120-Overcoming the World with the Father's Love#
120-Overcoming the World with the Father's Love
(JP Text Group - Grace Grass Compilation)
1 John 2:15-17
15 Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. 16 For all that is in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—is not of the Father but is of the world. 17 And the world is passing away, and the lust of it; but he who does the will of God abides forever.
Let us begin with a prayer:
Heavenly Father, we thank You for allowing us to worship You together. Only Your love can help us overcome the world and the lusts of the world, which Jesus Christ accomplished for us on the cross. When Your love fills my heart, I will not be entangled by the world.
You give me strength and the ability to break free from this world and enjoy freedom in Your love. Those who come before You with burdens, You lift their burdens and grant them rest. Those who come before You with sickness, You grant them health, for the Bible says that all who seek Him, Jesus healed them. We receive Your health, Your completeness, and Your provision. Bless the time that follows, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, Amen!
Can we understand what this passage is really saying? Do not love the world or the things in the world—can we do that? No, because you all misunderstand, so you cannot. Do you want to love this world? "Yes" is the right answer. If you do not love this world, you actually do not love God. Who created this world? God created this world, is it not perfect? We should love the world, but why does the Bible say: Do not love the world and the things in the world?
Many people have a misunderstanding of the Bible, saying: "Do not always pray for the little things at home; you should pray for heavenly things. Do not always think about earthly things; think about heavenly things. Do not always ask for your children to be healthy, because sometimes sickness is also God's love. Do not ask to be very wealthy, because poverty will help you understand who you are..." Have you heard such arguments? Some have. Where is the biblical basis for this?
1 John 2:15, Do not love the world or the things in the world.
If you love this world, you do not love God. Is that true? Is it true that if we love the world, we do not love God? This is a common misunderstanding. We often hear people say: Do not love this world because it is secular; do not always ask for your little matters at home; that is secular, and such requests are vain; God will not give them to you, but will instead discipline you.
In such arguments, we become fearful, afraid that if we ask for the wrong things, God will discipline us. This passage tells us that overcoming the world with the Father's love does not mean you should give up this world or hate it, but rather that you should love the world that God created. Those who have believed in the Lord for some years have heard a song, "This is My Father's World..." Is this song good? All things declare God's wonders and greatness. Yet some say: Do not love the world.
Do you know how this poet wrote this song? The poet was a pastor, and this song was written in the 18th century. He lived in a very beautiful farm surrounded by green mountains, beautiful gardens, and orchards. As he walked through them, he wrote this song that brings peace to the heart, describing the world created by the Father as very beautiful. Should we not love the beautiful world that God created?
Brothers and sisters, we should love this world. What God means by not loving the world and the things in it refers to specific matters. When we see this world, we recognize God's great and marvelous creation, right?
There is a sister who has written many hymns, her name is Xiaomin. The Canaan Hymn Selection, has she not written thousands of songs? Most of her songs were written in what circumstances? When she walks in the fields, she finds this world so marvelous, and then the Spirit of God inspires her, and she immediately writes the melody and the score. Isn't that wonderful?
When she praises, she discovers how marvelous God's love is, and then she writes many such hymns. Brothers and sisters, many of her hymns are inspired by the great and marvelous creation of God in nature. We should love the world that God created. The mountains, flowers, and hills are all created by God. For whom were they created? For us.
The world was not created for the devil; it was created for the children of God. Who were the flowers, grass, moon, and sun created for? Of course, they were created for us. Never say that after believing in the Lord, one must be poor or sick to be different from this world. There is a distinction; when you arrive at a train station or a square, you will see some people who are different. Do you say, "Is that a Christian?" Of course not.
Jesus Christ is different from the world; people can see that He is different because He has the power of God upon Him. Amen! Brothers and sisters, God wants us to live out His glory and dignity, not to live like beggars. Indeed, those people are different from the world, but God does not want you to live like that; He wants you to live with the noble identity of being a child of God. Hallelujah! So when David looked up at the night sky, he saw the stars and the moon and wrote this psalm,
Psalm 8:3-4
3 When I consider Your heavens, the work of Your fingers, the moon and the stars, which You have ordained, 4 What is man that You are mindful of him, and the son of man that You visit him?
