7. The Faith and Life of the Christian
<Note: This article
is the concluding part of the "Gospel of Salvation" web blog.
So, if you are new to this article, please read this one together with other
articles from Web Blog #1: "Why We Should Believe in Jesus" to Web Blog #6: "When is the End Time?" Then, you will be able to
understand this article better.>
People, both past
and present, seem to live their lives worrying about the problem of making a
living. This is because all people have a body, and that body must be provided
with adequate food every day. Therefore, people seem to regard eating and
living as the most pressing problem and live busily every day to solve that
problem. However, we must realize that there is a bigger problem than the
problem of making a living for the body. It is the problem of eternal life.
From the moment we are born, we humans are a union of
spirit, soul, and body (see Web blog #1, “Why You Should Believe in Jesus”). This is because when God the Creator created the first
man, Adam, he formed a body out of clay and breathed life (spirit) into his
nostrils, making him a living soul. Therefore, the first man, Adam, was able to
communicate with God as a spiritual being. However, unlike humans, animals
consist only of a soul and a physical body, and do not have a spirit.
Therefore, animals cannot know the existence of God (who
exists as Spirit) and cannot have fellowship with Him. And when the
body dies, the soul disappears immediately.
However, when a person dies on this earth, his physical
body returns to the dust, but his spirit and soul never perish (spirit: Ps. 31:5; Luke 23:46;
Ecclesiastes 12:7; Soul: Gen. 35:18; Rev. 6:9, 20:4; Matt. 10:28). A person who
is saved by believing in Jesus Christ on this earth, even though his body dies
and is buried in the earth, his spirit and soul will never perish but will
enter paradise (heaven)(Even though the body
dies, the spirit and soul do not die and enter paradise). Then, his spirit and soul will come down to this earth
with Jesus at the time of His second coming, be reunited with his body that was
buried in the earth, be resurrected as an eternal body, and enter the (earthly)
millennial kingdom and heaven (new heaven and new earth) to live forever with
Jesus and enjoy eternal life. However, if a person rejects the grace of Jesus
until the end on this earth and does not receive forgiveness of sins, his
spirit and soul will never disappear when his body dies on this earth and is
buried in the ground, and he will go to Hades (hell) because of his sin(Although the body dies, the spirit and soul do not die and
go to Hades). Then, on the day of the final
judgment of Jesus, his spirit and soul will be reunited with his dead body and
resurrected as an eternal body, and he will stand before the judgment seat of
Jesus and be judged (according to his actions) and enter hell(eternal prison), where he will live a life of suffering forever (Rev. 20:11-15).
Therefore, the writer of the book of Hebrews declared that
all of us, without exception, will face death someday and be judged by God. Our
eternal life will be determined by God’s righteous judgment.
Hebrews 9:27..."It is appointed for man to die once, but after this comes
judgment."
Therefore, a truly blessed person is not someone who eats
well and lives well on this earth for a short while, but someone who has become
a new person by accepting Jesus as his Savior and Lord, that is, someone whose
corrupted spirit, which was corrupted by the original sin of the first man
Adam, has been born again by the Holy Spirit of God through the merit of Jesus’
redemption on the cross and has received a new spirit, that is, someone who was
born in the flesh and was a child of the devil, but has become a child of God
through the grace of Jesus, and as a result, someone who will enter the eternal
kingdom of God, heaven, and enjoy eternal life.
Jesus has already spoken
of our need to be born again because we are flesh born from the first man Adam
who fell into sin. "Unless one is born of the Spirit, he cannot
enter the kingdom of God. He who is born of the flesh is flesh, but he who is
born of the Spirit is spirit" (John 3:5-6). Here, the
rebirth(regeneration) of man means the rebirth of the spirit. Because everyone
is born in the flesh under the control of the devil's spirit, without the
original spirit from God when Adam was created. Therefore, unless we receive a
new spirit from God (be born again) and become children of God, we can never enter the
kingdom of God because we are still flesh.
Therefore, we should never neglect the issue of eternal
life while considering the issue of physical livelihood as the most pressing
issue on this earth. We should strive to solve the issue of eternal life(It is a matter of being spiritually born again
and becoming children of God through the redemption of the cross of Jesus
Christ) before the issue of physical
livelihood.
<Reference>: The structure of human(spirit, soul, and body) and its function: Click the picture below to see more clearly.
In the 6th chapter of John's Gospel, we can see that the
people of Israel were most concerned about their livelihood. It was because
they were too poor. After teaching them, Jesus performed miracles with five
breads and two fish, and fed them who were so hungry. After that happened, they
followed Jesus more earnestly.
Jesus said to them in John 6:26-27.... "You
seek me, not because you saw the signs, but because you ate the loaves and were
filled. Do not work for the food that perishes, but for the food that endures
to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give for you, because God the Father
has sealed on him." The crowd asked Jesus (John 6:28): "What
shall we do that may work the works of God ?" Jesus answered
them (John 6:29): "It is the work of God that you believe in him
(Jesus Christ) whom God sent."
Jesus is the bread of eternal life for us, as the Savior
(Messiah, Christ) sent to this earth by God the Father. Jesus was crucified on
the cross to atone for our sins, shed His blood, and His body was torn. It was
only to give us eternal life, as Jesus had already said: “Very truly I
tell you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink His blood, you
have no life in you. Whoever eats My flesh and drinks My blood has eternal
life, and I will raise him up at the last day. For My flesh is true food, and
My blood is true drink.” (John 6:53-55)
Here, drinking Jesus’ blood and eating Jesus’ flesh does
not mean actually drinking His blood and actually eating His flesh. These words
are words Jesus spoke with in mind of the Holy Communion that Jesus instituted
for the saints who believed in Jesus’ death on the cross, shedding His blood,
and accepting Him as their Savior. The purpose of this Eucharist is to enable
the saints to strengthen their faith by commemorating the death of Jesus and to
spread the word of Jesus to the end(See 1 Corinthians 11:23-26).
Therefore, Jesus told the crowds who had followed Jesus
because of their livelihood problems, to believe in Jesus for the solution of
their eternal life problem. Eternal life means the holy
nature we obtain in Jesus Christ, the intimate fellowship with Jesus, and the
blessed life that children of God enjoy (see John 17:3). If we accept and
believe in Jesus as Lord, even if we face physical death on this earth in the
future, just as Jesus rose from the dead, we will be resurrected, enter the
kingdom of heaven, and enjoy eternal life (John 6:40, 53-57).
Jesus, in Matthew 6:31-33, told the crowd to seek first the
kingdom of God and His righteousness, instead of seeking first the things to
eat, drink, and wear: “Therefore do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we
eat’, of ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For after all these
things the Gentiles seek. For your heavenly Father knows that you need all
these things. But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all
these things will be added to you." Seeking God's kingdom and
righteousness is no different than seeking eternal life. If we do not receive
eternal life, no matter how abundant our life on this earth is, after death we
have to go to hell to pay the price for our sins, so it is of no use. However,
if we accept Jesus, receive forgiveness of sins, become children of God, and
receive eternal life, we will receive God's protection, provision, and care on
this earth as well.
<Dear brothers and sisters in Christ!> What
you must seek is not a matter of livelihood, but a matter of eternal life. So,
you must, first of all, open your heart and accept (believe) Jesus as the Lord.
Then, Heavenly Father will give you the gift of eternal life. Those who have
been saved must start a life of faith. It means that the saved children of God
walk with Jesus with true faith and live for the kingdom and righteousness of
God (Matthew 6:33). God will provide the obedient people with what they need so
that they do not have to worry about their livelihood, and will allow them to
live for the expansion of the kingdom of God. As a result, they will receive a
reward worthy of it on the day of Jesus' second coming and when the eternal
kingdom of heaven comes.
The followings are “the Truth in the Bible (17 things)” that we need to know in order to properly believe in
Jesus. Please read the following information carefully so that your faith can
be built on the right foundation.
1. God's Creation
The Sovereign Lord God created the heavens and the earth
and all things (Purpose of Creation: To reveal the glory of God: Isaiah 43:7). The heavens and
the earth are the products of Almighty God's creation. Among them, man was
specifically created in the trinity of spirit, soul, and physical body
according to the way of existence of the God of Trinity, and also man was
created as a holy being according to the holy image of God, and was entrusted
with the mission of God to be fruitful and multiply and to rule over all things
on this earth. (Purpose of the creation
of man: God created man to have fellowship
with God, to glorify God, and to please Him forever: 1 Corinthians 10:31;
Romans 11:36).
... Gen 1:1; Gen 1:26-28; Isa 44:24; John 1:3; Romans
11:36; Col 1:16; Hebrews 1:2-3; Acts 17:23-28; 1 Corinthians 8:5-6; Revelation
4:11
2. The fall of mankind
The ancestors of mankind, Adam and Eve, were deceived by
the lies of the fallen angel Satan (the devil) and disobeyed God's word (by eating the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good
and evil that God had forbidden) and fell, so Adam lost
the human spirit that God had given him at creation and came to be dominated by
the devil's spirit (Adam's dominion was
passed to the devil, and the devil became the god who rules this world: 2 Cor
4:4; Eph 2:2; John 12:31; Eph 6:12). So, Adam's sin entered the world, and all people sinned (all people
became slaves to sin and slaves to the devil), and because of that sin,
suffering came to all people, and death came (Satan is the main cause of the
problem of evil).
... Genesis 3:1-10; Genesis 2:16-17; Genesis 6:5; Romans
5:12,19; Ephesians 2:3; Isa 64:6; Psalm 14:1-3; Romans 1:18-23; Isa 1:4; Romans
3:23; John 16:9; 1 John 3:4; 1 John 1:8; Proverbs 6:16-19
3. God’s Covenant (Testament) and the
Bible
All human beings, born of Adam's lineage inherited the sin
nature, will die by committing sins and will be judged and tormented in hell
for eternity according to God's justice. So, God, who is rich in
mercy, pronounced a covenant to save all mankind who would be born
from Adam and Eve (Genesis 3:15). God made garments of animal skins (shed
blood) for Adam and Eve and clothed them (Genesis 3:21). Those
clothes were the clothes of God's covenant of salvation. God chose Abraham, his
only son Isaac, and Isaac's son Jacob (Israel), and made a covenant with them
(Genesis 17:7-8, 12:2; Gal 3:17-18). * (Note: The covenant between God
and Abraham was made with blood. God made the covenant with the blood of clean
animals, and Abraham made the covenant with the blood that he shed when he was
circumcised).
God's covenant is that God, being the God of Israel, is always with them in their
journey of life, governing, guiding and protecting them, so that they inherit
the land of Canaan (the promised land: foreshadowing the kingdom of heaven) from generation to
generation and enjoy it. And the Israelites, by becoming God's
people, fully worshiping and serving God, and obeying God's word, receive the
great blessings promised by God, enjoy the inheritance God has given, and
become the kingdom of God's priests so that they reveal and spread
the presence and glory of God. By doing so, the people of the world can come to
God, believe in Him, be saved, and worship Him (Ex. 19:5-6; Deuteronomy 7:9).
The Old Testament contains that Covenant.
When the descendants of Jacob (the people of Israel) who
had migrated to Egypt and lived for a long time were enslaved by the kings of
Egypt, suffered and groaned, God brought them out of Egypt through the prophet
Moses. (God freed the Israelites from the slavery of Pharaoh in Egypt and led
them into the Promised Land). God did this because He heard the suffering of
the people of Israel and remembered the covenant He made with Abraham, Isaac,
and Jacob (Exodus 2:22). God is faithful to the covenant. God gave the law to
the covenant people, the Israelites, through Moses at Mount Sinai. The purpose of God giving the Law to the people of Israel was not that they might be justified by keeping the
Law. The purpose is that through the law, they can realize their sins, confess
their sins, and offer blood sacrifices for their sins so that they could
receive forgiveness of their sins and live again as covenant people. Since God's covenant comes first and the law last,
the law cannot nullify the covenant and make God's promises in vain
either (Galatians 3:17).
