186 - Understanding God's Will of Redemption#
186 - Understanding God's Will of Redemption
(JP Text Group - beloved organization)
Matthew 7:21-27, let's read this passage of scripture together.
“Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and in your name drive out demons and in your name perform many miracles?’ Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!’ Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock. But everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell with a great crash.”
Let us pray together:
Heavenly Father, we especially thank and praise You for preparing this time for Your children to receive Your words together here. Through Your words, revive us once again, give us strength to stand firm before You! As a new week begins, we are willing to receive Your provision from You! Keep us during this time, so that each of us can gain something today, to know our foundation, Jesus Christ, and build ourselves upon this foundation! We completely entrust the following time to the Holy Spirit, to personally guide each of our hearts! In the name of Lord Jesus, we pray, Amen! Hallelujah!
The topic we are sharing is: Understanding the Father's Will of Redemption
There are many aspects of God's will in the Bible. Is it God's will that He desires all people to be saved? Is it God's will that He does not wish for anyone to perish? Is it God's will that He sent His only beloved Son into this world? Is it God's will that He is willing to listen to our prayers? Yes, it is. However, when we mention God's will, the Father's will, we need to look at the context of the Bible, because today it particularly mentions God's will.
What exactly is God's will of redemption in today's text? It seems to indicate that something needs to be done. Verse 21 states, “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven.”
Today, many people, or rather, believers, are frightened by this. It is also because of this verse; they do not read the latter half and only take out the first half, saying: “Not everyone who calls me ‘Lord, Lord’ will enter the kingdom of heaven. Do you think you can enter?” If you dare to answer, “I can,” they say you are proud; if you say “I cannot,” they are pleased. So whose work is this? The devil does not want us to understand that we enter the kingdom of heaven by faith in Jesus. He always wants to ask: “Do you think you can?” When you say you think you can, he always has a thousand reasons to question your behavior. Have you sacrificed for the Lord? Do you think a person like you can enter the kingdom of heaven?
Some say: “If a person like you enters the kingdom of heaven, wouldn’t the kingdom be defiled by you?” So does that mean our kingdom is so fragile? Once we enter, the kingdom is defiled by us. Whose power is greater? If we can defile the kingdom, does that mean our power is greater?
Others say: “Don’t think you are already saved; the devil wants to drag you into hell, and you can just go in.” Whose power is greater? The devil's power or Jesus' power? We all say Jesus' power is greater, yet still, many believe that a saved person can still be dragged out by the devil into hell. Many of these beliefs do not align with God's will, right?
Some say: “During the meeting, you should keep your voice down; don’t scare the Holy Spirit away.” In this case, does that mean the Holy Spirit has become very fragile? So they are also exercising the will of the Father by saying they are exalting Jesus, that Jesus is the greatest, but when it comes to practice, it is not like that.
Today, let’s first look at what kind of person follows the will of the Father.
Is a person who follows the Father's words someone who does not sin? When we mention “to follow,” what do you first think of? Does it relate to behavior? To follow means to first obey the command, and second to execute; this is how it is explained in Chinese.
Some say that to follow means to first obey and then execute; what does it mean to submit? To first submit and then obey; what does it mean to repent? To first regret and then change. It sounds reasonable, doesn’t it? To follow means you first obey the command and then carry it out.
“Only the one who does the will of my Father can enter,” here we immediately think of our behavior, but is Jesus talking about entering the kingdom of heaven here?
Let me ask you a question, brothers and sisters. Anyone who has read the New Testament should know: Is salvation and entering the kingdom of heaven related to behavior? No. Then why does it say that only those who do the will of my Father can enter?
We need to look at a passage of scripture, Ephesians 2:8-10, let’s read this passage together:
8 For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—9 not by works, so that no one can boast. 10 For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.
In the New Testament, many verses tell us: Our salvation is not related to behavior, Amen! It clearly states here, “For it is by grace you have been saved.” What does this grace mean? Is it God’s grace? What does grace mean? It means that what you do not deserve, what you should not have, God says today, “I give it to you freely,” Amen!
