Title Is there any extra oil?
I heard a pastor who had been to India.
There is no other country as diverse as India.
Not only in terms of territory, but also in population, and in terms of the gap between the rich and the poor.
From a national standpoint, it is not only a powerful country with atomic bombs, but also a country of extreme poverty, with wretchedly scattered and starving ghettos. So it is said that India cannot be described as a country in one word.
Moreover, as a country that serves many gods, no matter how much the Christian gospel is preached, missionaries are concerned about accepting God as one of the other gods.
It is said that many people in India make a daily sacrifice to , and they put a mark on their forehead. It is said that many people continue to visit the Kali Shrine even in unsanitary conditions, such as not eating, wearing, and not wearing them.
I don't know how pitiful that is. Religion knows how to stand in line.
You don't know how many cases where if you don't line up properly, you can't get out of it because of your religion.
Our country was no exception. Before the Gospel came, our country was also a country where demons were worshiped everywhere. There was a Seonangdang at every pass, and if you were sick, you would go to a shaman or a fortune teller to ask. And I did good. And it is the people who bowed down in front of the pig's head for good luck.
However, when the gospel came in, we were freed from these superstitions.
Also, as they enjoyed the benefits of scientific and material civilization along with the gospel, they were placed in the ranks of so-called cultural people.
1. Christianity is the religion of salvation, the religion of liberation, and the religion of joy.
Therefore, the Christian's face should be overflowing with joy.
The Christian's heart should be overflowing with joy.
Only then can we become witnesses of the gospel to our neighbors.
In order to do that, you must have the emotion of . There is joy in our hearts only when we have the thrill of salvation.
How can I please others when there is no joy in my heart?
There are many today who have no joy in the Christian heart.
“Rejoice always,” “Pray without ceasing,” and “Give thanks in all circumstances” have been heard countless times, but there are many Christians who live without them.
If there is nothing to do, what is there to do?
I have nothing to do, so what can I do?
If there are no conditions to do so, what are you going to do?
A Christian's grace must begin with the atoning grace.
The joy of salvation begins with realizing how great a sinner you were.
If you are still wandering in the path of sin, there is no remorse of conscience, but no joy of atonement.
Our lack of joy is when we are still extremely selfish.
It's because he doesn't acknowledge how poor he is.
If a sinner does not know the sin, there will be only complaints.
If a student doesn't know him, he doesn't want to go to school, and he doesn't even listen to the teacher's words.
Therefore, the joy of a Christian must have the joy of atonement, acknowledging that he is a sinner and having his sins forgiven.
This is completely incomprehensible to those who do not have faith.
This was the thing I was most worried about.
How can I be called a sinner?
I've lived my life without committing any wrong to anyone up to this day, and I tried to live without shame in my conscience, so why do you keep asking me to admit that I'm a sinner? So, there was a time when I thought that what kind of sins did Christians commit so many sins, sins, sins? However, after realizing it, I realized that none of it was without sin.
① I did not know that sin was not only the act of breaking the commandment, but that all indifference to God itself was a sin.
② Sin means that living only according to my thoughts and stubbornness is itself a sin.
③ Sin is not glorifying God and living arrogantly in narcissism.
④ Sin is living in God's possession as if it were one's own.
In this way, you will realize how much I have lived ignorant of sin.
It is a sin to live without knowing the amazing love of God and living indifferently. This must be realized.
But how was salvation from such sins? I am a being who cannot forgive my sins that I have committed. How can I forgive myself for my sins? There is no way for a person who has sinned to forgive himself for his sins.
But there is only one way to receive forgiveness of sins.
Romans 8:2 clearly states, “For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has set you free from the law of sin and death.”
Sin leads us to ruin.
Sin ultimately leads to death.
It is impossible for a human captive of sin to be saved by any means.
It is only possible through the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus.
We cannot be freed from sin without the power of the {Holy Spirit}.
The Holy Spirit sets us free from the chains of sin.
It is only the work of the Holy Spirit that many sinners are saved and returned.
But understanding this Spirit is also a problem. Since the Holy Spirit is a spirit, it is often understood superstitiously.
The Holy Spirit is not superstitious. The Holy Spirit is not impersonal.
The {Spirit} must come upon us as {person}.