Although the Israelites experienced God's miraculous hand
of salvation, they were still weak. They still distrusted God, betrayed God,
failed to keep the law perfectly, followed the world, worshiped idols, and
failed to keep their covenant with God. Nevertheless, a faithful God did not
invalidate his covenant with them. Only through discipline, God made them
realize their sins so that they repented and offered a sin offering with the
blood of clean animals. So, their sins were forgiven (not killed) and they were
able to go on with their lives. However, they sinned again, and their
sacrifices were repeated again. Even though their sins were forgiven, why did
they continue to commit sins over and over again? It was because the sin
offering through the blood of animals could not cleanse their conscience and
sins (Hebrews 10:11). That is why their inner man (spirit) had to be created
anew, and their soul (mind: thought) had to be changed (Ezekiel 36:26-27). For
that purpose, God gave the Israelites a new covenant through the prophet
Jeremiah (Jeremiah 31:31-34). The new covenant, in the future, is that God will
write God's law on their hearts, so that God becomes their God, and they become
God's people. It was because God had them fear Him with all their hearts, and
as a result, He wanted that He was willing to bless them (Jeremiah 32:40).
How can God remove such stubborn hearts from the people of
Israel, give them a soft heart, and make them a people who truly fear God?? How can God do this? As He has already prophesied, only
through God’s only begotten Son, Jesus Christ (Jesus is God, and came to this earth in the flesh as a Savior through the
lineage of King David as prophesied: Jer. 33:14-16), through His pure blood (the blood of pure animals in the Old Testament is a type of the blood of
Jesus Christ, the Son of God), and by the Holy Spirit
(God applies Jesus’ atoning work to
each believer through the regeneration and baptism of the Holy Spirit: Ezek.
36:26-27; the work of the Holy Spirit is mentioned later, so please refer to it). Finally, in due time, God sent His Son Jesus Christ to
this earth as the Mediator of the (new) covenant, according to the lineage of
the chosen people Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob (Heb 9:15, 12:24; Abraham was chosen and used as a channel for our Savior
Jesus Christ to come to this earth in the flesh, and through Abraham and Isaac,
God showed us that we can become the beneficiaries of God's covenant of
salvation only through faith in it: Rom 4:23-24; Gal 4:28). Therefore, the new covenant means that God saves those
who believe in Him as Savior through the shedding of His only Son Jesus
Christ's blood and sacrificial death. Based on the merit of Jesus' blood, God
regenerates our spirit through the Holy Spirit (giving us a new heart: Ezek 36:26: Justification), makes us God's children (giving us eternal life),
restores us into God's image through the baptism of the Holy Spirit (Sanctification), and makes us workers of God's kingdom.
Jesus said, “Unless one is born again of the
Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God” (John 3:5). That rebirth
is a spiritual change, where a child of the devil becomes a child of God.
So when and how does a person’s spirit change? The Bible
testifies that the rebirth of a person’s spirit is accomplished by the Holy Spirit (the imperishable seed) when a person hears the word of God’s gospel. That is why
we must hear the gospel.
1 Peter 1:23(NIV): “For you have been born again,
not of perishable seed, but of imperishable, through the living and enduring
word of God.”
James 1:18(NIV) “He chose to give us birth through
the word of truth, that we might be a kind of firstfruits of all he created.”
Before He was crucified, Jesus gave the sacrament to His
disciples and said: "...Drink from it, all of you. This is my blood
of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the remission of sins."
(Matthew 26:27-28). Jesus was saying that the blood of the new covenant was the
blood He would shed on the cross (Luke 22:20). Jesus offered the perfect and
eternal sacrifice with blood once and for all and sat down at the right hand of
the throne of God (Hebrews 10:12). The fact that Jesus shed His pure blood on
the cross, died and rose again is the fulfillment of God's covenant (John 19:
30, 34, 20:17; Matthew 27:50; 1 Corinthians 15:3-4; Matthew 26:26-28; Luke
22:19-20; Hebrews 10:9). God did this so that the blessing of Abraham in
Christ Jesus might extend not only to Israel, but to all fallen mankind
(Galatians 3:14). The Old Testament is the proclamation of that covenant, and
the New Testament is the fulfillment of that covenant. So, we, according to
that covenant, if we believe and receive Jesus Christ, the Son of God, who was
crucified, died and rose again on the cross for our sins and transgressions, as
our own Savior and Lord, we become God's children and live a holy life on this
earth and receive and enjoy the eternal heavenly inheritance that God gives
you. Hallelujah!!
God has given us the Bible as a gift. The Bible is the book
of the covenant that contains the proclamation of God's covenant of salvation
and the fulfillment of that covenant, and the core of that covenant is to
redeem us with the precious blood that Jesus shed on the cross. The Bible is
the Word of God written by those who met God the Creator and his Son Jesus
Christ (eg. Moses, disciples of Jesus, Apostle Paul, etc.), directly hearing
the word of God, and being moved by the Holy Spirit. So, the Bible is the Word
of God that is error-free and 100% reliable. The Bible testifies to God's work
of salvation and God's judgment, starting with God's creation and the fall of
mankind. So, we must learn how we can be saved and how we should live through
the Bible. Man is composed of spirit, soul, and body. It means that man was not
created to live on bread alone, but was created to live on every word that
proceeds from the mouth of God (Deuteronomy 8:3; Matt 4:4). So, man must not
only eat bread, which is the food of the body, but also the word of God, which
is food for the spirit and soul. The core of those words is Jesus Christ (John
5:39).
Here are the core gospels of Jesus Christ.
1) Jesus Christ, as God the Creator, created
the heavens and the earth in the beginning.
2) Jesus Christ came to this earth in a
physical body to save mankind who had fallen through sin.
3) Jesus Christ died on the cross and shed
His pure blood to atone for our sins.
4) Jesus Christ was buried in his tomb,
and he was resurrected three days after his burial.
5) Jesus Christ ascended into heaven, and
on the Day of Pentecost, He sent the Holy Spirit to those who believed and
asked for it, and He still sends the Holy Spirit to those who believe and ask
Him. Jesus still sits at the right hand of the throne of God, interceding
for those who believe.
6) Jesus Christ will return to this earth
as the Judge.
7) Jesus Christ will establish the
millennial kingdom on this earth.
(**Note: For how the gospel of Jesus applies to us, please refer
to the following section, Basics of the Christian Life: "4. Witness the Gospel of Jesus Christ.").
... Ex. 24:4; Deut. 8:3, 27:8; Jer. 51:60; Luke 1:1-4; John
5:39; John 20:30-31; John 21:24; Psalm 19:7-8; Matthew 5:18; John 10:35; 2
Timothy 3:16; 2 Thessalonians 2:15; 2 Peter 1:21; Revelation 22:18-19
4. God's Salvation (Redemption) and Judgment
God is just and must judge all sinners. So, the punishment
of eternal destruction lies before the sinner. But, on the other hand, God
loves us very much. It is because God created mankind in His own image.
So, God already planned to save fallen mankind from judgment and the punishment
of hell and give eternal life to mankind who were sinners. Then, how can God
judge sinners and save sinners at the same time? How could He satisfy both
His justice and love at the same time and save sinful mankind? To our eyes, it
seems like a dilemma. But God perfectly solved the problem. It is through
sacrifice. God has already enacted the sin sacrifice law from the Old Testament
times to save the people of Israel who have sinned. When the Israelites sinned
and realized their sins, they brought clean animals to the temple, slaughtered
the animals and offered their blood as a sin offering to God, and God forgave
their sins. The sacrifices must be a clean animal, such as an ox or sheep.
However, the sacrifices of the Old Testament era are a type
and shadow of Jesus’ sacrifice in the New Testament era. Jesus is not a
creature like us. Jesus is the one who was sent to this earth by God the Father
in heaven. That means that Jesus is God who came to this earth in the flesh.
So, Jesus is the perfect God and the perfect man. Unlike us, who
are corrupted with our sins and transgressions, Jesus has no sin and
is an extremely perfect man. So, Jesus is the only One who can atone for all
our sins. Nevertheless, the ignorant Israelites did not recognize Jesus, and
had Jesus nailed to the cross for blasphemy and bled and died and was
resurrected. However, it was done according to God's plan to save us, who are
already sinners. Jesus became the sacrifice for fallen mankind to complete His
atoning work (John 19:30).
God saves us from the punishment of hell and gives us eternal life in heaven as a gift when we each confess that we are undeniably sinners (because of our inherited sinful nature from birth and because of our sinful behaviors) and accept Jesus as our Savior who has already redeemed our sins. So, as sinners, in order to be saved from God's
judgment and the punishment of hell, we must accept Jesus as our Savior. Jesus
died on the cross for us, shed His blood, was resurrected and ascended into
heaven, continued to baptize believers with the Holy Spirit, and on the last
day, He will return to this earth to complete the kingdom of God. We are saved only by accepting Jesus as our Savior and
Lord.
<The triple structure of man (spirit, soul, body) and
application of salvation: spirit--> soul--> body>
Man is composed of spirit, soul, and physical body (1
Thessalonians 5:23; Hebrews 4:12; Isaiah 57:15; Ezekiel 18:31; 1 Corinthians
14:15). So, salvation comes in three stages: Justification, sanctification,
and Glorification.
1) Salvation of the spirit (Justification): It
means that our spirits, who had been dead because of the original sin (sin that was inevitably inherited by Adam's descendants due
to his fall: It refers to a corrupted sinful nature; Ephesians 2:1), were born again (regenerated: recreated: we have a new spirit) by the Holy Spirit and
we believed in Jesus and were justified (Forgiveness of the original sin; to have a new spirit: Ezekiel 36:26: to have a
good conscience: 1 Timothy 1:5). Justification is the
past tense for believers.
Title: Correct translation of Romans 10:10 and its meaning:
Romans 10:10 “For with the heart one believes unto
righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. ”
- the English translation of “believes” is not active but
passive in the Greek, the Bible language. It can be literally translated, “to
be believed.”
- the English translation of “confess” is not active but
passive in the Greek, the Bible language. It can be literally translated, “to
be confessed.”
However, in Romans 10:9, the above two words are in the
active voice, not the passive voice: “If you ‘believe’ and ‘confess.’”
Romans 10:9 “that if you confess with your mouth the
Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you
will be saved. ”
<Question>: Then, in Romans 10:9, the two
words are in the active voice in Greek, but in Romans 10:10 they are in the
passive voice. Why are the two words in different voice each other? Why did
Apostle Paul repeat the words again in Romans 10:10 even though he mentioned
them in Romans 10:9?
<Answer>: I believe Apostle Paul meant to say
that what we “believe” and “confess” is not done by our own wisdom or strength
but by initiating of the Holy Spirit. It means we are led to believe and led to
confess. So, by what means are we believed and confessed? It is accomplished
when God regenerates our spirit by the Holy Spirit. So, our faith is a gift of
God (Ephesians 2:8 “For by grace you have been saved through faith; and
this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God ”). Before Jesus
told Nicodemus that we are saved by faith, He said that unless a person is born
of the Holy Spirit, he cannot enter the heaven, because it is by being born
again that we can believe (John 3:3 … “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless
one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God. ”).
2) Salvation of the soul (Sanctification): Our
souls have been polluted and degenerate because of original sin and have been
living in mental suffering (anxiety, fear, doubt, anguish, despair) (Psalm
90:10). Therefore our souls should be free from mental pain gradually and our
minds should become holy gradually. When our hearts are baptized with the Holy
Spirit and filled with the love of Jesus and the word of God, our emotions are
transformed so that we are at peace, our minds are changed so that we can
achieve sanctification by following the desires of the Spirit instead of
following our desires. Sanctification is the present continuous tense for
believers.
3) Salvation
of the physical body (Glorification): Because
of original sin, our mortal Physical Body (Ecclesiastes 12:1-8) should
be controlled by spirit and soul while we live on this earth so that we
can serve God and serve our neighbors (Romans 6:1-14; 1 Corinthians 6:20;
10:31). Our infirmities and diseases can be healed by the atonement of Jesus’
blood (Isaiah 53:5; Matthew 8:17; 1 Peter 2:24). After death we will be
resurrected (resurrection: transformed into an eternal body by the Holy Spirit
within us) and experience glorification. Glorification is the future
tense for believers.
Justification, sanctification, and glorification come only in Jesus and by the Holy Spirit.
...Hebrews 9:27; Heb 6:2; Genesis 6-8, 19; Ecclesiastes
12:14; La 2:1-4; B 1:2-6; Romans 1:18; Romans 2:5; 2 Thessalonians 1:7-9;
Revelation 20:1-15; 21:8; John 3:16; Ephesians 2:8-10; Gal 2:16; Romans
3:23-31; Isa 6:5; about 4:11-12; Revelation 20:11-15
* God's main work is creation, redemption, and judgment.