How can we receive this grace? By faith. It does not mention your behavior, does it? Moreover, it particularly tells us that it is not from ourselves, but it is given by God. This means today, we can receive this grace because God has already given this grace; we have the opportunity to receive it. If God does not give grace, we cannot obtain it. It says here, “not by works,” not by our personal behavior, so that no one can say, “I enter the kingdom of heaven because my behavior is good.” No one enters the kingdom of heaven like that, Amen!
Then it says, “For we are His handiwork, created in Christ Jesus.” Why does God want us to be saved? Just like some people say, if I am saved to enter the kingdom of heaven, then we wouldn’t need to do anything from the day we believe, because you can already enter, right?
What is God’s will here? “For we are His handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works.” But remember: Absolutely do not reverse this, Amen! You do not enter the kingdom of heaven by doing good works; it is after you enter the kingdom of heaven that God allows you to do good works. This is what God has prepared for us to do.
It can be seen that today, when you truly accept Jesus, after you enter the kingdom of heaven, what you do is good, Hallelujah! After God redeemed us, He wants us to do good, not to do evil, Amen! So today, those who want to indulge themselves through God’s grace, those who do whatever they want, they actually still do not understand God’s grace!
Today, remember that Jesus Christ redeemed us not to let us indulge, but to let us do good. This is what God originally prepared for us to do, Hallelujah! But we absolutely do not obtain salvation through good works. Let’s return to today’s text, “Only the one who does the will of my Father.” So what does it mean to follow the will of the Father? Many people say it is behavior, but since we have discussed it is not behavior, then what could it be?
Let’s look at a passage of scripture, John 6:28-35:
28 Then they asked him, “What must we do to do the works God requires?” 29 Jesus answered, “The work of God is this: to believe in the one he has sent.” 30 So they asked him, “What sign then will you give that we may see it and believe you? What will you do? 31 Our ancestors ate the manna in the wilderness; as it is written: ‘He gave them bread from heaven to eat.’” 32 Jesus said to them, “Very truly I tell you, it is not Moses who has given you the bread from heaven, but it is my Father who gives you the true bread from heaven. 33 For the bread of God is the bread that comes down from heaven and gives life to the world.” 34 “Sir,” they said, “always give us this bread.” 35 Then Jesus declared, “I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never go hungry, and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty.”
There are always people who think: “What should I do? Lord, what should I do to do your work?” When we mention doing work for God, we first think of behavior, but look at what Jesus says. What does Jesus answer? “The work of God is this: to believe in the one he has sent,” Amen!
It turns out that it is not about what you do first, but about believing in Him, Hallelujah! Today, if you say you want to understand this Jesus, what should you do? Today, many people say, “I want to join Christianity, what should I do?” Have you heard such questions? “Oh, I want to do something for the church to please your God, what should I do?” Believe in Jesus.
If you say, “I want to receive Jesus’ blessings, what should I do?” Believe in Him, Hallelujah!
We are different from other religions. Other religions say: “Do it, burn more incense, and keep up on the first and fifteenth days.” But among us, when you want to work for God, you first need to believe in Jesus Christ, whom God has sent.
Then these people seem to not understand at all. They say, “What sign will you give that we may see it and believe you?” Don’t they still want to do something to believe in Him? Actually, it is not like that. Then they ask, “What will you do?”
Jesus did not say, “Wait, I will show you a miracle.” No, Jesus wants them to believe. In the past, did your ancestors eat that manna? That was not given to you by Moses; it was given to you by my Father. So do you believe in that manna? That is the work of God, Amen! Do you believe in the God who blessed the Israelites in the wilderness? If you say you believe, then good, that is the miracle, Hallelujah!
So many people cannot believe in Jesus, saying, “Show me a miracle.” You say: “Do you believe that heaven and earth were created by God?” They say, “I believe,” then you do not need to see any miracles; there is already a miracle, Hallelujah! So Jesus says, “Very truly I tell you, it is not Moses who has given you the bread from heaven, but it is my Father who gives you the true bread from heaven.”
