Title: I Came to Call Sinners
Contents
(Luke 5:27-35)
“Jesus answered and said to them, “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance” (verses 31-32).
1. What is sin?
If you go to an area where native Africans live, it is said that when a person dies, they dry it in the sun, put it in a mortar, and grind it into powder. "How can you bury the bodies of your parents and siblings in the ground to rot? It's much better to be buried in my stomach."
Also, wherever he goes, he kills a virgin every year and offers sacrifices to the living spirit, and the rest of his body is torn apart and eaten by the locals as a bad luck.
Let me start by saying that people don't try to improve a habit or behavior when it's clearly wrong. Even though killing people is just murder, they continue to do so indiscriminately, knowing that if they stop, they will receive great harm from God.
For example, when the gospel enters a family through a daughter-in-law, the person who becomes a husband refuses by saying this when she goes to visit at church. "I know it's good to believe in Jesus. But what can be beneficial to us by hurting our mother because she is so strongly opposed to it? So, I don't know what to believe after my mother's death, but I can't do it while she's alive." 'It is a sin to know what is wrong'.
2. Who, then, is a sinner?
There is a difference between the concepts of 'sin' and 'sinner'. Just because we are sinners, we cannot conclude that we are all sinners. God hated 'sin', not even 'sinners'. Sin can never be covered up in the sight of the splendid justice of God's flame. It will be revealed soon. The more you try to hide it, the worse it will appear and the more ugly it will smell.
However, a 'sinner' who admits that he has committed such a sin, repents of his sins, and vows not to commit such a sin again is not an object of God's wrath, but an object of forgiveness, love, mercy and mercy.
Then who is the sinner?
① Those who see Jesus only as 'Jesus of Nazareth' are 'self-proclaimed righteous', and those who see Jesus as 'Christ Jesus' are 'real sinners'. The chosen Jews, who thought that Jesus was simply Jesus of Nazareth, saying, “Can a prophet come out of a country like Nazareth?” They were the only ones righteous, but rather, they saw Jesus as a sinner. However, since the Gentiles saw Jesus as 'Christ Jesus', that is, 'Jesus the Savior,' they regarded Jesus as the Son of God who could save them from their sins.
So those who met Jesus confess their sins, saying, "Leave me, I am a sinner."
②The Jews saw Jesus only as 'the carpenter's son'. But the Gentiles saw Jesus as the Son of God. Jews who saw Jesus only as 'the carpenter's son' did not see Jesus as a child born directly by Mary, but as a 'child of another' or 'brought-in' because of the fact that he conceived before marriage. I believed.
A prime example of this was Paul. “I am a Jew, born in Tarsus, Cilicia, raised in this city, and under the guidance of Gamariel I was taught the strict teaching of the law of our ancestors, and I am as zealous for God as all of you today.”
Because he was a staunch Jew who believed in God, his actions were absolutely on the side of 'justice', and he was a 'witness' when Stephen was martyred (Acts 7:58), and "did due his death" (Acts 8: 1), "To destroy the church, they went into each house, dragged men and women, and delivered them to prison" (Acts 8:3) and "Those who are still living and following that way, both men and women, are bound to bring them to Jerusalem" (Acts 8:3). Acts 9:3) When they arrived on the road to Damascus, a great light from heaven shone around them, and they heard a voice saying, “Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?” (Acts 22:7), “Who are you, Lord? Jesus persecutes" (Acts 22:8).
What we need to remember here is that the faith of 'Saul's time' and the faith of 'Paul's' day after conversion on the Damascus road are completely different. In other words, 'Saul' in Saul's day thought of him as a righteous man who served God very well, and 'Paul' of Paul's day thought of him as a sinner atoned for by the grace of Christ on the cross.
As such, the Gentiles saw Jesus as 'Savior', 'The Second Coming Lord', and 'Friend of sinners'.
3. What is Repentance
Verse 32 says, “I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.” What is this 'repentance'?
① Realizing that you are a sinner is the beginning of repentance. Some people say, "What sinner am I? Live clean like me. I am a person who lives without the law." But in reality, we are all sinners before God. They are the worst of the sinners who will go to the bottom of Hell. We must first admit this frankly.
When a woman sits in front of a dressing table and puts on her face, the most difficult parts are eyebrow makeup and lip makeup. No matter how good you are, when you look back in front of the mirror, you do not like yourself. The same goes for men shaving. No matter how carefully you shave, if you touch your lower jaw again with your hand, it will feel gritty.
No matter how well we put on makeup and shave well, if we look closely in front of a mirror, we will find something lacking. We must admit this frankly.
② It is to change direction. Repentance is called 'metanoia', which means 'changing direction'.
In Chinese, the words to turn back (悔) and to heal (改) are combined to mean “repentance”. If you just turn around, it's just the reflection that people around the world are talking about.
True repentance cannot occur if we earnestly repent of the sins committed diligently until Saturday and continue to sin diligently from Monday to Saturday. In Matthew 3:8, it is said that there must be “fruits worthy of repentance.”
In Luke 19, it says, "Lord, behold, half of what I have I will give to the poor, and if I have extorted anyone, I will repay you fourfold." This is what bears fruit worthy of repentance. He declared, "Today salvation has come to this house, for this man is the son of Abraham."
And while I was in the car, outside the conductor in front of me, waving my hand to say thank you and saying good-bye. Even when the driver honks to get out of the way, stand next to him and keep waving to say good-bye.
4. What are the consequences of repentance?
① I am forgiven of my sins. 1 John 1:9 says, "If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness." As a result of our repentance, we receive the most important forgiveness of sins.
② Receive the ability. In Acts 2:38, Peter said, "Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit." You will receive the power of the Holy Spirit.
③ It will be fun. Acts 3:19 says, “Repent and turn, that your sins may be blotted out, and days of rejoicing will come from the presence of the Lord.” After repentance, you will be healed and your body will be healthy.
④ Become a witness. Psalm 51:13 says, "Then I will teach transgressors your ways, and sinners will return to you." 'If you do this' is 'if you repent'. If I repent first, then the fruit of evangelism will bear fruit. (1994. 1. 30)