Title: Faithful Faith/John 15:16-19
It is very nice to see the fruits hanging on the trees ripening in bright colors and the grains of the fields ripening to yellow. There seems to be weight, and there seems to be value. Being mature in anything is a beautiful thing. So today, I would like to talk about mature faith under the title “Faith mature.”
When people are young, they are clumsy in thinking and judging. Thinking is short and judging is choppy. So you see, it's self-centered. He knows only himself and does not try to harm himself for himself. It's very selfish. Everything is self-centered. It is because there is no iron.
Then, when a person matures, it is not until he gets out of bounds. The way you behave is different, and the way you think has depth. And judging becomes much more mature, and you become dignified, know how to suffer, and learn to work hard. It is evidence that a person has matured and matured mentally that much.
This is also true of faith. Faith is just like an immature child until it matures. Thinking and judging are no different from children. You cannot go beyond your own dimension. We get angry and quarrel over the smallest things, we get frustrated, we vomit, and we hate it. I am still young, yes. Therefore, there are times when it is very careful to deal with new believers who have only been in the church for a while.
Then, at some point, when their faith matures and matures, they go beyond their own dimension. So, even in the midst of difficulties, I have a heart of gratitude, I know how to work hard sometimes, I know how to think deeply, and I participate in volunteer work. There are a few things that change first as your faith matures and matures.
First, I have faith that the Lord has chosen me.
It is the first change of thinking given to you when you grow old. When my faith is not mature, I have no thought or belief that I have been chosen by the Lord. All in all, it makes me think that I went to see Jesus. Among the many religions, I think I chose Christianity.
So, most of the time, faith remains at the ethical level. It cannot go beyond the level of disciplined faith. It is difficult to make a commitment or to have a professing faith. So at this time, the church cannot go beyond the level of just going back and forth.
The subject of faith at this time is always “I”. Most of us remain in the thoughts of “I did this”, “I went to Jesus”, and “I believed in Jesus”. This is all because of the lack of iron. Thinking like a child.
Then, when the faith matures, this thinking radically changes. It's not that I came to know Jesus, but that Jesus knew me first. I realize that I did not choose Jesus, and that Jesus had already chosen me before I knew him.
I didn't go looking for Jesus, but Jesus came to me first, so I'm starting to realize that I'm starting a life of faith now. Only then can we discover and understand God's hidden providence and realize His love.
The text says it. “You did not choose me, but I chose you and established you.” This is a great discovery. That's why it's called fervent faith. In this way, the subject of faith changes from “I” to “Lord”. “I did not do this, the Lord did this to me.” This is what mature faith looks like.
If any of you are living a religious life and still emphasize the “me” too much, it is the faith that is not yet mature. It is proof that you are still in the beginner's faith. When your faith matures, the first thing you will experience is the change of the subject from “I” to “Jesus”.
Second, it is a change of faith to do the will of the Lord.
When faith is not mature, everyone prays, “Do as I will.” So when you see it, you pray, “Please do this.” and “Please do that.” That is the prayer, “Do my will.” It is because there is no iron. Look at the children. Everyone is self-centered. I have no qualms. All they want is to do as they please. Because they are still infants.
However, as faith matures, the content changes. Think differently. Consciousness also changes. “Lord, not as I will, but as you will.” This is the prayer of a mature believer. “Lord, tell me. Your servant will listen.” This is the attitude of obedience. That's why Martin Luther said that every prayer must end with, "Not my will, but your will." Only then will it be a mature prayer and the attitude of a mature believer.
But if you look at it, sometimes there are many prayers that are immature. There are times when I myself pray very immaturely. There are times when I am very selfish and pray like a child. I can't pray for seeking God's deep will, but I always find myself hanging around with only superficial problems in front of me. It's because I'm not mature.
It is said that someone prayed such a prayer. One day, this man crossed a long wooden bridge. When I climbed the single wooden bridge and looked down, it was a deep cliff. There is a strong current flowing there. Just looking at it is terrifying.
As the man carefully crossed the bridge halfway through, the wind blew and the bridge shook violently. For a moment, I felt dizzy. If I fell, I thought I would die. So this man prayed with an urgent heart. “God, just let me cross over safely. Then, on the next Sunday, I will give you 1 million won as a thank-you offering.” Then I felt much more at ease and the wind calmed down. So this man carefully crossed the bridge almost all the way.