David saw the starry sky created by God and recognized God's greatness, placing so many stars in the sky. He said: What is man! Brothers and sisters, compared to these stars, is man not particularly small? When you sit in a spaceship flying to the moon, can you see the people on the ground? You cannot see them, but what is man? Standing in that place, he is just a tiny speck. Lying there, he is just a tiny speck. David said: We are nothing, yet God is mindful of us. Amen!
Man has sinned and should have died, but God does not want you to die. He sent His only beloved Son, Jesus, to the world to die for you, paying the price for your sins. He said that there should be no sickness in the world, so He sent Jesus to seek those who are lost.
Earlier, we read Matthew 4, which particularly mentions that when Jesus was preaching, many who were sick, those with epilepsy, and leprosy came to Jesus, and all were healed. These people had no hope in this world, but after Jesus came, He brought hope back to them.
Brothers and sisters, what is man that our God is mindful of him! Because God loves you, just for this reason, He sent His Son to the world to die for your sins, to resurrect you from the dead, to justify you, and He said: No matter what happens, when you pray to Him, He will accomplish it for you. This is our God.
What is man! In reality, man counts for nothing, but our God is willing to care for us. He says: What is man that You are mindful of him! God wants to manifest His love through us, the heavens created by His fingers. This is not a world created by the devil; God loves us and created this world for us, as clearly written in Genesis. After God created everything, He placed Adam and Eve in it to enjoy what He had created.
God placed you in this world to enjoy what Jesus Christ has accomplished for you, but the Bible says not to love the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. The Greek original means: When a person loves the lustful things of the world, he cannot see the Father's love. Amen!
Brothers and sisters, when a person lives desperately for money, can he see the love within the family? We often see that due to issues like demolition, fathers and children become enemies. Why? Because they have been bound by money, unable to see even a bit of familial love, unable to see a bit of warmth in their family. Similarly, we are the same.
When bound by lust, one cannot see the Father's love upon oneself. God does not want us to be bound like this; He wants us to see His love and live. Hallelujah! For all that is in the world is like the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, which are not from the Father but from the world. Here, three things are mentioned. The first is the lust of the flesh; the second is the lust of the eyes; the third is the pride of life; these are not from God but from the world.
It is important to understand what the world is. The world does not refer to the world created by God; it refers to "do not love this world," meaning the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, which are certainly not from God. Many people ask, is Satan created by God? No. Who created Satan? You see, God first created man, then created Satan, and said: Go and discipline these people, because I love them too much, so you go and discipline them. If Satan were created by God, then God would also be evil.
The Bible says: Our God is a completely holy God, a God filled with love; there is not a speck of evil in Him. How could He create evil? Is Satan created by God? No. Let me ask you something: Who creates evil people? No one can create an evil person; one can give birth to a child but cannot determine whether that child is good or evil. One can only say, "I gave birth to my son," but that child may later become an evil person; you cannot say, "I gave birth to an evil person."
Let me explain to the brothers and sisters: The devil is not created by God, but how did he become the devil? The devil's original name was Lucifer, a chief angel, that is, an angel created by God. All angels obey God's words. One day, the chief angel Lucifer rebelled against God's words, and some things entered into him: the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life. These are not from God, but when they entered Lucifer, he thought he wanted to become God and have all the angels worship him, and thus he fell. His name became the devil, meaning the adversary, opposing God.
Just like humans, those created by God are all to obey God's words, but later these two people disobeyed God's words and did not want to listen to God's words, thus they fell. This is Adam and Eve. Amen! Were Adam and Eve originally created evil? No, but what entered them that made them evil? The lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life.
After God created everything, He said that all was good. After creating man, He said, "Very good." What does "very good" mean? It means the best, excellent. God looks at you and says: You are very good. Do you know how the Bible describes the children of God? You are entirely beautiful in God's eyes, without blemish, a kingdom of priests, a glorious king. This is how God sees you.
