June 17, 2018 Be Humble

Faith in the Trinity

God is the Most High Father.  We believe that He is the Only God, but at the same time we acknowledge the existence of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. This basic doctrine of Christianity shared by all churches of Christ around the world is called the Trinity.

In addition to the Trinity, another basic doctrine of the Church is salvation through faith in Jesus Christ. As long as churches share those two basic doctrines, they cannot be judged as heretical, even if they differ slightly in other matters of doctrine.

Since the Trinity is a fundamental doctrine of Christianity, it is very important that we have a clear understanding of it, and to do that we need the help of the Holy Spirit. Like God the Father, the Holy Spirit cannot be seen by man. But whoever believes in Jesus can receive the Holy Spirit and whoever receives the Holy Spirit can know that Jesus abides in them(1 John 3:24).

Those who do not know with absolute certainty that Jesus abides in them cannot be sure of their own salvation, even if they go to church every Lord’s Day. 2 Corinthians 13:5 says, “Examine yourselves to see whether you are in the faith; test yourselves. Do you not realize that Christ Jesus is in you – unless, of course, you failed the test.” In the Old Testament times, the Israelites received the Law, and by observing it their bodies were saved. But their souls were not saved, ever.  Similarly, although we may attend church faithfully, if not realizing that Jesus abides in us, no matter how much we confess that we know Jesus, it is only empty words like a hollow echo that returns to you in the mountains.

Jesus is God

Who do you think of when you hear the word ‘God’?  Although God sent His Son to the world and revealed Him to us, when most people call on God, they think of an invisible God and even form an imaginary being in their mind. This is a dangerous situation to be in because it is rooted in mysticism.

From very early on, God made Moses like God in Pharaoh’s eyes.  Exodus 7:1 says, “The the Lord said to Moses, ‘See, I have made you like God to Pharaoh.’” God also made Moses like God in the eyes of the people of Israel. If the Israelites did not listen to Moses, God regarded it as disobeying the words of God.

Now that Jesus Christ has revealed Himself to us, we must acknowledge that He is God. There is no way to see God except through Jesus Christ. Jesus said, “Whoever has seen me has seen the Father; and how can you say, ‘Show us the Father?’”(John 14:9) Seeing Jesus is the same as seeing God the Father, believing in Jesus is believing in God the Father. That is why Jesus is called ‘the express image of His person.’ (Hebrews 1:3)

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God(John 1:1). All things were made by Him(John 1:3).  The Word became flesh and dwelt among us(John 1:14). He is Jesus Christ Himself, whom we have seen with our eyes, whom we have heard, and whom we have touched with our hands, concerning the Word of life(1 John 1:1).

Now, we no longer must think of an imaginary being when we hear the word ‘God’. Our God is Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ is the God of ‘Immanuel’. Unlike the people in Old Testament times, we are able to see the God who is right in front of us, or, as the name Immanuel signifies, ‘God with us’.

No one knew that Jesus was God until John baptized Him. John’s baptism was one of repentance so whoever came to him had to confess his sins. But Jesus did not confess His sins. John the Baptist had been waiting for a righteous man who did not need to repent, so he immediately recognized that Jesus was the one who he had been waiting for.

John the Baptist said, “I need to be baptized by you, and you come to me?”(Matthew 3:14) Jesus replied, “Let it be so now, for thus it is fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness.”(Matthew 3:15)  If Jesus had no sins to confess, why was it fitting for Him to be baptized? He buried His identity as the son of David and the son of Abraham through baptism, and then He received the testimony of God saying, “This is my beloved Son in whom I am well pleased.”(Matthew 3:17)

Our faith must contain the righteousness of God, otherwise it is sin. But how can a man have the righteousness of God? By acknowledging that ‘Jesus is my God.’ It is hopeless to consider Jesus as the one who died on the cross if you don’t acknowledge that He is God. It is hard to believe that one born of a woman can be God, but God has made it righteous.

Believe in Jesus

John 3:16-18 said, “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. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved. He who believes in Him is not condemned, but he who does not believe is condemned already because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.”

The fact that Jesus is the only begotten Son of God means that He is equal to God, which means that He is God. Those who lack the faith to acknowledge Jesus as God cannot attain eternal life regardless of how hard they cry “Lord, Lord.” Salvation and judgment depend on whether or not you believe that Jesus is God.

Those who were under the Law offered sacrifices of animals, but that didn’t address the sins of their souls.  They would still have to face judgment in the future.  Because they were under conscience and the knowledge of good and evil, they will be judged according to their deeds. If they happen to make it into heaven, they will be treated as low as the angels. Just as Jesus said, “Among those born of women there has not risen one greater than John the Baptist; but he who is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he.”(Matthew 11:11) On the other hand, those who are found wanting in the judgment will be cast into the lake of fire.

