Title: Paul's Truth
Contents
Our Christianity is a religion of joy. Even those who are troubled live a life of joy with the joy of receiving Jesus Christ, receiving the forgiveness of sins, and being saved. So Paul said to the Philippian church members, “Rejoice, always rejoice in the Lord, I say again, rejoice” (Philippians 4:4). What is the truth of Paul's sorrow in today's text, when Paul told him not to be troubled? According to Paul, anxiety and suffering do not come from carnal or worldly worries, but rather from God's will. (2 Corinthians 7:8~10) Moderate stress is the force that drives work. Not all of them are harmful, but there are also sorrows and pains that are of great benefit to the faith.
Paul's worries and sufferings in today's text were not worldly, but spiritual.
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I. Paul's Anxiety and Suffering (1)
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“I tell the truth in Christ, I do not lie; my conscience bears witness with me in the Holy Spirit that I have great sorrow and unceasing pain in my heart.”
Paul is a true apostle. As a messenger of the gospel, the first condition to be met is sincerity. If an evangelist preaches lies, he deserves God's rebuke. Like Paul, we, the saints, must also be true witnesses of the gospel. We have a responsibility to not be silent about the Jesus Christ we have met, but to preach it. (Acts 4:19,20; Acts 22:15; 1 John 1:3) A witness of Christ must report what they have seen and heard without any addition or subtraction. We must tell the truth before God and people. The witness is that life is in truth. Paul's great anxieties and sufferings were not for the problem of food, clothing, shelter, old age, that is, himself, but for his people, the Israelites.
What kind of feelings do we have when we look at our unbelieving family, friends, and relatives? We are spiritually anxious as we look at this age in which our age is lewd and profane, not interested in spiritual things, and pursuing material interests and pleasures of the flesh. and feel the pain Do we too have feelings of embarrassment towards our distrustful family, friends, relatives, and people? Looking at them, do you have anxieties and pains? Aren't you drowning in the complacency of believing that only I can go to heaven?
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Ⅱ.Paul's love for the nation (3)
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“I wish that I myself should be cursed and cut off from Christ for the sake of my brethren, my fleshly relatives.”
All the peoples of Israel were one brother in the Lord. These refer to the Israelites who were born after Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and who participated in the covenant and promise (vv. 4-13). But these brothers, that is, their own people, were enemies of the cross. (1 Thessalonians 2:15,16) In this way, as the people of Israel killed Jesus and the prophets and became enemies of the cross, Paul's heart was grieved, and his suffering did not stop. Like Moses and Christ, Paul wanted to save his people by sacrificing himself. Paul (“I wish that I myself should be cursed and cut off from Christ”), Moses (but now forgive their sins if they will agree, otherwise blot out my name from the book you have written)” (Exodus 32:32) In this way, the patriotism of the saints is expected from the history of the transfer of 'from death to life' when all of our fellow countrymen return to Christ and Jesus took up the cross to pay for our sins and became the sacrifice himself (Galatians 3:3). 13)
How concerned are we for the salvation of our families, relatives, and people? Like Paul, even if you are cursed, shouldn't you have the heart to want your family and relatives to be saved, and at least to have the heart of “I live, you too”? Now, let us take interest in our unbelieving family and relatives, our nation and our nation, and we will carry the gospel to them while they are worried about their unbelief, and feel sorry for those who do not know God. In our day, there is no other alternative than the gospel. The only hope is the gospel.
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Ⅲ. Paul's earnest wish
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The text speaks of the unbelief of the people of Israel, but Paul says that if they are saved, he may be cursed. We know well how Paul sacrificed himself for his people. He was prepared for all kinds of dangers, and it was not the first time he had become weak and nearly killed by being beaten and stoned. But the truth of Paul is that Paul's wish is the salvation of his people. What are our wishes? How much are we sacrificing for our brothers and our kinsmen? If all our brothers and sisters are saved, am I evangelizing with the determination that I can be sacrificed? Let Paul's wish become ours. Let us also pray with sorrow for the salvation of our brothers, our families, our relatives, our people, and our nation.
The focus of Paul's anxiety and suffering was not the physical prosperity and well-being of his people. Its focus was the salvation of souls. The salvation of souls cannot be achieved by worldly wisdom, learning, money, or human means and methods. There is no other way than the gospel. Let us also preach the gospel for the salvation of the souls of Oikos. Do you have sorrow and pain in your heart, worrying that your loving parents, brothers, family, and relatives will be punished in hell because you do not believe in Jesus? Let's preach the gospel while feeling these spiritual anxieties and pains. So, I hope that you will enjoy eternal life with them and live a happy life and no regrets.(2005.10.2.)