Let Us Serve God by the Spirit

God is Spirit. Generally speaking, a spirit is neither visible, nor tangible. That is why people will likely continue to describe God’s existence in theoretical terms. But God really exists. To believe in Jesus as the Son of God is to acknowledge the invisible presence of God. That is because a son cannot exist without a father.

Some people say that “According to the Bible, the people in the Old Testament saw God, so then why does John 1:18 say that ‘No one has ever seen God’?” That is not incorrect. If you read the Old Testament, you might reasonably think that Abraham and Moses saw God. However, a closer examination reveals that it was an angel that they saw. God who revealed Himself in a burning bush introduced Himself as ‘the God of Abraham, Issac, and Jacob.’ But Acts 7:35, explaining the reality that God manifested Himself through an angel, says “This Moses, whom they rejected, saying, ‘Who made you ruler and judge?’ – this man God sent as both ruler and redeemer by the hand of the angel who appeared to him in the bush.” The God who appeared to Moses was the God who had appeared to Abraham earlier, and he was in fact an angel.

God first revealed Himself to His creation through His only begotten Son about two thousand years ago. By seeing Jesus we know God. That is because Jesus’ words, actions and attributes all reveal what God is like. This is the reason Jesus is described as the image of God.

God is Spirit and we must serve Him with our spirit. John 4:23-24 says, “But the hour is coming and is now here when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and in truth, for the Father is seeking such people to worship Him. God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and in truth.” If you do not worship in spirit you cannot meet with God. Regardless of how well people are dressed when they come to the church to worship, God does not regard their appearance, but rather their hearts.

Let Us not Serve Him In Our Flesh

We must carefully consider the statement that ‘God is Spirit’ and strive to serve God in spirit. Those who have listened to the instruction to “honor your parents” and “show respect for the elderly” are likely to honor their parents when they become adults. Likewise, those who have not, are likely to disappoint their parents and to bring them much grief. Many people conveniently disregard God because He is invisible. But since we know that God is Spirit we must serve God in spirit. Just as God said that He was well pleased with Jesus, we can only please Him by serving Him in spirit, like Jesus.

Jesus Christ came to serve us. He said, “The Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life as a ransom for many.” (Matthew 20:28) He served us, and gave His life for us. Thus, we must actively accept His service. He paid for our sins with His blood, so we must rely on His merit. He gave us eternal life by His words, so we must receive His words. And He sent the Holy Spirit, so we must be filled with the Holy Spirit.

Likewise, only those who have accepted the service of Jesus Christ can serve God in spirit. Those who do not know how to serve God in spirit can only serve in the flesh which is ruled by passion, and they will only bring God’s wrath upon themselves. Romans 8:5-8 says concerning this, “Those who live according to the flesh set their minds set on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit set their minds on the things of the Spirit. For to set the mind on the flesh is death, but to set the mind on the Spirit is life and peace; For the mind set on the flesh is hostile to God, for it does not submit to God’s law, indeed, it cannot. Those who are in the flesh cannot please God.”

Relying on reason and emotion is following the desires of the flesh. Therefore, if you rely on your reason and emotion to discern God’s will, you could easily be led astray and fall into depravity.  Before we came to know God through the outreach of the church, we did not know about the precious blood of Jesus, the power of the Holy Spirit, or how to serve God. Nothing of what we have been taught in the church flows from our reason and emotion. But if we now criticize and complain about what is happening in the church because it doesn’t line up with our way of thinking or our emotions, that is the furthest thing from spiritual service.

Even the commandment to love one another can be a stumbling block if we do not apply it in the spirit. Love is not a matter of talk or mere words but it is carried out in truthfulness and by one’s actions. Just because you encourage the members in the church to love each other, that doesn’t mean that there will be more love in the church. Indeed, the more you tell people to love each other the more problems you might be faced with. The important thing is to first know the love of God.  Then you can love God and by loving God, you can love your neighbor.

Some people are quick to point out other people’s weaknesses and then they complain that the church has no love. Jesus said, “Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends.” The greatest act of love is to give your life for one another, which is what you are doing when you bear one another’s weaknesses. Murmuring, complaining, and causing division in the church is the furthest thing from this kind of love.

If you regard the church as a place that is there to meet your needs, you are more likely to be dissatisfied with the church. If you are a spiritual saint, you have set your mind to please God in the spirit when you come to church. Regardless of your fervor, if you project your emotions and your carnal nature into your spiritual life, you will end up being the enemy of God. Therefore do not place your own desires first but fill yourself with Christ in your spirit.

Let Us Rely Only On God

Jesus said, “I tell you the truth, unless you are converted and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.” (Matthew 18:3) A child knows that he cannot live without his mother. Ask any young child three or four years old, “Can you live without your mother?” They will shake their head. Ask them again and they will shake their head again. Keep asking them and they will run to their mother, crying. When an infant wants his mother, nothing, neither toys nor food, can satisfy him. Young children know unequivocally that they cannot live without their mothers.

Mothers also know that their children cannot live without them. That is the reason that a  woman going through a divorce seeks custody of her child even knowing that she will experience economic hardship. In like manner, God knows that we cannot live without Him. Spiritual man must accept that he cannot live without God.

God is the only One who can save us and give us eternal life. So then who is the one who accomplished it? It was Jesus Christ. Many people think that food, clothing and shelter can preserve their lives, but these things cannot save us. Nor do the idols that so many place their trust in. Idols made of wood and stone cannot even stand themselves up when they fall down. How can those idols give us life? Jesus Christ is the only One who can give us life because He is God.

