Title Eternal Life (IV) (1 John 01:5-7)
Contents Through the Word of God, I will testify about why eating the flesh of the Son of Man with faith and drinking the blood of the Son of Man is the way to be saved.
1. Forgiveness of sins when walking in the light
The text says that God is light and there is no darkness at all, so if we say we have fellowship with God and walk in darkness, we are lying and not practicing the truth. Because if you have fellowship with God, eat and digest the flesh of the Son of Man, and become the heart of the truth, you will naturally come out of darkness and dwell in the light. If you truly believe that Jesus Christ is the Savior who atoned for our sins, you are not walking the broad way but the narrow way.
The broad way is the way of darkness that matches the world, the way of seeking self-interest, and the way of untruth that is contrary to the truth. If life is to live on this earth for a while and return to a handful of dust, then you can follow the broad path according to your own interests, but if you clearly believe that there is an afterlife, you must be patient, restrained, and follow the narrow path. Because I believe, I come out of darkness and walk in the light. I cast off iniquity, injustice, and sins within me and change my black heart into a white heart, the heart of the Lord's good truth.
That is why the text says that when we walk this narrow path and walk in the light, the blood of the Lord cleanses us from all our sins. But today, there are quite a few people who misunderstand God's Word and believe that if they say 'I believe in the Lord,' they will be saved. In Revelation 3:5 it is said, "He who overcomes will also be clothed in white robes, and I will not blot out his name from the book of life." If you receive Jesus Christ, receive the Holy Spirit, and become a child of God, your name will be written in the book of life. By continuously eating the flesh of the Son of Man and drinking his blood, you achieve spiritual growth and fight against the sins of this world and overcome them, that is, come out of darkness and become light. Whoever dwells in the midst of life is not blotted out in the book of life; but he who still dwells in sin, his name is not blotted out of the book of life.
Therefore, in Matthew 7:21 he says, not everyone who says to me, Lord, Lord, will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only those who do the will of my Father in heaven. Also, regarding those who did not fulfill their mission, in Matthew 25:26-30, you evil and lazy servant, did you know that I reap where I did not sow and gather where I did not scatter? He weeps and says that there will be gnashing of teeth. God rebukes you as an evil and lazy servant even if you do not carry out your mission. How can you make sure you receive salvation unconditionally just by saying, “Lord, Lord?”
In Matthew 25, there is a parable of the ten virgins. All ten virgins prepared oil and were waiting for the bridegroom for the wedding banquet, so they were people who believed in God. However, among them, the five foolish and lazy virgins were dozing off because the bridegroom was late, and they ran out of oil. So when the bridegroom came, he went to buy oil, but the door to the wedding banquet was closed and he could not meet the groom.
Besides this, through the parable of the wheat and the chaff, and the parable of the sheep and the goats, God makes it clear that we cannot be saved unconditionally just because we receive the Holy Spirit, but that we can attain salvation when we come out of darkness and walk into the light.
2. Faith That Leads to Salvation
James 2 specifically defines perfect faith, and it is said that faith must be followed by works. In 2:14-17, it is said that if a man says he has faith, but has no works, what profit does it have? Can faith save him... Faith without works is dead in itself. There is no salvation through dead faith.
For example, if you have heard that you need to drink water to quench your thirst, but have never drank water yet, you do not believe in the heart that 'drinking water quenches your thirst'. It's possible. So, if you don't drink water, your thirst will continue, but if you drink water, you will experience the quenching of your thirst, and you will have true faith. In other words, if you drink without questioning your heart, your faith will become true.
So also in 2:21-26, was not our father Abraham justified by works when he offered his son Isaac on the altar? You see that faith worked together with his works, and by works faith was made perfect... It says that this dead faith without works is dead. Because Abraham believed in God the Creator, who created something out of nothing, he obeyed God's word and was justified, and he was able to receive great blessings from God. He became the father of faith, became a source of blessing, and was called God's friend. What a great blessing. Only living faith with works like this is the only way to receive salvation, receive answers, and receive blessings.
Therefore, we must have faith with works by diligently eating the flesh of the Son of Man and drinking the blood of the Son of Man, knowing clearly that faith without works is a dead faith, just as the body without a soul is dead. Because we have heard that there is heaven and hell, we go to church and go to church, and no matter how much we believe, if our actions do not follow because we do not believe in our hearts, God does not recognize this as faith, but rather says that we are liars.
Did the Israelites really believe in God, who followed Moses from their slavery in Egypt? They saw many miracles and signs of God, but when He told them to enter the land of Canaan, they were afraid and did not obey. As a result, only Caleb and Joshua, who showed faith, could enter the land of Canaan.
God says that the people of Israel did not enter the land of Canaan because they did not believe. So, according to Numbers 14:11, how long will this people despise me, and how long will they not believe in me, even if they see me among them, and do not consider any miracles that I have done?
Therefore, Romans 2:13 says, “It is not the hearers of the law who are righteous in the sight of God, but the doers of the law will be justified. Only those who diligently attend the worship service, hear the word of God, and put it into practice are justified. It is only by eating the flesh of the Son of Man and drinking the blood that a black heart is changed into a white heart to become a righteous person. Also, in 1 Peter 1:15-16 it is written, “Be holy in all your conduct, as the Holy One who called you.” He said, “Be holy, because I am holy. Be like the holy heart of the Lord, so that you share in the divine nature.” should be the one who
Dear brothers and sisters, in the Old Testament age we were saved by works, but in the New Testament age we are saved by faith. If the Lord did not carry the cross and shed His blood, we would still be sinners, but because the Lord shed His blood, we receive the Holy Spirit as a gift and walk in the light by faith to receive the forgiveness of all our sins, leading to salvation. Therefore, I pray that you will become saints who zealously eat the flesh of the Son of Man, drink his blood, and walk by faith, enjoying eternal life in the beautiful heaven.