<References> Title: Understanding the difference between heart, spirit, and soul: Click on the link below to read: https://drive.google.com/file/d/13qnkEpqspt3sQHtOsaFzOhy5fS2vnHDn/view?usp=drive_link
5. The Incarnation of Jesus Christ
Jesus is the eternal Son of God (Son means relationship
with the Father, and the Son is also God), according to the covenants and
prophecies with Adam, Abraham, Moses, and the prophets (Gen. 3:15; Gen. 12).
:1-4; Ex 19:3-6; Isa 7:14, 9:6, 53:5; Jeremiah 23:5-6 (33:15-16); Dan 9:25-26;
Mic 5:2; Mal 3:1), conceived by the Spirit of God in the body of the Virgin
Mary and came to this earth in a human body (Jesus, who is God, came to this
earth in the flesh) to accomplish the salvation of mankind. John 1:18 testifies:
"No one has ever seen God, but the only-begotten God who is in the
bosom of the Father (God's only-begotten Son) has made [God] manifest."
Jesus is the visible image of the invisible God (Colossians 1:15, 2:9; Hebrews
1:3: John 14:9; 10:30; Philippians 2:6-7). Jesus is the perfect God and at the
same time the perfect man. Because Jesus is the only person without sin (1 John
3:5; Hebrews 4:15; 2 Corinthians 5:21; 1 Peter 2:22), only Jesus could save
sinful mankind, and no one but Jesus can be a savior. This is because all
people are born sinners, live in sin, and die because of their sins. By nature,
only Jesus is a righteous man, and all others are sinners. By offering His pure
blood and resurrecting from the dead (after His maturity), Jesus became, in
fact, the only mediator between God and man (1 Timothy 2:5; Romans 8:34;
Hebrews 7:17, 7:25, 8:1, 9:26; 1 John 2:1, 3:5). Therefore, those who believe
in God, who raised Jesus Christ from the dead and glorified Him, and Jesus
Christ as their Savior and Lord, will be saved from sin (1 Peter 1:21).
... Jer. 23:5-6; John 1:14; 1 Timothy 3:16; 1 John 4:2-3; 2
John 1:7; Matthew 1:18-25; Luke 1:26-38; Matthew 3:17; 17:5
6. The Divinity of Jesus Christ
Jesus has existed with God the Father from eternity, and He
Himself came to this earth in the flesh to save us from our sins. Although
Jesus was conceived by the Holy Spirit in the body of the virgin Mary, took on
a human body, and was called the Son of God, Jesus did not exist from then on,
but existed from eternity. (John 1:18; Mic 5:2; Isaiah 9:6; Luke
1:35). In other words, Jesus is not a (sinner) creature like us humans, He is
the perfect Creator God, but He came to this earth in a perfect, sinless body
to save us from our sins (so, Jesus is the only one who can save us from our sins).
The incarnation, words, work, and miracles of Jesus Christ testify to
the divinity of Jesus.
...Hebrews 1:3; John 1:1-3, 14, 18; 5:17-18; 6:35; 8:58;
10:30; 14:9; 17:11; 20:28; Matthew 26:63-64; Philippians 2:6-8; Col 1:15-16, 2:9;
1 John 5:20
7. Jesus Christ's Crucifixion and Atonement
Jesus Christ lived a perfect life on this earth (1 Peter
2:22; Hebrews 4:15; 1 John 3:5) and as prophesied (Matthew 16:21; Mark 8:31;
Luke 9:22; 1 Peter 1:10) -12), as a sin offering for mankind, He shed His blood
on the cross to bear the sins and punishments of mankind (Matthew 27:50; Mark
15:37; Luke 23:46; John 19:30), and satisfied the justice of God (Romans 3:25).
God, on this earth, washes away all the sins of those who receive Jesus Christ
as Savior and Lord and saves them from the penalty of eternal death (John 3:16;
John 5:24). Salvation is God's exclusive grace and gift to those who believe
(Ephesians 2:8-9).
... 2 Corinthians 5:14-21; Gal 3:13; Revelation 5:9; 1
Peter 1:18-19; Heb 9:12; 10:10-14; Matthew 20:28; Romans 3:24; Romans 5:8
8. The Resurrection of Jesus Christ
Jesus was condemned by sinful humans (Jews) and died on the
cross, but He rose from the dead on the third day and testified that He was the
Son of God and the Christ (Messiah), and became our Savior and Christ. The
resurrection of Jesus foreshadows the resurrection of all people. Those who
believe and die will be resurrected to eternal life at the second coming of
Jesus, and those who died without faith will be resurrected just before the
final judgment and receive eternal punishment.
... Luke 24:39-43; Acts 1:3, 1:22, 2:32, 4:10, 5:30; Romans
1:4; Romans 10:9; 1 Corinthians 15:3-19; Psalm 16:10; Revelation 1:18; 2:8
9. The Holy Spirit (or the Spirit of God or the Spirit of Jesus)
The reason the
Holy Spirit is called the Spirit of Christ is because the Holy Spirit
is the Spirit in Jesus Christ. The Holy Spirit, as one of the three persons of
the Trinity (God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit), always
dwells with the God the Son, Jesus Christ, and is never separated from Jesus.
So, in John 14:16, Jesus said to his disciples, after he took up the cross and
died, was resurrected and ascended into heaven, he will send them another
Counselor, the Holy Spirit and will come back to them. Why did Jesus say that?
Because Jesus, as one of the Triune God, cannot be separated from the Father
and the Holy Spirit, and is always united with them, so when the Holy Spirit
comes to the disciples and indwells them, Jesus will come to his disciples with
them.
Jesus is God who came to this earth in the flesh, and the Holy Spirit is
God who came to this earth in Spirit. Just as Jesus is God the Comforter, so the Holy Spirit is God the
Comforter (John 14:16). God the Comforter is the God who protects us, gives
grace to us, and teaches us.
Heavenly Father sent His only begotten Son, Jesus Christ, to this earth to save
fallen mankind. Jesus was conceived by the Holy Spirit in the womb of the
Virgin Mary, took on a physical body, was born, and after he grew up (at the
age of 30), he was baptized with the Holy Spirit and filled with the Holy
Spirit and began his work as Christ. Jesus proclaimed the Word of God, freed
those who were oppressed and captive by the devil, healed those who were
afflicted with disease with the word, and raised the dead. Although Jesus is
the Son of God and the person of God (Phil 2:6; Hebrews 1:3), he did all things
by the Holy Spirit alone.
The core of Jesus' ministry is the redemption of our sins on the cross.
Jesus died on the cross to forgive all the sins (original sin and self-sin of
all mankind who are born as descendants of Adam who sinned by eating the
forbidden fruit in the Garden of Eden, and to save believers and lead them to
heaven. He shed and died, and after being buried in the tomb, he was
resurrected on the third day, and he testified of his resurrection to about 500
disciples for 40 days. However, Jesus did not leave his disciples alone. As
promised, on the day of Pentecost, Jesus sent the Holy Spirit to the disciples
who believed in the promise of the Holy Spirit and sought with all their heart
in Mark's upper room (Acts 2:1-4: The baptism with the Holy Spirit).
While Jesus was on this earth, he was limited in time and space because
he had a body like us humans, but unlike Jesus, the Holy Spirit is the Spirit
without a body and is not limited in time and space. So, the Holy Spirit came
to this earth on the day of Pentecost, entered the hearts of his disciples,
indwelled them, and did not leave them.
The disciples boldly testified of the gospel of Jesus' death on the cross
and resurrection to the crowd gathered in Jerusalem. Jesus baptized them with
the Holy Spirit so that they could receive power and boldly live the life of
Jesus’ witnesses in the midst of persecution. They received salvation by
receiving them (Acts 2:22-47), and after that, the disciples led many lost and
wandering souls to Jesus to be saved (Acts 1:8). How was it possible that the
stubborn people who once shouted to crucify Jesus were saved by repenting of
their sins and accepting Jesus as their Lord? It is only through the work of
the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit regenerated the dead spirit (to the life of
God) of those who heard the gospel of Jesus Christ, so that they realized their
sins, repented, and accepted Jesus as the Son of God and the Messiah (Messiah)
and became children of God. Hallelujah!
Jesus baptizes with the Holy Spirit those who have
already believed in Jesus Christ as the Savior (i.e., the
children of God) (Matthew 3:11;
John 1:33; Mark 1:8; Acts 2:38-39). When the believers receive the baptism with
the Holy Spirit, the Holy Spirit enters their spirit and will live forever and
guide their lives in Jesus Christ (John 14:17; 2 Cor. 1:22; Gal. 4:6; Eph.
3:17). The fundamental purpose of
the baptism with the Holy Spirit is that the Holy Spirit directly enters and dwells in the spirits
of God's children, so that they may no longer commit sins by following the
thoughts, wills, and emotions of their fallen flesh (like before), instead,
they can follow God's will, testify of Jesus Christ, and live a holy life every
day by receiving the direct guidance of the Holy Spirit, who is always with
them. Therefore, believers who are 'born
again by the Holy Spirit' must continuously receive 'baptism with the Holy
Spirit'. The baptism with the Holy Spirit is not optional for
Christians. It is a must.
The Apostle Paul wrote a letter to believers in Rome (Rom. 8:9). We
should know that when the apostle Paul wrote this letter to the Romans, he
thought that the recipients of this letter were Christians who had already been
baptized with the Holy Spirit. Why did he say that they had the spirit (Holy
Spirit) of Jesus? He wanted to encourage them to no longer live according to
the flesh, but to live according to the Spirit within them (Rom. 8:13-14; 8:4).
“Being born again of the Holy Spirit” and “receiving the baptism of the
Holy Spirit” are strictly separate events. Those who are born again of the Holy
Spirit must receive the baptism of the Holy Spirit. However, we must not
misunderstand this. The apostle Paul said in Romans 8:9: "If
anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he is not of Christ." That
does not mean that those who have been born again of the Holy Spirit but have
not yet been baptized with the Holy Spirit are not Christians. Note: If we have accepted
Jesus Christ as our Savior, we have already been born again. It means that we
are legally Christians and the Holy Spirit is with us at our side. But it is a
beginning. This, we must not stay at that level. We must grow in Christ. Therefore,
we must be baptized with the Holy Spirit. When we receive the Holy Spirit, He
enters and dwells in us, and we become Christians united as one body with
Christ through the Holy Spirit who dwells in us (cf. John 14:17, 20).
As a result, we can live not according to the flesh, but according to Jesus'
will who is in us through the Spirit.
The New Testament does not refer to the temple in the Old Testament or
the church buildings as the holy temple, but to Christians who have received
the Holy Spirit as the temple (1 Cor 3:16; 6:19; 2 Cor 6:16). In other words,
when we are baptized with the Holy Spirit, we become a true temple.
If the Holy Spirit dwells in us, the Holy Spirit testifies with our
spirit that we are God's children (Rom 8:16). As a result, we will call God
Abba Father (Galatians 4:6; John 1:12; Romans 8:14).
The ascended Jesus is not only in heaven. Jesus makes believers receive
the Holy Spirit, dwells in their hearts, teaches them the truth of God, makes
them see revelations, so that they may know God rightly and know what the hope
of God's calling is and the riches of the inheritance of heaven. And, He helps
us to know the greatness of God’s power, deepens our understanding of the love
of Christ, change our hearts, and leads us to live holy lives by following
God’s will and truth (Ephesians 1:17-23, 3:16-19; Ro 12:2; Eph 4:23; Phil 4:7).
The saints who have been baptized with the Holy Spirit (first filled with
the Holy Spirit), as the apostles showed, must be continually filled with the
Holy Spirit and led by the Holy Spirit (Ephesians 5:18). The apostles, no
matter what persecution or tribulation, never compromised with the world, never
yielded to the world, and never fell into the world, obeyed only the word of
God, and walked with the Lord with all their heart to expand the kingdom of
God. They have prayed for that. So, they could again be supplied with the
living water of the Holy Spirit from the Lord (Acts 4:29-31; 5:32). If we too
are filled with the Holy Spirit, we will have greater faith, have Jesus Christ
as Lord in our hearts and walk in complete union with Jesus, overcome the lusts
of the flesh, achieve sanctification, and bear the nine fruits of the Holy
Spirit (Gal 5:22-23: love, joy, peace, long-suffering, kindness, goodness,
faithfulness, gentleness, self-control). And if we receive the power and gifts
of the Holy Spirit (1 Corinthians 12:7-10: Word of wisdom, word of knowledge,
discernment of spirits; faith, healing, works of miracles; tongues, prophecy,
interpretation in tongues), we can boldly preach the gospel in the presence of
the devil, overcoming the devil’s temptations, schemes and attacks, defeating
the devil (Ephesians 6:10-11), curing diseases, solving various problems in our
lives and can give glory to God.