Was Adam created like this at the beginning? Perfect! God said: Let us make man in our image and likeness. After God created Adam in His own likeness and breathed into him, Adam inherently possessed God's image and likeness, as well as God's authority; he could manage the world.
But the devil began to tempt him, using worldly things: the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, saying: Look at this fruit; is it not very tempting? This fruit looks better than the fruits of other trees, and it is wise; after eating it, you will be able to discern good and evil, and then you will be like God. Is he tempting her with lust? Who is he tempting? Eve. From Eve's perspective, who is the devil thinking of?
Using Brother Liu as Eve, I will be the devil. This is a metaphor. I said: Brother Liu, look at that fruit; how good it looks! After eating it, you will have wisdom, and you can be like God, filled with wisdom, and you will be able to discern good and evil." Who is this for? For you. When you hear this, it sounds right.
He did not say: You pick that fruit for me; after eating it, I will have wisdom and be able to discern good and evil. Would you give it to him? Of course not. The devil seems to be thinking of you, but in reality, his purpose is to kill you. We think this person seems to be genuinely thinking of me. The purpose is very important.
What is the devil's purpose? It is to give him lustful things, the lust of the flesh, is he not giving it to him? Guess what? If Eve had said: Since it is so good, why don't you eat it yourself? Let me see if you will change; can you discern good and evil? But she thought the devil was thinking of her. Seeing that he does not eat, she thinks: You eat, and you can discern good and evil; I will listen to you.
As a result, she was deceived. This is the lust of the flesh and the lust of the eyes. You see that this fruit looks very good; after eating it, you will have wisdom. The more Eve looked at this fruit, the better it looked. Why did this fruit not look good before? And it was also said that after eating it, you will have wisdom and be like God. Is this not the pride of life? In fact, she was already deceived; she was already like God, possessing God's image and likeness. After this thing entered her, she fell.
A righteous person, if these three things enter his heart, will fall. Adam and Eve initially possessed God's wisdom, God's Spirit, and God's image and likeness, but after these three things entered, the Bible calls this the world. After this world entered him, he became an evil person. Therefore, it is said that these are not from the Father but from the world, referring to these three categories, which are secular. Many such things happen continuously in the world, for example, some women, in order to become famous or achieve their position, trade their bodies or dress very provocatively to attract more attention.
In reality, this person is very poor because she is left with only this little thing; she has no more substance. This is her only boast. Christians should dress appropriately; there is no need to be like some secular people, exposing themselves for fame, which is meaningless. You are already a celebrity; in God's eyes, you are already the most precious. Amen!
If anyone loves the world, as mentioned earlier, the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, he cannot see what God has prepared for him. Did Adam and Eve know that God loved them? No, after these three things entered them, they could not see God's love for them. In fact, God loved them so much. God said: You can eat freely from all the trees in the garden.
Is this not love for them? Just the two of them managing the world; is this love not great enough? Which father would say: The whole world is yours; you can play and eat freely; I have prepared everything for you? This is our Father's love, but they did not see it; they were blinded by the things of this world.
John tells us: If anyone loves the world, it refers to the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, the love of God is not in him. Because he wants to control the world through his own love, some say: So-and-so does not love the Lord enough because he is secular. In fact, this is not true. Many people do not want to believe in the Lord because they are secular? No, it is because they do not recognize God's love. People do not want to accept Jesus because they are secular? No, it is because they do not understand how much Jesus loves them. If they knew how much Jesus loved them, they could overcome the world. Hallelujah!
The meaning of the Bible is that they do not know how much Jesus loves them, which is why they behave so worldly. When a person is immersed in the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, or the pride of life, it is because he does not understand how much God loves him. He tries hard to make some compensations to fill the emptiness in his heart, or that insecurity makes him jealous of others, unwilling to bless others. When others are blessed, he will still be jealous.
