The passage we read today is from Romans 6:1–11. The message I want to share with you is titled “The Open Being.” This “open being” refers to us who are in Jesus Christ, and today, I want to speak about what it truly means for us to be such beings.

Then we may wonder, “Does that mean there are closed beings?” Yes, though it is not a phrase we use often, I want to explain what a “closed being” is. Before we came to believe in Jesus, we thought we were such beings—closed in every sense. What does this mean? It means we lived according to fate, trapped under a lid we could never lift by our own strength. People knew this about themselves, which is why they accepted their fate and even sought to learn it through fortune-telling. But fortune-telling assumes that one’s future is already decided. Who could have decided it? They did not believe in God, yet they still thought their lives were predetermined by some unknown power. That is what it means to be closed. And if everything were already determined, how oppressive and miserable would that be? About a hundred years ago in our country, most people were slaves. Compared to the nobles, the number of slaves was nearly four times greater. They had no freedom. If a master violated a servant’s daughter, the father could say nothing. Living in such inherited despair, people would console themselves by saying, “This must be my fate.” Effort seemed useless. Even if a man tried to protect his daughter, he would be beaten to death. There was nothing to do but accept his reality and survive. To keep from losing their minds, they said, “This is just my fate,” and endured. Some faintly hoped, “Maybe in my next life I’ll be born as something better,” yet even that “better” might mean coming back as an ox or a dog. With such a view, they lost the will to change their lives, thinking, “As long as I can avoid trouble, that’s enough. Why live honestly? Why work hard?” And so they stopped trying altogether. This is what it means to be a closed being.

Because they were influenced by long-standing customs, many people still live under the same fatalistic mindset. Some might say, “In this age of science, who still believes in fortune-telling?”—but in fact, it has become increasingly popular. In the age of the internet, it is even more widespread. It takes only a moment to download an app and have your fortune told on your phone. You might think it’s something only the elderly do, but that’s not true. Many college students do it too. Around universities, there are cafés where people can have their fortunes read while sipping coffee, asking questions like, “Will I get a job?” or “Will I get married?” This is nothing less than surrendering to the idea that their future is already fixed. And it’s not only the old, traditional Korean fortune-telling; there are also imported ones, such as tarot readings, where people use cards to predict their destiny. Some even say it feels more sophisticated than the old ways and enjoy it as a kind of trend. Yet when asked seriously about it, they often reply, “Oh, it’s just for fun.” But is it really just for fun? In truth, they do it because they have lost direction and peace in their lives.

If we truly know Jesus, there is no need for such things. We would never depend on fortune-telling. Yet sadly, even many Christians today still do. I met Jesus personally when I was in my second year of college. But before that, I had followed friends to church a few times and had seen how their parents lived as believers. Some of them held significant positions in the church, yet I found that they went to fortune-tellers as if it were nothing unusual. They said they believed in God, but from what I saw, it didn’t seem like they had really met Him. If a person truly believes that the living God exists and understands the reality of the spiritual world, they would never do such a thing—and they must not.

The Bible also records an event like this in Acts chapter 16. Paul went to the region of Philippi to preach the gospel. He had once been a man who persecuted those who believed in Jesus, arresting them and putting them in prison. When people stoned the followers of Christ to death, Paul stood on the side of the persecutors and said, “I will be a witness. That person deserves to die.” But in the midst of his persecution, he encountered Jesus Himself, and from that moment on, he became a messenger of the gospel. The region of Philippi, where he went, was a place where almost no one believed in Jesus. There, he met a slave girl who practiced fortune-telling. This girl followed Paul and kept shouting, “These men are servants of the Most High God, who proclaim to us the way of salvation!” For spirits recognize other spirits. Then Paul turned to her and commanded, “Be silent!” Immediately, the girl collapsed—the evil spirit inside her had come out. It was clear that her fortune-telling came from the help of an evil spirit. There truly are demons that enable fortune-telling. I once heard the testimony of a shaman who had served at a very high level before later coming to church and turning to God. She explained that when she performed fortune-telling, a spirit was always beside her—one she served. When someone came in to have their fortune told, the spirit that accompanied that person would enter with them, and her own spirit would tell her what the other spirit revealed: “This is why that person came. This is their age. This is the accident that happened to them recently.” The spirits would communicate with each other, and the shaman’s spirit would tell her what to say. In other words, fortune-tellers are people possessed by evil spirits; they serve them. Going to such a person to seek answers is the same as asking an evil spirit for help. But can a demon help your life? No. Can it decide your life? No. It can speak only of what has already happened, because the past is all it knows. Even a spirit that whispers in someone’s ear cannot speak about the future—it does not have that knowledge. Yet those who do not know this truth accept their closed destiny and continue to live as slaves under such spirits.

