To Be a Blessing

(Ephesians 4:25)

God spoke to His people, who were once a curse among the Gentiles: “I will save you, and you shall be a blessing.” Along with this promise, God commanded what they should do: “These are the things you shall do: Speak each man the truth to his neighbor. Let none of you think evil in your heart against your neighbor; And do not love a false oath” (Zech 8:13-17).

1. Falsehood
Paul introduced the life that reflects God’s image and addressed the issues of falsehood and truth by citing Zechariah. “Therefore, putting away lying, Let each one of you speak truth with his neighbor, for we are members of one another” (Eph 4:25). This may seem unexpected to us, who are tainted by lies. However, the Lord took falsehood so seriously that He referred to the devil as the father of lies and warned that all liars shall have their part in the lake which burns with fire and brimstone (Rev 21:8).

2. Truth
Isn’t salvation determined by faith? Yes, that is correct. However, the reason the Lord said that all liars would have their part in the lake of fire is that those who truly believe in Jesus would have put off lies. The fact that humans suffer from all kinds of lies and yet cannot let them go is evidence that they have fallen and lost the image of God. On the other hand, there is evidence shown by those who are saved: they follow God’s image and move toward truth.

3. A Blessing
After turning on hot water from the showerhead and testing the temperature with your hand, the water is so hot that it could scald your body. Then, your hand should alert the other members of your body to this danger. However, if the hand lies by saying, “The water is warm,” what would happen then? Our body is composed of various members. For the body to operate safely and properly, all its members must truthfully share information under the brain’s control. In the same way, when we, as every member of the church, communicate truthfully with all our hearts, the Lord’s will―to bless all nations through us―will be fully accomplished.

Overseer Sung-Hyun Kim