2014.09.14_The Living God

The Testimony of the Holy Spirit: the Living God

God is living. The way for man to discover God is the Bible. Though man is accustomed to living by relying on his physical senses, he cannot meet God except through the Bible. The Bible contains God’s word as well as the testimonies of those who have met God.

The Bible is comprised of the Old and New Testaments. In short, the Old Testament is essentially man asking God, ‘Who are You?’ When Moses first asked that question, God replied, ‘I am who I am’ (meaning He is self-existent) (Exo 3:14). Logically speaking, a self-existing one lives eternally. Even though Moses actually asked for God’s name, God did not give His name and instead pointed out that He is the One who lives eternally. Likewise the entire Old Testament testifies to the fact that God is living. The New Testament is then God asking man, ‘Who do you say I am?’ At this Peter answered, ‘the Son of the living God’ (Matt 16:13-16).

Thus, the Bible is an arena where the most important truth in Heaven and on earth is revealed. Those who have met God here concur with the truth that God has revealed about Himself, that He is always living. People discover the living God through the testimonies of the Bible, and God reveals Himself to such people. Jesus said, ‘At that day you will know that I am in My Father, and you in Me, and I in you. He who has My commandments and keeps them, it is he who loves Me. And he who loves Me will be loved by My Father, and I will love him and manifest Myself to him’ (John 14:20-21).

Until now the church has encountered innumerable persecutors. Throughout the history of suffering, countless Bibles have been burned, and countless Christians have lost their lives. If the readers of the Bible had not found the living God in the Bible, the church would have disappeared long ago and so would have been the Bible. But in reality, people are continuously discovering the living God through the Bible. This is because no fire can burn away the truth that God is living, and those who have met God will not be consumed by any kind of persecution. Instead, there are endless people willing to risk their lives to guard the church and defend the Truth.

God’s Testimony: “I will help you”

The public ministry of Jesus Christ on the earth demonstrated one thing consistently. When we observe His works, we find that the world is under a curse and that He came to deliver man from that curse. Sickness is the most obvious indication of the curse that man is suffering from. Many people are suffering from diseases. While having a disease makes one tear his clothes and pull his hair out, some people who have become used to diseases are instead accepting it as normal to be sick.

Several decades ago, it was not common for people to live up to seventy years of age as a lot of people died early from diseases. How easily would have people lost their lives to illnesses especially when medicine was not as advanced as today? Of course even now, the force of diseases has not been dampened despite medical advances. As long as the Devil is in this world, the work of demons will certainly not stop. There might be some who snub this and say, ‘How can there be any demons in this day and age?’ But such a person is likely to be an easy target for demons. How distressing is it for everyone when just one person in the family is suffering ill? Sickness is definitely not something to be taken lightly.

The Lord commands us to curse the demons and drive out diseases. For this, the Lord has given His name to the saints. Remarkably, the demons can distinguish between the living and the dead. The reason they tremble in fear before the name of Jesus is it is the name of the living One. If the owner of that name were not living, then the demons would never flee before it.

There are a lot of problems that man encounter apart from disease. Whether it is a job or one’s own business, nobody can guarantee that it would always last. Amid the rapid changes of the world, one’s business could be faced with a crisis or one’s job may be in jeopardy at any time. There are many factors all around us that may threaten our lives. We do not know when a road accident might happen, when a thief would break in, or a fire break out. What about our children? Are schools safe? How about the army, which is compulsory for every adult male to go and serve in? Do problems end once our children have graduated from elite universities and found a job in a good company? There is always much sadness and pain wherever man lives and he cannot say of any place, “It is safe here.”

Even before we anguish over these problems, God had spoken to us through the Bible already. ‘I am Your helper. You are sure to fail in the face of hardship because you are weak and powerless. I will help you since you are lacking in wisdom and insight. Are you not blind to the peril your family is facing? I will protect you in those times. I will deliver you even if you are already in the midst of danger.’ God has spoken consistently as thus in various parts of the Bible.

The Testimony of the Bible: “God helps me”

The Bible also contains the truthful confessions of those who have received God’s help. A certain person said, ‘God is my rock’ (Psa 18:2). If the foundation of a house is not solid, the house will easily collapse no matter how big it is built. In order to start a family or raise children, first there needs to be a strong foundation. How unstable is the life that is not founded on the rock?