There are such people in every company. They do not want their colleagues to receive more bonuses, do not want them to be promoted, which is actually out of jealousy. He looks down on those who are not as good as him, and he is jealous of those who are better than him, speaking ill of them behind their backs. Because of jealousy, he does not know how much God loves him, and this is the reason.
Many people in Jesus Christ will also be like this. Because when this enters us, we will judge others. For example, when we see some people blessed, he says: My blessings have decreased. He cannot believe that this great God still loves him today. God can bless everyone; this is our God's greatness, able to supply every person in the world. Amen!
God does not need to sacrifice the interests of one person to bless another. Brothers and sisters, our God does not need to do this. Why do some people steal? Because they do not believe in God's provision; they want to take it themselves. Why do some people engage in extramarital affairs? Because they do not believe that God can satisfy them in their marriage. Why do some people lie? Because people do not want to hear the truth; the truth is more hurtful. I used to think this way too; the truth is more hurtful, and one should be smooth in dealing with others, achieving some goals through lies. In fact, this is something that arises from the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life.
Let me give you a biblical example. There was a man named Jacob. The name Jacob means "to grasp." To what extent did he grasp? What is mine is mine, and what is yours is still mine. Just because he was born a few minutes later than his brother, he desperately wanted to obtain the birthright. In Israel, the firstborn could receive a double portion of the inheritance. To obtain the status of the firstborn, he deceived his brother, using various means to trick his brother out of his birthright and blessings. Is this not lying?
His father asked him: "Are you Esau?" He said: "I am." What was the purpose? To deceive and obtain this blessing. Why did he do such things? Because he was not sure that God would bless him, even if he was not the firstborn, God could still bless him. Before he was born, his mother already knew this. Amen! But his mother still conspired with the younger son to deceive the elder son because he did not believe that God's blessing could come upon him, which is why he acted this way.
Brothers and sisters, do not be like this; believe that God's blessing is upon you, and no one can take it away. What God wants to give you, no one can take away. Thank the Lord, Jacob grasped, but did he gain anything? He did not gain anything. He deceived the birthright and tricked his father, but he still left with nothing, just a staff. Isn't that pitiful? If he had not done this, he would have still been living comfortably at home. Because he relied on himself, he lost everything, was driven out, and his brother wanted to kill him. After he left, did he learn anything? No, because there was no one to rely on, no one to deceive. When he was at Bethel, resting his head on a stone, guess how he spoke to God.
Genesis 28:20-22
20 Then Jacob made a vow, saying, "If God will be with me, and keep me in this way that I am going, and give me bread to eat and clothing to wear, 21 so that I come back to my father's house in peace, then the Lord shall be my God. 22 And this stone which I have set as a pillar shall be God's house, and of all that You give me, I will surely give a tenth to You."
"If You provide me with good food, good drink, and clothing, when I return one day, I will worship You and make You my God."
Brothers and sisters, is this prayer very secular? It is indeed very secular. I do not know if you have ever prayed such things. When I first believed, I prayed, "You must find me a job, give me food and drink, and then I can make You my God. Otherwise, I will not worship You or regard You as God."
Looking back, is this not ridiculous? God says: If you do not regard me as God, what will I lose? Jacob indeed made such a secular prayer. How many churches say do not pray like this; this is a secular prayer, a vain request; do not ask like this; it will not work. The problem is, when Jacob prayed like this, did he receive an answer? He did.
What are you worried about? God said in a dream: I am the God of your grandfather Abraham and the God of Isaac. Today, I will be your God. Wherever you go, I will be with you, and I will bless you. Is God not generous? Although he was very secular, God thought that being not secular was enough. Amen! Although we are very secular, God being not secular is enough. As long as we do not rely on ourselves, relying on ourselves is the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life. But we live by Jesus Christ; Jesus said, there is a blessing for you; wherever you go, He is with you, and He blesses you. Isn't that enough?
After hearing such words, did Jacob really believe in God? No, he went to his uncle Laban and began to grasp what was in his uncle's house. As a result, he encountered an even more cunning person who made him work for twenty years for nothing, marrying two daughters without a penny. Wasn't that more cunning?
