Title: Peace, Peace, Joy / 2004.4.18.
content joy
Romans 14:17-18, 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18
After Jesus fasted in the wilderness, he was tempted by Satan to turn stones into bread and eat them. Then Jesus replied:
Man does not live by bread alone,
live by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God. Matthew 4:4
If a man wants to live only on bread, he becomes no different from an animal. We must live by the word of God. However, a person who has a body cannot live by the Word alone. There must also be bread. Jesus did not say that we do not need bread, but that we must not live on bread alone.
In fact, if we look closely at our lives, we find that there are two areas. The realm of life is what you eat and drink, what you wear and what you own. This includes everything we see with our eyes and anything we can touch with our hands. The realm of life is the invisible and intangible things. Love, happiness, joy, gratitude, etc. These are the things that belong to the realm of life. The realm of life is largely responding to the needs of the flesh, and the realm of life is largely responding to the needs of the soul.
Life is rich and prosperous, but life is often meager and empty. That's why Jesus said that man should not live by bread alone. Can't we see an example of that with the rich man and Lazarus!
The life of faith includes these two areas--living and living. Because human life is a combination of body and soul. The problem is that we often live in this realm of life because physical and practical problems are always in front of our eyes.
The kingdom of God is not about eating and drinking,
but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit. 14:17
Eating and drinking--it is a visible material life. But the righteousness, peace, and joy achieved in the Holy Spirit belong to the invisible spiritual life. It says that the faith to possess the kingdom of God lies in the invisible realm of life, righteousness, peace, and joy.
Righteousness refers to right actions that are obedient to God's will. The first important thing in the attitude of faith is righteousness. Righteousness comes from a right relationship with God. Do you know where you are looking for the Chinese character 'i'? Yesterday, while looking into the Chinese character of yi, I was really surprised to find the jade, wondering if this letter might be a combination of the letters 羊 and na. This character had to be found on the side of 羊, and the character of yi consisted of 我 and 我 under 羊. What does it mean? Biblically interpreted, righteousness means obeying God like a sheep. Isn't that surprising?
That's right. Righteousness refers to a right relationship with God. My relationship with God means obeying God like a sheep.
Indeed, when we Christians live in the world, we must live uprightly like sheep before God. As a true Christian, the life of faith should not be limited to the demands of eating and drinking. The purpose of faith should not be set on the greed for what is visible and the abundance of life, but on the invisible but standing upright in my life.
Christians must live well, live abundantly, and live abundantly. Then it will become a light to people. But more important than that, isn't it to live righteously, live cleanly, live honestly, and live by service? Shouldn't this be what a true Christian should be? I hope that all of you will become good Christians with such goals and resolutions of faith.
I am surprised and angry at the logic of such an ignorant person, but on the other hand, I feel guilty about hearing such nonsense because of the way our church and Christians lived in the world.
As the apostle Paul said today, we are looking back on whether it is because we have only paid attention to eating and drinking our faith. It is a reflection of whether our prayers and our faith were focused only on our own abundance, our own well-being, and our own well-being. In God, we look back on whether we are just clinging to our well-being and greed without being indifferent to living righteously.
Dear saints, I hope that all of us will always stand upright in the Word, realizing that the kingdom of God does not consist in eating and drinking, but in righteousness in the Holy Spirit.
Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you.
What I give to you is not as the world gives.
Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid. John 14:26-27
A Christian is a person who has made peace with God through the grace of the forgiveness of sins. A person who has made peace with God finds peace within himself and becomes a man of peace among others. A person who is not at peace-- no matter how great the outward appearance of faith, he is not a true Christian. Because struggles and fights are not our Jesus' way. Even Jesus took the way you die for what is right. Because violence begets another violence.
Have you ever seen the movie 'Mission'? The film features two brides. At the end of the scene, the reactions of the two priests are quite contrasting when the Spanish army invades the backcountry. A priest goes out with a gun, thinking that these poor natives must fight against the injustice of the Spanish army. Another priest marches with the Aboriginal people to the front of the cross. That's the end of the movie. Perhaps the director left our viewers to decide which was the right idea, rather than drawing his own conclusions. It is not simple, so it has a lot of problems to think about, but Jesus' method is not the method of raising a gun but the method of carrying the cross.
Christians should be people of peace. The core truth of the gospel--God's creation, the redemptive grace of Jesus Christ, and the eternity of God's kingdom should not be conceded or confused about the truths of the Bible. However, when it comes to problems among people, such as the way of life of faith, the way of living, the order of work, etc., we must always choose the path of peace and reconciliation, the path of joy and unity for all. Because that is the way to peace.
All things are of God, through Christ
He reconciled us to himself and gave us the ministry of reconciliation, 2 Corinthians 5:18
Even in today's turbulent times, we Christians must be peacemakers. No matter how different political views may be, no matter how clear my arguments may be, they are less important than making peace. May you be people of peace in the name of the Lord. Dear saints, always live a life of peace. Be peacemakers.
Joy (喜樂) means the joy of the soul that arises from the heart of a person of faith. Joy springs up on the faces of God's people who have been saved. Life isn't always fun. Why aren't there painful things, hard things, heartbreaking things, or painful things? But it is the Christian's faith that can rejoice in the midst of suffering. So, as I always say, I have said many times that pleasure and joy have qualitatively different meanings.
Pleasure--what happens with passion--the sensual thing--shallow, momentary emotion
Joy--things that come with emotion--spiritual things--deep and broad feelings
Therefore, the Apostle Paul could sing praises even though he was in pain while being imprisoned, and he could rejoice even though he was in pain.
Joy is like a sensitive plant that grows only in the field of gratitude. Joy grows only in the field of gratitude. Where there is no gratitude, there is no joy. Paul was able to rejoice wherever he was because he always had gratitude in his heart.
A life that lives righteously before God, a life that leads to peace among people, and a life that rejoices in oneself--here is the Christian life.
always rejoice Pray without ceasing. thank you for everything
This is the will of God for you in Christ Jesus. 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18
There is vitality in life in gratitude and joy. Be grateful and rejoice as you think of the grace that God has given you. Believe that God is with you and be thankful and rejoice. That is the way and attitude of the people of the kingdom of God living in the world.
Brothers and sisters, it is said that the kingdom of God is not eating and drinking, but righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Spirit. Eating and drinking are also important. This is not to say to ignore it, but to be wary of focusing only on it or setting even the goal of faith there. I pray that you will become the saints who do not forget that righteousness, peace, and joy are what a true Christian is and live that life. When we live like this, we believe that we will become true Christians who are pleasing to God and praised by others.
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