Title: The virtues a saint must possess
Contents
Date: March 22, 2009
Category: Sunday morning sermons
Text: Colossians 3:12-17
Subject: The virtues a saint must possess
People who believe in Jesus Christ are often referred to as Christians. Christian has two meanings. A Christian means one who belongs to Jesus Christ, one who resembles Jesus Christ. A Christian is someone who resembles Jesus Christ, who is meek and humble, who saves sinners, and who obeyed the will of God even to death.
The word “Christian” was not the first to be respected, but a mockery. In Acts 26, while Paul was being interrogated by King Agrippa, he used the opportunity to preach the gospel of Christ. King Agrippa was startled, Acts 26:28 - “You are trying to persuade me to become a Christian by your little words,” and severely rebukes Paul. The king is very ashamed of being labeled as a Christian and spit on him. The name “Christian” is a nickname for a believer in Jesus Christ.
Originally, this name was never called with such an honorable content. However, the Antioch saints received the shameful nicknames given to them, and they gave us a good spiritual heritage so that they could become a shining and honorable name of Christians through a wonderful life of faith. As a result, in 313 A.D., Constantine the Great of the Roman Empire made Christianity the state religion. Today we should honor and glorify the shining name of ‘Christian’.
But today, many people are diagnosing the modern church and the saints from various angles. Professor Tillich claims that 10% of the current church members are already dead, 80% are asleep, and only 10% are alive and leading the church. Also, Professor Allen said that 20% of the church members did not attend Sunday worship, 25% did not pray, 35% did not read the Bible at home, and 40% did not pay tithing, which is God's command. , 60% do not read Christian books, 75% avoid responsibility in the church, 85% have no evangelism, but 100% of church members say they want to go to heaven.
Matthew 7:21 “Not everyone who says to me, Lord, Lord, will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only those who do the will of my Father who is in heaven.”
22 “On that day many will say to me, “Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and perform many mighty works in your name?”
23 “Then I will say to them plainly, I never knew you; depart from me, you who practice lawlessness.”
Dear White Stone Saints! Is my faith and yours really equipped with the virtues that Christians should possess, or are we living a Christian life just like the content of an advertisement? At this time, through the words of the text given today, I want to examine the virtues that all Christians on this earth, not me and you, must possess to live as people of true faith.
First, compassion, mercy, humility, gentleness, and long-suffering (verse 12).
The five virtues mentioned in this verse are what those who put on the new man should have as their attributes. first
Compassion - means compassion and generosity towards those in need. -
Luke 1:78 “It is because of the mercy of our God that the rising sun may come upon us from above.”
Philippians 1:8 “God is my witness how I long for you all with the heart of Jesus Christ.”
Mercy - indicates that the character itself is gentle and kind. - And humility - means to humble oneself before God and men. -
Phil 2:3 “Let nothing be done through strife or vanity, but in lowliness of mind let each one consider others better than himself.”
Meekness - refers to a state of tenderness of heart through a repentant heart. -
Matthew 5:5 “Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth”
Ephesians 4:2 “with all humility and gentleness, with longsuffering, forbearing one another in love”
Psalm 37:11 “But the meek will inherit the earth, and they will rejoice in abundant peace.”
Matthew 11:29 “Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in spirit, and you will find rest”
Finally, long-suffering - means long-suffering without revenge. -
Colossians 1:11 “to strengthen with all power according to the power of his glory, with joy to all endurance and long-suffering”
James 5:10 “Brothers, let the prophets who spoke in the name of the Lord be an example of suffering and long-suffering.”
In pedagogy, there is a theory called ‘Haaro’s Experiment’. Many titles are attached to the conclusions that psychologist Professor Haaro draws through experiments. - I made two dolls instead of the mother monkey in front of the suckling baby monkeys. One made like a mother monkey with wire and put a milk bottle in its chest. And the other was made of a soft, thick cloth and put a bottle of milk in its chest. Baby monkeys only ate milk from their mother monkey dolls, which were made of soft cloth.
Second, he is a person who forgives others' mistakes (verse 13 of the text).