Actually, when Jesus talks about this, who is the true bread? Jesus Himself is the true bread, Hallelujah! So what is the purpose of Jesus saying this? He hopes people can accept Him, Amen! So in the end, Jesus says, “I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never go hungry, and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty.”
Is this not the Father’s will?
The Father’s will is to let you believe that Jesus Christ is the bread of life sent to us by the Father. When you accept Jesus and believe in Him, letting Him become your Savior, this is doing the work of God. When you believe like this, you are the one who follows the Father’s will.
But can someone who calls out “Lord, Lord” enter? No, they cannot. So the text says, “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven.” He is referring to the false prophets mentioned in verse 15, Amen! Do false prophets not call out “Lord, Lord”?
So how does verse 15 say? “Watch out for false prophets. They come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ferocious wolves.” That proves they do not have the life of Jesus inside them, do they? They only appear to be Christians, but in reality, they are not Christians. To put it bluntly, they do not believe in Jesus; they have not taken in God’s words.
Jesus says, “I am the bread of life,” but these people have not eaten, so they do not have my life. It turns out that what Jesus is talking about here in following the Father’s will is to believe in Him! Hallelujah! To believe that Jesus is sent by the Father, and then to accept everything He has done for us on the cross. When you believe like this, you receive salvation, Amen!
Why does Jesus specifically mention false prophets here? Because although they also use Jesus’ name, they teach people to be saved through behavior. Do you understand? They also say “Lord, Lord,” but which Lord are they referring to?
So why do we say we must be cautious with our words? When praying, saying “Lord, Lord,” do you know which Lord you are calling? Is Allah the Lord? So they also use “Lord, Lord”; does that cult also call out “Lord, Lord”? So they are also calling out “Lord.”
So we should know who our Lord is. That is why we often say Lord Jesus, right? We must clearly know that our Lord is Jesus Christ, Hallelujah! So these false prophets, think about it, do all religions in the world, except for Christianity, not teach you to be saved through behavior? They tell you to do more good deeds, and you will be reborn into a good family in your next life, right?
Do more good deeds, and heaven will naturally take care of you. All other religions teach this, letting people be saved through behavior, so false prophets are different from our Jesus Christ.
How does verse 22 say? “Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and in your name drive out demons and in your name perform many miracles?’”
Look, isn’t this all behavior? Today these people say, “I have preached the gospel for you all my life; do you dare say I am not saved?” So today, is everyone who preaches for the Lord saved? I ask you: Are false prophets not also preaching under the banner of Jesus? But their purpose is different from ours; they are not here to save souls. So do not think that all who preach are saved; only those who believe are saved.
Then they say, “Did we not drive out demons in your name?” Does being able to drive out demons mean one is saved? Do you know that in other religions, they can also drive out demons? It is just big demons driving out small demons; does that mean they are saved? No.
Then they say, “Did we not perform many miracles in your name?” Does being able to perform miracles mean one is saved? So do not be deceived by these things, saying: “They also preach; they can also drive out demons; they can also perform miracles.” Today, these are not the standards for salvation; what allows a person to be saved is solely to believe in Jesus Christ.
So many people think that because they are serving God, they must be saved. They say, “I have dedicated myself to the church; I must be saved, right?” No, it is faith that saves. Some people go to church to listen to sermons and say, “I often go to church to listen to sermons; does that mean I am not saved?” Actually, it is not that going to church guarantees salvation; it is believing in Jesus Christ that saves you, Amen!
We are not saved by these behaviors. The behaviors mentioned above are the fruits and authority after salvation. We understand Christ’s salvation, and that is why we are willing to preach in Jesus’ name; we understand Jesus’ authority, and that is why we drive out demons and perform many miracles in Jesus’ name. These are merely the fruits and authority after salvation.
So verse 23 says, “Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!’” Jesus clearly says, “I never… never means I never knew you at all. It does not mean I knew you in the past and later you sinned, so I no longer know you.”
So today, many people misinterpret this fundamental truth, saying: “Your current salvation does not mean you will still be saved in the future. Just because you believe in Jesus now does not mean you will still be in the kingdom of heaven later. Once you disobey, Jesus will erase your name.”
