“I Can Only Imagine” (Job 2:1-10; 1 John 5:18)

God Will Protect Me?

Recently, I read an interesting research conducted by Chicago Divinity School/AP-NORC. The research finds a majority of Americans who believe in God think the pandemic is a divine message. God is sending a message that humanity needs to change. The research also finds this: 73% (with 43% saying so strongly and another 30% saying so somewhat) of those who identify themselves as born-again Christians believe that God will protect them from being infected with coronavirus.[1] In other words, about two thirds of born-again Christians view “godly protection” as not getting the virus. But in reality, we see both the righteous and the unrighteous are infected with the virus. In the Bible God does promise that He will protect His people and watch over them. But what does it mean by that, since God’s people don’t necessarily avoid infectious diseases, natural disasters, trials and tribulations in life? The Book of Job gives an answer for this question.

The story of Job begins in this way:

“There was once a man in the land of Uz whose name was Job. That man was blameless and upright, one who feared God and turned away from evil” (Job 1:1)

So the Bible tells us that Job was a righteous man. But still, he had to suffer greatly. He lost his possessions. He lost his family – his children and his wife. He lost his health. Basically, he lost everything. If we interpret “godly protection” as not getting into trouble, there is no way to explain the problem of suffering in Job’s life.

The Invisible World

The Book of Job explains the problem of suffering in a different way. It takes us behind the scenes of suffering and shows us that there is an invisible world. Job’s friends have never seen this invisible world. All they can see is a visible world – governed by the law of cause and effect. So they firmly believe that those who suffer adversity that it is the result of sin. They believe that if Job was truly upright before God, he would have never had to suffer like this. They falsely accuse Job of being a hypocrite and ask him to repent. Job is greatly shaken. But somehow Job is allowed to see the glimpse of the invisible world. And he accepts the mystery of suffering, even though he doesn’t understand fully why all this is happening to him, saying, “Shall we receive the good at the hand of God, and not receive the bad?” (2:10)

This past week I read a biography of Billy Graham. There was a time when he almost gave up on the Bible. It was his crisis of faith. In the early years of his ministry Graham had a close friend, whose name was Charles Templeton. Many people thought that Templeton was going to overturn the world with the Gospel. Templeton seemed to be more eloquent, talented, intelligent than Graham. But, Templeton ended up leaving the Christian faith, eventually becoming an atheist. He challenged Graham and asked many difficult questions such as the biblical account of creation, religion and science, the problem of suffering and evil, and so forth. Graham couldn’t find an answer. He struggled. One night he walked out into the woods and set his Bible on a stump and he cried out: “O God! There are many things in this book I do not understand. There are many problems with it for which I have no solution. There are many seeming contradictions. There are some areas in it that do not seem to correlate with modern science. I can’t answer some of the philosophical and psychological questions Chuck and others are raising.” And then, Graham fell to his knees and said, “Father, I am going to accept this as Your Word—by faith! I’m going to allow faith to go beyond my intellectual questions and doubts, and I will believe this to be Your inspired Word!” That’s how Graham overcame his crisis of faith. That’s how Job overcame his crisis of faith. That’s the difference between Job and his friends. Job sees the invisible world by faith, accepts the mystery of suffering, and believes God’s faithfulness.  

God Is on Your Side

As I shared earlier, Job is greatly shaken. He questions. He doubts. But still, he firmly believes God is an advocate, not an avenger. On an ash-pile Job cries out, “Though he slay me, yet will I trust him” (13:15a KJV). With everything going on, he feels distant from God, but again we hear his cry, “For I know that my Redeemer lives, and that at the last he will stand upon the earth; and after my skin has been thus destroyed, then in my flesh I shall see God” (19:25-26 NRSV). His friends rebuke him and condemns him. Again we hear his cry, “But he knows the way that I take; when he has tested me, I shall come out like gold” (23:10 NRSV). Job is sure God knows and cares. Job is sure God is for him, not against him. Actually, that’s the main message of the Bible: “God loves you. He's on your side. He's coming after you. He's relentless.”

In his first letter John proclaims this same message with his language in this way:

“We know that those who are born of God do not sin, but the one who was born of God protects them, and the evil one does not touch them” (1 John 5:18).

John uses the same word “touch” only in one other place, that is, in his Gospel 20:17, where the risen Christ was recognized by Mary. Mary took hold of him. And he said to her, “Touch me not. Do not hold on to me. Don’t keep clinging to me.” In other words, the evil one may tempt us, try us, torment us. He may make us unhappy and miserable and depress. But he will never get hold of us. He will never cling to us. He will never get us back into his clutches. That’s what John is saying here. The evil one can do many things to us, but he will never hold us again. We may be infected with the virus. We may even die from it. But for those who are born of God, even death is a blessing, a direct passage toward heaven. We are safe in the arms of Jesus!

The Best Is Yet to Come

We know the end of the story of Job. Job’s fortunes are restored twofold. His health is restored. His family is restored. Here the point is not that God wants us to be healthy and wealthy. No! The story of Job teaches us that the day will surely come when each of us must give a personal account to God. For those who endure and trust and stay faithful, that will be the day of vindication and restoration. And for those who don’t, that will be the day of judgment. In Hebrews 11 we see faithful ones, those who lived by faith, not by sight. The Bible testifies about them in this way:

“All of these died in faith without having received the promises, but from a distance they saw and greeted them. They confessed that they were strangers and foreigners on the earth, for people who speak in this way make it clear that they are seeking a homeland…. They desire a better country, that is, a heavenly one” (Hebrews 11:13-16).

Our hope is not in this world. Our hope is not in a vaccine. Our hope is in God and His everlasting kingdom. Some of you may have heard a story about an old missionary couple who had been working in Africa for years, and they were returning to New York City to retire. They had no pension; their health was broken; they were old now and afraid. They discovered they were booked on the same ship as President Teddy Roosevelt, who was returning from one of his big-game hunting expeditions. When the ship docked in New York, a band was waiting to greet the President. The mayor and other dignitaries were there, but no one noticed this missionary couple. They slipped off the ship and found a cheap flat on the East side. That night, the missionary’s spirit broke. He poured out his heart to the Lord. He said, “Lord, I can’t take this. You are not treating us fairly. The President received this tremendous homecoming, but no one met us as we returned home.” But when he finished it, God simply said, “My son, you’re not home yet!”[2]

Yes, we are not home yet! May the Lord open our eyes, that we may see an invisible world. May the Lord open our eyes, that we may see Jesus who loves us and watches over us. May the Lord open our eyes, that we may know that the best is yet to come. Amen.  

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[1] Source: AP-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research, quoted from Christian Century (June 17, 2020), p. 19.

[2] Ray Stedman, Talking To My Father (Barbour & Co. 1997).

“All the Days of My Life” (2 Samuel 18)

David: Son, Husband, and Father

It’s Father’s Day. On this special day we say “Thank you” to our earthly fathers. On this special day we also say “Thank You” to our heavenly Father who formed us in our mother’s womb, rescued us from darkness to light, has led us with his tender and strong arm up to this day. 