Those who serve God in spirit prepare their offering with a pure heart. They give their offerings cheerfully and without compulsion. Even if they are struggling financially they determine throughout the week to present their offerings with a grateful heart. They are intentional in their giving. God will remember such men. (2 Corinthians 9:5-7)

Those who serve God in spirit do not have proud hearts. Some people might say, “I am treated like someone special or important outside the church, so why then does the church not recognize me as someone important or special? The poor and ignorant people are given the front row seats and given special treatment.” These people do not serve the church but rather they are quick to leave the church, often for very trivial reasons. Such people cannot live a spiritual life at any church. These sad situations happen because they do not serve God in spirit, but follow the desires of their flesh instead.

Jesus doesn’t seek an abundance of wealth or knowledge from us. Jesus Himself was not a man of remarkable or significant beauty. In fact, people ignored Him simply because He was from Nazareth. In terms of His physical characteristics, He had no majesty to attract us to Him. Only those who could see Him through spiritual eyes could see that He was the Son of God and that only He could lead us to God.

Let Us Be Spiritual

We must not be ignorant about spiritual matters. 1 Corinthians 12:1 says, “Now about spiritual gifts, brothers, I do not want you to be ignorant.” So what must we do to become spiritual people? Verse 3 says, “Therefore I want you to understand that no one who is speaking by the Spirit of God says, ‘Jesus be cursed,’ and no one can say, ‘Jesus is Lord,’ except by the Holy Spirit.” In order to be spiritual, we need the help of the Holy Spirit. Only those who live by the Holy Spirit can bear any spiritual duty.

Those who live by the Holy Spirit sanctify themselves as holy. During the week they live and work with people in the world, but on the Lord’s day, they come to church, worship God, and fellowship with other saints. The fellowship among saints is different from the world. The saints voluntarily serve others. In English speaking churches, Sunday worship is called a ‘worship service’. As the name indicates, a ‘worship service’ is where the saints serve God and each other. You should not leave the church immediately when the worship service ends, as though you are trying to escape something unpleasant, but rather find something that you can do for your church in the bulletin after the service. Volunteer in some ministry rather than wait for someone to ask you.

Cleaning the church building is a precious service that any believer can do. In the past, one of the members of our church was a Supreme Court Justice. Although he was a highly respected person in Korean society, he did not flaunt his position, but rather he would pick up the trash from the floor of the church. He would humble himself while he was in the church, only later taking up the role of a Justice of the Supreme Court. James 4:10 says, “Humble yourselves before the Lord, and He will lift you up.” When you find a task that needs to be done in the church, do not bring it to someone else’s attention, but set an example and do it yourself.

Additionally, you should evangelize by the Spirit. You should not be concerned about your own reputation or how witnessing makes you look. Do not be afraid of rejection but boldly preach the gospel. If you encounter a sick person, boldly lay hands on him in the name of Jesus. Jesus Christ died on the cross, but God raised Him from the dead. Then He ascended and sent the Holy Spirit to us. And it is by the Holy Spirit that we know that Jesus Christ was raised from the dead and ascended into heaven.

Now that Jesus Christ abides in us, we must allow the Holy Spirit to work in us. Inspiration flows out of us by the Holy Spirit, along with power, love and the Word of God. When Peter met a man crippled from birth in front of the temple gate called ‘Beautiful’, he said to him, “I do not have silver or gold, but what I do have I give you. In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, rise up and walk.” And Peter took him by the right hand and lifted him up. The name of Jesus Christ came to us by the Holy Spirit. The name of Jesus Christ that Peter had also abides in us now. Therefore, we too have the power to raise a cripple. Use it boldly! Let the resurrected Christ work in you as much as He pleases by the Holy Spirit!

We had a good 2017 Summer retreat. Despite the sweltering summer weather, the saints’ faith and piety seemed stronger than ever before. I was worried about how I could lead the retreat due to my age, thankfully I was stronger and healthier than usual. This is because Jesus Christ, my God, was with me and gave me strength.

I am a very lonely person these days. It is hard for me to meet anybody, particularly when giving them my name. But I have laid down everything I have in suffering for the cross of Jesus Christ and now I am living with a new inspiration. The world may be ashamed of me, but my soul is happier than ever.

I do not have a cell phone or internet so there is no sound of an incoming call to interrupt me. Even so, I do not feel blind. I have no distractions from any form of media like TV. Even those things have gone away from me. Therefore, I have come to have more conversations with Jesus Christ our God, my God, and I have been deeply inspired and consumed with a desire to only follow the Lord’s will.

The inspiration that is given to a saint can never be received by another. It is given only through the relationship with you and your God. As God, who is in me inspires me to understand what He wants to do, then I follow Him, loving and abiding in Him. My duty is to fulfill my final ministry in a more spiritual way. Now, even if anyone brings anything bad to my eyes or ears, it will not interfere with my inspiration. This is my power, my faith, and my peace.

I must be spiritual. We must be more spiritual by the Holy Spirit. Our church, myself included, can survive only by being spiritual by the Holy Spirit, not allowing any hatred or bitterness to take root. I only want to be spiritual. Let us receive God’s love since He is the only one who can look into our soul. I will never have a foolish mind to seek love or peace from the world.

I am thankful that Sungrak people understand this. We are the saints of the Lord, the stewards who have been transformed by His Spirit. What I want is not about me, but that we should love our church, the body of the Lord, and our souls in the same way.

Time and the tides waste away all of life’s opportunities, and the rising and falling sun shatters all the dreams of flesh like cog in a wheel. If you hesitate, your soul may perish. Ah! This is the way to heaven. I know what it is to rejoice and give thanks in all circumstances, even reaching to heaven. Let us give thanks and rejoice.

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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