After twenty years, Jacob finally realized that all this was God's blessing upon him. If he had relied on himself, he would have been killed by his uncle Laban long ago. This is our God, always giving us opportunities, waiting for us to turn back and realize that the Father's love has always been upon us. When Jacob used that branch as a marker to turn the sheep into his own, God said: I will give these to you; you do not need to do these things, and they will become your sheep. Is it not like this?
Brothers and sisters, when you understand how much the Father loves you, you will not put yourself into the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life. These are all worldly matters. Amen! When living in these, you will not see God's love; you will see the world as gray and white, thinking everyone is deceitful and cheating each other. The Father's love is upon us, and we should preach the Father's love. The reason these people are secular is that they lack the Father's love. Amen!
What do people need? Not more laws to make them afraid, to make them fearful; this is ineffective. After the 9/11 incident in America, for about six months, churches were packed; everyone flocked to the church. The pastors said: Disaster has come; you should know that God's anger has come; be careful. Indeed, it made people afraid; God is so scary; if you are not careful, so many people will die; better listen to God's words. Did this last long? It lasted less than a year, and people returned to their old ways.
Brothers and sisters, using fear and law cannot make people bow before God; these things are temporary. Only the Father's love, when you understand it, will you be willing to stay in God's love for a long time. Understanding that the Father has always loved you will make you willing to be loved by Him. This is particularly important. After understanding this, the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life will naturally disappear.
We should not blindly criticize various lusts; these remind people of very terrible things, just like now when we keep talking about: What problems have arisen? What explosions have occurred? Who has been killed? When we keep telling others this, we bring fear to them, always exaggerating the devil's power. The devil roams like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour. Is it really like this? No, it only devours a portion of people.
Many people, whether online or in the world, always promote how great the devil's power is. "Open the gates of hell; a large group of pastors and elders, you must be careful; you may not be saved." Hell is so terrifying; the first layer of hell has different punishments; do not go there." When you instill this fear in people, they will think: Is there anything scarier? I watch horror movies every day; give me something stimulating; what to do? People do not need these. What people need is to know how much the Father loves them.
When he knows all this, he will no longer fear the devil or various disasters because he knows how much the Father loves him and will help him overcome the world and everything in it. The lusts that come from the world can also be overcome. Amen! Thank the Lord. We need to let the world know how much the Father loves them, and these secular things will naturally fall away. Therefore, the best way to raise a child is to make him smart, to make him listen to you, and to give him more love.
A few days ago, my wife said that she has an older brother at home. Do you know why my mother is not afraid that my brother will not support her in the future? Some elderly people are particularly worried that their sons will not support them when they grow up.
I asked: Why are your parents not worried about this?
She said: "You may not know, my parents have given almost everything to my sister-in-law and my brother." Whatever they want, my parents will satisfy them no matter how difficult it is; they have not kept much for themselves. Over the years, they have satisfied their needs.
Unconditional love is what the son gives to the mother. Brothers and sisters, can you understand this? Never ignore your son; if you have nothing to say, just scold him, saying: When I am old, you must support me. He would rather stay far away from you; if he is so close to you and you scold him every day, he will feel overwhelmed. If parents use all their love for their children, the children will understand that their parents have given everything to them, and their love will also be given back to their parents. Amen!
Our Heavenly Father loves us like this. The Father loves us, sending His only Son to redeem us from our sins. Otherwise, everyone would die, but after Jesus died for our sins, He did not stop loving us. He let the Holy Spirit dwell in every person's heart. Whenever there is a problem, the Holy Spirit will comfort you and help you. Even if you fall, the Holy Spirit will lift you up again.
No matter what problems arise, if there is sickness, Jesus said, I have already been wounded for you; by My stripes, you are healed. Everything you need, our Heavenly Father has provided. It is only because He loves you. Knowing how much the Father loves us will change our lives, allowing us to love those around us and even those who are unlovable. Amen!