Jesus never said that if you believe in Him, one day because of your bad behavior, He will erase your name. Is there such a verse in the Bible? No. Here, when Jesus says, “I never knew you,” it means He never knew you from the beginning, and until the end, He does not know you. Please remember, brothers and sisters, you are not saved by your behavior, so you will not lose your salvation because of your behavior, Hallelujah!
Then someone might say: “If I believe in Jesus, can I sin at will?” If a person says this in a harsh way, they might not have believed yet. I only say “might” because we are not God; we do not know if they truly believe. No one today says, “I believe in the Lord to deliberately sin.” Such a person would not believe in Jesus; they do not want to believe in Jesus, right? Because believing in Jesus does not lead you to do evil but to do good, as we have read that verse.
So here it says, “I never knew you,” proving that this person never believed from the start. If they believed, Jesus would absolutely not discard them. God does not look at whether our behavior has improved to accept us; He looks at whether we truly believe in Him and accept Him as our Savior. Now, brothers and sisters, think about this question: Do demons believe anything? Do you agree? Do demons believe anything? It seems uncertain.
Let’s read this verse, shall we? James 2:19: Today, many people say, “I believe too; I believe too.” Indeed, many people believe, but they do not believe in what Jesus Christ accomplished for them on the cross.
James 2:19, let’s read together: “You believe that there is one God. Good! Even the demons believe that—and shudder.”
Do demons believe in God? Yes, they believe; they also believe there is a God, but they do not accept everything Jesus Christ accomplished on the cross. They are precisely the enemies of the cross of Jesus. Do you understand? In this regard, we are different from demons.
What does “demons” mean? Actually, we think it is one, right? I checked the original text; in Greek, the word used here is “demons,” which is a plural term. It means: “You believe that there is one God. Good! But the demons also believe,” which proves that demons also know God.
Otherwise, when Jesus appeared, those demons said: “Ah, Son of God, what do you want with us? Our time has not yet come.” They immediately recognized Him. Unfortunately, the people in that village did not want Jesus; even the demons testified that He is the Son of God. They said: “Get out of here! We do not want you; you are too evil; you made our thousands of pigs fall into the river.”
These people do not want to believe in Jesus; they do not want to accept Jesus. The demons also believe; they believe but shudder. So they know the authority of the Son of God? Many past biblical types. The demons do not know who the Christ is.
For example, in Genesis, God made a prophecy about the serpent, saying: “I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and hers; he will crush your head, and you will strike his heel.” Do demons know about this? They know very well, but they do not know who this person is. Do you understand? Because from our perspective, all are sons of God. Is Adam not a son of God? Is Abel not a son of God? Is Noah not a son of God? Is Abraham not a son of God? They all are.
So do not exaggerate the power of demons. They do not know which one is the true Son of God who will crush their heads. So every time someone who looks like the Son of God appears, the demons start to deal with him.
For example, in the first murder case, who killed whom? Cain killed Abel. Why? Because God liked Abel and his offering. At that moment, the devil was worried that this person might be the one to crush his head, so he must kill you, which led Cain to kill Abel.
This is why we always say that the devil knows that when the Son of God rises, one day He will crush his head. So every time someone who looks like the Son of God appears, the devil tries to kill him.
For instance, did King Herod know about Jesus’ birth? Yes, but when those wise men came to seek Herod, he said, “You go find him and tell me, so I can also worship him.” Did he really want to worship this God? Then when they truly found him, how did God tell those wise men? “You go back another way.”
When Herod heard he had been tricked, what did he do? He ordered all the boys under two years old to be killed. Why did he do this? Because the devil had already heard from those prophets: “Where is the one who has been born king of the Jews?” Did the devil know? This person is getting closer; he is about to become king. I must kill him, but he does not know which one it is. Do you understand?
So he could only kill all the boys near Bethlehem. The devil used some people to do some crazy things, but there was always a reason. His only purpose was to kill the true Son of God. So when Jesus came, did he see Jesus more and more like the Son of God? Right? The more he looked at Jesus, the more he looked like Him. This guy can perform miracles, and the people support Him, so he tried every means to kill Jesus. Do you understand?