Therefore, those who
have believed and accepted Jesus Christ must seek the Holy Spirit, be baptized
with the Holy Spirit, and be filled with the Holy Spirit so that like the
disciples of Jesus in the book of Acts, we must boldly preach the gospel of
Jesus (Acts 1:8) and save lost souls (Mark 16:17).
... John 14:16-17, 26;
John 7:37-39; Luke 11:13; Acts 1:8; Joel 2:28; Acts 2:17-18; Eze. 36:26; Acts
10:45; Titus 3:5; Romans 8:4; 2 Thessalonians 1:12
10. The Sanctification of the Christian
When God created the first man, Adam and his wife, Eve,
they were made into a union of spirit, soul, and body, in the image and
likeness of God (1 Thessalonians 5:23; Gen. 1:26-27). However, they were
deceived by the lies of an evil spirit, the devil (Satan), and disobeyed God's
word and ate the forbidden fruit (they became servants of the devil). As a
result, the Spirit of God departed from them, and after that, all those born to
Adam and Eve were under the control of the devil from birth. So, God sent Jesus
to this earth to destroy the works of the devil and to save people (1 John
3:8). Jesus borrowed the body of the Virgin Mary and took on a physical body,
suffered a substitutionary death on the cross and rose from the dead. And Jesus
called people to the gospel so that their fallen spirits could be regenerated
by the Holy Spirit (their spirits were born again by the Spirit of God), so
they opened their hearts (Acts 16:14) and received Jesus as the Lord and became
children of God.
Likewise, when God saves us, the first thing God does is to
regenerate our spirits through the Holy Spirit. As a result, our hearts will be
opened and we will receive Jesus as the Lord (John 1:12-13, 3:5; Matt 16:16).
We must admit that we have never received Jesus as the Lord in our own strength
(with the intellect and wisdom of our souls) (Matthew 16:17). It is because
those who have not been born again cannot receive Jesus. In other words, what
we believed in and accepted Jesus with our hearts was accomplished because our
spirits were first born again by the Holy Spirit. So, our salvation is the
sovereign work of God and the grace of God.
The apostle Paul testifies in Galatians 3:26: "For
you are all children of God through faith in Christ Jesus."
Above word means that we became children of God
because we believed in Jesus Christ as our Savior and Lord.
Also, the apostle Paul testifies in Galatians 4:6: “Because
you are sons (children of God), God has sent the Spirit of the Son into your
hearts, crying, “Abba, Father.”
Here, the word that God sent the Holy Spirit into the
hearts of God's children means that He baptized them with the Holy Spirit.
Thus, we can know whom God baptizes with the Holy Spirit: God baptizes His
children with the Holy Spirit.
However, the Apostle Paul testifies in Romans 8:15: "You
have not received the spirit of slavery again to fear (the spirit of the devil
to fear), but you have received the spirit of adoption (the Spirit to become
sons of God). Therefore, we (you) cry out, Abba, Father."
If we only look at the above words, we may misunderstand
that only those who are baptized with the Holy Spirit can become children of
God and can call God Father. However, we must not misunderstand. Because the
Apostle Paul already said in Galatians 3:26, "You are all sons of
God through faith in Christ Jesus." In other words, we became
children of God only by accepting Jesus as our Savior in our hearts. Therefore,
the above verse (Romans 8:15) does not mean that those who have not yet been
baptized with the Holy Spirit are not children of God, but rather that those
who have been baptized with the Holy Spirit can pray and call God Father with
greater certainty.
So, now we can summarize, “How we became children of God,
and how we can cry out to God as Father and Father?” We become children of God
by believing in Jesus Christ as our Savior and Lord (Galatians 3:26). And, God
baptizes us with the Holy Spirit in our hearts, who have already become
children of God. As a result, we can pray with greater boldness in calling God
our Father (Romans 8:15). Amen!!
In conclusion, we can summarize how God saved us, how God
leads us who become His children, and why God baptizes us with the Holy Spirit
as follows. God first called us to the gospel of Jesus Christ, regenerated our
spirits (by the Holy Spirit), and made us believe in Jesus as our Savior and
made us His children. Also, God baptizes us with the Holy Spirit, who are God's
children. As a result, we can call God Abba, Father, and live holy lives as
God's children.
The Holy Spirit always resides in the spirit (born again
spirit) of a Christian who has already received Jesus as Savior and been
baptized in the Holy Spirit, holding onto his spirit and guarding his spirit,
so his spirit can never commit sin (1 John 3:9, 5:18; Phil. 4:7). However, the
souls of us Christians are imperfect, unlike our newly born again spirits. In
other words, even if we have received Jesus Christ as our Savior, our soul
(mind) does not mature overnight. The reason is that, in our souls, the fallen
nature of the old man (sinner) inherited from Adam still remains. If that
(imperfect) soul is not transformed into holiness, it will sin according to the
fallen flesh (Matthew 15:19; Mark 7:21).
Because of the original sin we inherited from Adam, we have
a sinful body, which the Bible calls "flesh." The Apostle Paul,
on the road to Damascus, met Jesus, who came as the light, and his spiritual
eyes were opened (born again by the Holy Spirit) and was saved. He confessed
that there was still nothing good in his flesh (Romans 7:18). Likewise, our
Christian’s flesh never changes after being born again.
Although the devil's authority over Christians was
completely broken due to the events of Jesus' crucifixion and resurrection, the
devil's schemes have not yet completely disappeared (the punishment of hell for
the devil was withheld until the time of Jesus' second coming). The lawless
devil (Satan, evil spirits, demons) still finds the weakness of the flesh of
our Christians and attacks us nonstop to deceive us and corrupt our lives (Luke
22:31). However, we Christians must never be victimized by the schemes and
attacks of the lawless devil. We must resist and defeat the devil and demons
(James 4:7; 1 Peter 5:8-9). Because we believers are all children of God and
have the power to control the devil (John 1:12; Mark 16:17-18; Luke 10:19;
Ephesians 6:10-13). In order not to fall into the temptations of the devil, we
basically have to change our minds daily through the word of truth and prayer,
so that we live according to the Spirit, not according to the flesh (Rom. 12:2;
Ephesians 4:22-24; Romans 8:12-14). That is the process of Christian
sanctification.
God said that our soul should be led by our regenerated
spirit and achieve sanctification (Sanctification means that our souls are
being changed daily to resemble the image of Jesus so that we can live a
holy life: the essence is to crucify our wills and live only in obedience to
the will of Jesus (1 Peter 1:15-16; 1 Thessalonians 5:23; Phil 2:12; Gal 4:19;
Romans 12: 2; Ephesians 4:23)
(Caution!!!: Please make sure you understand why Christians need
sanctification on a daily basis). The level and speed of sanctification of our
souls will not be directly proportional to the number of years we have attended
church, but will depend on how much our souls are led by the Spirit. The more
our soul follows our spirit, the faster the sanctification of our soul will be.
In John 4:24, Jesus met a Samaritan woman and told her that
God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship Him in spirit and truth.
This means that God is Spirit, and although we cannot see Him with our physical
eyes (Col 1:15; 1 Tim 1:17), He is alive, and we must truly worship God in
Jesus, who is the truth, through the Holy Spirit (under the guidance of the
Holy Spirit). At the time of Jesus, the Samaritans did not know God properly
like the religious people of the world, so they made impersonal idols and
altars, bowed down to them, and performed religious ceremonies. They practiced
idolatry, which God hates and forbids.
Therefore, Jesus said like this: "You should not
worship God in vain according to human methods, forms, or traditions when you
do not know God well. That is idolatry. I (Jesus) am the Messiah (Christ) of
God that the people of God have been waiting for since the Old Testament era.
Therefore, you must know me correctly, believe in me completely, and worship
God truly in me (by being united with me)." Many people say that they
believe in God and worship God in various ways. However, if they do not believe
in Jesus as the only begotten Son of God, Christ (Jesus is the true God who came to this earth in human flesh), and deny the work of Jesus' atonement on the cross (He shed His blood and died to forgive our sins and was
resurrected), It means that they are actually
denying God and are no different from religious people who worship idols.
Knowing and believing in Jesus correctly is knowing and believing in God
correctly. Jesus and God are one and can never be separated. That is why Jesus
said, "He who has seen me has seen the Father." (John
14:9)
Since His resurrection and ascension, Jesus has been
sending the promised Holy Spirit to the disciples who believe in Him(: God's children who have been born again by the Holy Spirit), follow Him, and ask for Him . If we have received the
Holy Spirit (if we have already been born again and
baptized with the Holy Spirit), we will be guided by
the Holy Spirit and communicate with Him. Also, our spirit will communicate
with our soul. Also, our soul will communicate with our body. Therefore, our
actions will ultimately depend on how intimately our spirit communicates with
the Holy Spirit. The more intimately our spirit communicates with the Holy
Spirit, the more sure our spirit has dominion over our soul, and our body will
be governed by our soul and obey the will of God. Then, no matter how much
Satan incites us to greed, lies to us, and tries to knock us down by causing
negative emotions and thoughts such as cares, worries, doubts and fears, we
will never fall.
Therefore, our heart must first be baptized with the Holy
Spirit (Ephesians 1:13; 2 Corinthians 1:22; Galatians 4:6; Romans 5:5) and
always be filled with the Holy Spirit. We can receive the filling of the Holy
Spirit through God's Word, praise, prayer, thanksgiving, and obedience
(Ephesians 5:15-21). The most important thing is obedience. Obedience is better
than sacrifice (1 Samuel 15:22). When we obey God's Word, we are filled with
the Holy Spirit. Also, when we are filled with the Holy Spirit, we can have
strong faith and obey the Word of God. Obedience to the Word and filling of the
Holy Spirit are complementary and always go together. We should not look to our
weak bodies, but only to be filled with the Holy Spirit and look to Jesus
(Hebrews 12:2). Then, the work of faith, labor of love, and patience of hope
will be revealed in us (1 Thessalonians 1:3; 2 Thessalonians 1:11). What is the
essence of faith? It is believing that our old self has already died on the
cross with Jesus and has been resurrected with Jesus to become a new person (1
John 5:4; Romans 6:11-14; Gal 2:20, 5:24). In other words, we believe that we
have no body to respond to sin, only a body to respond to God. It is because
Jesus already died on the cross for us, was resurrected, sent us the Holy
Spirit, and became our Lord. When we have such faith, whenever there is
temptation, false sedition, scheming, and attacks from the devil, we can
overcome the devil, overcome sin, achieve sanctification, and live as witnesses
of Jesus by boldly proclaiming what we believe in.
Sanctification is the process of soul transformation that
the children of God, who have been saved through the grace of Jesus Christ,
must achieve throughout their lives, and our goal is to conform to the image
(Galatians 4:19; Ephesians 4:13; Genesis 1:26-27). Our mind (head: soul) can
only be transformed by the Word of God (James 1:21). So, we
must first of all fill our heart with the Word of God. And, through
the Word, our imperfect mind should be transformed and renewed, so that we can
discern God’s will and submit our bodies thoroughly to His Word by presenting
it as a living, holy sacrifice to God (Romans 12:1-2).
Jesus said, "If anyone is thirsty, let him come
to Me and drink." He said that rivers of living water will flow
out of those who believe in Him (John 7:37-39; Luke 11:13). Those who believe
in Jesus and come to Jesus and ask Him will receive the Holy Spirit, and the
work of the Holy Spirit will be revealed in their lives. Jesus' disciples
gathered in Mark's upper room on the Day of Pentecost and prayed with all their
hearts. As a result, they received Jesus' promise. We must have that experience
too. To do that, we must go to the Lord with a thirsty heart and pray with all
our hearts so that we will receive the baptism of the Holy Spirit from the
Lord. When we are baptized with the Holy Spirit, Jesus indwells us, and we are
united with Him so that we can take Him as Lord and walk with Him (John 14:20;
1 John 4:13). At home, at church, at work, and in society, we must follow the
will of Jesus (not our own will), love each other, live holy lives
(sanctification), and share Jesus with unbelievers. Through obedience, we can
continue to be filled with the Holy Spirit, follow the guidance of the Holy
Spirit, and walk with Jesus to achieve sanctification.