This morning I would like to invite you to join me in listening to the story of David, who was a son, a husband, and a father. In many ways, David was no role model. He was a poor parent and unfaithful husband. But the emphasis of David’s story is not on the person David, but on God’s grace and God’s faithfulness in David’s life. Throughout all the seasons of his life – spring, summer, fall, and winter – we see God’s merciful, loving, and powerful hand is upon him. Interestingly, we find no miracles in David’s story. But somehow we see David experience God in his everyday life – in his highs and lows, in the ordinary, the sordid, and the tragic. So David’s story is both earthy and godly. In his book Leap over a Wall, Eugene Peterson writes, “David’s is a most exuberant story. Earthy spirituality characterizes his life. Earthy: down-to-earth, dealing with everydayness. Spiritual: moved and animated by the Spirit of God and therefore alive to God.” David’s story is the story of ours who want to experience God in our everyday life.

My prayer is that as we listen to David’s story, may God give us a consuming desire to know Him, experience Him, and love Him all the more.

Spring: The Shepherd Boy

David is the 8^th and youngest son of Jesse from Bethlehem. He is a kid from nowhere. He is so forgotten that when Samuel comes to pronounce a great prophecy over one of Jesse's sons that his family doesn’t even bother to call him back in. David is a forgotten shepherd boy. The good news is: he may be forgotten by people who look at outward appearance, but he is never forgotten by God who always looks into the heart (1 Sam 16:7).

The heart matters to God. Everyday life matters to God. David’s heart is not shaped by one “aha” moment, but by his daily walk with God. In early morning David would lead forth the flock from the fold to green pastures. There he would watch them all day long, taking care that none of the sheep strayed. When predators appear – lions, bears, and wolves, he would protect the sheep and fight back. When his day is done, he would bring the flock back into the sheepfold and sleep across the door to protect the sheep while they sleep. On the next day he would repeat his daily routine all over again. Probably David would repeat the same routine over thousands of times. But in the ordinary and routine, keeping on doing those small things, David experiences the living God personally and profoundly. So when he is challenged by Goliath, with confidence he says to King Saul in this way:

… Your servant has killed both lions and bears; and this uncircumcised Philistine shall be like one of them, since he has defied the armies of the living God. David said, "The LORD, who saved me from the paw of the lion and from the paw of the bear, will save me from the hand of this Philistine!" (1 Sam 17:36-37a, NRSV)

Where does David’s confidence and courage and strength come from? His daily walk with God! His daily experience with God! David does not expect to conquer Goliath by some miracle of divine intervention. He expects to win with skillful hand which he learned in the ordinary and routine and with upright heart shaped by his daily walk with God. God meets us in the ordinary. And God honors the heart shaped by our daily walk with Him.

Summer: The Great King

David is now no longer a young unknown shepherd boy. Now he has become an armor-bearer for King Saul, then a commander of a thousand, then Saul’s son-in-law, and eventually he has become a king of Israel. As soon as his kingdom is established, the first thing he does is to bring the Ark of God to the heart of his kingdom, Jerusalem. This is his spiritual act of worship, saying, “God, we enthrone you. We put you first. We welcome you, we honor you, we worship you. You are King of kings, Lord of lords!” God is pleased with David, saying, “You are a man after my own heart. I will do all my will” (cf. Acts 13:22). And God makes a covenant with David, promising that Messiah, the Christ, would come from his lineage and would establish his eternal kingdom:

“… I will raise up your offspring after you, who shall come forth from your body, and I will establish his kingdom. He shall build a house for my name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever…” (2 Sam 7:12-13)

And David replies, “Who am I, O Lord God, and what is my house, that you have brought me thus far?” (v. 18) I think that could be the highest moment of David’s life. But the Bible says, “So if you think you are standing, watch out that you do not fall” (1 Cor 10:12). Unfortunately, when everything seems to go well, David falls – falls hard. He commits adultery with Bathsheba, a wife of David’s loyal servant, Uriah. To make things worse, he plots to kill Uriah to cover up his adultery. Murder and adultery – David commits two grave sins. His heart is still hardened. But God is not done yet with David. With love God sends the prophet Nathan and convicts David of his sins. And David repents:

“Have mercy on me, O God, according to your steadfast love… Against you, you alone, have I sinned, and done what is evil in your sight… Create in me a clean heart, O God, and put a new and right spirit within me.” (Psalm 51:1, 4, 10)

David is forgiven. Though Bathsheba’s first child dies as a consequence of sin, God gives another child whose name is Solomon, or Jedidiah, which means “Beloved of the Lord.” Here God is saying to David, “You are still so loved! You are beautifully broken. You are my beloved son.” David experiences God in the valley as well as at the top of the mountain. Our God is the God of the mountain, and the God of the valley.

Fall: The Heartbroken Father

Now David is going through a midlife crisis within his own family. Amnon, David’s oldest son, loves his step-sister Tamar. And he rapes her. In his indignation Absalom kills Amnon. David keeps thinking he has just hit the bottom and can sink no lower. But he is wrong. While he is still grieving, he hears even more shocking news that his son Absalom turns against him, revolts and seizes the throne.  Though few in number, David and his men are experienced and disciplined. Absalom and his army are defeated; Absalom is killed in battle. David’s sorrow is beyond description. There is no psalm of David in the Bible eulogizing Absalom, no beautiful song lamenting his death. David has no energy even to pray! All he can do is just weep bitterly: “O my son Absalom, my son, my son Absalom! Would I had died instead of you, O Absalom, my son, my son!” (2 Sam 18:33)

There are times when we feel like we hit the bottom and then sink even lower. There are times when we feel like our strength is all gone. No strength to bear. No strength to love. No strength to pray. At the very moment someone is praying for us – the Holy Spirit. “Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness; for we do not know how to pray as we ought, but that very Spirit intercedes with sighs too deep for words” (Rom 8:26). The Spirit prays for David, sustains him, upholds him. In the same way, today the Spirit is praying for you, delivering you from the pit of despair and hopelessness!

Winter: The Old Man Dying  

King David is now very old. He’s cold, cold all the time. No matter how many blankets covers him, he cannot keep warm. He lays in bed, dying. And now he reflects on all the seasons of his life. He realizes that God was with him when he was so forgotten, God was with him when he was standing before Goliath, God was with him when he sang and played the lyre before King Saul, God was with him when he was mourning and grieving over the loss of his two sons. He realizes that God was with him all the days of his life.

Many scholars believe that Psalm 23 is written by David in his last years as he looks back on his life. To many, this psalm is considered a psalm of trust:

The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want.

He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters.

He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name's sake.

Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil:

for thou art with me;

thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.

Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies:

 thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over.

Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life:

and I will dwell in the house of the LORD forever.