But what he did not expect was that God precisely used the death of His Son to accomplish His salvation. What people think is foolish, God uses this foolish way. You think you killed Him, and all of God’s plans are ruined? In fact, God’s plan is to accomplish all of the redemption plan through your killing Him. So do you understand the Father’s will? Although the devil also believes, he believes there is a God; he wants to stop God’s redemption plan. He wants to destroy God’s redemption plan!
When Jesus Christ rose from the dead, the devil was completely defeated. Because all who believe in Jesus Christ become like Jesus, do you understand? He killed one, and what happened? Countless others came to life. So why should you be afraid of the devil? The devil believes there is a God, but he believes in a fearful way. He thinks, “If I kill this one, all of God’s plans will fail.” He did not expect that once this guy died, thousands and thousands of Jesus-like people would emerge. Every person who uses the name of Jesus can defeat him. This is what the sons of God need to know; this is God’s will of redemption.
Brothers and sisters, many of God’s children have been deceived, you know? They are afraid of demons, afraid of the devil’s work. What are they afraid of? Do you not understand God’s plan? Do you not understand God’s will of redemption?
So brothers and sisters, demons also believe, but they believe in a fearful way; you are not like that! Hallelujah! John 10:10 says, “The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy.”
So we can recognize the tree by its fruit, right? When our foundation is built on the rock of Jesus, even if the devil or his messengers, or people used by the devil come to tempt and attack us, we can still stand firm. The reason is simple: because our foundation is on the rock, just like a house.
How do verses 24-27 say? “Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice…” What does this “practice” mean? It goes back to doing; believing, and if you are not careful, you fall back. You know? Believe in Jesus, believe that Jesus is the rock, believe that Jesus is your guarantee of salvation, believe that Jesus Christ accomplished all of this for you on the cross. The devil has already been completely defeated. You possess the image and authority of the Son of God. When you believe like this, it means all your work is built on the rock of Jesus Christ. This is what you are doing, truly believing without a doubt, Amen!
“The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house.”
Brothers and sisters, the foundation is Jesus Christ; the house represents all the ministries in your life, your family, your work, your business, your relationships—aren’t they all houses? What does the devil come to do? He comes to steal, kill, and destroy. You see, the devil is always digging at that house, digging...
Do you think that house can still be stable? Isn’t it? Remember, if this house has a hole dug in it, it will not be affected, but if the foundation is dug up, then the house will fall.
But who is the foundation? So he cannot dig up Jesus! So what can the devil do? He can only throw bricks at your windows, but does that affect you? It will not affect you at all! Hallelujah! Because the foundation is different. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew refers to your relationships, your family relationships, your relationships with your children, your work, which may be tempted, tested, or attacked by the devil. But as long as you believe in your heart that Jesus has done all this for you on the cross, your faith is solid. You can always rely on Jesus to overcome him, and that house will not fall. The reason is that the foundation is built on the rock, Hallelujah!
“Everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice…”
What does this mean? It means disbelief. Exactly right; it refers to disbelief. You know? Don’t say he heard and did not do; that would be wrong; it refers to not believing. Jesus has already told you, “I am that rock; I am the Son of the living God.” You say, “I do not believe,” so the devil will dig up your root. Let him dig it up. The reason is that your root is not on the rock; it is built on sand. He can dig it up casually, and in one night, it will fall. No matter how high your project is built, if the foundation is dug up, it will eventually fall. Do you all understand?
So you see that when a high-rise building is established, the foundation is particularly important. No one says, “I will build a 20-story building without a foundation.” Is there such a building? No, not one. The higher the building, the deeper the foundation is laid, Amen! Our foundation is Jesus Christ, so those who do not believe in Jesus Christ have their foundation built on sand, and that foundation is very easy to collapse.
“The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house.”
Do you see that unbelievers encounter problems just like us? So do you know how happy you are to believe in Jesus? It is not that we believe in Jesus today and have no difference from unbelievers. I tell you, we will all encounter suffering; we will all encounter storms. But once trouble comes, the lives of believers and unbelievers become different immediately. If you do not believe, go to the hospital and look at those who are sick. Can those who believe in Jesus and those who do not believe in Jesus be the same? They are completely different. One has hope, believing that Jesus can heal them; the other does not know what to do, feeling lost.