Brothers and sisters: Does God love us when we are doing well? Does He still love you when you sin? Yes. Are you sure? Many people do not dare to answer. Let me ask you this: When your son breaks the coffee table, do you love him? Would you kick him to death? Because of love, you may discipline him, but you would never kill him. What about our Heavenly Father? His love is even deeper and broader. Amen!
Not seeing how much God loves us leads us into secularism, into the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life. When we do not see God, we will be very proud. When we see how much God loves us, we will humble ourselves, and these worldly things will not entangle us; they will naturally fall away from us.
Many people despise the world, saying the world is dirty and unclean, and we cannot influence others. I want to tell everyone that in God's eyes, we are glorious and precious. When you see yourself with glory and dignity, do not see yourself as dirty in this world. Knowing you are precious will allow you to live a precious life. If you are a beggar, you will sit anywhere and eat anything. If you see yourself as precious, your life and your style will change, allowing the people of the world to see that we live in the world but are different from the world.
Every time we encounter problems, we should show more determination than the people of the world because we have a Heavenly Father who loves us forever. He will lead us through all difficulties, just as David said, Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil; for You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me. Our God never leaves us; even when difficulties arise, He will comfort us and support us, and we will not fear. Thank the Lord, we can be different from others. Jesus came to the world to help us understand this, teaching us to overcome the world with the Father's love.
Think about it: If Jesus had not come to the world, where would our hope be? When a person is sick or has a terminal illness, where is his hope? It is only with the doctor. If the doctor tells him: I cannot help you either. Where is this person's hope? Is it not completely over? Our hope is in Jesus Christ. Do not love the world or the things in the world; if anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. The reason these people cannot love the Father and cannot stop loving the world is that they do not know the Father's love. The Father's love has not been preached.
Think about yourself: Before you were saved, how did others preach the gospel to you? Jesus loves you; the Father loves you. When you go to church, others suddenly change their faces, saying: You must keep the Ten Commandments; you must do this, you must do that; otherwise, God will discipline you, punish you. If you do not listen, God will use sickness to discipline you; just do not believe that you will not listen.
People only apply the Father's love before salvation. After salvation, they give many rules for people to follow. This is what many churches preach, and these people have to become secular, with the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life all coming out. What is the reason? Because they teach the law, and these people are filled with the law, and these things will inevitably come out.
It is like saying: At first, salvation relies on Jesus, "Believe in Jesus and you will be saved." After salvation? They tell others: "Jesus, go away; bring Moses here to teach these children." Brothers and sisters, if Moses were standing here, what would you hear? "You shall have no other gods before Me; if you dare to worship other idols, you will be killed."
Is this not the content of Moses' teaching? What else do you expect Moses to teach? Isn't it just the law? After people are saved, they give this to others, and they cannot see the Father's love; they can only see fear, see punishment, see discipline, see correction, and they will drift further away from God. Naturally, they will fall into the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life.
Abraham had two wives, one was Sarah, and the other was her maid Hagar. Sarah represents grace, the autonomous woman. Hagar represents the law because Hagar relied on herself to try to change her status. She was originally a maid, and she thought: "I have given birth to a son; my status can change now. Abraham, you should love me and support me to the rightful position." Did she succeed? Because it is the law, she could not gain Abraham's favor; she was still just a maid.
But the autonomous woman, Sarah, had no son, yet Abraham still loved her. After she had a son, Abraham still loved her. Brothers and sisters, it is equivalent to everyone being under grace, all being children of Sarah. One day, Sarah said: "I can no longer support you; hand you over to Hagar to manage." Brothers and sisters, what would happen if you were placed in Hagar's hands? She would mistreat you and discipline you because she is a stepmother; she would rather see you dead to elevate her son. The difference is here.
When the Father's love is not preached, people will fall into the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life because these are not from God but from the world. Who wants us to bring the law into the church and have people attack each other? Of course, it is the devil, because the devil does not want us to believe in righteousness that comes by faith; he only wants us to strive, like Hagar, to elevate ourselves, to rely on our own actions to gain Abraham's favor. If you still think this way, you are already under the law.
Romans 4:13 For the promise that he would be the heir of the world was not to Abraham or to his seed through the law, but through the righteousness of faith.
