Title Illusion and Fact
Unless the LORD guards the city, the watchman's watch is in vain.
It is in vain that you rise early and lie down late and eat the bread of toil.
Therefore the LORD gives sleep to those he loves."
Today, I will share a talk with you under the title of ‘Illusion and Reality’.
Once upon a time, when you go to rice, paddy, fruit or sweet potato fields in the countryside, it is common to see a scarecrow. There are many different kinds of scarecrows. There is such a scarecrow wearing a fedora hat, a suit, and dressed in a Western style, while there is a Korean-style scarecrow wearing a straw hat, a burlap robe, and shabby pants. There is also a little girl scarecrow wearing a pretty Chimajeogori. But the scarecrow, whatever its shape, was made to scare away birds, crows, magpies, wild animals, and wild boars from damaging the crops. These days, birds and beasts have become smart as if they have received modern education, so they are no longer deceived by these things. They will be able to distinguish between illusion and reality. Those of us who have believed in Jesus and have been saved must distinguish well between an illusion that has no substance and a reality that has reality in our lives. An illusion is like a scarecrow, and the reality is like a real person. Illusion is false and vain, reality is true and eternal.
1. The illusion and reality of our identity
First, we need to know in detail the illusion and reality of our identity.
2 Corinthians 5:17 says, "Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has passed away; behold, the new has come."
Therefore, here we can see that the past me and the present I live in our lives have been differentiated. As it is said that the former has passed away, the former refers to the life we received from Adam. The life of flesh and blood we received from Adam, the life before we were saved, now, after we believe in Jesus, is an illusion. Sin is what we feared and feared. Because sin has tremendous bondage power, it binds us, and it enters into us and brings injustice and corruption. However, after believing in Jesus, sin is just an illusion. Now sin has no power to bind us and no power to corrupt us. It is a sin to be completely destroyed by the blood of Jesus Christ. There is no power in sin. It's an illusion. Therefore, sin threatens and blackmails us like a scarecrow, but we should never be deceived and dragged away.
The devil and worldly temptations are also illusions. In the old days, when the devil came, we did not know what to do. Worldly temptations are also powerful. The lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the temptations of the pride of this world seized us and swept us away. But now, to us who believe in Jesus, all of this is an illusion like a scarecrow. Jesus overcame the devil, temptation, and the world on the cross. So they now have no power to intimidate us. It's an illusion. If we misunderstand this illusion and misunderstand it as a reality, we will never become what we are.
Illness is also an illusion. Before you believe in Jesus, sickness is a really scary thing. If you have cancer, you are desperate. High blood pressure, diabetes, arthritis and various diseases steal, kill, and destroy us, haven't they? Anyone who has suffered from an illness knows how painful and terrifying it is. However, if we see disease after believing in Jesus and knowing the Lord, it is just an illusion. Because it bit and tore us like that in the past, but now, in Christ, the disease has already been conquered 2,000 years ago. Because the Lord Himself took care of our infirmities and carried our diseases, we were legally healed 2,000 years ago. Therefore, sickness is an illusion. In fact, we were healed.
Death is also an illusion. Your illusions are just scarecrows. What did Teacher Paul say when he saw death?
“O death, where is your victory, where is death your sting?” he mocked death. Before believing in Jesus, death is destruction, despair, and return to eternal nothingness. It is terrifying, but after believing in Jesus, Jesus died and rose again to destroy death and hell and bring life and resurrection, so death in Christ is a scarecrow. It is just an illusion, and we have the reality of eternal life. Death is an illusion. The beasts believe that the scarecrow is real and run away in fright. If we believe in the illusion that has already passed as reality, we will run away and become servants of the illusion, but if we know what is an illusion through the words of Jesus, we must immediately resist, defeat, and cast off the illusion.
The Bible says, “Behold, something new has come.” In Jesus, you have been created and become a new person, so you must fully know your renewed reality. What renewed identities do you and I now have? The reality is that you become a forgiven righteous person. In fact, you are the forgiven righteous. not a sinner. Now you can stand proudly before God without shame. You can be recognized as if you had never sinned. By the grace of the blood of Christ, you are actually forgiven righteous people. We are righteous. That is the reality. To say that you are a sinner is to be caught up in an illusion.
It is also true that we were filled with the Holy Spirit and became holy. You say, 'I have no power. I don't have the ability. I can't pray. I don't have the ability to preach. I don’t have the ability to work in a church position.’ That’s what they say when they are all illusions. Because after believing in Jesus, God sent the Holy Spirit to us through the cross. The Holy Spirit said, “You will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you.” Therefore, it is a fact that we have received the Holy Spirit and have power, but it is an illusion to think that we do not have power and are incompetent. Don't be caught up in illusions. In fact, you can pray as one who has the Holy Spirit and has received power. You can evangelize. You have the power to take on a position and fulfill it. This is because the Holy Spirit is there. You need to know your reality straight away. Actually, you should say that I am the one who has authority and power because the Holy Spirit is with me.
The reality is that you are healed and healthy. Jesus Christ said we are healed by the scourge. Healing is a reality, sickness is a lie and vain, an illusion. Illusion must be defeated