However, the moment we come to believe in Jesus, everything changes completely. Today’s passage tells us about this very truth: “We were baptized into Christ Jesus.” Why are we baptized? It is to acknowledge our faith in Jesus in our body. It is not merely saying, “I believe in Jesus!” with our lips, but showing through baptism that we truly belong to Him—so that others may see and know, “Ah, this person is a believer in Jesus.”

What happens when we are baptized? Through baptism, we become united with the death of Jesus Christ. When He died, I also became one who had died with Him. How did I become a dead person? I became dead to the sin that once tormented me. The sin that used to chase after me, crying out, “You are a sinner! Pay your debt!”—I have now died to it. And what is the debt of sin? It is death. The voice that shouted, “You have sinned! You must be cursed! You must die!” no longer pursues me, because I have died to sin. Jesus died in my place, and through baptism, I am united with His death. So when sin comes after me and realizes, “Wait, this one is already dead,” it turns away and leaves. Therefore, sin and curse have nothing to do with us anymore. The old self—the sinner I once was—has been completely buried with Him. The old self, whose destiny was cursed and hopeless, has been buried through baptism.

Do you know what our destiny used to be? We were once closed beings—without hope. Our destiny always followed the god we served or the spirit that ruled over us. In the past, our fate was no different from those who served evil spirits. Without the Holy Spirit, cursed spirits would come and go freely. What kind of beings are these spirits? They are hopeless, cursed beings. We simply followed the same curse they lived under—that was our destiny. Even if we managed to live somewhat comfortably in this world, we were still bound for hell, condemned to eternal punishment. That was our fate—to be cursed in this life and cursed again in eternity. What a filthy destiny that was! No matter how much money a person made, they would still walk that same doomed path, because they were serving those cursed gods and living under their dominion. But that cursed destiny has already been buried the moment we believed in Jesus and were baptized. Why did Jesus, the Son of God—who was without sin—die on the cross? He sacrificed Himself so that our old, cursed selves could be buried with Him. When we accept the merit of what God has done through Him, our old destiny is completely buried.

Then how should we live now? We are to live a life united with Jesus Christ. Earlier, I said that we were united with His death—but Jesus did not end in death. He rose again. God exalted Him, and though He is not visible to our eyes, He is now in heaven. And we are united with Him. So what has happened to our destiny? Our destiny has become the same as that of the Son of God. Do you know what kind of destiny the Son of God has? Those who are cursed in this world may seem to prosper and gain wealth, yet their destiny remains cursed forever. Even if they appear successful, it is still a destiny of curse. But the destiny of Jesus Christ is entirely different. He shed His blood and died on this earth, but His destiny was to receive life—eternal life. That is why He is alive now and will live eternally. He possesses all the glory of God. Though He became a man, He is God Himself. And we have met Him and become one with Him. To believe in Jesus means that our destiny has become one with His. Do you see what that truly means?