But then, for a moment, I felt a pity. I regretted that I promised to donate a million won as soon as I thought that I was almost all over. So this man changed his prayer. “God, I didn’t think about the promise of 1 million won earlier, can’t we just pay 500,000 won? Do you understand my heart?” he prayed.
Then the wind picked up and blew again. The single wooden bridge began to shake again. It looked like it was going to fall off soon. At that time, this man sat down and held onto a single wooden leg and complained, “God, are you kidding me?”
In fact, this is what we are. How many promises do we make when we are in a hurry And how urgently did you pray a lot? Then, when the urgency went away, all the problems were solved, the sickness was healed, and the lights in our feet went out, what did we do then? Everyone is so urgent that they often forget the promises they made. Doesn't keep promises. Because they are all iron free.
That is why there is an old saying that when people grow up, they think of their parents only. It is said that only when a person is mature, he can understand the deep feelings and thoughts of his parents and understand their meaning. And you will experience a change of mind from “me”-centered to “parent”-centered. That is the image of a mature human being. When your faith matures, you will first understand and understand the will of God. And you will obey it. That is maturity and discovery. As your faith matures, this change of thinking takes place.
Third, we have the belief that everything is by the grace of God.
When your faith is strengthened and matured, you will discover the grace of God above all else. That is why he hides himself in front of him and confesses his grace. When people are immature, everyone brags about themselves. Show off your self. So, “I did this”, “I did this and succeeded” comes to mind. This is Oman. It is because we do not discover God's grace.
In Luke 12, such a person appears. The rich young man was a good farmer and the crops increased. Then the young man said: “I will do this. I will break down the barns and store all my grain there. I said to my soul, My soul, eat, drink, and be merry.” The word “I” appears six times in this short passage. “I” farmed well, “I” produced a lot, and “I” was self-sufficient. The center of this story is always “I”. “I did this.”
Everyone, look back and think about the footsteps of your life. What have you guys done? If you think deeply, we haven't done anything. All are just the grace of God. So the more I think about it, the more I have to be thankful for. If you are a believer, you should be thinking up to this point. So, believers should have a lot of time to think. If you think about it a little deeper, you can't help but come up with such a confession. This is the change experienced by mature believers.
The fourth is that there is one resolution.
When your faith matures and matures in this way, you will be prepared to lose for Jesus. You will have the courage to be willing to give yourself up for God. When I see young children, they don't try to do difficult things. I hate running errands. It is because there is no iron yet. But when the child grows up and matures, it takes care of everything. You don't do it because you have to study, but you do it yourself for the sake of your future. I don't even make it work for me. Everyone knows. Because it was iron.
Such is the life of faith. There are many sad things when faith is not mature. There are many misconceptions. There are many things that are bad. So I'm not trying to lose. I don't even try to bother. However, as your faith matures, your thoughts and attitudes will change.
First of all, there is a willingness to make sacrifices. You are prepared to lose. If persecution is given for the sake of the gospel, we are also willing to endure it. Until now, I was thinking about what I would get, but now that I am mature, I think about what I am going to do. That's how mature it is.
Where do you find the joy of true faith? It is only attained, discovered, and felt when we work so hard, devote ourselves and make sacrifices. Therefore, mature believers are not afraid of suffering, persecution, or sacrifice. Rather, it is accepted with joy. So Stephen was able to laugh even as he died. The apostle Paul lost everything for Jesus, but at the same time he could not be so content and happy.
But everyone, rest assured. But that doesn't mean you have to sacrifice, bleed and suffer like that. Today, there is no such persecution, and there is no one who kills martyrdom. Even if God demands such a sacrifice, few are willing to comply with it.
However, it means that we must have enough spirit, courage, and hard work in the process of serving God, believing in God, and believing in Him. It's not because someone made it. It's not even an obligation. A mature person does not work hard for someone else. It's up to you to figure it out yourself. Because they are mature believers.
The Bible says “You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you so that you may go and bear fruit, and that your fruit may abid, that whatever you ask the Father in my name, he will receive it.” I hope this blessing will be given to you as well.