Once their house collapses, what happens? It is completely over. Some people work hard all their lives to build their houses, only to find that “crash,” it all collapses, and everything is gone. But after believing in Jesus Christ, all the projects you build are still remembered. For example, some people do not believe in Jesus; they spend their lives doing good deeds, receiving many certificates and medals. How long can these last? Aren’t they just like the house built on sand? One day, they will be stolen by the devil, and they will have nothing because God does not acknowledge them. But we are different; we who believe in Jesus Christ have our foundation built on Jesus, and this will be rewarded, Hallelujah!
So when you see some Christians facing problems in their lives, for example, when the house starts to lean, you know, “Oh, there is a problem with their foundation.” This is to correct our faith, not to correct behavior. Do you understand? For example, every house has a load-bearing wall. If there is a problem with a load-bearing wall, will it be useful to fix the cracks? Shouldn’t we solve this problem? So the foundation must not be damaged.
The Bible tells us, “If the foundations are destroyed, what can the righteous do?” If the foundation is destroyed, what can you do? Never let the devil take away your faith today. If you say, “Is there a God in the world?” You can rest assured that the devil will attack you easily. Unless you firmly believe that today, because of what Jesus did on the cross, God lives in your heart, you are His child, you are His beloved son. No matter what the circumstances, He will never abandon you. Keep this foundation firmly in your heart and do not waver, Hallelujah!
When you understand everything Jesus Christ did on the cross, believing correctly, you can live correctly. When a person truly understands everything Jesus has done, they can live out the life of Christ, Hallelujah!
You say, is such a tall building not reliant on the stability of its foundation? The reason Christians do not fall is because of the foundation. Have you seen a weeble? You kick it, and it looks like it has fallen, but what happens? It stands up again. What is the reason? Its foundation is much heavier than the top, isn’t it?
So Christians should be like a weeble. If you firmly remember the truth of justification by faith in your heart, no matter what others say, you believe like this. Even if you fall, as long as the enemy’s hand is released, you will “whoosh” back to your original position, Hallelujah! But if the foundation below is unstable, then it will fall and never get up again. Do you understand, brothers and sisters?
So perhaps you are currently suffering attacks in your family, or you are facing persecution and various problems in your family. Remember, you are a weeble because your foundation is on Jesus Christ. You can pray: “Lord, in the name of Lord Jesus Christ, let this enemy’s hand be removed!” You will stand up immediately. It is that simple, isn’t it? It may have been pressing down on you all along, but once it lets go, you will get up. This is our life. Hallelujah!
Christ will always bring us peace, tranquility, and joy. But remember one thing: the harder your enemy presses you down, the higher you will rebound, do you understand? This is why every time the devil tries to strike the sons of God, he ends up lifting the sons of God even higher. Do not be afraid of your suffering; do not be afraid of your current problems because if your foundation is correct, God will lift you up again, even higher than before!
Let’s look at a passage of scripture, Luke 12:49-53. I will explain a passage that many find difficult:
49 “I have come to bring fire on the earth, and how I wish it were already kindled! 50 But I have a baptism to undergo, and what constraint I am under until it is completed! 51 Do you think I came to bring peace on earth? No, I tell you, but division. 52 From now on there will be five in one family divided against each other, three against two and two against three. 53 They will be divided, father against son and son against father, mother against daughter and daughter against mother, mother-in-law against daughter-in-law and daughter-in-law against mother-in-law.”
Jesus seems so cruel, brothers and sisters? A family is doing well, and Jesus stirs things up so that no one can be harmonious. Is that right? It seems not quite right because Jesus also said He is the Prince of Peace; He is here to bring peace to the world. Hasn’t He made peace between us and the Father? Hasn’t He made peace between us and others?
So how do we explain this? Many people will say, “That is a future matter; first division, then peace.” Is that so? Always remember, that the fire mentioned here is what? He knows the Father’s will, doesn’t He?