... 1 Peter 1:15-16; 2 Peter 3:18; Philippians 2:12;
Ephesians 1:4; 5:17-27; Col 1:22-23; 1 Thessalonians 4:3; Lev 19:2; Gal 2:20;
5:16-18; Romans 8:29; Rom 6:11-14; John 17:17; 1 Timothy 4:5
<Question>: Before Jesus died on the cross for our sins
and was resurrected, His disciples could not be baptized with the Holy Spirit
circumstantially. Only after Jesus' glorification they were baptized with the
Holy Spirit (John 7:39). However, since now is the post-Pentecost era, I think
that when we believe in Jesus, we are automatically baptized with the Holy
Spirit. Isn't that right??
The above question is by those who regard “being born again
of the Holy Spirit” and “being baptized with the Holy Spirit” as the same
thing. Are those two events the same or are they different events?
<Answer>: They are different events. The reason why
being born again by the Holy Spirit and being baptized with the Holy
Spirit are different events is as follows.
1) The reason the two events are different is that the
purposes of the two events are different.
God regenerates our dead spirits through the Holy Spirit so
that we can receive Jesus as our Savior and be made righteous. This is called
justification. However, it simply means a change in our status. It refers to changing
from the status of the wicked (children of the devil) to the status of the
righteous (children of God). However, the purpose of God baptizing us with the
Holy Spirit is to enable us to walk with Jesus through the Holy Spirit,
achieve sanctification, and carry out the ministry of Jesus' witnesses.
Therefore, the purpose of Christian baptism is to change our lives. This fact is shown in water baptism. Our body being immersed in water
signifies the death of our fallen flesh, that is, death to sin, and our body
coming up out of the water signifies our being made alive to God and to
righteousness as a new person in reality. The problem, however, is that water
baptism does not give us the power to live. The power for us Christians to live
a righteous life comes when we are baptized with the Holy Spirit. When we are
baptized with the Holy Spirit, we are basically prepared for our walk with our
Lord Jesus, for sanctification, and for the ministry of His witness.
The disciples of Jesus, who believed in and followed Jesus
for three and a half years, were saints who had already been born again by the
Holy Spirit, believed in Jesus, and received the forgiveness of their sins (Mt
16:16-17; Jn 15:3). However, their faith was still weak. After Jesus' death on
the cross, resurrection, and ascension, on the day of Pentecost, he sent the
promised Holy Spirit to them. It shows that the case of being born again by the
Holy Spirit and the case of being baptized by the Holy Spirit are completely
different events.
The book of Acts continues to give examples showing that
the two events are different. Deacon Philip, who was baptized with the Holy
Spirit on the day of Pentecost, went to Samaria and preached the gospel, and
the Samaritans heard the gospel of Jesus Christ from Deacon Philip, accepted
Jesus as their Savior, and were saved (received justification). However, they
have not yet been baptized with the Holy Spirit. When the apostles in Jerusalem
heard that they had received Jesus, they visited them and prayed that they
would receive the Holy Spirit, and they laid their hands on them and they
received the Holy Spirit.
Saul(Paul), who persecuted Jesus' disciples so much, and
the believers in Ephesus did the same. They first accepted Jesus as their
Savior and then were baptized with the Holy Spirit. Only those who believe in
Jesus (those who have been born again by the Holy Spirit) can receive the
baptism of the Holy Spirit. That is why, in John 14:17, Jesus said that worldly
people (unbelievers) cannot receive the Holy Spirit. Jesus still baptizes with
the Holy Spirit those who believe in and accept Jesus Christ as Lord. This is
because being born again and being baptized in the Holy Spirit are two separate
events. The reason why we must be baptized with the Holy Spirit after receiving
Jesus as our Savior is that, through the indwelling of the Holy Spirit, we must
be united with Jesus not only legally but practically. The legal union is
achieved by being born again (receiving a new spirit and becoming a child of
God), but the practical union is achieved by the baptism of the Holy Spirit.
The legal union means marriage registration, and the practical union means
living a life together. So, the reason we must be baptized with the Holy Spirit
is to accept Jesus as the true Lord, walk with Him, achieve sanctification
(Philippians 2:12), and become Jesus' witnesses (Galatians 2:20; 1 John 3: 24;
1 John 4:13; John 17:21; Acts 1:8).
2) The reason why
being born again by the Holy Spirit and being baptized by the Holy Spirit are
different is because God is the triune God.
God is Spirit. The Spirit of God is in God the Father and
in God the Son (Jesus). So the Father, the Son (Jesus), and the Holy Spirit are
the same God. However, the three are different (divine) persons. That means, if
we believe in Heavenly Father, we must receive the Son (Jesus), and if we have
received Jesus, we must also receive the Holy Spirit. When we are baptized with
the Holy Spirit, it means that we receive the Holy Spirit. Therefore, if we
believe in the triune God, we must receive Jesus, and once we have received
Jesus, we must be baptized with the Holy Spirit (John 20:22).
In other words, if we have already received Jesus Christ,
we must be baptized with the Holy Spirit by asking with all our heart (Luke
11:13; Acts 1:14). As a result, we must always walk with Jesus. Then we will be
able to sanctify our souls and become the Lord's witnesses. I pray in the name
of the Lord that such blessings come to all of us.
* <The difference between "being born again by the Holy Spirit" and "being baptized with the Holy Spirit">:
Please click the following link and read: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1YtRtNvQyF7VhFS2jSPB55T49O9gE_EG5/view?usp=drive_link
* Explanation of above picture:
No. 1. "Before Adam's Fall" (Genesis
2:7): Adam received the human spirit through the breath of God (Prov. 20:27).
His fellowship with God began.
No. 2. "After the fall of Adam" (Genesis 3:6; 2:17): Adam's spirit died (the function of his spirit
ceased). The evil spirit entered Adam. We received that sinful nature (evil
spirit) because of Adam when we were born. We were children of the devil (John
8:44). We live by committing sins under the control of the devil (evil spirit).
Our relationship with God was broken.
No. 3. “When our spirit is born again” (John
3:6; 1:12-13; 1 John 5:1; 1 Peter 1:23; James 1:18): When we believe in
Jesus Christ, our spirit is born again (but, logical order: by receiving a new
spirit, we come to believe in Jesus as the Christ). Because of the new spirit,
we become children of God (Galatians 3:26). We are new people and new creations
(Ephesians 4:24; 2 Corinthians 5:17). But, our faith is soulish and
incomplete because the Holy Spirit has not yet entered our spirit.
*Caution:
In Genesis 2:7, God created Adam from the ground of dust and
breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the breath of life was not
the Holy Spirit, but the spirit of man (breath of life: the first spirit that
the first man, Adam, received from God). It is Neshamah in Hebrew. The word is also recorded in Proverbs
20:27, and the English Bible records it as “the
spirit of a man.” Looking at it, we can see that the being born in Genesis
2:7 is not the Holy Spirit, but a human spirit. In other words, the
new spirit we receive when we believe in Jesus is completely different from the
Holy Spirit. If we do not make the distinction, we will equate being born again
in our spirit (which results in us believing in Jesus) with being baptized by
the Holy Spirit. However, being born again by the Holy Spirit and being
baptized by the Holy Spirit are completely different events. That is why,
in Ezekiel 36:26-27, God clearly distinguishes between “the new
spirit (the human spirit)” and “my spirit (the Holy Spirit of God)” (Ezekiel
36:26: “And I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you,
and I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of
flesh. (27) And I will put my Spirit within you and cause you to walk in
my statutes, and you will keep my judgments and do them.”
No. 4. “When we are baptized with the Holy Spirit” (Acts 2:4; 8:17; 9:17; 19:6; 1 Corinthians 2:12; 12:13; Galatians
3:2, 5; Ephesians 1:13; Colossians 2:11): The Holy Spirit enters our
spirit and begins to dwell (John 14:16-17; First filling of the Holy Spirit: we
are the temple of God (1 Corinthians 3:16); Jesus Christ dwells in us as the
Holy Spirit (Galatians 2:20; Colossians 1:27; 1 John 4:13; 3:24; Ephesians
3:17). Practical union with Jesus. Our faith is spiritual. We are assured that
we are God's children through the Holy Spirit's witness to us that we are God's
children. (Galatians 4:6; Romans 8:16)
No. 5. “When we quench the fire of the Spirit” (1 Thessalonians 5:19): If we do not live according to the
guidance of the Holy Spirit, but live according to our own will, we grieve the
Holy Spirit (Ephesians 4:30) and extinguish the fire of the Holy Spirit (no
work of the Holy Spirit); This state is that of a carnal person, a child in
Christ (Example: Corinthian Church: 1 Corinthians 3:1-3)
No. 6. “When we are filled with the Holy Spirit” (Ephesians 5:18): When we obey the Lord's words and are
continually filled with the Holy Spirit, we live according to the guidance of
the Holy Spirit (we always walk with Jesus in faith). The work of the Holy
Spirit appears.
11. The End Times
(Key point: The war between Satan's tool, the Antichrist, and God's
people)
The period between Jesus' first and second comings is
called the End Times (the last days). In the End Times, the spiritual war
between those who follow Satan and God's people (the saints who have accepted
Jesus Christ as their Savior and Lord) will become more intense as time goes by
(Eph 6:11, 1 Tim 3:7, 2 Tim 2:26).
The fallen angel Satan (the devil) is the one who deceives
the whole world and destroys humanity (Rev 12:9; John 8:44; John 10:10). Satan
deceived Adam and Eve, the ancestors of mankind, so that they would not believe
in the words of God the Creator, and ate the fruit of the tree of the knowledge
of good and evil, which caused them to die (Gen. 3:1-6). As a result of this
incident, sin entered the world and all mankind sinned (Rom. 5:12). God chose
Abraham and the chosen people Israel according to His plan of salvation to save
fallen mankind. This was done so that God could send His only begotten Son,
Jesus Christ, to this earth through Israel and save fallen mankind. However,
Satan caused empires throughout the ages (e.g., Egypt, Assyria, Babylon,
Persia, Greece, and Rome) to worship idols, blaspheme God the Creator, and
consistently oppose the chosen people of Israel and persecute God’s people.
This was to hinder Jesus’ work of atonement on the cross and hinder God’s work
of salvation. However, Jesus came to this earth as the Messiah and Savior
according to God’s prophecy, undertook the work of atonement, and was
resurrected and ascended to heaven. And God’s plan of salvation for fallen
humanity will be completed to the end.
Even now, Satan uses false schemes such as evolution theory (denying God’s creation), communist ideology (denying the
existence of God, opposing God, and opposing the church, the body of
Jesus), worldly religions (worshiping numerous idols), secularism (following the lusts
of the flesh, causing debauchery), liberal ideology (distorting the
truth of God’s word and compromising with the world), superstition, and anti-homosexuality and
anti-Islam discrimination policies (obstructing the proclamation of the truth of the gospel of Jesus
Christ) to deceive people into not believing in God and Jesus Christ.
When the end of mankind comes, Satan will force Satan
worship through false prophets and the Antichrist, and will oppress and kill
those who do not worship Satan, especially Christians who expose Satan's true
identity and proclaim that only Jesus Christ is the Lord (Revelation 17-18).
Matthew 24:9: "Then they will deliver you up
to tribulation and kill you, and you will be hated by all nations for my name's
sake."
Therefore, God will send great plagues (the seal plagues,
trumpet plagues, and bowl plagues recorded in the Book of Revelation) on God's
people to protect them from the power of Satan the devil and the Antichrist.
And on the last day, Jesus will come back to this earth and destroy Satan and
all evil forces, their followers, and unbelievers, and complete God's kingdom
of justice and peace (the millennial kingdom) on this earth, and at the end,
complete the new heaven and the new earth.
12. The Christian church:
1) The church is God’s people or children of God. In the Old Testament (covenant), God said to His chosen people, “I am your God” and “You are my people” (Deut. 26:17-19; Jer. 7:23; Hos. 2:23). The Greek word for church is ekklesia (called out from the world). The New Testament church was established and continues in Jesus Christ according to the covenant God made with Abraham (Rom. 4:11; Gal. 4:28; Titus 2:14).
2) The church is the body of Christ (Eph. 1:23; 1 Cor. 12:27). Jesus Christ is the head of the church (Eph. 5:23). There is no salvation outside of Christ (Acts 4:12). Jesus commanded His disciples: "Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you..."
