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2014.06.22_Let Us Offer Spiritual Worship

June 22, 2014/in 2014, Ki Dong Kim /by Helen Nam

(John 4:10-24)

Outline

God is the living God.
He desires the world to know Him through Jesus (Jn 17:3).
He desires the world to yearn for His encounter (Ho 6:3).
Anyone who wants to meet Him, God receives them(Jm 4:8).
The unique way to meet God is worship (Jn 4:24).
Worship means beholding God’s face and kissing Him.
Therefore, if the worship is not spiritual,
then meeting God would be impossible (Is 1:11-13).
This is God’s command and truth (Jn 4:23-24).
Therefore, worshipping God beyond
the guidance of the truth becomes a false worship.
A worship that is not spiritual (Is 1:14)
becomes an abominable hypocrisy before God.

○Let us be spiritual. Let us be spiritual in order to meet God.
Let us meet the Almighty One through spiritual worship.
○Only by the Holy Spirit can we be spiritual.
So let us repent first and be spiritual by the Holy Spirit.
○Religion cannot meet God. Christianity is not a religion.

※A spiritual worship can meet Him only
if it is inspired by God’s word and His power.

Summary

The Living God Father

God is the living God. Our belief in His living existence is not an abstract notion but a true experience. As God is living, He possesses a clear volition. If anyone wishes to have eternal life and enter the kingdom of Heaven, he must honor God’s will. Even if man does penance and practices self-cultivation, he is unable to enter the kingdom of Heaven by them. He can enter Heaven only by faith in Jesus because that is God’s will. Jesus said, “Who is My mother and who are My brothers? Whoever does the will of My Father in heaven is My brother and sister and mother” (Mark 12:46-50). Even though Jesus wants to save someone, he cannot be saved if he does not abide by God’s will.

We call God as our Father. God is a not a dead but a living Father. We serve God with an everlasting hope while we are on the earth because He is the living Father. Since the birth of the Christian church until now, the reason countless saints were willing to be martyred was because they had experienced the living existence of God the Father. Today we also call God, ‘Father’ because we have the undeniable testimony of the Holy Spirit.

If you pointed at some child’s father and said to the child, “That man is not your real father,” would that child nod his head and say, “Oh, I see’? Most children would adamantly say, “No, he is our father!” If you then put on a blank face and say to the child again, “Didn’t you know? He isn’t your real father,” the child would probably burst into tears, insisting that he is. We must confess like the little child that God is our Father, just as Jesus said, “Assuredly, I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God as a little child will by no means enter it” (Mark 10:15).

God is the One and Only God. Why One and Only? A spirit has no form and thus it cannot be touched with our hands nor heard with our ears. However, God does have an image. He sent to the world His only begotten Son who was in His bosom, and He is the image of God, namely Jesus Christ. The reason people cannot believe this is that they are oppressed by the gods of this age (2 Cor. 4:3-4).

A person cannot have any relationship with God unless he confesses that God is the One and Only Father. In the time of Noah, the people who perished in the Flood were those that did not acknowledge God. God’s will has not changed since. God loved the world and gave them His image, so that anyone who believes in Jesus Christ as the Son of the living God may not perish but have eternal life. The Son of God experienced the afflictions, poverty, hunger and infirmities of man just as it was prophesied (Isa. 53:3-10), and in the end died on the cross. The cross was a device used to punish the worst criminal offenders. Although Jesus had only done good deeds in the world, the people accused Him and finally crucified Him. Even so, God raised Him from the dead. Jesus did not faint and wake up on His own; God raised Him to life.

God sends the Holy Spirit to those that believe in and follow Jesus according His will. Even the demons recognize the fact that we have received the Holy Spirit. James 2:19 says, “You believe that there is one God. You do well. Even the demons believe—and tremble!” When we, filled with the Holy Spirit, confess that our God Father is living, even the demons recognize and submit to us. We have such clear proofs in our faith.

We are the people who have experienced the resurrection of Jesus. After Jesus resurrected, He appeared before His disciples and even before 500 saints at one time. And before His ascension, He urged His disciples not to leave Jerusalem but wait for the Holy Spirit (Acts 1:4). As the Lord said, the disciples who had gathered in Mark’s Upper Room and prayed received the Holy Spirit on the Day of Pentecost and began to speak in tongues. There were devout Jews from every nation under Heaven in Jerusalem at that time, and when they were gathered together after hearing the disciples speaking in tongue, Peter boldly testified before them, “God has raised Jesus whom you crucified, and having gone into Heaven He has sent us the Holy Spirit!” And on that day, about 3000 people came to repentance and were baptized (Acts 2:1-41).

What is baptism? First Peter 3:21 says, “There is also an antitype which now saves us—baptism (not the removal of the filth of the flesh, but the answer of a good conscience toward God), through the resurrection of Jesus Christ.” In the course of history, countless people gave up their lives so as to be baptized. They were able to testify to their status as ones united with Jesus Christ, and did not spare their own lives in doing so because they had a sure experience of how the living God raised Jesus Christ to life.

Some people say that Jesus’ resurrection is not relevant to us directly because it happened thousands of years of ago. However, when we consider God’s word, we must remember that it is still being directed at us in the present day. It is written in Hebrews 3:15, “While it is said: ‘Today, if you will hear His voice, Do not harden your hearts as in the rebellion.’” We believed just what the foregoers of our faith have testified to concerning what they had seen and heard, and by this we have an experience that is by the Holy Spirit. Thus, we have received the testimony of God’s existence and for that reason, we serve the living God.

Faith to Set Apart the Holy Day

We set apart one day of the week as a holy day – the Lord’s Day (Rev. 1:10). From Monday to Saturday, each person engages in his own work such as tending his farm, working at the office or running a business and hence seeks God’s help for those matters. Yet on the Lord’s Day, they gather together with the saints to serve God and glorify Him only (1 Cor. 16:1-2).

There are some people who complain, “Why doesn’t anything work out for me when I am serving God so well?” They must first examine whether they have been soundly keeping the Holy Day or treated it as their own.

The first four commandments of the Ten Commandments prescribe how we ought to serve God. The first of these is, ‘You shall have no other gods before Me’; the second is, ‘You shall not make for yourself an idol’; the third, ‘You shall not take the name of the Lord in vain’; and finally, ‘Remember the Holy day and keep it holy’. God warned the idolaters that the curse upon them would continue to their children, down to the third and fourth generation. Conversely, this means that the curse may end after the third and fourth generation. On the contrary, God commanded to stone to death anyone that desecrated the Holy Day (Num. 15:36). He did not spare them even a glimmer of hope in the third and fourth generation.