In the past, we did not even know that we were created in the image of God, and we lived like beasts. We did not know that we had a spirit. Even though we had one, we said there was none, and we lived only for the flesh. For the sake of the flesh, God gave a command to the animals of the earth and also to human beings who live by the flesh. It was simple: “Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth.” To mankind, He added, “Have dominion over all things.” So people live for the purpose of producing and multiplying in the flesh and ruling over others. That is their work; that is what they live for. But living like that ends only in this world. For us who believe in Jesus, a new way of life has been opened through His death and resurrection. Being fruitful and multiplying is something even animals do. That is why those who do not believe in Jesus think of themselves as beasts. Some even say, “I am a descendant of apes.” You have heard of evolution, haven’t you? They believe that single-celled organisms, like amoebas or worms, gradually changed into monkeys and that monkeys became humans. Those who believe this—what great faith they have! They believe something that is truly hard to believe. Holding such thoughts, they live at the level of beasts, throwing themselves into the desires of their flesh and living like animals. Such people have nothing to fear. Why? Because they think, “Once I die, that’s the end.” I used to live that way too, and it was empty and meaningless. “Why study hard? Why make money? In the end, I’ll die anyway. Why live rightly? Even if I am praised for a moment, death will make it all nothing. And if I commit murder, what does it matter? I may be punished, but once I die, it’s all over.” Thinking like that, they find no reason to live morally or diligently. Many today wander through life this way, living as beasts without knowing why they exist.

But what kind of place has God now given us? He has restored our worth as spiritual beings who can receive His word. We are no longer like animals. God says to us, “I made you human—so live as humans,” and He treats us accordingly. Because we were created in the image of God, He grants us the honor and dignity that befit that image.

However, not all who are treated as humans share the same standing. Though all are human, some live as servants, while others live with greater authority and honor. In the Old Testament times, people stood before God in the position of servants. Even when they came to know God, they did so through angels. Angels are messengers of God, and those who came to know God through them ultimately became His people—servants who carried out His work.

But now, we have not come to know God through angels. We have come to know Him through His only begotten Son, Jesus Christ. Through Him, we have come to know God and have become His children. We, who once lived like beasts, have now received this astonishing identity as the children of God. Our standing has been lifted immeasurably high.

When we hear that Jesus is the Son of God, some may think He must be lower than God. But do you know what the Bible means by “the Son of God”? Suppose a father owns one billion dollars. When he dies, all of that wealth is passed down to his son. If there are two sons, they would receive five hundred million dollars each. But if there is only one son—the only begotten son—then the entire one billion dollars belongs to him. The father’s wealth and the son’s wealth become the same. In the same way, the Father’s glory and the Son’s glory are one and the same. Thus, the “only begotten Son of God” is the One who possesses the very same glory as God Himself.

Jesus is the One who possesses the very same glory as God, and we have been united with that very Jesus. This means that we have come be God. Jesus said, “If He called them gods, to whom the word of God came.” It means that those who receive God’s word are brought up to the level of God Himself.

So you see, depending on what a person chooses, they may regard themselves as a beast, as an angel, or even as God. But to see oneself as being like God is not delusion—it is something God Himself has allowed. The range of what a human being can be is vast. How will you live? You may live like a beast, like a mere human, or like God. For those who believe in Jesus, God has now opened the way to live like Him.

Jesus is the one who showed us what it means to live like God. When He came to this earth, He even walked on water, laid His hands on the sick and healed them, and cast out evil spirits. These were things only God could do. The blind received sight, and though He was a man, He performed such works. Yet He spoke to us with an astonishing promise: “He who believes in Me will also do the works that I do.” And when those who truly believed in Jesus went out and testified, the very same things happened. They laid hands on the sick and they were healed; they commanded evil spirits in the name of Jesus, and they were driven out. For two thousand years, such works have continued. There was a time when Christianity came to be treated merely as a religion, and such power seemed to fade. But about a hundred years ago, as these words of Jesus began to be known again, more and more people believed, and miracles and signs multiplied. That same work has reached even us today. I myself was just an ordinary believer, and only three months after I came to faith in Jesus, when I laid hands and prayed as the Lord commanded, the sick were healed, demons were driven out, the paralyzed rose, and the blind opened their eyes—just as the Word says. God’s Word is true, and you too can experience it.

Of course, it doesn’t happen just because someone says, “All right then, heal me if you can!” Faith must follow. Jesus spoke about people who have such an attitude. They say, “Physician, heal yourself! If you’re so powerful, heal me and I’ll believe you.” But would any physician respond to such a challenge? When someone says, “God, if You’re really powerful, then heal me—prove it, and then I’ll believe,” do you think God would act according to such arrogance? God is the Most High. Would He reveal Himself to someone who treats Him so lightly? Instead, kneel before Him and humbly confess: “God, I acknowledge that You are God. I believe in You. Whatever You give, I will receive with humility. I was once a completely closed being. I lived like a beast, believing I could never escape my fate. But now, I want to accept the great honor You have shown me.” Come before God with this heart of faith.

