Title: Sincerity, Faithfulness, Trust
Contents
(Daniel 6:19-29, 1 Timothy 6:11-16, Matthew 5:13-16)
How can God's children live wisely and fully in the culture of this world? How can I stand proudly as a child of God in the culture and people of this world who do not know God, and live a victorious life in this world?
What is the proper Christian life to live without escaping out of the world or living in the world?
Of the 12 books of Daniel, the stories up to chapter 6 deal with that very subject. How a Christian will live wisely in a pagan culture and in the reign of a king! So, closing the story about Daniel, verse 28 says, “Daniel lived well in the days of King Darius and Cyrus the Persian (he made his name known).”
Daniel 6 is the last chapter in the story of Daniel. This is because Daniel's story ends with 6:29, and chapter 7 is the story of Daniel's dreams and visions. Thus, Daniel 6 can be said to be the final highlight of the book of Daniel.
In Daniel chapters 4 and 6, through Daniel's wise actions, both kings of the Gentiles acknowledge that God is the ruler of the world and glorify God (4:37, 6:26-27). . In other words, our Heavenly Father is glorified or put to shame depending on how we behave in this world.
The purpose of the Christian life is “for the glory of God.” That is why Jesus also said that we are 'the light and salt of the world', and 'Let our light shine before men in the world, so that they may see our good works and glorify our Father who is in heaven' (Matthew 5: 13-16) said.
So, how to live well as a Christian in this world?
We want you to discover the secret of life in the last chapter of the story of Daniel, who lived a victorious life in a foreign culture. The first secret of life is
1. Live among the world and be faithful (6:3-6)
Daniel lived among the unbelievers, and his heart was agile, he was excellent, he found no blemish or fault, and there was nothing wrong in his heart. Because Daniel was a faithful man, he had no faults or mistakes, and there was nothing to be blamed for.
In a word, it was sincere. Sincerity has the meaning of “honesty and truthfulness.” It means that he lived his best life with the people of the world, doing the work entrusted to him with all his heart, and not doing lies with them.
So he was able to be recognized. On the other hand, he also received envy and jealousy.
‘Sincerity’ is the way of life of a Christian in the world, and it is our competitiveness. The secret to living competitively as a Christian in the world without using the world's methods is sincerity. If they say they go to church when the time is right and leave work when the time is right, they are not only criticizing them, but the church and Jesus are criticized as well. I get insults. Remember. Believing in Jesus is perhaps like living with a burden. So you have to work harder, and sometimes you have to make sacrifices. At home, at work, and in relationships with unbelievers, Christians must be recognized for their integrity. Wherever you go, you must become an indispensable person, a very important person (V.I.P). You must become an indispensable and precious person in that meeting. This is because we can confidently lead a life of faith and make the world glorify God through our deeds.
2. Be faithful before God (6:10-11)
The story of praying three times a day is perhaps the best-known story in the book of Daniel. It is also important to pray three times a day. But more importantly, he continued to pray "even though Daniel knew that the decree had been fished (the king had signed the ban)."
This is faithfulness. The meaning of 'faithful' means 'reliable and faithful'.
If Daniel had been conscious of a person, he would not have done it. Daniel, who was faithful in his work in the world and among people, was faithful in the sight of God.
Visible or invisible, he did not depend on the benefits or disadvantages he would face, and he continued to do what he had been doing to God faithfully and steadily.
It is not faithfulness that changes according to interests and circumstances. When we talk about God's disposition, we confess that "God is faithful." It means that He is a God who shows an unchanging heart and unchanging actions.
God's love for us has not changed since creation. But what about us? If there is a disadvantage to me, have I ever pretended not to know Jesus? If I had to lose something, have I not been a Christian for a while and said and acted just like the rest of the world?
God calls us this way even when we are still sinners and when we are full of shame. “I begot you”. When He said, “You are my son,” He never turned away from us. He never gives up on loving us.
Remember. It is not the world's attention, wealth, or glory that saves us. Only Jesus Christ can save us. If you believe in that fact, stay faithful to God. Come to God in faithfulness.
3. Trust in God amidst all the tribulation and difficulties you face in the world (verses 23-24)
Daniel's body, who went into the lions' den, was saved without any damage, and the reason for this is because he trusted and relied on God.
“Trust” means “to firmly believe and rely on”. Then, what did Daniel firmly believe and depend on? It was the belief that those who live in this world with sincerity and faithfulness in this world face the tribulation and persecution in the world, 'God will surely protect and rescue me'.
A traveler asks a traveler who saw a young girl singing and playing on a ferry that was hit by a storm in the windswept sea.
“Aren’t you scared?”
The girl answers.
“Yes, I am not scared at all. My father is the captain of this ship.”
This trust in the father of a young child is a certainty that only those who have sincerity in the world and faithfulness to God can have.
“Even though we are going through tribulation and hardship now, God will deliver us in the end!” “My life is in a storm right now, but you will calm it down!”
The Lord also says this to us who live in the world.
“In the world you will have tribulation, but take courage, I have overcome the world” (John 16:33).
I believe that the Lord, who has overcome the world, will protect those who love him and those who are called according to his purpose, and will do good.
In the Bible, we can see another man who was faithful before the world, faithful before God, and trusted in God during tribulation and persecution. That person is Joseph.
He was faithful even in Potiphar's house, where he had been sold as a slave, and even in prison, where he was unfairly entered. So he was recognized there, and eventually he was also recognized as the prime minister of Egypt. And he was faithful before God. When Potiphar's wife was seduced, he did not commit himself to the sin that guarantees immediate profit and success, but thought of the invisible God first. Their clothes were taken away, but their conscience was not taken from the world. Faith in God was not taken away either.
Also, he did not blame God or complain about his brother's hatred, 11 years of slavery, and 2 years of imprisonment. He trusted in God to deliver him from trouble and lead him into his good will. So Joseph became a prosperous man. It wasn't just about being alone. As a result, all people related to him were blessed with good things.
Daniel and Joseph like this are the way Christians should live in this world. It is the competitiveness of Christians that overcomes the world.
I hope that Ewha Church members will glorify God the Father through a life of sincerity, faithfulness, and trust.