The Israelites had suffered a great deal despite being the people of God. They studied the Law of Moses while pondering over the reason to their suffering, and eventually they identified the problem. They realized that they had been neglecting God’s Holy Day as well as robbing God in tithes and offerings (Neh. 9:1-10:39). This was also pointed out by Prophet Malachi in Malachi 3:8, “Will a man rob God? Yet you have robbed Me! But you say, ‘In what way have we robbed You?’ In tithes and offerings.”

When Jesus taught His disciples how to pray, He said, “And when you pray, do not use vain repetitions as the heathen do. For they think that they will be heard for their many words. Therefore do not be like them. For your Father knows the things you have need of before you ask Him” (Matt 6:7-8). Today, the first thing people do as soon as they have entered the prayer room is to complain to God that He did not grant their wishes. For us, we need to learn the prayer Jesus has taught.

The prayer taught by Jesus starts off with “Our Father in Heaven!” Just as a little child acknowledges his or her own father, we must first acknowledge that God is our Father. Those that do so would remember how God raised to life His only begotten Son and thus keep the Lord’s Day holy. They would also first pray for God’s kingdom saying, “Hallowed be Your name. Your kingdom come, Your will be done on earth as it is in Heaven” (Matt. 6:9-10). After that they would pray, “Give us today our daily bread” (Matt. 6:11), humbly asking for the provisions they need for the day God has given them.

God has granted us six days to use for ourselves. He then set apart a Holy Day which we are to use wholly to please the Lord and glorify Him. The reason why people do not have prosperity is not so much of a lack of prayer but because they despise God. God said that He is not pleased with those who despise His name (Mal. 1:6-10). Some people come to church and worship in the same attire they wore while washing dishes at home. Yet, they would not have done so if they had known that worship is an encounter with God.

The Holy Day is sacred. The word holy means ‘distinguished or set apart.’ God did not create anything on the Holy Day but He blessed it and rested on that day. The sun, moon and the creations created over six days will all pass away, but God’s dwelling place will never disappear. The Holy Day is a day distinguished from every other day of the week. Those who consecrate the Holy Day pray for the welfare of God’s kingdom unlike the pagans who only pray for their flesh.

How much suffering did Jesus endure on the earth? God testified concerning Him, “This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased” (Matt 3:17). This was because He endured all kinds of suffering and troubles and obeyed to the end in order to please God. That is also why God had raised Him to life (Heb. 5:7). It is not the right attitude of a saint who is praying to just start saying, “God, why haven’t you given me what I asked for?” as if he was arguing against God.

We must bow our knees humbly before God’s name. Through Jesus, God has revealed the existence of His word and that it certainly comes to fulfilment. Jesus obeyed God’s word and God raised Him to life. If anyone believes this, he would not consider it a burden to serve God nor despise it (Mal. 1:6-14). We will all depart this world one day. After that we will not be able to go to church even if we wanted to. Therefore, we must do the work God desires when we have the opportunity.

Worshipping In Spirit and Truth

When Jesus was in Samaria, a woman said, “Our fathers worshiped on this mountain, and you Jews say that in Jerusalem is the place where one ought to worship” (John 4:20). Then Jesus replied, “Woman, believe Me, the hour is coming when you will neither on this mountain, nor in Jerusalem, worship the Father. You worship what you do not know; we know what we worship, for salvation is of the Jews. But the hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for the Father is seeking such to worship Him. God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth” (John 4:21-23).

In the days of King David, Israel enjoyed a reign of peace. Though they were a small nation, the neighbouring countries could not dare lay their hands on Israel. After that, David’s son Solomon and then his son Rehoboam succeeded to the throne. During Rehoboam’s reign, ten out of the twelve tribes left Jerusalem and moved to the north, where they established a kingdom with Samaria as the capital city. They built an altar at Bethel and worship God there. They thought to themselves, ‘Even if we have left Jerusalem, we can still offer a true worship here.’ On the other hand, those that remained in Jerusalem believed that only the worship offered in Jerusalem, the holy land, would be accepted by God. The North and South Kingdoms both insisted they had greater prestige than the other, however both kingdoms were subject to the prophets’ rebuke. The North Kingdom was criticized for their betrayal and depravity whereas the South Kingdom was rebuked for their arrogance.

The woman’s question about where the worship should be offered – in Bethel or Jerusalem – was based on such historical background. Jesus answered the woman that what mattered was not the location of the worship but that it must be done in spirit and truth. If we examine the original language of the text, spirit and truth actually means, ‘the Holy Spirit and the Truth.’ The word truth also implies ‘a sincere heart,’ meaning that even the flesh has to follow the Truth.

God seeks those who worship by the Holy Spirit and Truth, that is, who worship in Jesus. Though countless people drowned when the flood deluged the earth, God was not mindful of them and only sought for Noah’s household. In the same way, God sent Jesus and gave man the opportunity to believe in Him and be saved. John 3:16 says, “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.” To believe in Jesus means to believe in the word of God and His living existence. In other words, it is to believe that Jesus is the Son of God and that God’s word has been fulfilled through Him. And anyone who worships with such faith, worships in spirit and truth. When we worship in the church, we behold God’s face. A sinner is not permitted to meet the king. But if someone were loyal to the king and rendered meritorious service, the king would grant him the opportunity to meet him. That person would go before the king and kiss his hand or the ring on his finger. And his descendants would take pride in the fact that their ancestor had an audience with the king. The same applies spiritually. We should have our descendants proudly say, “Our forefathers beheld God’s face and kissed His hand.” We must pass down our testimony of the living God to our descendants.

The Life that Seeks God’s Joy

What is the Lord’s Day? The Son of God did not enjoy a lavish life on the earth but suffered many hardships, so much so that He was nicknamed ‘Jesus of Nazareth.’ He led such a harsh life on the earth and was shunned by men, yet He never resented God. He prayed, “O My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from Me!” He had prayed so earnestly that His sweat became like great drops of blood falling down to the ground. But afterward He said, “Nevertheless, not as I will, but as You will,” He got up and finally died on the cross (Matt. 26:39). So how pleased would God have been when He raised His Son who had thus obeyed to the point of death? If Jesus had disobeyed, He would not have lived again. However, Jesus was obedient to the end and God raised Him to life (Phil. 2:6-11). So how great would God’s joy have been?