Someone confessed, ‘the Lord’s is my refuge’ (Psa 14:6). Where does a person sleep if he has lost his house to a fire? The Lord becomes our refuge when we encounter danger. A certain person said, ‘the Lord is my shield’ (Psa 3:3). If an arrow is flying towards us, we have to block it even with our arms. How good would it be to have a shield at that moment? Another person confessed, ‘the Lord is my fortress’ (Psa 9:9). A fortress is where soldiers can at least eat and sleep safely during a war. Men, women and children, the old and the weak who are seeking refuge can be protected when there is a fortress. The Lord is a fortress where the saints afflicted in the world can find rest and catch their breath.

Another person said, ‘the Lord is my shepherd’ (Psa 23:1). Without a shepherd the sheep can do nothing. The sheep do not know where they have come from and where they are going. They need a shepherd to find green pasture and avoid being attacked by predators.

Likewise, the Bible highlights God as the One on whom we must depend. We are able to rely on God as thus because He is living. We would be no different to orphans if we cannot receive God’s help and protection. Is there anyone more pitiful than an orphan in this world? Since God has promised that He would not leave us as orphans, we need to firmly hold onto that word in our spirit.

Worship is not a sacrifice offered to the dead. Jesus said, “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” (John 4:23). Worship is a time when we meet the living God and kiss Him. It is when those who have been released from the snare of curse and death and receive the guidance of the Holy Spirit present themselves before the living God and receive His word that protects them. Thus the worshippers must go before God at the pinnacle of faith, of love towards Him, and of spirituality which He can feel so that they may see eye to eye with God who sent His Son for us. God desires to see our truthfulness, the truthfulness of those whom He has saved by His beloved Son’s blood.

The Word of the Living Lord

Luke 24:1-5 says, “Now on the first day of the week, very early in the morning, they, and certain other women with them, came to the tomb bringing the spices which they had prepared. But they found the stone rolled away from the tomb. Then they went in and did not find the body of the Lord Jesus. And it happened, as they were greatly perplexed about this, that behold, two men stood by them in shining garments. Then, as they were afraid and bowed their faces to the earth, they said to them, “Why do you seek the living among the dead?” When the angel asked the women, ‘why do you seek the living among the dead?’ he was asking, ‘why do you treat your Savior who helps you as one bound in death?’

The church is the working-field of the living Lord who helps the saints with His love and power. The church is also the living Lord’s cherished body. The unbelieving people of the world are not even interested in whether the god they serve is living or not but simply want to give their devotion unilaterally. If anyone served God in that way, he definitely cannot receive His help. Meanwhile, there are many sites in this world that mark the achievement of the dead and commemorate them. However, the church is not one of them.

If the Lord had left His dead body to decay and only His spirit went up to Heaven, people would look at His tomb, doubtful of the fact that He is living. Being aware of this already, the Lord did not only spoke about His death but also of His resurrection. He surely rose again from the dead and was taken up into Heaven in the sight of many people. Moreover, He sends the Holy Spirit to the believers, testifying that He has already been glorified and is still living.

The Lord made a conscious effort not to leave behind any relics like a dead person. The words of the Lord are not ancient; they are being spoken to us today by the Lord who is alive. Even if a person does happen to follow Lord’s world, it would be hard for him to receive God’s help if he considers His word as a teaching that is behind the times. The same applies to those who take the words of life proceeding from the mouth of the Lord as a mere advice of a mentor and choose only what suits their tastes.

What we need to do while we are on the earth is to trust in God in our lives. The life on the earth is like going through a dark valley. The journey through this valley happens only once in eternity. This is when the Lord gives us the word to obey. Although this word is nothing more than a useful teaching to the unbelievers of this world, for us it is the Truth and the word of life that leads us to eternal life.

It is the duty of the church to teach the word of the Lord word to the saints. The church teaches them, ‘Please evangelize to souls. Nurture the souls. Fellowship with one another. Serve the church. Give tithes and offerings.’ If people are struggling to do these, it means they are still bound under the habits of the past when they used to live according to the flesh. The church does not follow the ways of this world. It is absolutely natural that the church is hated by the world because they are fundamentally different. Before the saints were hated by the world, the Lord taught them the duty of saints and received the hatred of the world before anyone else.

We came before the Lord when we were struggling in sin. Although we are born again, we are still living on the earth. We cannot but hold onto the Lord’s word if we want to survive in this place. If someone claims to live a life of faith and yet does not hold onto the word of the living God, he would take the Lord’s like a teaching of a dead person. The names of notable figures in history can be in people’s minds but not in their spirit. The name of Jesus who is living comes into our spirit by the Holy Spirit.

