the body of Christ, which has been badly wounded, through our own personal and private devotion and dedication of faith to God.

Now, the church’s finances are very weak. I pray that you will all ignite the fire and passion of faith and strive with all your might and life to rebuild the church. The first gathering of the summer retreat will be held in Mongsanpo this year, and the second gathering in the Christian World Mission Center. Please come and enjoy great grace and peace. Thank you.

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Outline translated by Sarah Lee
Letter translated by Sung-In Hong
Interpretations by Sarah Lee

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