The Lord’s Day is a day on which we remember the resurrection of Jesus. In other words, it is a day full of the joy God had in raising to life His beloved and pleasing Son. We are not those who stand afar and simply watch God being pleased. When we were baptized, we united with Christ’s resurrection. The day on which God resurrected His beloved Son is the most joyful day to God. That is the Holy Day; the day when those who honor God, behold His face who is full of joy through His Son.

The Lord’s Day is also the day on which Jesus sent the Holy Spirit after His ascension. The Holy Spirit came to the believers on the fiftieth day since His resurrection, that is, the day after the Sabbath, and it has continued thereafter that the believers have been receiving the Holy Spirit and being born again. The worldly people cannot receive the Holy Spirit neither can religious people. Only those who believe in Jesus can receive the Holy Spirit. The Lord’s Day is therefore not only a day of remembering the resurrection of Jesus but also a day when God holds the believers of Jesus with special regard.

When it says to remember the Holy Day and keep it holy, it does not mean one should become a slave to the Holy Day. To keep it holy, it is utmost important to understand the significance of that day. Remembering the Sabbath means to remember that it is God’s day, whereas with the Lord’s Day it is to remember that God raised His beloved Son to life. Even though Jesus was put to death according to man’s law, God raised Him again. The Lord’s Day is filled with the joy of God who has conquered, and therefore we ought to rejoice on that day also. Hallelujah means to say to the angels, ‘Let us sing praises!’ when God is rejoicing.

For the flesh that spoils, we must seek humbly regardless of how urgent matters may be. Proverbs 30:8-9 says, “Give me neither poverty nor riches— feed me with the food allotted to me; lest I be full and deny You, and say, ‘Who is the Lord?’ Or lest I be poor and steal, and profane the name of my God.” When it comes to the flesh, we should ask only for daily food and in our hearts say, ‘Help me God if this is a matter befitting Your will, otherwise not.’ There are many people who demand God to give them what they ask for, but very few wish to serve God. Some say, “I’ll dedicate to God if you bless me.” But such people need to consider whether they really have not received any blessings from God.

We must not take the Holy Day negligently. We have to bow our knees before the name of the Lord and glorify it on the Lord’s Day. If one chooses to go his own way for the reason that he is busy on the Lord’s Day, it may be that God has shut the door so that he cannot enter. While we might usually be godly for our own sake, on the Lord’s Day we should have reverence for God and worship Him only. We must be found by God who seeks those who worship in spirit and truth.

Semuon’s Letter

If someone were to ask me of my capabilities, then I will answer, “I can pick up a pen and write.”

If he asks, “Aren’t you tired of writing?” then I will answer, “Writing is the reason for my respiration.” The moment that I stop breathing would be same moment that I stop writing. Everyone seeks to be healthy because they want strong lungs to breathe without any problems. Likewise, I endeavor to breathe and strengthen myself through writing. Even if I cannot make a noise because I lack strength, I desire to demonstrate my life as I sustain my breath through my writings.

Though the sun sits on the west mountain peek, I will continue to write. Though my flesh reaches the end of its lifespan, my writings will remain and continue to fulfill the works that my flesh could not accomplish. And thus, I cannot be any happier. Even if my spirit would be in Paradise, my writings would remain in this world to its last day and watch its history. I sincerely give thanks to God for giving me such inspiration.

The clouds reflecting off the water in a well truly looks beautiful. They change as they move and they rise again. Though a history of one generation passes and another history floats in, the spring water in the well remains clear as it watches them come and go. My parents were really poor, but they were truly kindhearted. I sincerely thank them because they gave me healthy limbs and brain and filled my heart with goodness and passion. They tried to provide more for me, but I can only imagine how they would have felt being unable to give more. Hence, I am grateful for their gratitude rather than being resentful for what they could not impart in me.

From then on, I began to sharpen, shine, gather, and refine myself on my own. If I were lazy, burning my heart with vanity without future, then I would have not made it in this world today. If I lacked physically, then I would not have lived a decent life. If I lacked mentally, then I would not have been able to do anything. It is by the grace of my parents that I was able to live this type of life. Yet, it is the great grace of my Lord Jesus who has saved me from a lost road.

I have accomplished everything that I could do at a young age; therefore, I only have tasks that I must complete at an old age. And I will see the glory on that day when all the works become fulfilled. Though my body is tired and bruised, there are no regrets. Though my road was tougher than others’, it truly is the way to serve and love God more because the Lord Jesus first chose this road.

The Gospel that I have been shouting without a change whether I was young or old is not mine, but God’s. It belongs to the Lord Jesus and thus, I feel deeply moved for He has filled the Gospel and used my lips to speak. From now on, I will try to channel what God had placed in my heart and given in my hands through Wolsan Literature. My tiresome past, but full of longing desires, I call them, memories.

Pastor Ki-Dong Kim
Lord’s Day Worship Column

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Credits

2014.06.01_Let Your Spirit Rejoice

June 1, 2014/in 2014, Ki Dong Kim /by Helen Nam

(John 17:11-17)

Outline

God
is full of joy.
He gave His word, (Jn 1:1-4)
the Name of God, (Jn 1:12)
and the Son of God to the world (Jn 3:16)
in order to give us the joy of God also.
If one were to ask, “Who is God?” (Jn 17:3),
I would answer, “He is the only joyful One!”
Jesus is the joy of the Father (Mt 3:17).
He is the One who pleases God.
Therefore, the faith given to us is this:
to be joyful with God’s joy.
He said, “You may have My joy be fulfilled in you” (Jn 17:13).
He gave us faith through the Son
so that the fullness of the joy
that is in the Son can also be full in us (Mk 9:23).
When one pleases God by giving glory to Him,
his own spirit would be full of joy.
When his spirit rejoices, he would be joyful in all things.

○Let our spirit rejoice.
Yet, let us first bring joy to God.
○As we give glory to God, He will be joyful and delighted.
This is our faith.
○When God is pleased, one’s soul will rejoice.
Then, things will go well.

※Let us carry out the Lord’s efforts
and obey what He desires for us
and cause our spirit to rejoice.

Summary

Those Who Have Received God’s Joy

God is the One full of joy. It is not by any physical matter or certain conditions that He is joyful. When Jesus was baptized and came out of the water, God said of Him, “This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased” (Matt. 3:17). In the same manner, God spoke of Jesus when He was on the mountain with His disciples, and Peter also testified to that incident (2 Pet. 1:16-20). God is pleased through His Son alone.

