Title: Love is Responsibility
Isaiah (147) Love is a responsibility
(Isaiah 59:9-21)
< Love is Responsibility >
The more people know God, the more they know themselves, and the more clearly they know the purpose and identity of their lives. After all, true life and truth begin with a relationship with God. In Christianity, death means separation from God. Why were you separated from God? because of sin. On the other hand, life in Christianity means ‘communication and union with God’. Then, the opposite of sin could be ‘love’ rather than ‘innocence’. It is because we become one with God and one with our neighbors through love.
Of course, love includes narcissistic love, but in reality, such egocentric love is not love, but greed, strictly speaking. True love is knowing how to serve others beyond yourself while loving yourself. True love does not hesitate to make any sacrifices for the object of love. Such true love transcends narcissism and is living for someone with a sense of responsible balance.
Love is a responsibility. Responsibility means ‘response + ability’ to a divine call. Have that kind of responsible love. It is not true love to hear and feel the holy call, but to make excuses and turn away from serving. Without such love, the shadow of sin grows and the smell of death grows stronger, and like iron dust placed on a piece of paper dances to and fro along the magnet under the paper, we live according to the influence of sin.
How do you turn the situation around? We must repent of our sins and break down the barriers between us and God. Man is incompetent, but God is not. God has saved us so that we can respond to His holy calling. To be saved if you believe in Jesus doesn't just mean that you go to heaven after you die. Of course, saints go to heaven when they die, but salvation also includes “renewing existence in this world.”
Evangelism does not only mean “leading people to the church” but also includes “opening the way for people to live like people.” In other words, true evangelism is serving and caring for the gospel along with preaching the gospel. There is ‘evangelism of words’, but there is no ‘evangelism of actions’. Saints don't just mean 'people who will go to heaven', but also 'people who live like heavenly beings on earth and in heaven'. In other words, those who live according to God's will, not according to my own will, are saints. For that, the most urgent problem to be solved is the problem of sin.
<Live according to God's will>
In the text, the unfortunate fruits of the Israelites' sins are well described. Justice and justice are estranged, and they long for light, but only darkness prevails (verse 9). People do not find their way as well as the blind, and the strong become like the dead (verse 10). We earnestly hope that justice will be accomplished, but there is no justice and the road to salvation is long (verse 11). The prophet says that all the misery and suffering is due to sin (v. 12).
To solve the problem of sin, the prophet specifically challenges three lives. First, we challenge ourselves to live a just and righteous life. The words ‘justice’ and ‘justice’ appear the most in the text. Second, we challenge ourselves to live a sincere and honest life (verse 14). It is also a great sin to aim for a lot of money without sweating. Third, we challenge ourselves to live a life that fears God (verse 19). God is a good God, but he is also a God who judges with justice (verses 15-18).
What do people complain about the most? That the world is unfair. That's why politicians, thinkers, philosophers, educators, etc. all shout "Let's create an equal society!" However, the cause of human inequality is not the lack of thought and movement, but the sinful nature of man. Communism tried to create an equal society for half a century, but ultimately failed. Why? It was because there was no understanding of the persistent sinfulness of mankind.
We all want to be different, we want to be high, we all want to be better than others. It is self-contradictory for such a person to claim full equality. Humans cannot achieve complete equality. But God is fair. In the end, God's fairest judgment will unfold. Therefore, always have a heart to fear God and live according to God's will. The greatest blessing you can enjoy after being saved is your life itself, knowing God's will and doing it.