But things changed when Jesus came into the world. Now, salvation and judgment are determined by whether or not you believe in Jesus, not the Law. Additionally, those who do not believe in Jesus are already condemned instead of facing judgment at some point in the future. Therefore, those who do not believe in Jesus now are far more unhappy than those who were formerly under the Law. Those who were under the Law still have a chance to be judged, but those who reject Jesus do not have a chance once they leave their body.  They become demons after they die, are cast into the Abyss when their time on earth is done, and they will eventually be thrown into the lake of fire.

Let All Who Bear the Marks of Jesus Kneel Before His Name

  John  12:49-50 says, “For I have not spoken on My own authority, but the Father who sent Me gave Me a command, what I should say and what I should speak, I know that His command is everlasting life. Therefore, whatever I speak, just as the Father has told Me, so I speak.”

Let’s suppose someone is tired of hearing an evangelist and says, “Ok, if I tell you I believe now, will you stop preaching to me?” That person is not saved. In order to be saved, he must know that Jesus is God. If he truly knows that Jesus is God, he will accept the words of Jesus as His commands. In other words, he will recognize Jesus as his master, and himself as Jesus’ servant.

What does it mean to be a master?  Paul said, “I bear on my body the marks of the Lord Jesus.” A ‘mark’ is a scar or brand which a master places on the body of his animal or slave to indicate ownership. Paul said that he bore on his body the marks of the Lord Jesus to emphasize that he himself was the servant of Christ. He was completely obedient to the words of Jesus because he considered himself Jesus’ slave. Jesus purchased us with His own blood and we have been eternally sealed by the Holy Spirit. So now we must obey the commands of our Lord Jesus.

John 17:3 says, “And this is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom You have sent.” Even if a man claims to know God, he cannot have eternal life unless he knows Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ humbled Himself before the Father(Philippians 2:5-11).  He did not demand to be treated like God, but rather, He made Himself of no reputation, taking on the form of a slave, and coming in the likeness of men. He humbled himself and became obedient to the point of death. Therefore God also has highly exalted Him and given Him the name which is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow.

Regardless of how often or how fervently we worship in all piety, it is pointless without godly power. Where does the power of godliness come from? It comes from kneeling at the name of Jesus.  Many people adopt a form of godliness, but they do not kneel at the name of Jesus. It is hard for a man to tell the difference between faith and religion, they look the same to us, but the Lord knows. Religious people do not recognize Jesus as God. Such a person has already been judged.

If we truly know God, we will acknowledge that Jesus is God and accept His words as commands. Only those people can receive eternal life. The only standard of righteousness is whether or not a person believes that Jesus is God. Let us remember that we bear the mark of the Lord Jesus! Let us truly know Jesus Christ, who humbled Himself before God the Father, and kneel before His name!

It has been a year since I last saw those people who I still miss. They loved Semuon, and I loved them. Just who was it that destroyed this relationship between us? I feel so much sorrow and anguish because of this. I am sorrowful that time has gone so fast and I did not even have the time to comfort their broken hearts. I am afraid that I might not see them again while I still live on this earth.

Friends are those whom you love. And they were my true friends. Friends know each other’s hearts and even each other’s weaknesses. Their love for each other, however, is never disturbed. Even the Lord Jesus said to us, “You are my beloved sheep, and my beloved friends.” But were we truly friends? Or was this just a mere formality?

Even if that were the case, we were still friends who knew and embraced each other in spirit. I put so much effort to try to meet my beloved friends again. And they might have seen the effort in my spirit. Why is it that we cannot meet each other again, as if we were still enemies?

I, Semuon, preached my faith to them from the very beginning. They also rejoiced once they learned the truth. Or was it mere vanity and indulgence? I am deeply sorrowful, since they spurt out words like ‘pseudo-religion’ and ‘heresy’ against me. I am not,however, the originator of a ‘pseudo-religion’, just because they say I am. Who was it that motivated them to say such things? There is one baptism, and there is one Lord. How did we become separated like this? This is indeed very hurtful.

I, Semuon, only want to bless and feed them with the fullness from heaven. But they do not want to listen, and are not willing to come to me at all. It is only the devil who delights in this situation. And this situation only provides him with more chances to do his work. They are insisting that they will only confront me in the Court of the Law. Therefore, I am compelled to ’render to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s’ and ‘render to God the things that are God’s.’

My friends, whom I loved from the very beginning, I am now waiting for you with a heart wide open. Hurling insults at each other does not come from the truth. Lies do not come from the truth. What words are you still only listening to? It is written that ‘without the truth, we only end up killing each other.’ We are brothers and sisters who know and believe the truth. I, Semuon, will only speak the truth. Only when you hear the truth, can your souls live. I write this to my friends, whom I still long for.

Coming Soon

Outline translated by Daniel Hong, John Kim
Letter translated by John Kim
Interpretations by Daniel Hong
Korean Summary by Ki-Taek Lee