If we pray to God about anything in Jesus’ name, it means we humbly kneel down before His name and thus God is glorified (John 14:13). God is joyful when those in the world receive Jesus, the Son of God, as their Lord and obey. The word blessing in the Scriptures mean ‘God’s happiness/joy.’ God is the only joyful One (1 Tim. 1:11), and He desires mankind to share in His joy.

Man and God are intrinsically different. Man is material, and God is spirit. How can there be harmony between the spiritual and the material? For this reason, God appointed Jesus Christ as a Mediator through whom man is able to go before God, and receive His glory and blessings. We need the Mediator, Jesus Christ, in our relationship with God. God’s grace and blessings are given to us through Jesus Christ, and it is by Him that our supplications are delivered to God as well. The high priest, who was the mediator between God and Israel in the Old Testament, was a model of Jesus Christ who was later to come.

Jesus became poor and suffered afflictions on the earth, yet it was not because He had no blessing/joy. He considered it His joy to fulfill the Father’s will on the earth and thus glorify Him. Though He endured much persecution for the sake of the name given Him by the Father, He was joyful that the Father is glorified through Him. Jesus was not only joyful to have the Father’s joy in Himself, but also wanted us to have that joy in ourselves.

Those Who Have Hope In Heaven

The Scriptures is a mirror that reflects man’s unrighteousness. We are able to reflect on our unrighteous selves through the Scriptures. Having said that, Jesus Christ is in the Scriptures also and we must meet Him through the Scriptures. He is the life and truth that came to us, and the way that leads us to eternal life.

The people of the world sometimes ridicule our faith. They do not acknowledge the eternal life we believe in. Eternal life is not something that can be explained scientifically, biologically or medically. People in this world say that death is the end of everything. When a person actually dies, some say “he or she has gone to heaven.” Yet their idea of Heaven is still very abstract.

God had sent Jesus to the world in order to give us eternal life. It is eternal life that overcomes all destructions. The goal of our faith is eternal life. The purpose of reading the Scriptures is also to attain eternal life. The reason we have to believe in Jesus as the Son of God is to obtain eternal life (John 20:30-31).

It is sad and disappointing that despite many Christians claiming to believe in Jesus in order to receive eternal life, this is actually not the case. Through their church-life they endeavor to ease the anxieties of their flesh and seek the betterment of their flesh. They are no different to the unbelievers or the followers of religions in this world whose sole ambition and zeal is to actualize their wishes.

The Lord will judge such persons; they would be speechless when He asks, ‘Friend, how did you come in here without a wedding garment?’ (Matt. 22:11-12). Romans 13:14 says, “But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to fulfill its lusts.” The ultimate goal of those who are clothed with Jesus is to be resurrected and enter eternal life. Though Jesus died, the power of Hades could not keep Him bound in death. He broke the chains of the gates of Hades and rose from the grave. And it will be the same for anyone who is clothed with Jesus.

As we live in this world, there are many things for which we need to pray for God’s help, such as issues at the workplace or family matters that need to be resolved. Yet, how many people just vaguely hope and pray for a fluke like superstitious people who draw water and pray in front it? We have come into Jesus Christ through baptism and now our attention should be drawn to fulfilling God’s will.

Jesus is the Son of God but He did not have prosperity on the earth by world’s standards. The reason He came to the world was to die. He said, “the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many” (Matt. 20:28), and He certainly succeeded in doing so. Indeed the world does not consider that to be a success. There also lies the reason why they reject Jesus. However, we acknowledge that Jesus has successfully accomplished God’s work.

We have been united with Jesus through baptism. This means we will also share in the glory that Jesus has received. It has been determined that man’s flesh will die. Since Noah’s time, no man is able to exceed a lifespan of 120 years and every one dies just as God said (Gen. 6:3), and after that is judgment (Heb. 9:27). The important question then is whether one is able to escape judgment (John 3:16-18). Anyone that is judged would have to go to hell. The word judgment means the same as condemnation. Our flesh and conscience are constantly under condemnation, and they cannot inherit the Kingdom of Heaven (1 Cor. 15:50). However, our spirit is in Jesus and thus it will not be condemned.

We need to be filled with hope and faith in eternal life. It is all for eternal life that we worship, serve in the church, and give dedications. The Lord said, ‘He who will receive eternal life should not lay up treasures on earth for himself. Where your treasure is, there your heart will be also’ (Matt. 6:19-21). A stingy person has his heart set on this world, not in Heaven. Where is your heart set on?

The fact that we have come to meet Jesus Christ during our life on the earth is something to be truly grateful for. In order to meet Him with a heart full of joy when He returns, we must leave no regrets in carrying out the duties He has entrusted us while we are on the earth. If the president nominates a particular person to be a premier, the person has to go through a parliamentary hearing. If any misconduct from his past is found out, the nomination gets rejected most of the time regardless of how competent he is. Similarly, every Christian will later have to stand at the hearing presided over by the Lord before the angels. On that day, some will be rebuked by the Lord saying, “I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!” (Matt. 7:23).

At that time, the Ninevites that listened to Jonah’s preaching and repented will condemn those who ignored the preaching of the One greater than Jonah. The Queen of the South that came with chariots of gold to Solomon to listen to his wisdom will condemn those who disregarded the wisdom of the One greater than Solomon (Matt. 12:41-42). We, of course, have been saved by believing in Jesus Christ. However, we still need to undergo a hearing in regard to our reward and punishment. The Lord has already resolved the problem of sin, but there remains a choice that each person has to make individually.

The Spiritually Joyful

Those who are filled with the faith unto eternal life, their spirit will be joyful. The church filled with such people will have a revival. While people try very hard to hide their shame, they would do anything to boast if something good happened, for instance, their successful business or their children’s entrance to a prestigious college. In the same way, the person who is joyful in his spirit tries to always show that joy. He wants to speak of Jesus in whom he believes, and boast of the truth inside of him. But the reason Christians today do not open their lips and keep silent is because their spirit is not joyful.

What is the Lord’s Supper? First Corinthians 11:26 says, “For as often as you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death till He comes.” Yet, not anyone can just do this work of proclaiming the Lord’s death. Jesus said, “But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth” (Acts 1:8). The disciples received the Holy Spirit just as He said, and with their spirits filled with joy they boldly preached the kingdom of God. Is your spirit joyful? If so, you would boldly preach God’s kingdom despite any difficulties you may have.