The way each person lives on this earth is different. Just as every flower has its own shape and color, so the lives of people also differ. Some live in poverty, some in wealth; some are healthy, others are not. Yet these are only outward things seen while we live in the flesh. After leaving this body, we will be resurrected and go to a place prepared for us—the place called heaven. But we must not misunderstand what heaven is. Many think it is where the spirit goes, but that is not quite right. Heaven is not merely a place for disembodied spirits; it is the place where our eternal bodies will go. It is not this perishable body that will enter heaven, but a body that will never decay. Our flesh will return to dust, but our spirit will be raised again. It is not the same decayed dust that becomes our new body; rather, our spirit will be transformed into a body and go to heaven. The state of our spirit when it is transformed will be revealed in the form of “the body we will receive” in the resurrection. That is why I have come to worship every Lord’s Day for decades since I came to believe in Jesus, and why I continue to live according to His commands, even when it is difficult. I do this because I know there is a resurrection, and I long to obtain a more glorious resurrection. The state of our resurrected body will be determined by the kind of faith we have shown in this life—by whether our hearts were stingy before God. For this reason, countless believers strive earnestly in their faith, and some, even when a sword is held to their neck and they are told, “Deny Jesus,” refuse to do so. Why? Because they have experienced the living God. I bless you in the name of Jesus, that you too may encounter God and clearly understand the amazing honor He has given you.

There are angels in this world, but you have been given greater honor than they. When God created the angels, He made them as closed beings. Unlike us humans, they were not permitted to rise to the position of God. From the moment they were created, they were fixed in their assigned place. There are more angels than the stars in the sky, and each one was created individually. But with mankind, it is different—through one person, countless others came into existence.

Angels were each created one by one, and once they were made, they were to remain exactly where God had placed them. But it is not so with humans. God did not say to us, “You must live only like this—as a servant—and stay in that position.” Rather, depending on how we obey His word, we can rise even to the level of God Himself. We are completely open beings. That is why, when some people look at believers, they might say, “That person believes in Jesus, but there doesn’t seem to be anything special about them.” But it is dangerous to think that way. Imagine a monkey saying, “Humans? I saw them once in a village where no one wore clothes. Humans must all be like that.” Where do you think that monkey went? Probably to some remote tribe in the Amazon, and so it assumes that’s what all humans are like. But the reality is that human beings differ greatly. If the same monkey went to New York, it would see something entirely different. People vary just as widely. Some can hardly feed themselves, while others can destroy an entire nation with a single word. Though all are human, the difference is vast. In the same way, we may be like that monkey in how we think about faith. “In heaven, everyone will be the same. Those who believe in Jesus are all the same.” But that’s not true. Not all believers are the same. The difference is great, and depending on how one believes, each will receive a different glory in the end.

You may not understand it fully yet, since you’ve only heard about it and haven’t experienced it yourself. But as you continue to be led by the Word, you will come to understand what this truly means—and you will personally experience it. Surely, the day will come when you can confess, “I have truly met God.” So do not lose interest or turn away from this precious truth after only a short while. Keep seeking until the end. For some, it may take more time. But remember, we are not pursuing something trivial or meaningless, something you could give up on, saying, “This is boring. It’s no use.” No—we are seeking the matter of life itself, the matter of eternal life. Strive for it with all your heart. Seek it earnestly. You will surely find Him. I bless each one of you, in the name of Jesus, to become those who truly meet God.

I will pray.

God our Father, though we once lived as slaves to fate, You have determined to raise us to Your own level and sent Jesus Christ to accomplish this. Now that we are united with Him, we desire to draw nearer to You. Father God, may every soul here be truly united with Jesus Christ and live the kind of life You desire—a life that reflects You, a life that lives like God. When the time comes, may we all be resurrected and enter heaven to meet the Lord face to face. In the name of Jesus Christ, we pray. Amen.