Therefore, receiving the Holy Spirit means that our personality has changed.
Then the Holy Spirit is the true Holy Spirit.
There are many people who try to memorize the Holy Spirit as a magical power without changing their personality and try to believe in the Holy Spirit. Such a Holy Spirit is not unique to Christianity. All shamans do that too. You receive the spirit through the Gangshin (降神) Gut.
They also pierce people's hearts and trick them into getting lucky.
If people spoke and prophesied like ordinary people, who would go there?
Everyone is being deceived when they say it like a tweezers.
But the Christian Spirit is not like that. It is the spirit that changes people.
That is why it is called 'Holy Spirit' or Holy Spirit.
The Holy Spirit is the Spirit of Jesus Christ who became flesh and came among us.
It is the Holy Spirit who came in person.
So, when we receive the Spirit of Jesus Christ, our personality is changed.
When we receive the Holy Spirit, we become like the person of Christ.
The Holy Spirit is not a superstition, but a transforming power into the person of Christ.
2. In the Bible, the Holy Spirit is represented by various symbols.
The Holy Spirit appears as a dove, fire, wind, light, oil, etc.
So, it is called , , .
In today's text, the Lord compared the joy of salvation to a wedding feast.
A wedding feast is a joyous day for any ethnic group. Happy day.
Christian salvation is compared to a wedding feast.
Like the five virgins who will welcome the bridegroom, there are those who will share in the joy and those who will not.
What are the needs of those who will participate in salvation?
Of the ten virgins, five were able to meet the bridegroom, but five did not. Why? They all fell asleep and suddenly met the groom. Here is a deep religious lesson for us.
Expectations to meet the groom were all the same.
It means that everyone has the same heart to meet the Lord.
So, at first, he tried to greet the bridegroom with a lamp and oil.
However, as the bridegroom came late, he slept all of a sudden and woke up because the bridegroom came, and when he woke up, the oil was running out on his back, and while he was on his way to buy some oil, the door to the banquet house was closed. So they got the title of foolish virgins.
However, it is said that the five virgins who were able to welcome the bridegroom prepared oil with their lamps. In other words, it was because they were preparing extra oil. This extra oil is the problem. There should always be extra oil. You should always have this ready.
3. Therefore, you should always check whether you have extra oil.
The ' and ' refer to the appearance and form of the life of faith.
It can be a life where you go to church on Sundays, attend worship services, and believe without any conflict in the atmosphere of faith that you believed in your mother's womb.
In such a life of faith, there is no joy of atonement.
Therefore, it is to break away from the formal life of faith.
Extra oil means the constant stirring of the Holy Spirit.
The Holy Spirit always inspires us. However, we often live by destroying it. As if they were all asleep, they are living just like everyone else while adapting to the times and environment. If you live like that, you will not be able to welcome the Lord. Be sure to have extra oil on hand. If you always have extra oil by your side, there is no problem when the Lord comes. It is because if we always live without quenching the influence of the Holy Spirit, that is the way to welcome the Lord.
The Bible tells us to be careful not to lose our first faith.
Especially, it is a time to listen to the voice of the risen Lord who spoke to the seven churches in Asia Minor. The modern church is called the Laodicean church.
What was the voice of the Lord that came to the church in Laodicea?
They thought that they believed well in themselves.
But the Lord told me to put that kind of thinking away.
He said, "You do not know that you are wretched, that you are miserable, that you are poor, that you are blind, and that you are naked" (Revelation 3:17).
I don't know how accurate that is.
Spiritually, today's Christians have become very hard.
Everyone feels tired from living a religious life. They become truly pitiful creatures.
And I became very poor spiritually. And it exposes naked shame. As you can see from the last clothes lobbying case and this loan case, they were all members of the church and they were office holders. Indeed, these days, they have all become pitiful beings to lead a religious life.
In these last days, we must become spiritually awake saints when we are all dozing off. For that purpose, we must become saints who are guided every day by the help and inspiration of the Holy Spirit today. Because these are the wise ones who are preparing extra oil. Extra oil to greet the groom! It means living without quenching the inspiration of the Holy Spirit. In this last time, I earnestly hope that all the saints will always be prepared with extra oil to be able to participate in salvation by hitting my will and submitting to the inspiration of the Holy Spirit. ♣