We must certainly be born again while we are on the earth. A person who is not born again cannot sacrifice his nature to live by the flesh, and so in the end, he can only lead a religious life even though he attends the church. People who lead a religious life do not go before God to have joy in their spirit but struggle to satisfy the desires of their flesh. Jesus said, ‘Drink my blood; eat my flesh. You must drink my blood to have life in you, and eat my flesh to have eternal life.’ He did not tear His flesh to give us wealth or a means to success, but to give us eternal life.

Above all, the spirit has to be joyful. Third John 1:2 says, “Beloved, I pray that you may prosper in all things and be in health, just as your soul prospers.” If we desire prosperity in all things, our spirit must first be prosperous. It is difficult for a person to continue serving the church if his spirit is not joyful. Such a person lacks the strength to keep his promise to the church, and he constantly tries to hide himself where others cannot see him because he does not even have the confidence to stand boldly in front of other people. We should be able to boldly answer, “Here I am, Lord!”

God does not go beyond our own volition. Deuteronomy 30:19 says, “I call heaven and earth as witnesses today against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing; therefore choose life, that both you and your descendants may live.” We must choose the spiritual blessing. When Gabriel brought the news of conception to Mary, she said, “Behold the maidservant of the Lord! Let it be to me according to your word” and chose the Lord’s will, and consequently became the Christ’s mother. What is your will choosing when it comes to work concerning God’s kingdom and matters of the world?

Those Who Do Not Follow the Crowd To Do Evil

The Lord is preparing our places in Heaven. Yet so many people would not give up their stingy hearts. Some say, “why should I be different when everyone else is being so stingy?” However, even if all the people of this world conform to their flesh, we should not do the same. After the exodus from Egypt, there were varying opinions and ideas among the Israelites that led to challenges in building a nation of God. Exodus 23:2 says, “You shall not follow a crowd to do evil.” Even if the masses follow their flesh, we must not be like them.

When mankind began to increase in number, God destroyed them with a flood. What was the reason? They would have sought joy in their flesh, a long life and good health. They had cultures and dreams. However they did not have God in their hearts. God saw that the wickedness of man was great on the earth, and that every intent of his thoughts was only evil continually (Gen. 6:5). This meant that they were not worthy of God’s kingdom. God wiped them out with the flood. God did not side with the masses or show them any special favor; He only kept Noah’s family of eight who had received and obeyed the revelation of God’s command (Gen. 7:5).

Since the church is a gathering of many people, there could be a variety of opinions. At times, there may be a consensus of opinion. Nevertheless, the church is not an organization that operates under a majority rule. The church must have God’s revelation. Even Jesus said, “Sanctify them by Your truth. Your word is truth” (John 17:17). The people who do not heed the Father’s words could have clever ideas and suggestions but those are meaningless if they are irrelevant to God’s will. And this does not change even if it is the majority opinion. Christians have to hear the voice of the Lord saying, ‘Go by the narrow way. Enter through the narrow gate. Heed my words. Drink my blood. Eat my flesh.’

Even if the majority of the people are stingy before God, we must not be like them. Offerings ought to be given with a joyful heart; God loves a joyful giver (2 Cor. 9:5-7). If we have made a vow to God we must not delay to pay it, as it says in Deuteronomy 23:21, “When you make a vow to the Lord your God, you shall not delay to pay it; for the Lord your God will surely require it of you, and it would be sin to you.” If a man vows anything to God, He will by all means demand it from him.

Anyone who thinks God is taking away his money cannot have fellowship with God. If a young child were holding a knife, the child’s mother would snatch it out of her child’s hand. But that does not mean she is her child’s enemy. Likewise, if God takes something from us, He takes it because it is not beneficial for us while conversely, He gives us what we do need. We must have our spirit recognized by God, and through our spirit God should be glorified.

Those Who Draw God’s Attention

Our spiritual life is about drawing God’s attention by the Holy Spirit. First Corinthians 12:3 says, “no one can say that Jesus is Lord except by the Holy Spirit.” Those who confess Jesus as Lord by the Holy Spirit would submit to Him, and their spirits will be joyful through Him. Even if the majority does not emphasize the Holy Spirit, nor talk about speaking in tongues, nor agree with the work of casting our demons, we are not to follow the crowd but the truth. Only the truth can make our spirit joyful (John 17:17).

God has purchased us by His blood. It was not because Jesus happened to come in the wrong era that He shed His blood; He shed His blood to sanctify our spirit. The spirit without Christ’s blood cannot break free from sin. On the contrary, no matter how much sin a person has committed, if he has Christ’s blood he is free from sin. Therefore the souls that have the blood of Jesus are filled with joy.

Jesus said, “And I have declared to them Your name, and will declare it, that the love with which You loved Me may be in them, and I in them” (John 17:26). The Lord desired for us to also be filled with God’s joy that is in Him. The Lord’s request to the Father was not to take us out of this world quickly but to set us apart from it while we remain on the earth and then ultimately attain God’s glory. Our spirit should be filled with joy through Jesus’ name according to the Lord’s desire.

We do not know when we will depart this world. Yet, we should not have any worries even if it was tonight. When Noah and his family constructed the ark, God did not give them any money. They themselves earned money by laboring and farming, and thus completed the ark. Consequently, those inside the ark were able to escape devastation. But Noah and his family did not just save their lives; a great number of animals went into the ark and were kept alive by eating the rations Noah and his family had prepared. In the same way, the offering we bring to God is not only beneficial for ourselves but it is also used for the work of God’s kingdom. We should not be stingy or idle. Our spirit must be joyful through the Holy Spirit.

Semuon’s Letter

My beloved Sungrak members.

The grace that we have received from the Lord Jesus is not small and thus, all glory belongs to God. We were once sinners, but we have become righteous through the gift of salvation. Hence, we have received the privilege of calling God, “Father,” as His children. Therefore, from now on, we must have holiness and purity as God’s children. Holiness means a spirit that is separated from being a sinner. Having purity means living a life like a person of Heaven, not like people in the world. Thus, we must remember the works that the Lord Jesus commanded.

June 4th (Wednesday) of 2014 is the Election Day to vote for local government representatives. Here are my words concerning the duty of every saint when it comes to the election. The Lord said, ‘Render to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s.’ Purity is a holy life offered to God. First, there should not be any despicable character in purity. A pure heart is having a genuine and innocent mindset.