Why are you blessed by God? Because you are Abraham's descendant. Why, after getting sick, do you say in the name of the Lord Jesus, by His stripes, I am healed? Because you are Abraham's descendant, it is absolutely not because you have believed for many years or because you serve in the church; it is because you are Abraham's descendant who is to inherit the world. Earlier, it was said that you should not love this world; here it says you will inherit the world, referring to the blessings of this world that God wants to give you, not because of the law but because of the righteousness that comes by faith. The latter part says, "If those who are of the law are heirs, faith is made void, and the promise made of no effect."
If you rely on your actions or what you do to make God heal you, your faith becomes void, and God's promises are nullified. Everything we have, salvation is received freely from God; likewise, your healing is also received freely from God; the transformation of your family also comes freely from God. We are merely recipients. Hallelujah!
Romans 4:15 tells us: Because the law brings about wrath; for where there is no law, there is no transgression.
When you see a person being jealous or contentious, they are already filled with the law. Where there is no law, there is no transgression. Amen! If you want to inherit God's blessings and inherit the world, do not let the law be in your heart; you are merely a recipient. Know how much God loves you, and just receive His love; receive His power; receive His healing; receive His provision. It is because He loves you, not for any other reason. Brothers and sisters, do not let anything else fill you.
When people are under the law, and the law is preached, there will be a kind of wrath in their hearts. Because when they see the law, they realize their insufficiency, many problems arise, and they will feel that their relationship with God is getting further away because they feel unworthy. How can they dare to pray to God? If they do not dare to pray to God, they are not sure that God will really bless them because God's wrath and God's love are hard to imagine coexisting. We must come under the love of the Father. Amen!
Everyone comes into this world because they receive love. There is a song in Korean: We come into this world for love, to receive love. Just receive God's love from God, and you will surely give love. Hallelujah! If you do not receive love, the things of this world will fill you. Do not let these things fill you. Amen! When we are not in God's love, do not understand God's love, or have not received God's love, we will be immersed in the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life. These will not bring us closer to God; instead, they will drive us further away from God.
After Adam and Eve sinned, did they draw near to God? They distanced themselves from God. The church should not preach punishment, saying, "Be careful; God will discipline you; God will not let you go." This only drives people further away from God. After Adam and Eve sinned, they saw themselves naked and felt ashamed. Their immediate action was to hide from God. When God sought them, they immediately hid because the law had entered their hearts. Previously, they were only in God's love, but after the law entered their hearts, after eating from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, the law filled their hearts, and they began to hide from God.
Brothers and sisters, the way to bring people close to God is to preach the Father's love, to let the Father's love fill people's hearts. When people are immersed in the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, do you know what Jesus did? He continuously preached the gospel, preached the gospel of the kingdom, healed people, and forgave people, allowing many people and many families to change.
The Bible tells of a woman caught in adultery, brought and thrown at Jesus' feet.
The Pharisees said: "Teacher, what should we do with this woman? According to the law of Moses, she should be stoned to death."
Jesus said: "He who is without sin among you, let him throw a stone at her first."
When these people saw that they were all sinners, their hearts were filled with the law, and from the oldest to the youngest, one by one, they left, leaving only the woman and Jesus.
Did Jesus have the right to stone this woman? Yes, He had the complete ability; He is the only judge. But Jesus did not do this.
Jesus said: "Woman, where are those accusers of yours? Has no one condemned you?"
The woman said: "No one, Lord."
Jesus said: "Neither do I condemn you; go and sin no more."
What do you see? Jesus came to save this woman, giving her love, not condemning her. He did not again give her the law, saying: "Have you read the Ten Commandments? According to one of the commandments, you should die; go and sin no more." Could she do that? Wasn't that what the group of people wanted to do? According to one of the commandments, you have already broken one, so do not sin anymore... This is what the law teachers do, but Jesus did not do this. Jesus said: I do not condemn you; go and sin no more. Jesus gave this woman the power to overcome sin and the world.