The Lord is saying, ‘As I have saved your spirit from Hell, show me that you trust in Me. Testify that you rely on me through the deeds of your faith. And I will help you.’ On the surface, these words appear to be those of encouragement. Hence those who do not have the desire to rely on the Lord can do as they please. But whoever has hope in their spirit, would hear these words as a command. James 2:18 says, “But someone will say, “You have faith, and I have works.” Show me your faith without your works, and I will show you my faith by my works.” The Lord desires our action.

Even so, many people are thinking, ‘Lord, I don’t want to lose anything. Since You might not actually be living, first help me and prove that You are really living. I don’t want to do anything that brings me loss.’ This is nothing more than the narrow way of thinking of the old self who cannot even trust in God’s word as a result of always being deceived in the world. We need to remember the fact that we have already buried our old self.

The church urges the saints, ‘Let us evangelize and nurture newcomers. Please fellowship and serve. Give tithe and offering. Since we have been saved by the Lord’s mercy, let us now save and help others.’ Even so, some people selfishly think, ‘I’m already saved so I don’t care.’ This is the result of the old way of thinking popping up again, which used to ignore God’s help.

God Who Helps Those Who Are Living

Our faith is constantly challenged by this world. Even the believers today are being swept away by the changes in the world, losing their faith and even struggling to keep the Lord’s Day properly. It is very serious if one is unable to wholly set apart the Lord’s Day and struggling to worship. Breaking the Holy Day is something that shakes the foundation of our faith. Our hope is that the Lord will take us to our Father. Yet, how can the Lord take us to the Father if we regard the Holy Day set by the Father as insignificant? How can we seek God’s help if we take our fellowship with God lightly and despise His will?

The way to serve the living God is different to offering sacrifices to the dead. Offering one’s devotion to be saved in return has got nothing to do with the Christian church. Psalm 50:7-15 says, ““Hear, O My people, and I will speak, O Israel, and I will testify against you; I am God, your God! I will not rebuke you for your sacrifices or your burnt offerings, which are continually before Me. I will not take a bull from your house, nor goats out of your folds. For every beast of the forest is Mine, and the cattle on a thousand hills. I know all the birds of the mountains, and the wild beasts of the field are Mine. If I were hungry, I would not tell you; for the world is Mine, and all its fullness. Will I eat the flesh of bulls, or drink the blood of goats? Offer to God thanksgiving, and pay your vows to the Most High. Call upon Me in the day of trouble; I will deliver you, and you shall glorify Me.”

God does not desire us to offer sacrifices to Him as if offered to the dead; He wants us to give thanks to Him and rely on Him in the days of trouble. When a life of peace and comfort continues for a while, it is natural for man to be slack in his relationship with God. Even so, we should not call on God only when we are afflicted but rely on Him all the more in the days of peace. As you wake up in the morning, first pray earnestly, “God, help me and family throughout this day. Always give ear and hear my cries.” We cannot see even a step ahead of us. Our wisdom and our ways are nothing. There are just too many things to overcome and get through for us to depend on our own ability. The Lord knows the steps ahead of us. Therefore, anyone who is in the Lord’s embrace will never fall away. The Lord does not deceive anyone and thus whoever is in Him will never be deceived. Even if they happen to be in hardship now, they will ultimately be victorious. We have buried our old self by receiving baptism. We should not miss the old way of life anymore but fully put our trust in the living Lord.

The Lord wants to help those who clearly acknowledge and confess that they have been brought to life and understand the value of it. Some people think, ‘I have no hope. Everything fails. There’s no use in doing anything now. Everything might end when I die. Who knows what will happen after death? Then should I just try to have a better life for my flesh?’ The Lord does not want to be with those who are sunk in the mindset of the defeated, and those who are only focused on fleshly pleasures.

For the saints, the death of the body is the beginning of the glorious eternal life. The Lord promised that He will not lose any one of those who rely on the living God; He will raise them up on the last day and take them to Heaven. The saints ought to encourage one another with this promise of the Lord. We must remind each other that the Lord is our Rock, Refuge, Shield, Fortress and Shepherd, and thus encourage each other. We have to discard our arrogance that we can overcome the world by ourselves, and entrust our lives to God. By faith, the born-again souls should walk the path that they ought to take. We should not be disheartened in the face of hardship but trust in God who is living and helps us.

It is the most obvious for saints who are God’s children to have spiritual fellowship, comfort one another, and share the grace they have received in the church. The newcomers should not be left to feel awkward or uncomfortable in the church. To be saved means a new life has begun which is not for my own self but for others. The newcomers should not be left feeling embarrassed for the reason that they lack in the knowledge about faith. Just as the Christ laid down His life and loves us when we were completely ignorant, we also need to love the saints. We have to understand the purpose of why the living God has saved us and offer our lives for that purpose.