We do not take anyone’s sides. We only belong to the Lord, Jesus. We must keep in mind that the Lord from the Heaven had saved us and the Holy Spirit knows all of our thoughts as He dwells in us. The Lord Jesus said, “If you have not been faithful in the unrighteous mammon, who will commit to your trust the true riches?” In this context, the unrighteous mammon does not represent riches that were earned from stealing. It represents riches that contain no righteousness of God that cannot save one’s spirit. And He also said, “If you owe taxes, pay taxes; if revenue, then revenue.”

God had chosen us to be citizens of South Korea; therefore, we must keep our civil duty as citizens. If not, we must not forget that it can also become a problem to one’s spiritual life. The president that has been elected by the votes of the citizens should never be slandered. The Bible says that Heaven appoints kings and priests. Voting is one’s right, so everyone should participate. The Lord Jesus also said that within the duties of the world, whoever is faithful in little things can also be faithful in the works of Heaven.

Election is not an event intended to position the elected one on a lofty place or to help him to succeed in life. It is actually for my benefits as I remain in this world. The right to vote is an obligation of a citizen. If you are a Christian, then you must be fair in your perspective of the nation. Please vote. This is the encouragement concerning faith. God watches to see if we complete our duties even if it is only about the works of the world. The Lord’s servants and his family members must be more faithful in carrying out civil duties as citizens of one’s nation.

The fact that the participation rate of voting is low shows the low standard of the citizens of our nation. We must have objective reasoning and overcome the world as pure saints. And let us partake in the first resurrection on the day when God calls us. Amen.

Pastor Ki-Dong Kim
Lord’s Day Worship Column

2014 Audio

2014 Video

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2014.04.27_Receive the Holy Spirit

April 27, 2014/in 2014, Ki Dong Kim /by Helen Nam

(John 20:19-25)

Outline

God

is Spirit.

He sent His only Begotten Son

into the world by the Holy Spirit (Jn 3:16)

He saved the world through Him,

but the world will perish because of sin.

Thus, Jesus has redeemed us (Heb 9:27)

and rebirthed us by giving the Holy Spirit (Jn 3:5-8).

Such are of Jesus Christ.

The great promise of Jesus is that

from those who believe in Him will flow rivers

of living water, namely the Holy Spirit (Jn 7:38-39).

Those who do not have the Holy Spirit are only led by idols

and remain as religious people (1 Co 12:1-3).

Thus, Jesus desires to dwell in us always through the Holy Spirit,

made possible by His resurrection (Jn 14:16-21).

Those who have the Holy Spirit also have power

and realize and understand God’s deep knowledge (1 Co 2:10-11).

From the resurrection of Jesus,

the Holy Spirit is an universal experience

for all believers (Ac 2:38-40).

All must receive the Holy Spirit.

Let us receive the Holy Spirit.

○This is the first sermon after the resurrection of Jesus.

Those who have experienced the resurrection of Jesus

must obey the word that instructs us to receive the Holy Spirit.

○Only when the Holy Spirit descends is a saint born again.

He obeys the words of God.

The Holy Spirit manifests definitely through the gifts.

○To become a true Christian one must receive the Holy Spirit

and be armed with power.

※The first sermon spoken after the resurrection of Jesus

exhorted us to receive the Holy Spirit.

Let us be the people of the Holy Spirit.

Summary

The Terms on Which God and Man Can Meet

God is spirit (John 4:23-24). A spirit cannot be seen with our eyes, heard with our ears, touched with our hands, nor does it have any smell. It is also the reason why people ignore God. The flesh of man is devoted to the carnal desires and emotions, and only seeks to acknowledge what it has sensed and experienced through the five senses. Thus, while God and man are in conflict with one another, the only way they could be in harmony is through the faith given to man by God. Man is able to know and receive in God, obey and have an everlasting relationship with God, through faith alone.

The faith God has given to man is through a covenant (promise). God had made a covenant with man that He would send His Son who was with Him, and Jesus Christ came according to that covenant. Thus, to believe in Jesus the Son of God is to believe in God’s covenant, and to believe in God’s covenant is to believe in God’s Son, Jesus. God has given man faith through a covenant, and man harmonizes with God through that faith.

It was through Jesus Christ, who came to the lowest place as a man, that man came to see, touch, hear and taste God. Christians firmly acknowledge the existence of God because they have such experience. On the other hand, even if the people of the world acknowledge God’s existence, for them is merely a conception. For most people, while they might profane God, they do not acknowledge the existence of God whom they have never seen or touched. Only Christians know God and call Him, Father.

Regardless of how righteous man is, it is impossible for man to come before God with his own righteousness because sin has put enmity between God and man. As He suffered the curse that man was supposed to bear, His death corresponds to the death of man’s status as God’s enemy. In acknowledgment of this, one receives baptism. Receiving baptism is about uniting in Christ’s death and burying the old self that used to call the one on the earth, father. And by uniting in Christ’s resurrection, one becomes a new person who calls God, Father.

Since When did the Holy Spirit Come

The Holy Spirit came into those who had thus united with Christ. It was only after the resurrection and ascension of Jesus that the Holy Spirit came. Even Jesus, the Son of God, received the Holy Spirit as He was being baptized in the Jordan River after having lived on the earth for thirty years. God raised Jesus from the dead because the Holy Spirit was in Jesus, and hence Jesus became the first fruits of resurrection. After ascending to Heaven, Jesus sent the Holy Spirit to His believers in order that they may take part in the first resurrection at His advent.

John 7:38-39 says, “’He who believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, out of his heart will flow rivers of living water’. But this He spoke concerning the Spirit, whom those believing in Him would receive (for the Holy Spirit was not yet given, because Jesus was not yet glorified).” There were many prophets at work before Jesus came. While they prepared the way for Christ and performed great miracles, none of them had received the Holy Spirit. It was angels that led them according to God’s revelation. Of course, working of the Holy Spirit was not completely absent in the past. At that time however, the Holy Spirit was within God only and had not come out of God and into man.

The Holy Spirit Comes to Whom

When the Holy Spirit descended on Jesus, God said concerning Him, “This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.” God sent the Holy Spirit to His beloved One, and was pleased by the works He did through the Holy Spirit. Today, we have the same experience in Jesus Christ. God sends the Holy Spirit to His beloved children, and they please God through the Holy Spirit.