This is a story from the Talmud. One day, the father told his son to go to the neighbor's house and borrow a sickle. But the son returned empty-handed. A few days later, the neighbor came to rent a hoe. Then my father took care of the hoe. After the neighbor left, the son asked his father. "father! He didn't lend us the sickle, so why should we?” My father said. “Son! It is revenge and hatred if we do the same because the neighbor has not helped us. But it is forgiveness and love that can help you when you need it, no matter what the other person did.” What kind of heart is bigger in my heart right now? Saints! Forgiveness and love can cover hearts of revenge and hate.
[John Owen] - Our failure to forgive the sins of others proves that we ourselves are not forgiven. -
Ephesians 4:32 “Be kind to one another, compassionate, forgiving one another, just as God in Christ forgave you.”
Matthew 18:21 “Then Peter came up to you and said, “Lord, if my brother sins against me, how many times shall I forgive him, or even seven times?”
22 “Jesus said to me, I say to you, not seven times, but seventy seven times.”
Romans 5:8 “God demonstrates his love for us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.”
Third, he is a person who adds love above all things (verse 14 of the text).
1 John 4:8 “He who does not love does not know God, for God is love.”
Romans 13:8 “Let no light shine on anyone except the light of love for one another. He who loves others has fulfilled the law.”
10 “Love does no evil to its neighbor; therefore love is the fulfillment of the law.”
Matthew 22:37 “Jesus said to him, ‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind’”
38 “This Is the Greatest and First Commandment”
39 “The second is like that, saying, ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’”
40 “These two commandments were all the law and the prophets.”
Galatians 5:22 “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness.”
Love is above all in the Christian value system and must be added to all our thoughts, judgments, actions, and lives. It is not that others precede and love is added after that, but love from the beginning should be the motive, ground, and starting point for me and all our thoughts, judgments, actions, and lives. In addition, love must be added.
- Ray Crisp, a British factory worker, was diagnosed with a brain tumor in 1997 when her daughter Raleigh was taken to the hospital because she had a very bad head. After that, he underwent two surgeries at the hospital, but he could not be cured, and in the end, he was told by the doctor that he could not be rehabilitated. But Ray, who couldn't believe the doctor's words, and believed that there was always something a parent could do, changed the factory hours to night time, and found a way to cure her daughter's illness on the library computer during the day. I did. As a result, through the Internet, we found Dr. Kelly of the United States, who successfully performed 5,000 surgeries for brain tumors similar to those of Raleigh. Ray sent a picture of Raleigh's brain directly to Dr. Kelly, and Dr. Kelly sent a reply to Ray saying that after reviewing the picture of Raleigh sent by Ray, it could be treated sufficiently. Ray, who received this reply, went to the United States and was discharged after four days of successful surgery for Raleigh's brain tumor, and is said to be growing healthy. The story of Ray, who saved her daughter's life, was aired on the BBC in the UK under the title "Trust Dad, I am a doctor", and it is said that it moved British viewers.
As long as a person has faith, there can be no giving up. As long as the true love of Jesus Christ remains with me and you, this world will never fall into Satan's hands. God saw the errors and sins of all human beings on this earth and sent His only begotten Son, Jesus Christ, to us. It's because of love.
Now let's close the talk.
One day in October 2002, a woman was executed by lethal in a prison in Florida, USA. As a serial killer, he's ridiculed police pursuits for a long time. But eventually, the tail was long and the tail was caught. The woman's killing tactics were tongue-in-cheek. He first pretended that the car broke down on the highway. Then sympathetic middle-aged men offered to help him. From then on, this woman began to seduce such a man. He had a career as a prostitute, so he knew how to seduce men easily. He went to a secluded place and pretended to entertain the man, then suddenly pulled out his gun and turned him into a beehive. Then he boldly threw the man's body around the highway. So seven men were killed through her. Eventually, the woman was arrested and sentenced to death after a 12-year trial.
It was 10 years between the ages of 24 and 34 that she committed serial murders. It was the age at which the flowers of one's life bloomed. And he was executed at the age of 46. When the death sentence was given, he struggled with evil, demanding that he be put to death as soon as possible. It is because hatred is boiling in his body, and he will commit murder again if given the opportunity. His name was Irene. Its name means peace. But he became a woman opposite to his name, and led a life of the opposite.
It is like the case of Judas Iscariot, who betrayed Jesus. The name Judas means hymn. But Judas lived a life that was the exact opposite of his name. Are we living a life worthy of our name? In particular, are you and I living a life as Christians who believe in Jesus Christ? I mean.