So, brothers and sisters, the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life were instantly shed from this woman. Knowing that Jesus no longer condemned her, after receiving this word, would this woman return to the beds of other men? No, the facts of the Bible tell us that later this woman not only did not fool around with other men but became a follower of Jesus, and her life changed.
Many people also hope for their lives to change, but they do not preach what Jesus preached. Jesus only preached the gospel of the kingdom, healed the sick, taught in the synagogues, and would rebuke the Pharisees, but to those who sinned, Jesus comforted them, encouraged them, and forgave them. This is what we should preach to others.
When some people sin, do not strike them down; do not say, "According to one of our Bible commandments, you should die." Do you expect such a person to believe in Jesus with you? What they need is the Father's love. The world does not accept them, but Jesus will still accept them. God will give them the strength to overcome the world. When they know their identity is precious and glorious, they will not easily debase themselves. God will tell them; the Holy Spirit will tell them how to live in dignity and glory. Amen!
Finally, let me tell the brothers and sisters that when Jesus was on earth, He also encountered these three temptations, temptations from the world. The first was to turn stones into bread, which is for the lust of the flesh. The second was to tell Him: Jump down from this temple; if you do not fall, the people below will say, "Wow! You are amazing! You are our hero, our idol. Jumping down from such a high place and not falling, you must be God; we will worship you." Jesus did not use these. Finally, the devil said: If you bow down and worship me, I will give you all the glory of the world. Is this not the pride of life? But Jesus was not deceived; Jesus said: Get behind me, Satan. For we shall worship our God alone.
Why could Jesus overcome these three major temptations from the devil? Because something happened before this. After Jesus was baptized and came up from the water, a voice from heaven said: This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased. It was precisely His confirmation by the Father that He knew the Father's love was upon Him. When faced with the devil's temptations, He could overcome with the Father's love, for the Father's love was always upon Him, no matter the circumstances.
Brothers and sisters, knowing how much the Father loves you, you will overcome in any environment because He loves you; He will surely save you. Because He loves you, He will surely deliver you from all evil; He will lead you out of all circumstances; He will also deliver you from all diseases. Thank the Lord, Hallelujah!
Matthew 10:29-31.
29 Are not two sparrows sold for a copper coin? And not one of them falls to the ground apart from your Father's will. 30 But the very hairs of your head are all numbered. 31 Do not fear therefore; you are of more value than many sparrows.
Luke 12:6: Are not five sparrows sold for two copper coins? And not one of them is forgotten before God.
Let’s do some math based on these two verses. How much is one sparrow worth? Let me calculate for you: Two sparrows for one copper coin, so how much should five sparrows be? Two sparrows for one copper coin, and here the Bible says five sparrows are also for two copper coins. Why? Buy two, get one free; understand?
Why are these written in the Bible? It is not contradictory; it tells us one thing: Sparrows are indeed very cheap, such a lowly life, but in God's eyes, not one is forgotten. Jesus immediately said: You are of much more value than sparrows! Since God does not forget sparrows, how could He forget you? So always think about our Father's love. You are far more precious than sparrows.
Let us pray together:
Heavenly Father, we truly thank and praise You. Five sparrows for two copper coins, You do not forget even one. You provide these sparrows with food and drink on time; how much more for us! We are Your precious and glorious children. Your love is always upon me, and I can break free from this world, from the lusts of the world, and the pride of life.
Lord, it is because I understand too little of Your love that I fall into the world. You have given me the best in the kingdom of heaven, Jesus, and also given me the Holy Spirit, allowing me to rely on the Holy Spirit in life to overcome the world, the lusts, the pride, and all the problems in life. You love me so much, not because of what I have done, but because You love me, so I can receive Your life.
Heavenly Father, thank You. This grace is something I do not deserve, something I should not have, but You have freely given it to me. In this week, I will receive Your love to live, to live out the noble style of the Father in my company and family, because I have the Holy Spirit, so I can live out the style of Jesus Christ. As Jesus is, so am I in this world. All glory belongs to You. In the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, I pray. Amen!