Even a well-cultivated man is unable to receive the Holy Spirit through self-discipline. No person of any religion on the earth has ever received the Holy Spirit, not even the Israelites who had thoroughly been trained by the Law of God. The flesh is only enmity against God, regardless of how well disciplined and refined it may be (Rom 8:7). Only those who have been baptized in the name of Jesus Christ and united with Christ can receive the Holy Spirit (1 Pet 3:21). Acts 2:38-39 says, “Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. For the promise is to you and to your children, and to all who are afar off, as many as the Lord our God will call.” God would give the Holy Spirit to anyone who demolishes the dividing wall and puts an end to the enmity between God and himself.

The Holy Spirit is God’s precious gift to His children. The prophets in the past did not get to see the day of such a precious gift being given. Matthew 13:16-17 says, “But blessed are your eyes for they see, and your ears for they hear; for assuredly, I say to you that many prophets and righteous men desired to see what you see, and did not see it, and to hear what you hear, and did not hear it.” Among those born of women, there was no one greater than John the Baptist in terms of character and faith. Moreover, as the last prophet, he had baptized Jesus. Yet Matthew 11:11 says, “He who is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he.” For though John the Baptist was great, he had never confessed Jesus as his Savior, nor ever called God as his Father.

What the Coming of the Holy Spirit Signifies

We united with Jesus Christ by receiving Him as our Savior and being baptized in His name. Hence we became God’s children, and God has thus sent us the Holy Spirit. We should take pride in having received the Holy Spirit. The fact that we are God’s children is not our own subjective conviction. The Holy Spirit within us testifies to our status objectively. Therefore, if anyone is united with Jesus Christ, he must certainly receive the Holy Spirit. This is also a condition for us to take part in the first resurrection. Just as God raised Jesus to life by the Holy Spirit who was in Jesus, He will also raise us to take part in the first resurrection through the Holy Spirit who dwells in us (Rom 8:11).

Some people say that a person has already received the Holy Spirit if he believes in Jesus. However, such blind submission to the doctrine does not benefit the spirit. The Scripture shows clearly that receiving the Holy Spirit is distinct from believing and uniting with Jesus. Believing in Jesus does not mean to have started attending a church. A person who genuinely believes in Jesus Christ would receive baptism in His name and be united with Him; if the person has truly been united with Christ, God would guarantee his status by pouring out His Holy Spirit.

The Holy Spirit secures our faith in Jesus whom God had promised. No man has ever seen God. However Jesus, who came according to God’s promise, was both medically and biologically dead but rose again. The fact that we have received the Holy Spirit proves that He has resurrected and entered Heaven. Jesus had once said, “It is to your advantage that I go away; for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you; but if I depart, I will send Him to you” (John 16:7). If the Lord had not resurrected, the Holy Spirit would not have come to us; if the Lord’s words were not from God, we would never have received the Holy Spirit no matter how much we ask.

We received baptism and became Christians; as Christians we gained the right to receive the Holy Spirit; and thus received the Holy Spirit given by God. Regardless of how well-disciplined the people of world are, they still call those on earth, father. Although we may not be as cultivated, we have buried our old self that used to call those on earth as our fathers, and attained the status to call God as Father, by uniting with Jesus Christ. No matter how hard we try in the flesh born from our mother’s womb, we could not shake off our status as God’s enemies. Yet, we have become born again in Jesus Christ into a new person who can call God, Father (Matt 23:9). The Holy Spirit testifies to this truth.

The Life of a Person After Receiving the Holy Spirit

We should no longer follow the senses and emotions of our flesh, but live by the Holy Spirit. Even if the flesh constantly hinders our spiritual life, the spirit must always be led by the Holy Spirit. Paul used to be a persecutor of Christians but when he received the Holy Spirit, he became Christ’s disciple instead. Those who live by the Holy Spirit are always thinking about how they could please Christ, how they could please God, and how they could work for the Lord’s kingdom. On the other hand, those not led by the Holy Spirit despite attending the church, worry about how they could purchase a house, how their business could be better, and how they might live longer in the flesh.

Jesus said, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God” (John 3:5). Have you been born again? Are you not perhaps still living like a fatalist? Where is your hope? Could it be that you are still following the ways of your old self that called the one on earth as your father? We have buried our accursed fate of the past, united in the resurrection of Jesus Christ and are living with a new hope.

If we have become born again of the Holy Spirit we must now live by the Holy Spirit, and the level of our faith has to increase with time. Just as a person perfecting martial arts gradually attains higher levels through continuous training, those leading a Christian life must rely on the Holy Spirit at all times and acquire more abundant wisdom. The Bible tells us to worship through the Holy Spirit (John 4:23-24), pray in the Holy Spirit (Jud 1:20), serve by the Holy Spirit (Phi 3:3), evangelize through the Holy Spirit (1 Cor 2:4) and bear witness by the Holy Spirit (Act 1:8). The flesh cannot but face all kinds of suffering amid difficult circumstances while getting through life in this world. Nevertheless, our spirit must constantly be led by the Holy Spirit and thus continue to increase the level of our faith life.

It is a pity that some of those who once had the joy of receiving the Holy Spirit and were zealous in their faith life, have distanced themselves from the church, neglected their faith and eventually turned into an unbeliever. Would that really be possible if they had truly been born again? We ourselves need to ascertain whether or not we are born again. A person cannot take part in the first resurrection without being born again. A born again person does not call anyone on earth as his father; he is not shaken by an accursed fate. A true born again person follows the Holy Spirit.

The person who follows the Holy Spirit is able to employ spiritual wisdom in all matters. James 1:5 says, “If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him.” God does not rebuke us if we lack in wisdom, but freely gives wisdom to those who ask. We need to increase the level of our faith by asking for wisdom continuously. The level of our faith must not be stagnant with the passing of time.

Ministry also needs to be done by the Holy Spirit. The church is a gathering of people who are heterogeneous in many aspects. Unless the minister is led by the Holy Spirit in his ministry, it would be impossible for the diverse people to harmonize and stand as one church. For the church to stand firm like a rock built on the foundational rock, each of the saints must stand firm, and also be in harmony with one another, just as the Lord said, “And I also say to you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build My church, and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it” (Matt 16:18).

In the family, children should also be reared through the Holy Spirit. If children are not disciplined in the family, out in the society they will be given a cold welcome. Today more and more people are having only one child and spoiling them that they grow up without any discipline. How disorderly would the society be when those children become the primary members of society? It would be hard to expect any sound teaching and discipline of faith in such a society.