At the center of Psalm 23 we find these four words: “You are with me.” This is David’s personal experience with God. And this is God’s promise to all his people: “I am with you.” In our faith journey, we will face all kinds of life challenges. We will say goodbye to our loved ones. We will face fear of dying process – getting weak, ill, forgetful, wasting away. But through it all, one promise is most important: God is with us all the days of our lives. So let us trust, trust, trust. Amen.

“Racial Harmony” (1 John 4:7-12; 19-20)

“Love One Another” 

Love. One. Another. These three words are repeated again and again in John’s letter. And now, we are on 1 John 4. For the third time, John is repeating the subject of love! In today’s passage John commends his fellow Christians to love one another at least three times in this way: 

“Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God” (v. 7 NIV).

“Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another” (v. 11 NIV).

“The commandment we have from him [God] is this: those who love God must love their brothers and sisters also” (v. 21 NRSV). 

As I was meditating on today’s scripture throughout this past week, one particular question kept coming back, “Who are my brothers and sisters I must love?” I can’t help but to think about my black and brown sisters and brothers. I can’t help but to think about racial harmony and reconciliation from John’s exhortation. 

I Was a Racist 

The Presbyterian Church in America defines racism in this way: “Racism is an explicit or implicit belief or practice that qualitatively distinguishes or values one race over other races.”[1] In other words, racism is a feeling or belief or practice that values one race over other races, or devalues one race beneath others. According to this definition, I was a racist. I grew up in a medium-sized city near Seoul, South Korea. Overall Korean people are quite homogeneous. But in my town there were quite a few foreign laborers from South Asian countries, particularly from Bangladesh and Pakistan. My home church reached out to some of them and invited them to church. Of course, we were nice. Of course, we treated them well. Of course, they were invited to our church’s activities. As long as they “knew their place.” Deep in my heart I had a sense of superiority – Korean supremacy. I said I loved them, but I even didn’t know their names. I didn’t much care about, or honor, or respect their cultures, their languages, and their histories. I wanted them to be more assimilated to my culture, but not vice versa. In that sense I was a racist. 

Race and the Gospel 

I shared my story, not to lay the guilt for the sin of racism to you. But the aim is biblical maturity. The aim is to think and talk and act biblically about race. The aim is to have a biblically sound, balanced, humble, loving, Jesus-exalting, God-centered perspective on race. 

Concerning race and ethnicity, the best staring point would be Genesis 1:27: 

“So God created humankind in his image, in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them” (NRSV). 

The Bible teaches us that all members of all ethnic groups are made in the image of God. Every human being—whatever skin color, hair texture, age, gender, intelligence, health, or social class—is made in the image of God. The implication is this: All members of all ethnic groups are created equally in the image of God. All members of all ethnic groups are fearfully and wonderfully made in the image of God (cf. Ps 139:14). So there is no place for racism which values one race over another. 

But something tragic happened to humankind. Sin entered. Animosity entered. The animosity between God and humankind, between male and female, between husband and wife, between siblings, between tribes, between ethnic groups. In the midst of all these hostilities Jesus came as the Prince of Peace. Ephesians 2:14 declares this truth: 

“For he is our peace; in his flesh he has made both groups [Jews and Gentiles] into one and has broken down the dividing wall, that is, the hostility between us” (NRSV). 

Jesus came to create “one new humanity” and to reconcile both groups [Jews and Gentiles, all of the different ethnic groups] to God in “one body” through the cross. So we are no longer enemies to each other; but instead, we are one people, God’s holy people, members of God’s family. That’s the power of the blood of Christ. That’s the power of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. 

That’s not the end. There is more. As Christians, we have a glorious future and hope ahead of us. In Revelation 5:9 the apostle John gives us the glimpse of the future. In his vision John hears the prayers of the saints. They sing a new song:

 “You are worthy to take the scroll and to open its seals, for you were slaughtered and by your blood you ransomed for God, saints from every tribe and language and people and nation” (NRSV). 

By his precious blood Jesus purchased his people from every tribe. In other words, racial harmony and diversity and reconciliation is God’s design, God’s intention, God’s purpose. So we hope in God. We dream in God. We have confidence in God. The zeal of the Lord Almighty will accomplish this! 

The Time Is Now 

But today we are groaning because of the gap between our “glorious heavenly vision” and our “horrifying reality.” There is a lot of work to be done to make progress toward racial harmony and reconciliation. Concerning racial injustice here in the US John Piper says, “It appears to me that many churches, ministries are more influenced by culture, more influenced by political ideology, more influenced by American nationalism than by the radical demands by Jesus to live as exiles and sojourners and refugees in this alien world called America.”[2]

God reconciled us to himself through Christ. And now God has given us the ministry of reconciliation (2 Cor 5:18). We are called to be bridge builders, reconciling people with one another and with God. The time is now. There are three steps that I am personally taking and that I invite you to join me. 

Listen 

The first step is to listen, really listen. Our brothers and sisters identified as black and brown have another history, another narrative of life in America. Are we willing to listen? In 1963, Martin Luther King Jr. led peaceful demonstrations to raise awareness about the struggle for civil rights. As a result, Dr. King was put into prison. While incarcerated, he received a copy of a local newspaper that included an open letter written by eight ecumenical White pastors, titled “A Call for Unity.” In that letter they urged Black leaders to be more patient and wait, and criticized that these demonstrations were unwise and untimely. In response, Dr. King wrote what has come to be called “Letter from Birmingham Jail.” The following is part of his letter: 

Perhaps it is easy for those who have never felt the stinging darts of segregation to say, “Wait.” But when you have seen vicious mobs lynch your mothers and fathers at will and drown your sisters and brothers at whim; when you have seen hate-filled policemen curse, kick, and even kill your black brothers and sisters; when you see the vast majority of your 20 million Negro brothers smothering in an airtight cage of poverty in the midst of an affluent society;

. . . when you are harried by day and haunted by night by the fact that you are a Negro, living constantly at tiptoe stance, never quite knowing what to expect next, and are plagued with inner fears and outer resentments; when you are forever fighting a degenerating sense of “nobodiness”—then you will understand why we find it difficult to wait. There comes a time when the cup of endurance runs over, and men are no longer willing to be plunged into the abyss of despair. I hope, sirs, you can understand our legitimate and unavoidable impatience.

So are we listening to these voices? Are we willing to listen? From the voices of the first enslaved Africans to the ones of Ahmaud Arbery, Breonna Taylor, and George Floyd. 

Confess 

The next step is to confess. Now is the time to mourn. Now is the time to lament. Now is the time to repent. Perhaps some of us may say, “I’m not a racist.” You may be right. But that is not enough. As Christians, we bear a burden of guilt for the collective sins of our nation. We all have a tendency to rationalize and gloss the sins of our own. Jesus said to those who thought they had progressed out of sins into greater righteousness, “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you build the tombs of the prophets and decorate the graves of the righteous, and you say, 'If we had lived in the days of our ancestors, we would not have taken part with them in shedding the blood of the prophets” (Matt 23:29-30, NRSV). This is a sobering warning for all of us. 

