Title Get a new name
Contents
2006. 7. 19 (Wed) Bible: Revelation 3:12 Title: Acquired a new name
For a person, a name has a very important meaning. Because it reveals his social personality and status. Therefore, when a person's name changes, it means that the whole person, that is, personality, status, role, etc. has changed.
We see people who have been renamed like this in the Bible. This was the case with Abraham, who was chosen as the father of faith, and Jacob and Paul, who wrestled with God and received blessings, were like that.
However, God has also given new names to our saints.
1. Children of God
1) old name
In the past, we rebelled and sinned against God and were under the control of Satan, and then we were children of wrath (Ephesians 2:3). Befitting the name of children of wrath, we lived a life that aroused the wrath of God. Because he followed the customs of this world that God hates, followed the rulers of the power of the air, and followed the lusts of the flesh, he had no choice but to be under the wrath of God.
2) Giving you a new name
As children of wrath, God has given us a new name, the great name of children of God, who had no way to escape God's judgment. It is astonishing that a child of wrath is turned into a child of God, like a beggar turned into a prince overnight.
How could this be possible? It is because Christ has fulfilled the redemption by dying for us, and he promises to give the right to become children of God to everyone who believes in his name. Let us know and be grateful that such a tremendous change has been given to us.
2. God's people
1) Contents of the contract
The content of the covenant God made with the specially chosen people from among fallen humans is, “I will be your God, and you will be my people” (Leviticus 26:12; Jeremiah 7:23). God's people are holy people who do not belong to the world and are blessed to enjoy eternal happiness in New Jerusalem (Revelation 21:2-4).
2) The person who broke the contract
However, it was human beings who unilaterally broke the contract as God's people. As God's people, they had to love only God, but they committed the sin of betraying God and serving other gods. So, in the end, God had to declare, ‘You are no longer my people’ (Hos. 1:9). Human beings, who have broken their covenant with God and have been deprived of their status as God's people, have now become desolate beings without any hope.
3) Becoming God's People Again
He was a man who brought the punishment of destruction upon himself for his own sin, but God did not forsake him and had mercy on him. Humans broke the covenant with God, but God was faithful to the covenant with humans until the end. So, God called those who wandered away from God's side again as 'your people' (Hos. 2:1). In other words, he restored the privileges of the lost people of God. In this way, it is entirely because of God's mercy that we have again received the name of God's people.
3. The Bride of Christ
Jesus compared the kingdom of God to a wedding feast, where the mountain is Jesus Christ and the bride is our saints (Revelation 19:8).
1) chastity bride
Paul tells us that we are a matchmaker to offer up our virgin virgins to one husband, Christ (2 Corinthians 11:2). It is also surprising that He made us, who were defiled with our sins and transgressions, into the pure bride of Christ. This is possible because the cleansing blood of Christ has washed away all our sins.
2) beautiful bride
Another characteristic of a bride is that she is beautiful. The bride is beautifully adorned with various treasures. In the same way, we too were adorned as beautiful brides before God. Although our appearance is weak and lacking in many things, God makes us beautiful as the bride of Christ. Therefore, we, the brides of Christ, are more beautiful than anyone in the world.
conclusion
Getting a new name means becoming a completely new person. Therefore, we must put off the old man. Living a new life with a new name is the life of the saints.