3) The church is a community or fellowship in the Holy Spirit (1 Corinthians 12:13; 3:16; Ephesians 2:18; 2:21-22).
The Christian church has been given the mission to expand the kingdom of God by spreading the gospel of Jesus Christ on this earth and saving lost souls. In order to fulfill that mission, the church must be filled with the Holy Spirit.
13. The Second Coming of Jesus Christ
Resurrected and ascended into heaven, Jesus will come again
(second coming) on the earth in the same form, riding on clouds. As already
prophesied in the Bible, Jesus will come again to establish the millennial
kingdom on this earth and finally complete the eternal kingdom of God. So, our
purpose and vision of life are not of this earth.
<Caution>: In order not to be deceived by many cults disguised
as Christianity, we must properly know the truth in the Bible. On what will
happen before the Second Coming of Jesus, please see my weblog #6. "When is the End Times?”
... Matt 24:30, 26:64; Mark 13:26, 14:62; Luke 21:27; John
14:2-3; Acts 1:11; 1 Thessalonians 4:16; 2 Thessalonians 1:7-8; Heb 9:28;
Revelation 1:7, 22:20; Dan 7:13;
14. Resurrection of the Dead, Eternal Life and Eternal
Punishment (God's Judgment)
The human body dies, but the spirit and soul never die. At
death, the spirit and soul, separated from the body, enter either Paradise (a
place in Heaven) or Hades (a place in Hell). The spirit and soul of those who
believe (those who have received Jesus Christ: the righteous), at the second
coming of Jesus, will be reunited with the body that has died and will rise
again (resurrected as an eternal body: first resurrection: glorification), and
enter the kingdom of heaven (through millennial kingdom). But, the spirits and
souls of unbelievers (those who have not received Jesus Christ: the wicked)
will be resurrected after the end of the Millennium to be judged and enter
Hell, where they will suffer eternal torment(punishment).
... Matt 25:46; Matt 10:28; Acts 2:27; 2 Corinthians 5:1;
Heb 9:27; Ec 3:20-21; 12:7; Mark 12:26-27; Luke 20:37-38; Luke 23:43; Luke
16:19-31; Acts 24:15; 1 Thessalonians 4:16; John 5:28-29; John 11:25; Matthew
22:30-31; Eze. 37:10; Dan 12:2; 1 Corinthians 15:12-52; Romans 8:10-11; Phil
3:21; Hebrews 11:35; Isa 26:19; Rev 6:9-10; Revelation 20:4-5; Revelation
20:13-14; Revelation 21:8;
15. The God in the Three Persons: The Trinity
1) God exists in three persons: the Father, the Son, and
the Holy Spirit.
2) Each person is fully God.
3) There is only one God.
We Christians must understand the Triune God well. Only
then will we be able to worship God rightly, understand the Bible properly, and
not fall for the temptations of heresy or worldly religions. The meaning of the
Triune God is, “God exists as three distinct Persons: the Father, the Son, and
the Holy Spirit. However, the three are in essence (attributes) the perfect
God. So, there is only one God (Deuteronomy 4:35; Isaiah 43:10, 44:8).” God's
name is Jehovah (Lord) (Exodus 3:15).
Knowing that God is Spirit is the key to understand the
Triune God. The spirit is the body of spirit material, invisible to our naked
eye, unlike the body of physical material we now have and can see with the
naked eye. There is only one Spirit of God, and that Spirit exists in God the
Father and God the Son. They both have the same Spirit of God. So, the Spirit
of God is called the Spirit of the Father (Matthew 10:20), and also the Spirit
of the Son, that is, the Spirit of Jesus Christ (Galatians 4:6; Romans
8:9). So, the three persons, the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit are one
God.
The Triune God is always present, fellowshipping, and
working together. God the Father sent His only begotten Son, Jesus Christ, to
this earth to save us humans from our sins. Jesus died on the cross, was
resurrected on the third day, and had a perfect physical spirit body. After
Jesus was resurrected, he showed his body to his disciples and allowed them to
touch them, saying that the Spirit does not have flesh and bones, but Jesus'
body has flesh and bones (Luke 24:39). After his ascension, Jesus interceded
with his Father to send the Holy Spirit to his disciples. The Holy Spirit, as a
separate person with the same essence (same Spirit) as Jesus, regenerates our
spirit through the gospel of Jesus’ death on the cross and resurrection, makes
us believe in the Lord Jesus.
The Holy Spirit enters and indwells us and testifies to our
spirit that we are children of God (Romans 8:16), enabling us to cry out to
God, Abba, Father (Romans 8:15). He illuminates the Word of God, gives us
emotions and desires, and guides us using various special methods (eg, inner
witness, foreboding, dreams, visions, circumstances, etc.). As a result, we can
become successful in worship, be sanctified, and become witnesses of
Jesus.
All Christians are people who have been saved by believing in Jesus Christ through being born again by the Holy Spirit. However, believing in Jesus Christ and testifying about Jesus Christ are two separate things. Therefore, believers must be baptized with the Holy Spirit in order to testify about Jesus Christ. The reason for this can be understood by comparing the ministry of Jesus and the ministry of the Holy Spirit.
In John 8:28, Jesus said that he does nothing on his own
and he speaks only as his Father has taught him (cf. John 8:26, 28, 38; John
14:10). Jesus' mission was to testify of his Father. So Jesus said, He who has
seen Himself has seen the Father (John 14:9). So, what about those who could not see Jesus Christ in
person? How can we believe in Jesus and be saved? But that shouldn't be a
problem at all. The reason is that there is the Holy Spirit.
John 16:13-14: “… When the Spirit of truth
comes, he will guide you into all the truth. He will not speak on his own; he
will speak only what he hears, and he will tell you what is yet to come.
(14) He will glorify me, for he will take of what is mine and declare
it to you.”
Although Jesus' disciples followed Jesus full-time for
three and a half years and believed in Jesus as the Christ (Messiah, Lord) sent
by God, they did not have the ability to overcome the world's persecution and
testify of Jesus boldly. But Jesus said, when the Holy Spirit comes upon them
(they are baptized with the Holy Spirit), the Holy Spirit will receive the
words of Jesus (moment to moment) and testify to them, and as a result,
the disciples would testify of Jesus to people so that people eventually will
believe in Jesus Christ and be saved. The disciples prayed wholeheartedly
to receive the Holy Spirit, and as Jesus promised (John 14:18; Acts 1:4), on
the Day of Pentecost, He sent the Holy Spirit to them (Acts 2:1-4). They were
baptized with the Holy Spirit and became disciples completely different from
before. Even in the midst of extreme persecution, they became Jesus'
witnesses, converting many, healing the sick, and freeing those who were
oppressed by the devil. It is the result of the baptism of the Holy Spirit.
So, those who have received Jesus as the Christ but have
not yet been baptized with the Holy Spirit must be baptized with the Holy
Spirit. And those who have already been baptized with the Holy Spirit (baptism
with the Holy Spirit is the first filling of the Holy Spirit) must continue to
be filled with the Holy Spirit (Refilling: Ephesians 5:18). So, like the disciples on the day of Pentecost, we too must be
witnesses of Jesus Christ. Because unless we testify of Jesus Christ, people
will die in their sins (John 8:24; Romans
10:13-15). So, it is not an option for us to be witnesses of Jesus, but a
command (Matthew 28:19-20).
... Gen 1:1, 26, 11:7; John 14:16-26; Matt 28:19; 1 John
5:7-8; Acts 2:1-4; Romans 8:26; 1 Corinthians 12:9
** The God of Trinity: Click the picture below to see more clearly.
16. Heaven
Heaven does not only come into the hearts of those who
believe in Jesus (Luke 17:20-21), but it is actually a place of eternal
blessings from God. Heaven is a place where there is no more death, pain,
tears, and pain, but only joy, peace, and happiness. No sinner can enter the
kingdom of heaven, only the righteous can enter. We can receive forgiveness of
sins and justification through faith in Jesus as our Savior (Romans 3:24),
become children of God, and enter the kingdom of heaven to enjoy eternal life.
Romans 3:23-24 “For all have sinned and fall short of
the glory of God, (but, those who believe in Jesus Christ) has been justified freely by His grace of God
through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus.”
... John 14:2-3; 2 Corinthians 5:1; Matthew 6:10; Mark
16:16; Matthew 25:34-40; Revelation 21:1-22:5; Isa 65:17; 66:22; 2 Peter 3:13;
Acts 1:11; Acts 7:55-56
17. Hell
Hell is the place of God's
eternal punishment prepared for Satan and his followers and for unbelievers who
did evil and did not receive Jesus Christ on this earth. Hell is an eternal prison. Those who do not accept Jesus Christ as their Savior will have no
choice but to go to hell because of their sins. There is a lake of fire in
Hell, and because the fire is boiling, those who fall into Hell suffer
extremely (that's why we need to keep praying for unbelievers and preaching
Jesus to save them).
... Mark 9:43-48; Mark 16:16; Revelation 21:8; Matt 10:28;
Matthew 13:39-40; Matthew 25:41-46; Psalm 86:13; 2 Thessalonians 1:9; Luke
16:23; Revelation 20:10-15
<Dear brothers and sisters in Christ>,
The Creator God created and blessed us. However, we have committed numerous
sins by living only for ourselves without fearing God, not keeping His
commandments. As a result, we could not escape the punishment, suffering, and
judgment that followed. However, God has compassion on us who are sinners, and
to wash away all our sins and save us from the punishment of hell, He sent His
only begotten Son, Jesus Christ, to this earth, and Jesus shed His precious
blood on the cross. Through the sacrifice of Jesus, we must know the
seriousness of our sins, and we must know how much God loves us.
However, because we were all born spiritually dead for the
sin we inherited from Adam, in our own wisdom and strength, we were not able to
realize the great love of Jesus for us and respond it. So, God calls us to the
gospel of Jesus and regenerates our spirits through the work of the Holy Spirit
(John 3:5), and as a result, we realize that we are sinners, repent and accept
Jesus as our Savior and Lord (Matt 16:16-17), and God justifies us and gives us
the authority to become children of God.
We must know the reason why Jesus gave us such great grace.
This is so that we can praise Jesus, live for Jesus, and depend on Jesus alone
(Colossians 1:16). We must live according to the will of Jesus, not our own. We
must love Jesus with all our heart, mind, and heart (with all our best) and
obey His commandments (Deuteronomy 4:29; Hebrews 11:6, 12:28; Ephesians 2:8-10;
Matthew 22: 37-40). Those who fear Jesus and keep His commandments are those
who know His grace and love Him (John 14:15; 1 John 5:1-2; 1 John 4:8). Jesus
is pleased with such people, uses them beautifully, and gives them
corresponding blessings on earth (Deuteronomy 30:9) and rewards in heaven
(Hebrews 10:35-36; 2 Timothy 4:7-8).
<<In order for us to succeed in the life of faith, we
must overcome the things that hinder the life of faith, such as the devil, the
world, the flesh, the self, humanism, the surrounding environment, temptation,
and persecution. For that, God has given us spiritual means and weapons. It is: 1) God's Word of Truth; 2) the Holy Spirit; 3)
faith; 4) the blood of Jesus; 5) the name of Jesus; 6) the authority of
children and the privilege of prayer; 7) worship; 8) spiritual gifts; 9)
Church; 10) Offices and missions 11) Angels of God. So, we must use the
spiritual weapons that God has given us to overcome the devil, the world, the
flesh, the self, and the environment, and carry out the missions entrusted to
us well>>.
The basics of life of faith can be summarized in the following
seven points.
1. If you accepted Jesus
Christ as the Lord and your savior, attend the (Protestant Christian) Church and receive
the pastor's guidance. Be baptized with water and become a member of the body
of Jesus Christ, the church (Ephesians 1:23). Be sure to attend the
Sunday worship service and worship God (Hebrews 10:25).
- Receive education for baptism from church pastor and be
baptized with water (Matthew 28:18-20; Matthew 16:16; Acts 2:38).
- Worship God on a regular basis (Must worship on Sunday;
Basic elements of worship: repentance, praise, thanksgiving, the Word,
offering, blessing, fellowship) … John 4:23; De 6:4; Romans 12:1; Isa 55:3;
Hebrews 10:19-22
- Offer to God the offerings (tithes, thanksgivings, and
other offerings) … Mal 3:10; Matthew 5:24; Matthew 23:23; Luke 18:12
- Listen to church pastor's sermon and learn the Word of
God...Acts 2:42; Acts 20:7-11; Col 1:28; 2 Tim. 4:1-2; Heb 13:17; 2 Timothy
2:25
- Take part in the holy communion ... 1 Corinthians
11:23-26; Matthew 26:26-28
- Fellowship in Jesus Christ....Hebrews 10:25; Acts
2:46-47... The sanctification (growth and maturity) of believers is
accomplished through the Holy Spirit and true fellowship in Jesus Christ.