In the book of Ezra, we read about how the people of Israel had become unfaithful to God. They practiced detestable customs of their neighboring countries. Ezra, a priest and scribe, was personally innocent of the sins committed by the people, but he still felt the weight of guilt and shame. He prayed, “O my God, I am utterly ashamed; I blush to lift up my face to you. For our sins are piled higher than our heads, and our guilt has reached to the heavens” (Ezra 9:6 NLT). May God open our eyes, so that we can feel our collective sin of racism and repent like Ezra! 

Reparate 

The third step is to reparate. But what does it look like to make reparations? The answer would be different for each of us. But I think the story of Georgetown Alumnus gives us a good insight. In 1838, a prominent Jesuit institution, which ultimately became Georgetown University, was struggling with a heavy debt. At that time the school received donations in form of money and also slaves from wealthy parishioners. The president of the school negotiated a deal with the owners of Southern plantations. He’d send them slaves; they’d send him cash. As a result, 272 slaves – black men, women, and children, including the 2-month-old baby – were loaded, locked away like animals, and transported for sale to plantations across the South. One Georgetown alumnus discovered this and determined to take steps to reconcile the history. With the help of a Georgetown history professor, he tracked down the descendants of those slaves who had been sold and was finally able to discover one person, a distant relative, Maxine Crump. He contacted Ms. Crump and shared the history, the truth with her.[3] 

What will the school offer in exchange for all that was lost? We don't know the answer. But that’s not really the point. The point is to make personal efforts. The point is to take one step from where we are toward reconciliation – the restoration of relationship. That’s the work of reparation. That’s the work of the gospel. 

A Call to the Church 

As I close, I would like to share Dr. King’s call to the church from his letter from Birmingham Jail: 

There was a time when the church was very powerful—in the time when the early Christians rejoiced at being deemed worthy to suffer for what they believed. In those days the church was not merely a thermometer that recorded the ideas and principles of popular opinion; it was a thermostat that transformed the mores of society. . . . But the judgment of God is upon the church [today] as never before. If today’s church does not recapture the sacrificial spirit of the early church, it will lose its authenticity, forfeit the loyalty of millions, and be dismissed as an irrelevant social club with no meaning for the 20th century. 

His prophetic voice still rings as true today as it did in 1963. So sisters and brothers in Christ, in humility love let us listen, confess, reparate. Let us love one another. Amen. 

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[1] “Committee on Mission to North America, Pastoral Letter on Racism, Approved at the March 2004 MNA Committee Meeting as the Committee’s Recommendation to the Thirty-Second General Assembly.” http://www.pca-mna.org/churchplanting/PDFs/RacismPaperFinal%20Version%2004-09-04.pdf. 

[2] “John Piper Breaks Down Where Reformed Christians Have Gone Wrong With Racial Injustice,” https://relevantmagazine.com/god/john-piper-breaks-down-where-reformed-christians-have-gone-wrong-with-racial-injustice/ 

[3] Latasha Morrison, Be the Bridge (p. 185). The Crown Publishing Group. Kindle Edition.

“Strength to Love” (1 John 3:11-18, 23-24)

For Such a Time as This 

Jesus said, “In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world” (Jn 16:33, NIV). Based on this truth the apostle John is writing to Christian people in the first century who were having a very difficult time, knowing persecution and suffering and misunderstanding.

Today the Holy Spirit, through John, is speaking to Christians (“us”) in the 21st century who are living a very difficult time, knowing divisions and injustice and brokenness. In my pastoral letter this week I shared reopening can be harder than closing the church because things can get ugly and messy very quickly, throwing stones of accusation to those who have different COVID-19 recovery convictions. We already see these things happening around us. Also, as Christians we are mourning the tragic death of George Floyd, an African American brutally treated by Minneapolis police officers this past week.

In such a time as this, where do we find hope? For such a time as this, John is writing this letter to comfort, to encourage, and to help Christian people in all ages in distress.

God’s Great Plan of Salvation 

Basically, John’s message is something like this: “Don’t get down and discouraged because of what’s happening right in front of you. See things from God’s perspective. You should never lose sight of the great plan of salvation. With that in mind, remember who you are. You are children of God. You are in fellowship with God. You abide in him, and he abides in you.”

From today’s passage I would like to draw your attention to one particular verse, which is verse 24: 

“All who obey his commandments abide in him, and he abides in them. And by this we know that he abides in us, by the Spirit that he has given us.” 

In this particular verse John proclaims a great truth and doctrine concerning the Holy Spirit. As we study this verse, we ought to discuss the place of the Holy Spirit in the great plan of salvation. God’s salvation story starts way back in the Garden of Eden when man and woman fell and when God spoke and gave a promise. Then, God rescued Noah and his family out of the great flood. Then, God called Abraham and made a covenant with him, saying, “I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you, and make your name great, so that you will be a blessing” (Gen 12:2). Since then, God’s people increased greatly as God had promised. But then, they were oppressed by the Egyptians. Then, God chose Moses, and through him God delivered his people out of Egypt. So they crossed the Red Sea and entered the Promised Land. But there, the Israelites forgot what God had done for them. Instead, they followed detestable customs of the people who had lived in the land before them. So God kept sending his messengers – judges, kings, prophets. But they didn’t listen to them.

But our God is able. He had a plan – perfect plan to save his people. God declared his plan, called a new covenant, through the prophets Jeremiah and Ezekiel and Joel. Through the mouth of Jeremiah God said to his people,

“I will put my law within you, and I will write it on your hearts; and I will be your God, and you shall be my people” (Jer 31:33).

Again, through the mouth of Ezekiel God declared,

“A new heart I will give you, and a new spirit I will put within you; and I will remove from your body the heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh. I will put my spirit within you, and make you follow my statutes and be careful to observe my ordinances” (Ezk 36:26-27).

Again, through the mouth of Joel God proclaimed,

“Then afterward I will pour out my spirit on all flesh; your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, and your young men shall see visions” (Joel 2:28).

Then, how did God fulfill this promise? When the time had full come, God sent his one and only Son Jesus. He lived. He died. He arose from the grave and ascended into Heaven. Then, as God promised, through Christ Jesus he has sent the Holy Spirit. So on the Day of Pentecost the Holy Spirit came down, entered the hearts of God’s people, and began to abide in them. All these events are part of the great plan of salvation, and the sending of the Holy Spirit upon his people, his Church on the Day of Pentecost is the ultimate fulfillment of the promise of God, the climax of God’s salvation story.

What Is a Christian? 

So what is a Christian? A Christian is one who has received the Holy Spirit. That is New Testament definition and terminology. We cannot be a Christian unless we have received the gift of the Holy Spirit – born of the Spirit, born again, God abiding in us. We have received the Holy Spirit, and we are therefore what we are. That is the Christian.

