Title: Living worthy of the Gospel / 2004.7.18
contented life
Philippians 1:27-30, Psalm 119:1-8
One of the books I read regularly these days is 'Shiono Nanami' by Japanese author. As a female author, she constantly asks a question in the book. 'What made the Roman Empire powerful?' How could the Romans, inferior in intellect to the Greeks, inferior to the Celts or Germanic in physical strength, and inferior to the Carthaginians in economics, prosper and become world losers? The cause is concluded as follows: “It was because I lived a life like a citizen. A spirit of adhering to law and order, upholding principles, and being proud and happy to be a citizen is the driving force for victory.”
If Rome was like that, the question arises how did Christianity, which broke through the power of Rome and preached the gospel, and Christianity, which overcame the harsh persecution of Rome and achieved victory by changing Rome? It happened because there were Christians there who lived in spite of severe persecution.
In other words, the life you suffered is the word to live like a Christian. What do you think it would be like to be a Christian? When I tell people, 'I am a believer in Jesus,' what sets me apart from others and reveals the person who believes in Jesus?
Are you going to church on Sunday? Of course, this is very important. Faith starts there, and that's the most important thing. Am I busy attending church when I go out to play with others and engage in self-centered hobbies? This would be a really great look.
But when you think about it, doesn't it feel like you're staying somewhere on the outside? I think there must be something more fundamental and internal. What would it be?
What is the Gospel? If I had not known God, my life would have been different, and my soul had no choice but to go to hell, but by believing in the grace of Jesus Christ on the cross, my soul became a child of God's promise. Although my body is in the world, my soul has become a child of God and belongs to heaven. This is the gospel.
So we Christians are people who know and realize a very important fact. A Christian is a person who realizes that he has the debt of God's grace for salvation, the debt of the gospel for making God known, and the debt of love until he has lived like this in this world. That is why, unlike people in the world, Christians have a place of gratitude in the center of their thoughts and lives.
The first of the life I suffered is a life of gratitude.
Think of the words that can be said to be poisons in the life of faith. 'Pride', 'Despair', 'Greed', 'Doubt', 'Hate'.... All of them are opposites of gratitude. Conversely, think of all the good words of your life of faith. 'Joy', 'humility', 'obedience', 'love'.... All words come from gratitude, and these are emotions that can be extracted from gratitude.
Dear brothers and sisters, I hope you will live a life of thanksgiving. Strictly speaking, a life without gratitude will ultimately be called a life without faith. If faith is measured by the length, the length of gratitude is the same as the faith. If faith is weighed, it is faith as much as the weight of gratitude. If we are to give thanks, the size of our gratitude will be the measure of our faith.
There was a certain faithful father and son. One day, as his son came in, he spoke to his father in a very recalled voice.
Son: Father, today I am very grateful.
Father: What happened?
Son: How could that be? I am really, really thankful to God.
Father: Yes? Come on tell me
Son: The car rolled seven laps on the way home from church today. But without a single wound, he is so talkative.
Father: I am much more grateful than you.
Son: Did your father roll eight laps?
Father: No. I didn't even roll a lap.
That's right. We are not grateful only when some great accident or difficulty is solved. I am grateful that I am here today. A life of gratitude-- That is a life lived with dignity.
Second, Christians are people who believe in God's help and live by it. So Christians pray.
Needless to say, Christians are people who believe in the existence of God, believe in His power, and believe in His love. Therefore, what makes Christians different from the people of the world is that they are people who pray to that God. This is because prayer is for those who believe in God's existence, believe in His infinite power, and believe in God's love.
The person you love is happy just to be with you, even without words. Prayer is sitting together with God. Prayer has a greater meaning in the seriousness and humility of life, that life is not made solely by my talents or wisdom, but by the grace of God, rather than the meaning of asking for something. Therefore, the content of prayer is important, but the attitude of the person who prays is more important than that.
That is why, in his book, he tells us not to be modest before God. I'm told not to pretend to be classy. Rather, it tells us to pray sincerely. He tells him to call him 'Father!
Jesus also prayed. The apostles also prayed. He said that all true believers have been refreshed through prayer. How can we live our lives without prayer? It is impossible to leave out prayer in the life that was suffered.
Third, devotion is the act of giving thanks for the grace received from God.
The life you have suffered cannot be achieved without the dedication of giving your body to serve. Faith that does not know 'dream' is not knowing the true faith. True faith is faith that we realize and give thanks for what we have already received.
The life of the saints is also called the life of love. However, true love does not end with words or emotions, but is expressed through devotion. That is why 1 Thessalonians 1:3 speaks of love as 'labour'. True love is always manifested through devotion and hard work.
Can a marathon runner win without breaking a sweat? Can a boxer win without being dazed? It's about winning through the wounds. Sweat and win. So, in today's text, the Apostle Paul even said to suffer for Christ's sake.
What has been given to you for the sake of Christ
not only to believe in him, but also to suffer for him. 29
Toil and devotion require time, material, and strength, which is burdensome for lazy people, and drugs are undoubtedly something that people want to avoid. But for those who have experienced God's love and have realized God's power, devotion is joy, gratitude, and pride. The joy and thanksgiving before God that comes through devotion is an experience of true faith that cannot be filled with anything else. And faith must grow and mature only through this experience of devotion.
Therefore, saints, whenever you have the opportunity, become devoted saints. Do the best you can to make a dedication. Don't blame anyone for not knowing. Faith is directed toward God, not for recognition or exaltation before men. With that kind of faith, devotion to God and the church, which is his body, is the life we have experienced and the faith that God loves the most.
live boldly It is about living like a Christian. In the name of the Lord, I pray that your life will be a glory to God, a blessing to yourself, and a light to the world by keeping the right faith and living an upright life in the field of our concrete life.
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