* <<Application of
Salvation (in logical
order)>>:
(1) God's call: we hear
the gospel of salvation of Jesus Christ ----> (2) (God
regenerates our spirits by the Holy Spirit): we confess that we are sinners and accept Jesus Christ as our Savior: Legal union with Jesus: Remission
of sins/ (Justification: Salvation of the Spirit: Receiving a new Spirit: Past tense) : (3) Be
baptized with water in a church and become a member of the church, the body of
Christ ----> (4) Fellowship with God and spiritual
training: Worship / the Word and prayer ----> (5) Baptism
with the Holy Spirit (the Holy Spirit's
dwelling in our spirit: initial filling of
the Holy Spirit: the Holy Spirit fills our spirits): Receives the gift of the
Holy Spirit (e.g., speaking in tongues…. ): Overcoming the flesh and living
according to the spirit under the guidance of the Holy Spirit: Continuously
denying the old self: Living by the spirit not by the flesh----> Being
constantly filled(refilled) with the Holy Spirit ----> (6) Walk
with Jesus: We are practically united with Jesus / (Sanctification: Salvation of the soul: present progressive) ----> (7) (By
the gift, power and authority of the Holy Spirit) preaching Gospel and
salvation work ----> (8) God's calling us to heaven: the
death of the body ----> (9) The second coming of Jesus / We
are resurrected with an eternal body / (Glorification: Salvation of the body:
future tense ) / Millennial Kingdom
2. Read and meditate on the
Bible every day.
- Read and meditate on the words of the Bible every day.
So, discern God's will for you.
- The Bible is the Word of God, and it is the truth… . Acts
17:11; John 17:3; John 17:17; Hos 6:3; John 8:32; 2 Corinthians 3:17
* Eat the Word of God every day as you eat the food of the
flesh every day (Matthew 4:4; Deuteronomy 8:3). Our obedience to the
Word of God is our daily bread for our spirit (See John 4:34).
Jesus said (John 6:53-57): "Truly, truly, I tell
you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you have
no life in you. Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, I
will raise them up at the last day. For my flesh is real food and my blood is
real drink. Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood remains in me, and I in
him. Just as the living Father has sent me and I live because of the Father, so
the one who feeds on me will live because of me."
We can enjoy eternal life by eating Jesus' flesh and
drinking his blood, every day. However, that does not mean, in reality, that we
eat Jesus' flesh and drink his blood. We can't actually eat the flesh of Jesus
and we can't drink his blood. Even if we do, we cannot directly obtain eternal
life. This is because we cannot obtain eternal life by eating material things.
So, Jesus said (John 6:63): "It is the Spirit who gives life, the
flesh profits nothing. The words that I speak to you are spirit and they are
life." We receive eternal life by believing in Jesus, because of
the work of Jesus, according to the words of Jesus.
We must, by faith, eat the flesh of Jesus and drink the
blood of Jesus every day. The blood of Jesus has the power to wash away all our
sins. So, every day, we must think of the sins we have committed in our minds
and deeds, and repent by relying on the merits of the blood of the Lord. Then,
Jesus will forgive our sins and cleanse our mind and body so that we can walk
with Him again (1 John 1:7-9).
The flesh (body) of Jesus has the power to prevent our
sins. Jesus was crucified on the cross, shed all his blood, and died. We,
through faith, died with Jesus and rose again with Jesus (Romans 6:11;
Galatians 2:20). We believe that there is no longer a sinful body but only a
new body. So, we will no longer respond to sin, but only to the Word of God.
Jesus said (John 7:37-38): "...If anyone
thirsts, let him come to me and drink. Whoever believes in me, as the scripture
says, out of his belly (heart) will flow rivers of living water."
(The living water here refers to the Holy Spirit that those who believe in
Jesus will receive).
Even if we eat enough food for our bodies every day,
without Jesus in our hearts, minds, and lives, we will surely experience
thirst. That is why we must come to Jesus by faith every day. We must look to
Jesus every day (Hebrews 12:2). We must call on the name of Jesus (Acts 2:21;
Romans 10:13). Then, Jesus will fill us with the Holy Spirit and lead us to
hear His voice and follow Him (John 10:27).
* “Stand having girded your
waist with the truth” (Ephesians 6:14): the
opposite of truth is false. Satan deceives ignorant people with countless lies,
leading them to distrust God, disobey God's Word, sin, and lead them down the
road to destruction. Without the word of truth, we collapse. Therefore, only
when we know and hold on to the truth of God revealed in the Bible, we can not
be deceived by Satan, and only when we proclaim the truth we can overcome
Satan's schemes and enjoy the freedom that God gives us in Jesus. (John 8:32;
Gal 5:1). Oppose the devil by proclaiming the sword of the Spirit, the word of
God (Matthew 4:4, 7, 10).
- When you hear the word of God and realize in your
conscience that you have sinned, immediately repent of that sin. Unless we repent, our fellowship with God will be weakened,
and we will live as hypocrites.... Mark 1:15; Acts 2:38; Psalm 51:17; Psalm
34:18; James 4:9;
<The Importance of Repentance>:
The event in which we first received Jesus as Savior and
Lord is called conversion. Conversion comes through "repentance and
faith." We are saved (justified) only through repentance and faith.
However, repentance and faith are not only necessary when we first received
Jesus as our Savior and Lord. Repentance and faith are needed every day. It is
for sanctification.
1) Repentance Meaning: Repentance is acknowledging my sins (what I did was
bad), grieving and hating them, and deciding to never sin again but to live a
life of obedience to Jesus.
2) The difference between regret and repentance: If I mourn for a sin I have
committed, but do not turn to God through the blood of Jesus, and do not
resolve to quit the sin, it is not repentance. It is regret.
3) The relationship between repentance and faith:
If we sin again and come to Jesus without repenting of our
sins, or if we repent of our sins but do not come to Jesus, that is neither
true repentance nor true faith. Repentance and faith must happen at the same
time. Without faith, there is no repentance. That is, when we repent, we repent
with faith that we can be forgiven. When we have sinned, we must confess our
sins and go to Jesus and ask Him to forgive us (1 John 1:8-9).
4) Faith does not mean that we believe in Jesus only as Savior, but we
believe in Jesus as Savior and the Lord. Jesus is our Lord. That means we live
with Jesus as Lord.
If we come to Jesus only for the forgiveness of our sins,
that is not true faith. It is because we have no intention of living a changed
life. In other words, repentance and faith are necessary not only for
forgiveness of sins but also for a transformed life. When we come to Jesus, we
must come to Jesus not only for the forgiveness of our sins, but also for the
purpose of turning away from our sins and obeying him. That is the essence of
repentance and faith. We must live a life transformed by repentance and
faith: Matthew 3:8: “(Therefore) Produce fruit in keeping with repentance.”
Jesus said in Matthew 11:28-29: “Come to me, all you who are weary and
are burdened.... Take my yoke upon you and learn from me…. and you will find
rest for your souls.”
John 15:5: “I am the vine, and you are the branches,
if you remain in me, and I in you, you will bear much fruit, for apart from me
you can do nothing.”
3. “Always offer prayers and
supplications.” (Ephesians 6:18).
- Pray always in the Holy Spirit (in spirit: in tongues
& in mind) (1 Corinthians 14:15). God hears and responds to our prayers.
- Prayer is a personal conversation with God. We should not
ask only what we ask of God. When we pray, we must be able to hear and respond
to the inward witness of the Holy Spirit who dwells within us (cf. the inward
witness of the Holy Spirit: Romans 8: 16). The inner witness of the Holy Spirit
never goes against the Word of God. When we hear the witnesses of the Holy
Spirit, we can live according to God's will rather than our imperfect reason
and the five senses of our flesh.
- Pray only with faith.
When praying, first, be specific about your own wishes.
Make sure it is in accordance with the will of our Heavenly Father as revealed
in the Bible. If your wishes accord with the word of God, do not doubt, but
with faith, ask your Heavenly Father boldly, in the name of Jesus.
- Pray for the healing of physical ailments and mental
ailments. Healing is the absolute will of God (Isaiah 53:5; Matt 8:17; 1 Pet
2:24). So, the Apostle James exhorted the sick saints to ask the pastors of the
church for prayer(James 5:14-17). So, if a disease comes upon us, we must ask
the pastors of the church for prayers, and if the circumstances do not allow,
we must hold on to the promise of healing ourselves and pray (by faith).
<Caution>: If the children of God have heard the word of God
(the Lord) and prayed in faith according to the word, they must believe that
they have already received what they asked for (Mark 11:24; James 1:5-6; John
15:7; 1 John 5:14-15). And, we should give thanks to God for the answer and
praise Him. Because that prayer will surely be answered. In order for us to
receive answers from God, we must pray and confess (declare) in faith. Then, we
will eventually experience answers from the faithful God. However, don't be
discouraged if the answer doesn't come right away. The answer will surely come.
If we are sure of the answer, we should no longer be concerned about the answer
to our prayers. We must leave everything to God and keep the faith (our
responsibility). This is to protect our prayers from the tricks and attacks of
Satan the devil without losing our answers to the end.
- Only long for God's grace... Isa 33:2; James 4:6
- Have peace, joy, gratitude, courage… 1 Thessalonians
5:16-18; Philippians 4:11-13
… Mark 11:23-24; Matt 21:21-22; John 15:7, 14:14; 16:23; 1
John 3:21-22; 5:14-15; Matt 6:9-13; Philippians 4:6-7;
... The five components of prayer: praise, thanksgiving,
repentance, intercession, supplication
4. Be filled with the Holy
Spirit, overcome the lusts of the flesh, and live according to the guidance of
the Holy Spirit.
- In order to be filled with the Holy Spirit, we must first
be baptized with the Holy Spirit (baptism with the Holy Spirit is the first
filling of the Holy Spirit).
- In order to be baptized with the Holy Spirit, like the
120 disciples of Jesus in the upper room of Mark on the Day of Pentecost, we
long for the baptism of the Holy Spirit, and we must pray with all our hearts
and not give up until we are baptized with the Holy Spirit. Another way to
receive the baptism of the Holy Spirit is to ask a pastor or minister who can
baptize you with the Holy Spirit by laying on the hands (Matthew 3:11; Luke
11:13; John 7:37-38; John 10:22; Acts 1). :8; Acts 2:4; Acts 8:16-17; Acts
10:44; Acts 19:2-6).
- Always change your mind and achieve sanctification
through the Word and prayer (Romans 12:2; Proverbs 4:23; John 17:17; 1 Timothy
4:5).
- When deciding and pursuing a certain task, do not follow
your own imperfect reason and emotions, do not follow the lusts of your fallen
flesh, and do not unconditionally follow the recommendations of those around
you no matter how plausible it may seem. Instead, you should listen only to the
Word of God, which the Holy Spirit testifies to your spirit, through Word and
prayer alone (recognizing the absolute necessity of Word and prayer).
- "Only be filled with the Holy Spirit."...
Ephesians 5:18. A Christian who has been baptized with the Holy Spirit must
continue to be refilled with the Holy Spirit. To be refilled with the Holy
Spirit, we have to worship God, give thanks to God, maintain reconciliation in
your relationship with others, and obey each other in the Lord. (Ephesians
5:19-6:4).
* “Put on the breastplate of
the righteousness of Jesus Christ.” (Ephesians 6:14), and live a
righteous life. Do not follow the desires of the flesh (the old man), but only
the desires of the Holy Spirit: (When you put on the breastplate of the
righteousness of Jesus Christ, it means that you overcome sin and live a
righteous life through faith in the merits of Jesus Christ) ... Ephesians 6:14;
Gal 5:16-18; Romans 8:5-17
- Completely deny self (Matthew 26:39-44; Mark 14:36-39;
Luke 22:40-44; Gal 2:20; Phil 1:20-21; 2 Corinthians 4:7-11; Matthew 16: 24).