Then, how do we know that we have received the Holy Spirit? One of the surest signs that we have the Spirit is to honor Jesus, love Jesus, glorify Jesus with all our hearts. In John 16:14 Jesus said, “He [the Holy Spirit] will glorify me, because he will take what is mine and declare it to you.” Probably many of you know the hymn, “When I Survey the Wondrous Cross” written by Isaac Watts. Charles Wesley said that he would give up all the hymns he had penned if he could have written this hymn. In this great hymn Isaac Watts invites us to join him at the foot of the cross and witness the pain and shock of Jesus’ death:

“See, from his head, his hands, his feet,sorrow and love flow mingled down.Did e’er such love and sorrow meet,or thorns compose so rich a crown?

If we don’t have the Holy Spirit, when we hear this song or read Calvary Story, it’s just a historical fact or a fairy tale, containing a horrible death. It’s a terribly boring, meaningless, irrelevant story. But, if we have the Holy Spirit, this Calvary Story becomes so real, so meaningful, so personal, so transforming, and we cannot but join Isaac Watts in singing:

“Were the whole realm of nature mine,That were an offering far too small;Love so amazing, so divine,Demands my soul, my life, my all.”

That’s the work of the Holy Spirit. That’s the evidence that we have received the Holy Spirit - glorifying Jesus with all that we are.

Strength to Love 

According to John, by the Spirit that God has given us we have power and strength to love. In the early church there were all kinds of diverse groups of people: Jews and Gentiles, slaves and frees, males and females, pacifists and zealots. Different convictions concerning race, gender, politics, and religion. When John said, “We should love one another” (v. 11), I believe he kept all these people in mind. Jesus laid down his life for us. And now he gives the Holy Spirit to everyone who trusts him. By the Spirit we have strength to love – not only like-minded people, but also those who have different convictions, and those who are difficult people. Not just do we tolerate them, but we ought to love them to the extent of laying down our lives for them” (v. 16).

Once a Korean pastor shared a testimony about a teenager girl in his church. She grew up in a broken family and lived with her aunt. She was a Christian and went to church every Sunday, but her aunt was a Buddhist and didn’t like her to go to church. So they used to fight every Sunday. One Sunday afternoon, after service the girl prayed on the way home, “Father, I don’t want to fight with my aunt, but I can’t. I don’t have strength to love her. Lord, I know your Spirit lives in me. I will let the Holy Spirit within me meet my aunt and love her, instead of me.” Then, as soon as she opened the door, as always her aunt began to yell and swear at her. But strangely enough, she didn’t feel hurt or angry, instead she felt compassion, and her aunt looked lovely, so she hugged her aunt, and cried, and said, “I am sorry. Today you look thin and worn. It’s because of me. You have been working so hard to take care of me.” Both of them wept. On that day her aunt received Jesus as her Lord and Savior. Surely we ourselves do not have strength to love even one person! But the Holy Spirit within us is able. Let the Holy Spirit within you love others!

Shower of Love 

John says, “We must not be like Cain” (v. 12). Cain and Abel were brothers. They both brought sacrifices to God. Cain is not presented as an atheist; he is presented as a worshiper. On the surface, he did everything Abel did. He masqueraded as a true believer. But there was a real test. The real test was his love for the brethren. And here Cain failed.

How do we know that we are children of God? How do we know that we are Christians? The real test is our love for others. And only by the Spirit we have strength to love. So we need the Holy Spirit. We ought to be filled with the Holy Spirit. Martyn Lloyd-Jones describes the filling of the Holy Spirit in this way:[1]

A man and his little child [are] walking down the road and they are walking hand in hand, and the child knows that he is a child of his father, and he knows that his father loves him, and he rejoices in that, and he is happy in it. There is no uncertainty about it at all, but suddenly the father, moved by some impulse, takes hold of the child and picks him up, fondles him in his arms, kisses him, embraces him, showers his love upon him, and then he puts him down again and they go on walking together.

Have you seen something like this? Have you tasted this kind of love? My prayer is that by the Holy Spirit God may take us to Calvary at the foot of the cross and shower his love upon us again and again, so that we can love others. Amen.

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[1] Douglas Banister, The Word and Power Church (p. 49). Zondervan. Kindle Edition.

“Born of God” (1 John 3:1-10)

Remember Who You Are

What excites you today? Many of us had a rough week. Thousands had to evacuate after two dams failed in Michigan, leading to a historic flooding. More than 80 were killed in India and Bangladesh as cyclone Amphan made landfall. And plus, we hear news that almost 100,000 died from COVID-19 in the US. As we are all going through this coronavirus pandemic crisis, grieving over the loss of those who died from it, and practicing this long isolating season, some of us find ourselves wake up discouraged and don’t feel like getting out of bed, thinking, “What’s the point of life?”

Christians, in John’s day, were severely ostracized and persecuted. It just became harder and harder for them to be together for worship and fellowship. So some of them began to forget who they were when they couldn’t be together. They developed a kind of spiritual dementia and forgot their true identity. They were discouraged and confused. So, in today’s passage John, as a pastor, reminds God’s people who they are, saying, “Beloved, remember who you are. You are children of God now” (v. 2). In the general sense all people are children of God because God created them all. But here John is not talking about the universal fatherhood of God. Here John is saying, “Every time you feel discouraged, remember this: You were not children of God before, but now you are his children in the intimate, spiritual sense. So be ye glad! Be ye encouraged!”

More Than Adoption

Paul proclaims the same spiritual truth by using “adoption metaphor,” saying, “Once you were dead in your sins. You lived in sin, just like the rest of the world, obeying the devil. All of us lived according to our own desires and sinful nature. By nature we were children of wrath. But in God’s great mercy we have been saved by grace through faith. We have been adopted into God’s family. And now we call him “Abba, Father!”” (cf. Eph 2:1-9; Rom 8:5) How precious! How glorious! One Christian couple in my previous church fostered over 500 children since 1969. And they have adopted 6 children. Every time I think of the couple and their family, I remember this truth: “We have been adopted into God’s family. We are God’s children now.”

But John goes further by saying, “Yes, we are God’s children by adoption. But it’s more than adoption. We are God’s children by new birth!” What does it mean by that? Suppose you find a child and want to adopt him into your family. You take him, and you love him. You influence him with love and care, but you cannot change his personality and temperament that he has from his biological parents. You just cannot change it. However, when God adopts us into his family, he moves in by his Holy Spirit, gives us a new heart, new affections, new nature, so that we may become his children inside and outside. In verse 9 John puts it in this way: “No one born of God makes a practice of sinning, for God's seed abides in him, and he cannot keep on sinning because he has been born of God” (ESV). Yes, we have been adopted into God’s family. But there’s more. We have been born of God! We are God’s children by new birth!