A person born again of the Holy Spirit ought to develop his spirit. He must not let his spirit remain at infancy but increase the level of his faith. This is only possible when one lives by the Holy Spirit. If anyone maintains his faith life by relying on the strength of his flesh, he will find out once he dies that his spirit is poor like an empty shell. Of course he would receive salvation because of his faith in Jesus, however it would be as if only escaping through the flames. Every aspect of our faith life including evangelism, counseling and service, has to be done through the Holy Spirit.

The Church Life of the Person Who Received the Holy Spirit

The day on which Jesus resurrected was the day after the Sabbath. Leviticus 23:36 says, “For seven days you shall offer an offering made by fire to the Lord. On the eighth day you shall have a holy convocation, and you shall offer an offering made by fire to the Lord. It is a sacred assembly, and you shall do no customary work on it.” For the Israelites who had received the Law on Mount Sinai, the holy day was the Sabbath which was Saturday. However, Christians keep the day after the Sabbath, that is the day on which Christ resurrected as the holy day, and call it the ‘Lord’s day’ (Rev 1:10).

Jesus the crucified remained in the grave on the Sabbath and resurrected the next day morning. Christians today worship on the Lord’s Day morning to commemorate the risen Lord. On the evening of his resurrection, the Lord appeared where the disciples were gathered and said, “Receive the Holy Spirit” (John 20:22). Christians today worship on the Lord’s Day afternoon to remember and read the Words of the Lord who appeared after His resurrection and gave the commandment to receive the Holy Spirit.

Then what is the ‘third day’ worship service? This is not merely having an extra worship service in the middle of the week. The day on which God had given Moses the Law was the third day. The third day would be Tuesday if based on the Sabbath day, however Christians worship on Wednesday, which is the third day based on the Lord’s Day. On that day we remember God’s commandments and covenant and usually have Bible studies.

Many people today say they keep the Lord’s Day and yet only attend the morning worship service and spend the rest of the time for their personal leisure, not to mention Wednesday. If anyone is led by the Holy Spirit, he would have the heart to also be wherever the Lord is at work.

After His resurrection, Jesus’ first sermon to His disciples was, “Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained” (John 20:22-23). When the people who have received the Holy Spirit evangelize, they can help those who are enemies of God receive forgiveness and return to God. This is in accord with the Lord’s word to Peter, “whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven” (Matt 16:19). Therefore, we must first receive the Holy Spirit as the Lord has promised.

The Holy Spirit is a gift from God (Act 2:38). The wife is happy when she receives a rose from her husband on their wedding anniversary because she has received her husband’s heart expressed through that gift. A gift carries the heart of the giver. Matthew 7:11 says, “If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask Him!” And Luke 11:13 says, “If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him!” The Holy Spirit is the greatest gift of God given to His children. If we ignore that gift, how offended would God feel? We must indeed receive God’s gift into our hearts, as well as our families and children, and thus have the continuous works manifested through it.

It was not for us to have a more comfortable life that God has given us the Holy Spirit. We have to keep in mind the words, “Fool! This night your soul will be required of you; then whose will those things be which you have provided?” (Luke 12:20). We, who believe in the resurrection of Christ, have our hope in Heaven. God has sent the Holy Spirit to guarantee such faith as ours. We can testify to the resurrection of Jesus despite all the persecution and hardships on the earth because the Holy Spirit dwells inside of us. We must live by the Holy Spirit. The fullness of the Holy Spirit is what God has commanded us. Unless we are born of the Holy Spirit, we cannot see the Kingdom of God.

By being filled with the Holy Spirit, we need to exert ourselves in the work of forgiving the sins of others. We should have compassion for those that are perishing as God’s enemies, and forgiven them their sins. If we are filled with the Holy Spirit and forgive them their sins, they will be forgiven. This is also the way to revive the church. Every Lord’s Day, the church should be filled with people receiving forgiveness of sins. For this, we must first receive the Holy Spirit. We need to obey the command of the risen Lord. Not only ourselves, but our families and children must all receive the Holy Spirit.

Semuon’s Letter

God called me in my youth when I was completely useless and had no job or the means to even provide myself a meal.

After confirming that the work that God gave me at that time was not given to my flesh but to my spirit, I gave all of my heart and strength to accomplish the works of my spirit.

Because my spirit worked, my flesh was able to work. And through it all, I gained the living environment through which my flesh was able to eat, wear, and live. Much allowances filled my pocket, and I ate good food every day. However, I always prayed in my heart and diligently gave my efforts to receive the power that my spirit could contain.

Half a century has slid by, but I still hope daily that my spirit is filled with wisdom and power. The work that I do for the Lord is not the work of my flesh but of my spirit. My flesh must support my spirit to work, but my flesh is the time that continues to waste away.

My spirit is truly happy. How good is it to be born into the world, receive love and grace of God, and serve the name of God? Though my flesh gets old and eventually becomes decomposed, my spirit feels renewed daily. The work of the Lord that I do is not the work of my flesh but my spirit. If I ever consider this work as the work of my flesh, then God would not be pleased.

My flesh should do everything to support my spirit to achieve the works, but my flesh doesn’t seem to obey, causing much loss for my spirit. My spirit only desires to be filled with the Holy Spirit, truth, and power. My flesh should have labored much more for the works of my spirit and also to love my spirit when it was healthier and younger.

Unfortunately, my flesh walks its own path separately from the spirit. My spirit must walk the path of the Lord Jesus, and my flesh must eventually return to dust. They have a relationship that is impossible to accompany one another. Isn’t that why my spirit just watches my flesh move according to its lustful desires?

When I think about the past, there are many works of my flesh that I heavily regret. However, I am grateful because the Lord allows me to confess all my sin that was committed through the flesh and always hears me to also forgive me. Though my flesh has its strength, it cannot interfere and disturb my spirit. My spirit is the Lord’s field, house, and His partner; therefore, I must love my spirit.

Oh my soul, yearn for the truth. Even if the flesh tries to pull my spirit away, just obey the Holy Spirit and accomplish the works of my spirit. Instead of reviving the flesh, I shall please my spirit. The flesh might belong to the earth, but the spirit became the child of God. Hence, I shall give my spirit to God and please Him. This is what God desires.

Pastor Ki-Dong Kim
Lord’s Day Worship Column

2014 Audio

2014 Video

Credits