In order to be filled with the Holy Spirit, to be led by the Holy Spirit, and
to experience the work of the Holy Spirit, we must first completely deny our
self (our independent will, opinion) (Matthew 16:24). This is because our ego
interferes with the work of the Holy Spirit. By the way, denying our self is
not our human effort. It can only be done by faith. That faith is the belief
that our old self (body) has already died on the cross with Jesus and has been
resurrected with Jesus to become a new person. When we have that faith, we will
live according to the will of the Lord without claiming our will. However, as
long as our old self is alive and not dead, we can never do God's will. Declare daily: “My old self has already died on the cross with Jesus. Also, I have
already risen from the dead with Jesus and became a new person. All my body
belongs to the Lord. I no longer have a body to respond to sin (my hands are
the hands of the Lord. I cannot sin with the hands of the Lord. I cannot go
where the feet of the Lord sin). So today, I will be led by the Holy Spirit and
live only for the kingdom and righteousness of God in my body according to the
words of Jesus. amen!" (Romans 6:1-14)
- Stop all iniquity (1 Thessalonians 5:22). If you have
sinned, be forgiven of your sins by confessing your sins and relying on the
merits of the blood of Jesus for forgiveness (1 John 1:9).
- Love Jesus with all your heart and love your neighbor as
yourself.… Matthew 22:37-40; If you love Jesus, you are bound to obey the words
of Jesus… .John 14:15, 23;
- According to the gifts God has given you, carry out the
office of the church and the mission of God… 1 Peter 2:9; 1 Timothy 3:13
* In order to be used well by God, always seek the gift of
the Holy Spirit (1 Corinthians 14:1; 1 Corinthians 12:1-31; Romans 12:6-8;
Ephesians 4:11-12).
- Serve your neighbors...with compassion, forgiveness and
love... Matthew 22:39; Lev 19:18; Heb 13:1-2, 16
5. Witness the gospel of Jesus
Christ.
- Strive to save the souls of your neighbors... . Matthew
28:19-20
* The purpose and vision of our life is not on this earth.
It is the new heaven and new earth, the millennial kingdom that Jesus will come
to fulfill at his second coming and the eternal kingdom of God that will come
after that. That is why we must always strive to save souls.
- Only be filled with the Holy Spirit and preach the gospel
of Jesus... Mark 16:15; 2 Timothy 4:2
* “Put on the shoes of the
gospel of peace.” (Ephesians 6:15): The reality of the gospel is Jesus
Christ. The gospel of Jesus Christ leads us to the peace of God and provides it
to our neighbors as well.
The following is the core 7 gospel of Jesus Christ that we must believe for our salvation and preach to
our neighbors.
1) Jesus' identity: Jesus, as the Creator God,
created the heavens and the earth and all things in the beginning. (John 1:1-3;
Hebrews 1:1-2; Genesis 1:1-3)
2) The incarnation of Jesus: Jesus came to this
earth in the flesh to save mankind who had fallen by sin. Jesus is the perfect
God and the perfect man (Isaiah 7:14; Luke 1:35; John 1:14, 18; 5:18; 10:30; 1
John 5:20; Philippians 2:6-8). * Matthew 16 :16: Jesus is the Christ,
the Son of the living God.
3) Jesus' atonement on the cross: Jesus hung on
the cross, shed his pure blood, died, and atoned for our sins (John
19:30). Anyone who believes in Jesus Christ (by being born again by the
Holy Spirit) will receive eternal life (John 3:5; 3:16).
4) The resurrection of Jesus, Ascension:
Jesus was buried in a tomb, resurrected with an eternal body three days after
his burial, appeared to his disciples for 40 days, taught them, and then
ascended to heaven. (Matthew 27:50, 60; John 20:26-29; Acts 1:3; 1 Corinthians
15:20)
5) The baptism with the Holy Spirit by Jesus:
Jesus ascended into heaven and on the day of Pentecost sent the Holy Spirit to
those who believed and asked for, so that they received power and become
witnesses of Jesus Christ (Acts 1:8; 2:4). Even now, at the right hand of the
God's throne, Jesus intercedes for those who come to God through Him (Romans
8:34; 7:25), and baptizes with the Holy Spirit those who seek Him (John
14:16-17; Luke 11:13; Acts 2:38-39). Therefore, the believer (the born again:
the regenerate) must be baptized with the Holy Spirit and become witnesses.
6) The Second Coming of Jesus: Jesus will
return to earth as the Lord of Judgment, and those who believe will be
resurrected like Jesus. (Matthew 24:30; Revelation 1:7; 1 Thessalonians
4:16-17)
7) Jesus’ (earthly) reign: Jesus will return to
this earth and establish the millennium kingdom (on the earth), and those who
believe will rule and live with Jesus in the thousand-year kingdom and then
enter the eternal heaven (new heaven and new earth) and enjoy eternal life. (Revelation
20:1-6; Revelation 5:10, 11:15; 2 Peter 3:13; Revelation 21:1-2)
6. Rely on Jesus Christ alone
in everything.
- Don't rely on yourself and the world, but only on
Jesus... Psalm 37:5
- Turn all your worries over to Jesus through prayer, and
don't worry any more (only then can you experience the answers to your prayers)
.... Philippians 4:6-7; 1 Peter 5:7;
- Live by faith alone.... Romans 1:17; Gal 2:20; Habakkuk
2:4;
* “Take up the shield of faith.” (Ephesians 6:16), and
extinguish the fiery arrows of the devil. The devil will try to tempt us, to
instill worry and anxieties, and to knock us down by all means (1 Peter 5:8).
- (by the authority of the children of God), resist the
devil, in the name of Jesus.... James 4:7; 1 Peter 5:9;
- Oppose the devil (1 Peter 5:9). (Anytime the devil
deceives you with lies or evil thoughts or attacks you with fear), in the name
of Jesus, or by the blood of Jesus, or by proclaiming the word of God (sword of
the Holy Spirit), Repel it (Ephesians 6:17; Matt. 4:10). And, obey only God's
Word:
- Destroy the works of the devil in Jesus name.... Luke
4:18-19; 1 John 3:8; Mark 16:17-18; The devil brought sin, disease, and death
into the world (John 10:10). The Son of God, Jesus Christ, came to this earth
to destroy the works of the devil and showed the power of forgiveness of sins
by healing people's various diseases (Mark 2:9-11). At the end of His public
ministry, Jesus Himself died on the cross, shed His blood, and rose again to
save us from all sins, diseases, and the power of death (to destroy the works
of the devil). So, those who have received the forgiveness of sins and
justification by accepting Jesus Christ as their Lord must resist the devil in
the name of Jesus Christ and be healed of all diseases (physical and mental
diseases). Healing is God's will (Isaiah 53:5; 1 Peter 2:24).
7. Hope for Heaven (Kingdom of God)
- Our life of faith means that we walk daily with the
Trinity, Jehovah God (Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, we are our Creator, Lord of
our salvation, protector and guide) and hope for Heaven, our eternal home. do.
So, even if Satan (the devil, demons, and demons) interferes with our worship,
sanctification, and evangelism work of Jesus and persecutes us through worldly
authorities, worldly religions and unbelievers, we should never lose faith or
become discouraged. We must be patient, resist the devil (James 4:7; 1 Peter
5:9), and live only with joy and thanksgiving (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18). It is
because we have the Lord God who never changes, is always with us, and gives us
victory (John 10:29; 1 John 4:4; Romans 8:37), and that the eternal kingdom of
heaven is prepared for us.
- Don't love the world... 1 John 2:15-17; 2 Timothy 4:3-11
- Longing for your eternal home (Heaven) and a better
resurrection....John 14:1-2; John 5:29; Heb 11:16, 35; 1 Corinthians 15:41-44;
Revelation 20:4-6
* “Put on the helmet of
salvation.” (Ephesians 6:17; 1 Thessalonians 5:8): The devil prevents
us from having the assurance of salvation. However, if you have believed and
received Jesus with your heart, have the unwavering assurance and hope of
salvation (Rom. 8:35-39; 2 Tim. 1:12). And, live by faith alone (Romans 1:17; 2
Corinthians 5:7; Hab 2:4). The helmet of salvation guides our lives
safely.
<<Conclusion>>:
After Jesus performed the miracle of feeding 5,000 people
with five loaves and two fish, the crowds came to Jesus more earnestly to get
their daily bread. However, Jesus told them not to work for the food that
perishes, but to believe in Him for eternal life. Jesus alone is our bread for
eternal life (John 6:27). This is because Jesus was crucified on the cross,
torn His flesh, shed all His blood, died and rose again to atone for our sins
and became our Savior and Lord. The purpose is that Jesus gives us eternal
life. So we must receive Jesus and obtain eternal life.
However, eternal life does not mean only the life we get
when we die and go to heaven. Eternal life must be experienced from this
earth. Eternal life refers to the life that we, who have accepted Jesus,
experience and enjoy by beginning fellowship with Jesus under the guidance of
the Holy Spirit from this earth. I pray in the name of the Lord that you will
read and digest the contents of this webpage and walk with Jesus with true
faith.
<References>:
1. “Problems and Solutions of some
Protestant Soteriology.” (Click the link below to
read the article):
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1_lAZJUwyTleEDwmSq1nq3InzsStdCvcQ/view?usp=drive_link
2. "Reasons for failure in life of faith
and the solutions":
Click the link below to
read the content:
: https://spiritruledlife.blogspot.com/2022/05/spirit.html
*Note:
1) The text in English is posted last (Korean Text is placed first).
2) <The
difference between "being born again by the Spirit"
and "being baptized with the Spirit"> is included here.
3) "The Way to Revival" by
Martyn Lloyd-Jones : Click the link below to read
the content. (in Korean and English):
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1DrL6XP1qBnnQzRtJtnVgw0LJOCNfbPkq/view?usp=drive_link
3. (book) The Holy Spirit (by E. W. Kenyon) & Its Review:
Click the link below to
read the content:
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1hBnaXSiA_xQSgCaECmBvUurwWJQXuKl2/view?usp=drive_link
4. (book) The Baptism in the Holy Spirit: [The Holy Spirit and You] by Dennis & Rita Bennett:
If you click the link below,
you can read:
5. (book) How to be filled with the Holy Spirit by A. W. Tozer :
https://drive.google.com/file/d/15wNFglSWy9LYtMQuSpR3lGVYzgPj-ssS/view?usp=drive_link
** Title: "Review of claims regarding the regeneration of human spirit, the baptism with the Holy Spirit, the filling with the Holy Spirit." Please click the link below and read it:
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1d6TnQbA6S7T3Pz3Km9DXb9cOBQtU6Yt4/view?usp=drive_link
6. (book) “Listen to your spirit ”:
Click the link below to
read the content:
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1eDoJinOGemO_U-5TyK_BA2sOEA4If_pj/view?usp=drive_link
7. (book) : [How You Can be Led by the
Spirit of God?] by Kenneth E. Hagin:
please click the link below:
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1ulkSzk4jAwGKCzbw3cIsj-6Az3mR-IIC/view?usp=drive_link
8. (book) "Jesus-the-Healer" by E. W. Kenyon
: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1vSPotAW4vceI27VzyoLKtZZDt59FGIV7/view?usp=drive_link
9. (book) "The
wonderful Name of Jesus" by E. W. Kenyon:
Please click the link below to read!
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1bVHxDTzcnG9Dt7CRUSXNQwLZ9d8jv85X/view?usp=drive_link
10. (book) "Father and His Family" by E. W. Kenyon. Please click the link below to read!
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1M7r0ygBhslHcwYLOw1yuZg31hi0u-1Tf/view?usp=drive_link
11. (book) "The Pursuit of God" by A. W. Tozer:
Please click the link below to read!
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1Vc9tzD7ONGcS0Uc0AFk7fgDUa1xbVjq1/view?usp=drive_link
12. (book) "Mystery of the Holy Spirit" by A. W. Tozer:
Please click the link below to read!
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1ruzGp2LEmB3IFylCVlWd9f0i419fEC9r/view?usp=drive_link
13. (book) “Teaching from the Tabernacle" by C. SUMNER
WEMP: Please click the link below to read!
https://spiritruledlife.blogspot.com/2024/10/12-tabernacle.html
<Another option>:
<How to move to Other Articles: No.6 ~ No.1>: If you want to read other Articles, go to the bottom of this page and click Right Arrow(>>) or Older Posts. Then you can see No. 6 Article. Instead, if you click "View web version" on the bottom, you can see Blog Archive and the Years of writing(2016, 2013, 2012). When you click each year, you can see No.1 ~ No.6 Articles in them.>
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