By Jesus’s Appearing

But again, John doesn’t not assume that everyone is children of God. He says, “Examine yourselves to see whether you are children of God. Test yourselves.” Then, how do we know that we are children of God? If in doubt, how can we become children of God? According to John, there are two answers – from God’s part and our part. First, we become children of God by Jesus’s appearing (vv. 5, 8b). The Bible doesn’t say that we are ok just as we are. Instead, the Bible does say that when we are born, we have sinful nature, and we are in sin. What is sin? Sin is lawlessness (v. 4b). John Piper describes lawlessness like this:[1]

Lawlessness is living as though your own ideas are superior to God's. Lawlessness says, "God may demand it, but I don't prefer it." Lawlessness says, "God may promise it, but I don't want it." Lawlessness replaces God's law with my contrary desires. I become a law to myself. Lawlessness is rebellion against the right of God to make laws and govern his creatures.

Sin is lawlessness. Little Judy was riding in the car with her father. She decided to stand up in the front seat. Her father commanded her to sit down and put on the seat belt, but she declined. He told her a second time, and again she refused. “If you don’t sit down immediately, I’ll pull over to the side of the road and spank you!” Dad finally said, and at this the little girl obeyed. But in a few minutes she said quietly, “Daddy, I’m still standing up inside.”[2] Lawlessness! Rebellion! Rebellion against God and His righteous law is the essence of sin. But Jesus appeared to take away sins. Jesus appeared to destroy the works of the devil, who is the origin of sin. Jesus came to live and die and rise again, and somehow that did destroy sin. So now sin is conquered, and the works of the devil is destroyed. By his appearing Jesus started the adoption process. By his appearing Jesus opened the door. This is the first step to become God’s children.

By Our New Birth

The second step is our part. We must be born of God, born again, born anew, to become his children. How can we be born of God? 1 John 5:1 answers this question, “Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ has been born of God.” When we humbly trust Jesus and believe in him as the Christ, the Son of God, who takes away our sins and destroys the works of the devil, God puts his seed, his nature, his spirit in us. Then, for the first time we hate sin. We don’t love sin any more. We don’t make a practice of sin. We can’t keep on sinning, because we are children of God now, because sinning makes our Father grieve. So we don’t sin. We can’t sin. But instead, for the first time, we take delight in God’s law. “Oh, how I love your law! It is my meditation all day long” (Ps 119:97). These are the words of God’s children.

We become children of God by new birth. So now we Christians, God’s children, have two natures – the old and the new. One time a Sunday school teacher was explaining the Christian’s two natures to a class of teenagers. “Our old nature came from Adam,” he explained, “and our new nature comes from Christ, who is called ‘the Last Adam.’” Then he continued, “This means there are two ‘Adams’ living in me.” And he asked the class, “What is the practical value of this truth?” The class was silent for a moment, and then a student spoke up. “This idea of the ‘two Adams’ really helps me in fighting temptation,” he said. “When temptation comes knocking at my door, if I send the first Adam to answer, I’ll sin. But if I send the Last Adam, I’ll get victory.”[3] Children of God do not make a practice of sin. Instead, they keep themselves pure, just as their Father is pure (v. 3).

Live Like Children of God!

There is a story I always remember. It’s a story about a man who found a young eagle which had fallen out of his nest. He took it home and put it with his chickens in his barnyard. The young eagle grew up with all the other chickens. Whatever the chickens did, the eagle also did. The eagle thought it was a chicken. One day a naturalist passed by the farm and found the young eagle among the chickens. After the farmer’s permission, the naturalist took the eagle to the roof of the house and urged him, saying, “You are an eagle. Stretch forth your wings and fly.” But the eagle was confused and afraid of his unknown self and world and jumped down for the chicken food. Once more, the naturalist took the eagle out of the barnyard to a high mountain. There he held the eagle high above him and encouraged him again, saying, “You are an eagle. You belong to the sky. Stretch forth your wings and fly.” The eagle looked around, began to tremble. Slowly he stretched his wings, and with a triumphant cry, soared away into the heavens, never to return to the barnyard.[4]

Let us come and hear the God of encouragement who speaks to the heart today: “Remember who you. You are children of God. Live like sons and daughters of God. Don’t shuffle along, eyes to the ground, absorbed with the things right in front of you. Lift up! Look up! Set your hearts on things above. Live for eternity!” May the Lord give us grace to look up and soar like an eagle. May we never return to the barnyard and live like spiritual chickens. Amen.

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[1] John Piper, “The Son of God Appeared to Destroy the Works of the Devil,” (Dec 23, 1984), Desiring God, https://www.desiringgod.org/messages/the-son-of-god-appeared-to-destroy-the-works-of-the-devil

^[2] Warren W. Wiersbe, Be Real (1 John): Turning from Hypocrisy to Truth (pp. 109-110). David C Cook. Kindle Edition.

[3] Ibid., 117-118.

[4] Bill Bright, “A Chicken Or An Eagle?” https://www.crosswalk.com/devotionals/insights-from-bill-bright/a-chicken-or-an-eagle-jan-13.html

“Keep the Fire Burning” (1 John 2:18-28)

The Last Hour 

We are living in crisis days – in the last hour. The Apostle John, our spiritual father, says, “Children, it is the last hour!” According to the Bible, since the first coming of Jesus Christ (2,000 years ago) “the last hour” has already started. We have always been living in the last hour. But some of you may wonder, “But if it was ‘the last hour’ in John’s day, why has Jesus not yet returned?” Concerning this question, the Scripture gives us the answer: “With the Lord a day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like a day. The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance” (2 Peter 3:8-9). God works in human time, but he is above time.

Jesus says that there will be signs of the last hour. In Luke 21:10-11 Jesus says, “Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be great earthquakes, famines and pestilences in various places, and fearful events and great signs from heaven.” We have seen some of those signs already. And by this we know that we are living in the last hour. Jesus also says that one of the surest signs of the last hour is the rise of false prophets. Jesus says, “Many false prophets will rise and lead many astray, if possible, even God’s chosen ones” (Matt 24:11, 24). Nowadays we are busy with cleaning and disinfecting our homes and our community facilities. But above all else, the most important and urgent thing to do in this last hour is to cleanse, purify, guard our heart and our church from false teaching. The Bible says, “Examine yourselves to see whether you are in the faith; test yourselves” (2 Co 13:5a). So it’s important that we know what we believe and why we believe it.

Antichrists 

John says, “Children, it is the last hour!” Then, he continues, “How do we know that we’re in the last hour? The evidence for this is that even now many antichrists have come. And from this we know that it is the last hour” (v. 18). Who are antichrists? The Antichrist refers to the man of lawlessness who will head up the final world rebellion against Christ (2 Th 2:3). John tells us the details in the Book of Revelation. But here in his letter antichrists refer to a broader group, that is, “false teachers.”

