Title: Sure Grace - Isaiah 55:1~7
Contents
Indian saint 'Sundar Singh' was born into a Siak family, a Hindu sect. I went to a mission school, but I always had an antipathy. They objected by throwing stones at the missionaries and pouring filth on them. However, he did not find the truth or find peace of mind in Hinduism. Then one day I pray to God. "God, do you really exist? If there is, please show me solid evidence. Then I will live for you." At that moment, the train whistles past. I decided to listen to the train. If there is no response by 5 am tomorrow morning, I promise to commit suicide by jumping into the train. And I prayed earnestly, "God! If there is, please show me the proof before I die." The next day, before 5 am, a bright light shone brightly and the figure of Jesus appeared. And you say “How long do you want to blame me? I have come to save you. I am praying that you will know the right way. I will teach you the right way. I am the way.” Sun Da Sing, who received certain grace, has been living for Jesus Christ since then.
The life of faith is achieved only by receiving the grace of God. Just as parental grace is not temporary, God's grace is lasting forever. What makes us saints is when God's grace constantly comes upon us. A good sword and good clothes are of no use if you hide them. If it rusts and breaks apart, where will you use it? Life is meaningless if you don't use God's grace for you. Therefore, we must seek the grace of God.
In verse 3 of the text, the word 'certain grace' appears. 'Definite grace' means 'grace without error' and means 'great grace'. David, the second king of Israel, received a certain favor from God. This is verse 3 of the text. “It is the sure grace given to David.” David was the eighth youngest son of Jesse of the tribe of Judah and was a shepherd in Bethlehem. I had no special knowledge. I had no education. But he became king. It is the sure grace of God. Saints are those who have received special grace from God. But there are times when we lose our confidence in grace and get shaky. They doubt the sovereignty of God and lose their identity as a child of God. However, this is the time to hold onto God more and receive certain grace. I want the sure grace of God to come to you. Then, how can we obtain 'certain grace'?
come first
There is a person who thought of religion as a burden and gave up his faith and left. After a long wandering, he returned to faith and wrote a beautiful novel that brought tears to his eyes. Russian writer Lev Nikolaevich Tolstoi. Tolstoy lived a religious life as a child and left the faith as a teenager. But when I turned 55, I wrote this in 'Theory of Faith'. “In the past 55 years of my life, I have not experienced rest except for 15 years of childhood. I have lived without knowing it. At the age of 18, a friend came to visit me, and God did not create man, but man made God. I thought it was true and decided to leave Christianity. I thought giving up religion was the way to freedom. I even considered religion a bondage. But I am 55 years old, and now my mother has abandoned me. I came back to the bosom of faith, like the bosom of my own. I did not return to religion. I came back to Jesus Christ.
This is verse 1 of the text. “Come, you who thirst, come to the waters, and he who has no money, come ye, buy and eat; come ye, buy wine and milk without money and without price.” It refers to wine and milk, which provide the water, vitality, and nourishment necessary to sustain life, which signifies the abundance of grace. The background of this text is the situation in which Israel was taken captive to Babylon. The people of Israel regard God as an incompetent god. Because they thought they could not overcome the god of Babylon. However, God commands Isaiah to proclaim it so that he can understand that it is destruction that has come as judgment because of disobedience. And he tells them not to depend on anything in Babylon and return to God. If you rely on them, he warns you that you are sweetening silver for things that are not food, and you are doing in vain toil for things you will not be satisfied with.
God calls us to be gracious. This is the parable of Jesus in Luke 14. The king excretes a great feast and invites guests. But the invited ones do not come. The reason is that they are busy. It means that I can't come because I'm busy with work, buying a field, buying a cow, and getting married. I invite you to give me grace, but I'm busy and won't come. Aren't we busy too? Are you not able to come because you are busy with business and going to the wedding feast? No matter how much grace is prepared, it is of no use unless it comes to God. Therefore, the busier you are, the more you should worship. No matter how busy you are, you must pray. We need to pray more because we are busy, and we need to seek God more because we are busy. This is because you can receive the sure grace of God.
Second Pray
During World War II, there was a major event that changed the fate of the world. France fell to the Germans in two weeks. The 350,000 British troops that went to help France were attacked by German forces on the Dunkirk Peninsula. The British army was in great trouble. At the time, British Prime Minister Winston Churchill gave an emergency televised speech. "Dear citizens, we have lost 350,000 sons in England. Let's pray to God. Let's all lay our hands and pray to God". It is said that the British people stopped working and prayed to God. On that day, a miracle of God appeared. Heavy rain fell in the German camp, so planes could not take off, and warships could not depart. The British forces escaped across the Strait of Dover. And with the reorganization and victory, the Second World War came to an end. The prayers of the British people changed the course of World War II and changed the fate of the world.
This is verse 6 of the text. “Seek the Lord while he may be found; call on him while he is near.” In Matthew 7:7, Jesus says: “Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened.” The people of faith shown in the Bible were people of prayer. These are David, Elijah, Hezekiah, Daniel, Nehemiah, and Ezra. The disciples also gathered in Mark's upper room to pray, and they received certain grace. Peter and John went up to the temple to pray, and they became men of certain grace who performed miracles of healing the lame.
The people of definite grace are those who prayed before God without becoming discouraged even when they faced great trials and pains. Prayer is the secret to victory in everything. Individuals who pray or the nation will not perish. Therefore, no matter how difficult it is, we must pray. This is because it is the way to the sure grace of God. When you pray to God, miracles happen. I hope that you will receive the sure grace of God through prayer to God.
Third, listen
This is verse 2 of the text. “Obey me, and you will eat good things, and you will find joy in the fatness of your hearts.” The word 'obedience' here means listening to and obeying God's Word. Those who obey God's Word will receive certain grace, both now and then. And if you obey God, you will be saved. Life changes. Obedience changes your thinking and changes your behavior. When we obey, we come to know the will of God. You will also realize the vision God has given you. Above all, you will experience certain grace. David was a man who lived by obeying the word of God. God grants him certain grace. He made you king of Israel. He promised to be with us wherever we go and whatever we do. Because of David, the nation of Israel was blessed, and he showed the sure grace that Jesus Christ was born from his descendants.
The beautiful praise of Swedish gospel singer Lena Maria is because the joy of walking with the Lord is buried in her life. Even though she has no arms and one leg is short, why is she so happy, and why is the praise she sings so deeply moving? It is because she herself has received the sure grace of knowing grace as grace.
God is calling us now to grant certain grace. Please answer God's call. Please have faith to move forward to God. Please cry out in prayer. Please listen to your words. Therefore, I pray in the name of the Lord that you may become all blessed saints who live victoriously with the sure grace of God.