Do you know there is a person in the Old Testament named Jeremiah? Jeremiah was a very unfortunate prophet. Why do I say he is unfortunate? Because he knows what God’s will is; God is about to destroy this nation soon. All the people in this nation, from the king to the commoners, will be captured and taken to Babylon as slaves for seventy years. In this situation, do you think Jeremiah should tell the king this prophecy? But every time he opens his mouth, the king says, “Beat him and throw him into the well, don’t give him food.” At this time, how do you think Jeremiah feels? “Alright, I will never speak in the name of Jehovah again,” right? But what is in his heart?
The Bible says his heart burned like fire; he could not contain it. Why does he have such a heart? Because he knows that if he does not tell them this message, they will die, but if he tells them, they do not believe and keep humiliating him. What should he do? It is a struggle, isn’t it? In the end, Jeremiah chooses to speak, and you will find that every time he speaks, he gets dealt with by others.
Jesus is like this too. Jesus says, “I have fire in my heart.” What kind of fire? When He sees the Jews, what does He say? “I see this group of people like sheep without a shepherd, scattered, sick, lame, and blind. The shepherds eat their own and even slaughter the sheep to eat, and no one cares for this group of sheep.” So does Jesus have fire in His heart? But it is not anger; He is so eager to tell this group of people God’s will, this beautiful will of redemption.
So Jesus says, “I have come to bring fire on the earth.” What does this mean? To bring God’s will, the plan of redemption to the earth, so that people can receive it. Then He says, “How I wish it were already kindled!”
Brothers and sisters, here Jesus wants to tell us: The Father loves us; He wants us to be saved, not by our behavior, but by believing in His Son, Jesus Christ! Now Jesus’ ministry on earth is about to end; this is what He desires because He knows He will soon be crucified for our sins, Amen!
He sees that the fire of the gospel has already been kindled. In the last six months of Jesus’ ministry, has Jesus’ reputation spread throughout all of Judea? But at the same time, the voices of persecution and opposition have also reached an all-time high. Look at the gospel today; isn’t it like this?
When the true gospel stands up, many hearts are rekindled by the fire of the Holy Spirit, while the voices of opposition and attack also grow louder, just like this, right? Exactly the same. So when Jesus preached, many lives changed because of Him, while those who did not accept the gospel of Jesus Christ began to resist, and their anger towards Jesus became stronger.
So Jesus says, “I have a baptism to undergo, and what constraint I am under until it is completed.” What baptism is Jesus referring to? The baptism of blood; He is going to shed blood on the cross for us, allowing us to accept the baptism of the cross, and then our lives will be completely changed. He accomplishes the washing of our lives through His blood sacrifice, Amen!
Always remember, brothers and sisters, that today we can be saved, and our sins can be forgiven because of the baptism of the precious blood of Jesus Christ. His precious blood cleanses us from all sin, Hallelujah! So every time Jesus thinks of this, how eager He is, Amen!
This shows that Jesus is eagerly waiting for this moment to come. There is an eager heart in the Holy Spirit within Him waiting for this time to arrive, brothers and sisters. This is Jesus because Jesus knows that after He dies, this matter will become even more beneficial for us.
“Do you think I came to bring peace on earth? No, I tell you, but division.”
Here, the word “division” I checked in the original text uses another word meaning “separation.” It turns out that wherever Jesus goes, He brings division. What kind of division? The believers and non-believers are separated, Amen! So you see, after Jesus Christ died and rose again, this matter became even more obvious.
The believers and non-believers are becoming more and more distinct. In the end, the true children of God began to be persecuted and were all driven out of the city of Jerusalem. What about the remaining group? They are all non-believers. As a result, the Roman massacre occurred. In AD 69, Roman General Titus entered the city of Jerusalem, and many Pharisees and priests who were worshiping God were killed because where did the true children of God go?
They had already been trampled by these guys and had nowhere to hide; they all ran to other places, leaving the city of Jerusalem. Isn’t that separation? The same goes for families. Two women grinding grain, how? One is taken, and one is left. So the division has already appeared, saying, “From now on, five in one family will be divided.” How many divisions? Two factions, do you see? Three against two and two against three begin to argue. Why do they argue?