In John’s time there was a group of people who denied that Jesus is the Christ. To be more precise, they denied that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, come in the flesh. They said that the eternal Christ had come upon a mere man Jesus at his baptism and had left him on the cross. So that the Christ, the Son of God never died; it was the man Jesus who died – Christ had left him before death. They talked about Jesus, but they denied that Jesus is the Christ. They denied the reality of the Incarnation – God became flesh – central Christian doctrine. We still see these false teachers today, who would say, “We worship one God. We worship the Father. We believe in God the Father, even though we disagree with you about Jesus Christ.” Without a right view of the Son Jesus we cannot have a right view of the Father. John says, “No one who denies the Son has the Father; everyone who confesses the Son has the Father also” (v. 22). So the key question for a Christian is “Who is Jesus Christ to you?” Is Jesus merely “an example,” “a good man,” or “a wonderful teacher”? Or is He the Son of God come in the flesh?

The Word of God 

Then and now, in John’s time and in our time, in this last hour the devil and his false prophets prowl around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour (1 Peter 5:8). They are out there to “seduce” the faithful. The devil’s purpose is to lead Christians astray by teaching them false doctrines, especially concerning the person of Christ (2 Cor. 11:1–4, 13–15).

So now, John draws attention to the two safeguards which will protect us from being led astray. The first safeguard is the Word of God. He says, “Let what you heard from the beginning abide in you” (v. 24a). Let the Word abide in you richly! Go back to basics, the apostles’ teaching and testimony, the gospel message. Timothy Keller rightly said, “The gospel is not just the ABC of the Christian life, but the A to Z of the Christian life.” Paul warns us in this way, “You must understand this, that in the last days distressing times will come… when people will not put up with sound doctrine, but having itching ears, they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own desires… They are always learning but never able to acknowledge the truth” (2 Tim 3:1, 7; 4:3). But as for you, Christians, go back to basics! Hold fast to the Word of God. Believe in the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Believe in Jesus as the Son of God. Believe in Jesus who was conceived by the Holy Spirit and born of the Virgin Mary. Believe in Jesus who suffered, crucified, died and was buried. Believe in Jesus who rose again on the third day and ascended into heaven. Believe in Jesus who is seated at the right hand of the Father. Believe in Jesus who will come again to judge the living and the dead. Let the Word abide in you!

In John Bunyan’s Pilgrim’s Progress Christian and his travel companion Hopeful entered into the wilderness – dry and rough. Their souls became more and more discouraged. Then they saw the parallel meadow called By-path Meadow. So they crossed over and were walking on the parallel path, they found it much easier on their feet. But then it began to grow dark and rain with thunder and lightning. They got lost. They found a cave shelter and fell asleep there. Then, they were captured by Giant Despair and thrown into the dungeon of Doubting Castle. The giant said to them, “You will never get out alive!” For three days and three nights the giant beat them without mercy. He gave them no food or drink. There seemed no hope of release. They even saw the skulls in the dungeon. After three days, they fell into despair. But on the third night, Christian and Hopeful began to pray. And all of sudden, Christian exclaimed, “I just remembered I have a key called Promise! I believe it will open any lock in Doubting Castle!” And they used the key and were able to safely escape from the castle.[1]

Are you stuck in doubting castle? You have the key Promise. You have the Word. Let the Word abide in you richly. Immerse yourselves in the Word, love the Word, pray the Word, memorize the Word, live in the Word! And the Word will deliver you from Giant Despair and guard you from the deceiver and the antichrist.

The Spirit of God 

The second safeguard is the Spirit of God. John says, “As for you, the anointing that you received from him abides in you” (v. 27a). So abide in the Spirit! Be filled with the Spirit! It is the Holy Spirit who enables us to know the truth and understand the Word. It is the Holy Spirit who keeps the Word alive. It is the Holy Spirit who speaks to the heart. Jesus said to his disciples, “When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth.” Jesus also said, “But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you everything, and remind you of all that I have said to you” (John 14:13a, 26).

The Holy Spirit gives Christians spiritual understanding which the natural person doesn’t have. William Wilberforce was an English politician, and he was a leader of anti-slavery movement. He had a conversion experience when he was 26 years old. He was also a close friend of William Pitt who was a youngest Prime Minister, a man of great knowledge and capabilities. One Sunday Pitt and Wilberforce went to church together. That Sunday a pastor preached on “How to be filled with the Holy Spirit.” Wilberforce thought that it was the best sermon that he had ever heard. So after the service, Wilberforce couldn’t wait to share his thoughts about the message. But his friend Pitt started a conversation first. He said to Wilberforce, “Did you understand what the preacher said this morning? I tried hard to pay attention to him, but I couldn’t understand what he was talking about.” Wilberforce was shocked by what his friend said. Then he realized that only those who had received the Holy Spirit would have spiritual understanding.

This morning we sang “Spirit of the Living God.” Indeed, we need humble and open heart before the Spirit. “Spirit of the living God, fall afresh on me! Spirit of the living God, fall afresh on me! Melt me, mold me, fill me, use me! Spirit of the living God, fall afresh on me!” “Speak, Lord, for your servant is listening.” So abide in the Spirit. Be filled with the Spirit. And the Spirit will guide you, teach you, remind you, and protect you from deception.

Keep the Fire Burning 

As I close, let me tell you about the story of a monk. He tried to pray, but he couldn’t concentrate on it. He felt distracted, dull and depressed. So he went to the abbot for advice, asking, “How can I pray without distracting thoughts?” “How can I feel energized and refreshed?” The abbot took him to the kitchen, and he showed a caldron, and he said, “When the caldron is cold, flies swarm. But when the caldron is hot, no fly can cling to it.” After that, the monk went to the prayer room, he lifted his hands and prayed fervently to be filled with the Holy Spirit.

We are living in the last hour. Now is the time to examine ourselves to see whether we are in the faith. Now is the time to ask ourselves, “Who is Jesus Christ to me?” and believe in the Gospel. Now is the time to turn around, humble ourselves, and return to God. Let the Word of God abide in you. Abide in the Spirit of God. Keep the fire burning. Then, when Christ Jesus returns, you will have confidence and not be put to shame before him. Amen.

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[1] John Bunyan, Pilgrim’s Progress (Illustrated): Updated, Modern English. More than 100 Illustrations. (Bunyan Updated Classics) (p. 134). Aneko Press. Kindle Edition.

“Christian Love” (1 John 2:7-11)

Are You a True Christian?

“What does it mean to be a Christian?” “How do you know that you are a true Christian?” That’s the core question that the Apostle John is asking and also answering in his letter. In John’s time there were certain people called Gnostics who laid claim to some special knowledge, some mystical experience. They elevated themselves as “super-spiritual” Christians. For example, they would say, “If you have not had the experience of seeing a ball of fire and feeling that the whole room has been illuminated, you are not true Christians.” But in his letter John is telling us that the way to test ourselves is not to seek for some mystical experience, but to examine our conduct and our lives! John says it is not experience, not feelings, not vision that enables us to say that we are Christians. Singing the right songs, using the right vocabulary, praying the right prayers – these are not the things that John puts first. According to John, the surest sign of the true Christian is our love to God and our love toward other people.