Brothers and sisters, if all five in a family do not believe, will they argue because of faith? But precisely because there are two who believe, who begins to persecute whom? The unbelievers persecute the believers. That is completely correct! So always remember, Jesus Christ did not bring division; today, Jesus brings peace, life, and truth into this family. When two accept it, the other three join forces to treat these two as enemies and try to kill them.
Isn’t it the same in the church? When a small group accepts the truth of Jesus Christ, those who accept a semblance of truth rise up and treat this small group as enemies. So this is what Jesus was telling us at that time: “Father and son will be in conflict.” You say, we do not know how the relationship between the two was in the past, but because of faith, now the father and son, who were once family, have become enemies.
So brothers and sisters, think about it. After you accept grace, those who used to have a very good relationship with you, who regarded you as a mother or child, now turn around and say you are a heretic, that you are not saved, and that you will go to hell. What malicious words they use now! It is not us who persecute them; it is they who reveal their true colors, having fallen for the devil’s tricks. This is the conflict between son and father, mother and daughter.
Then “daughter and mother will be in conflict, mother-in-law and daughter-in-law will be in conflict,” all because of the truth. The devil knows that if you have five family members, and two of you accept, while the other three do not, as long as you do not argue, those three will quickly accept. So the devil will do everything possible to make those three who have not accepted, who have not entered life, rise up to attack the two.
This is actually a spiritual matter, Amen! It is a battle of two spirits; this is the devil’s scheme. So what should you do when faced with this situation? If two have already accepted, and three have not accepted, when they frantically persecute and attack you, what should you do? Pray for them and accept them!
This is the love of Jesus Christ: to pray for those who persecute you, to bless your enemies. At this moment, they have truly become enemies, right? I have seen many families where, because the daughter believes in Jesus, the father treats her like an enemy. This is everything Jesus said at that time. Jesus Christ gives us this salvation, resulting in conflict on earth.
In the last days, this division will become more and more obvious. Until the end, the devil’s children will form a huge army to resist the holy ones of Israel. This has happened in the past and will happen again in the future, but do not be afraid, Amen! Because today, where is our foundation? On the rock of Jesus Christ, Hallelujah! Do not forget, you are a weeble because the foundation is Jesus Christ, Hallelujah!
Let’s look at a passage of scripture, 2 Timothy 1:9-10:
9 He has saved us and called us to a holy life—not because of anything we have done but because of his own purpose and grace. This grace was given us in Christ Jesus before the beginning of time, 10 but it has now been revealed through the appearing of our Savior, Christ Jesus, who has destroyed death and has brought life and immortality to light through the gospel.
When you believe that Jesus Christ accomplished salvation for you on the cross, this is God’s will. He wants to give you this life. When you believe, you possess the life of Christ, Amen! This was prepared for you in Christ Jesus before the beginning of time, Hallelujah! Finally, let’s read a passage of scripture and then conclude.
Romans 10:9-11:
9 If you declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. 10 For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you profess your faith and are saved. 11 As Scripture says, “Anyone who believes in him will never be put to shame.”
Let us pray together:
Heavenly Father, we especially thank and praise You! You love us, so You let Your Son Jesus Christ come into this world to be the price for our sins. Today, we are all in Jesus Christ, and we thank You for this. Thank You for loving us and helping us understand that today, by faith, we are already saved.
We believe in our hearts that we have already been justified. We believe and accept everything Jesus Christ accomplished for us on the cross! We believe that on the cross, Jesus, You shed Your precious blood to cleanse all our sins. You died for our sins and rose from the dead three days later. I have been justified, and today I am in Jesus Christ forever!
Thank You and praise You! No one can change my identity. I am in the hands of Christ, and no one can take me away. My foundation is Jesus Christ; my foundation is Jesus Christ. All my work, all my ministry, my life is built on Jesus Christ. I do not fear any problems I encounter. I believe that God will surely make a way for me, Hallelujah! Thank You and praise You! Lead me in this new week, so that we can overcome in everything through You! In the name of Lord Jesus, we pray, Amen! Hallelujah!