In today’s passage John says, “Beloved, I am writing you no new commandment, but an old commandment that you have had from the beginning… Yet I am writing you a new commandment that is true in him and in you…” (vv. 7-8a). So here, what is an old commandment? What is a new commandment? As we answer these two questions, we will learn what it means to be a true Christian. First of all, what is an old commandment? In this context, the old commandment refers to Leviticus 19:18, saying “Love your neighbor as yourself.” Then, what about a new commandment? In fact, it was Jesus who used the term “a new commandment” for the first time in John 13:34, saying, “A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another.” Why is this called a new commandment? It is new at least in three ways.

New in Character

First, it is new in character, new in quality. The old commandment says, “Love your neighbor as yourself.” Here the standard of love is ourselves. We love ourselves, but not always – not always in a balanced and healthy way. For example, we know it’s not good for ourselves to eat too much, or too many sweets, but we eat anyway. In a word, even our love toward ourselves is broken, not perfect. But now, Jesus gives us the new, perfect standard: “Love your neighbor as I have loved you.” So the first mark of the true Christian is to love others with Christ’s love.

It is amazing to think of how Jesus has loved his people. Look at the twelve disciples. How they must have broken Jesus’ heart again and again as they argued over who was the greatest or tried to keep people from seeing their Master. But Christ’s love was deep and broad enough to embrace each one in a personal way. He was patient with Peter’s impulsiveness, Thomas’s unbelief, John and James’ hot temper, and even Judas’s treachery. Consider too Christ’s love for all kinds of people. Jesus understood and loved spiritually hungry Rabbi Nicodemus who came to see him privately at night. Jesus loved and forgave a woman caught in the act of adultery. Jesus even loved and healed Malchus who came to arrest him in the garden.

One of the best places that we can see most clearly what Christ’s love looks like can be found in 1 Corinthians 13: “Christ’s love is patient and kind. Christ’s love does not envy, not boast. Christ’s love is not proud, not rude, not self-seeking, not easily angered. Christ’s love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. Christ’s love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Christ’s love never fails!”  Christ has loved each of us with this agape love, and now he commands his disciples to do the same: “Love one another as I have loved you.” True Christians are those who love others as Jesus has loved them.

New in Extent

The second mark of true Christians is to love their enemies as well as their friends. The old commandment says, “Love your neighbor as yourself.” Who is my neighbor? For Israel in the Old Testament, “my neighbor” was my people, the people of Israel, those who look like me, think like me, talk like me, behave like me. That was their definition of neighbor. But Jesus gives us a new understanding of the old truth. According to Jesus, the “neighbor” we must love is anyone who needs our compassion and help, regardless of race, class, gender, background, and includes our enemy. One day a lawyer asked Jesus, “What must I do to inherit eternal life?” Jesus said, “Love your God and love your neighbor.” Then the man asked, “Who is my neighbor?” Jesus told him a story: A man was attacked by robbers on his way to Jericho. He was half dead. And by chance a priest was going down that road. When he saw the man lying there, he passed by. A Levite religious man showed up. He also avoided the injured man. But a certain Samaritan came along, and when he saw the man, he had compassion on him and helped him. As we know, in Jesus’ time Jews and Samaritans didn’t associate with each other. They were the enemies to each other. But this Samaritan helped and loved the Jewish man anyway. At the end of the story Jesus asked, “What do you think? Which of the three was a neighbor to the man attacked by robbers?” According to Jesus, the “neighbor” we must love is everyone, all the people, including our enemy.

Jesus restored the true meaning of the old commandment and extended the definition of “neighbor” in this way: “You have heard the law that says, `Love your neighbor' and hate your enemy. But I say, love your enemies! Pray for those who persecute you! Bless those who curse you. Do good to those who hate you. In that way, you will be acting as true children of your Father in heaven.” (Matt 5:43-45a NLT). And he showed the perfect example how he loved his enemies on the cross. As they crucified him, mocking him, making fun of him, dividing up his clothes, Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing” (Luke 23:34). Jesus died for his enemies as well as his followers. True Christians are those who love their enemies, forgive those who did harm, and pray for difficult, unloving people.

New in Power

The first mark of the true Christian is loving others with Christ’s love. The second mark is loving the enemies. The third mark is loving others by the power of the Holy Spirit. If we are honest with ourselves, we soon realize that it’s impossible to love others as Jesus has loved us. We realize that it’s impossible to love our enemies. By nature, we are self-centered and hateful. But when we trust Christ, we receive a new life and a new nature. We receive the Spirit of Jesus. The Bibles says, “God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit that has been given to us!” (Rom 5:5) So I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. And Christ enables me to love my enemy with His love. In Romans 12 the Apostle Paul tells us a new, wonderful life in the Holy Spirit. He says, “[Now by the power of the Holy Spirit] you get to feed your enemies, when they are hungry. You get to give them something to drink, when they are thirsty… [Now you have strength to love by the power of the Holy Spirit]… So do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good” (Rom 12:20-21, my paraphrase).

Abraham Lincoln is one of those who lived a life of love by the power of the Holy Spirit. When he was campaigning for the presidency, one of his archenemies was a man named Stanton. For some reason Stanton hated Lincoln. He used every ounce of his energy to degrade him in the eyes of the public. But in spite of this Lincoln was elected President of the United States. Then the time came when he had to select his cabinet. At that time one of the most important posts was Secretary of War. Can you imagine whom Lincoln chose to fill this post? Stanton! All his advisers said, “Mr. President, you are making a mistake. Don’t you remember all of the ugly things he said about you? He is your enemy. He will seek to sabotage your program.” Lincoln calmly answered, “Yes, I know Mr. Stanton. I am aware of all the terrible things he has said about me. But after looking over the nation, I find he is the best man for the job.” So Stanton became Abraham Lincoln’s Secretary of War. Not many years later Lincoln was assassinated. Many beautiful eulogies were said about him. But the words of Stanton remain among the greatest. Standing near the dead body of the man he once hated, Stanton referred to him as one of the greatest men that ever lived and said “he now belongs to the ages.” Indeed, Lincoln did overcome evil with good. He loved his enemy with Christ’s love. And through the power of the Holy Spirit Lincoln transformed an enemy into a friend.

Choose Love

So how do we know that we are true Christians? According to John, we know by asking these three following questions:  

• Do I love others as Jesus has loved me? [new in character]
• Do I love my enemies as well as my friends? [new in extent]
• Do I love others by the power of the Holy Spirit? [new in power] 

As we are coping with COVID-19 and navigating the recovery and next steps, we experience dissensions and disagreements between friends and family, between political parties, between pastors and leadership teams. Optimistic people call cautious people “soft.” The cautious label the optimists “reckless.” We may read the Bible faithfully and pray fervently, but if we have hatred in our heart, we are actually blinded. We are walking in the darkness. We are on the wrong track. Let us listen to Jesus’ command with new understanding: “I give you a new commandment, that you love one another. Just as I have loved you, you also should love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another." (John 13:34-35). So sisters and brothers in Christ, let us choose love! Amen.