208-Overcoming the Fear of Condemnation with God's Grace#
208-Overcoming the Fear of Condemnation with God's Grace
(JP Text Group - Grace Grass Editing)
Romans 5:9-15
9 Since we have now been justified by his blood, how much more shall we be saved from God's wrath through him! 10 For if, while we were God's enemies, we were reconciled to him through the death of his Son, how much more, having been reconciled, shall we be saved through his life! 11 Not only is this so, but we also boast in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation. 12 Therefore, just as sin entered the world through one man, and death through sin, and in this way death came to all people, because all sinned— 13 To be sure, sin was in the world before the law was given, but sin is not charged against anyone's account where there is no law. 14 Nevertheless, death reigned from the time of Adam to the time of Moses, even over those who did not sin by breaking a command, as did Adam, who is a pattern of the one to come. 15 But the gift is not like the trespass. For if the many died by the trespass of the one man, how much more did God's grace and the gift that came by the grace of the one man, Jesus Christ, overflow to the many!
Let us pray together:
Heavenly Father, we thank You for preparing this time for Your children to worship You together and listen to Your words. Lord, help each of us, as we are easily influenced by the world and easily condemned, which allows fear to enter our hearts. May You help us with Your grace, let us recognize Your grace, receive Your grace, and overcome all condemnation in our lives. Whether it is self-condemnation or condemnation from others, we can overcome it through the grace of Jesus. Holy Spirit, help us, guide me, and let me be willing to listen to Your words and obey Your words. Help us during this time, so that everyone can gain something. In the name of Lord Jesus, we pray, Amen!
The topic of sharing is: Overcoming the Fear of Condemnation with God's Grace
Fear exists in almost everyone, but some people have more serious issues than others. What causes fear? No one can be without something to fear; some fear unemployment, some fear poor relationships, some fear being looked down upon, and some fear losing something. These are all things we fear. So, brothers and sisters, shouldn't fear be absent from our lives? This is not what God wants to give us, but why do almost all people find it impossible to escape this fear? We want to tell everyone how to overcome these condemnations and fears.
Where does the initial fear come from? When solving a problem, we need to find its deepest root. If we only address the surface, the problem may still remain. It's like a tree; if a leaf turns yellow, cutting off the yellow leaf doesn't solve the issue. After a few days, another leaf may turn yellow. If you keep cutting off leaves, but many leaves turn yellow later, where is the problem? It's in the roots, not the leaves.
Often, people see the surface and the fruit having problems, but it's not the leaves or the fruit that are the issue; it's the roots. If the roots are damaged, the fruit and leaves will definitely have problems. A tree with a diseased root will have leaves that are different from other trees.
When we see a person's behavior is strange, for example, when their thoughts are extreme and they exhibit some crazy behavior, it actually indicates that something is wrong inside them. Their actions are merely an exposure of their inner thoughts, Amen! Some people are very fearful, especially when encountering certain events; they immediately associate it with themselves and think the situation is very, very bad, which is actually caused by condemnation leading to fear.
Last week, a friend was chatting with us; he works in a hospital and mentioned that a friend said: "I just went to check on my child." She felt there was nothing to worry about and thought, why check? God will keep me safe. But others kept conveying that it was normal to check, saying, "Look at the current environment and food; many children have problems during pregnancy, so you must check to be at ease!" She said, "It's okay; my God will keep me safe."
Although she said that, the voice of condemnation still entered her heart. That night, she became very fearful and started to think: "Should I check? Is there really something wrong?" She began to doubt and thought it might be better to trust technology. Brothers and sisters, it's not that technology is bad, but we should trust God's protection more. Because she accepted this thought, she initially said with her mouth, "I don't believe what they say; God will keep me safe." Yet she was still worried, and that night she experienced signs of bleeding.
What would you think?! "No, look, these things have already happened; I must solve this!" She would be very afraid. When she called me, I told her: "Don't worry, I will pray for you; this is just a spiritual battle." Is it a root problem? When we see some fears and some fruits appearing, don't just say to remove the fruit; that is useless. We need to solve the problem from the root.
I simply comforted her, saying this is just a spiritual battle. She told me that in her mind, the devil was already attacking her, and there was a dialogue inside her. Can you understand this kind of statement? You sit there, and actually, two people are having a conversation inside you. One insists that there is no problem, while the other tells you: "Your God is good, but aren't there many Christians who have had this problem?" What do you think? Many Christians have had this problem!
For example, when flying, I say I believe the Lord will keep me safe, but immediately a thought tells you: "Haven't many Christians had problems?" You don't know what to do; it seems to be the same. Especially when the situation is turning worse, you think, "Oh no, this is bad." This is condemnation; the fruit of fear produced by condemnation is already in you.
When encountering these situations, how should we overcome them? I tell you this is a spiritual battle; it is just a trick of the devil, so don't worry about it; you don't need to pay attention to it. You should declare in the name of Jesus Christ: "The child in my womb is healthy." Shortly after praying, she called me back to say everything was fine. This is just a spiritual battle; the devil is deceiving you with some lies, Amen!
When fear arises, don't say, "I am not afraid; I rely on my Lord, I am not afraid." You need to know why you are not afraid; this is what we need to understand! We need to understand the grace of Jesus Christ, why His grace can help you overcome condemnation and fear; this is something each of us needs to understand, so don't believe blindly. I don't want you to have a blind faith; I want you to believe clearly and understand clearly, Amen! It's not about me saying something and you just believing it; it's about you discerning everything you hear with the Bible. Because our Lord does not want His children to be without wisdom, confused, believing whatever others say; we have God's wisdom within us. When we understand that God is greater than the devil and greater than condemnation, we naturally will not fear anymore, Amen!
Just like some people are particularly afraid of walking alone at night, especially sisters, when walking through dark and long alleys, isn't there fear inside? In fact, nothing may happen, but because fear already exists, there is a dialogue in your heart, and a thought says: "What if a thug is waiting for me with a knife?" Or, "What if I turn around and find something that is not a person there?" Are these things real? No, they are all things we imagine; this is called condemnation.
When something hasn't happened yet, you are already thinking of the negative side. When you walk, you will look back step by step, checking if there is anything there, right? This is the fruit of fear, a fear produced by condemnation. How do we overcome it? The method to overcome darkness is very simple: it is light, let the light in. If all the streetlights are on in a dark street, would you still be afraid? You wouldn't be afraid anymore. Staying in darkness will lead to fear; we will be deceived by darkness.
People fear not because of anything else, but because they do not know what will happen next! Amen! They will endlessly speculate and think negatively; the more they think, the more afraid they become; this is merely the fruit produced by condemnation. God does not want us to live in fear; He does not want you to live in darkness. God says He is light, Amen! Those who follow me will not walk in darkness; knowing that Jesus is with you, wherever you go, you will no longer be afraid, especially since this Lord is the all-powerful Lord, Amen!
Let’s look at how the initial fear was generated. Where did it come from? In Genesis 3:9-10,
9 But the Lord God called to the man, "Where are you?" 10 He answered, "I heard you in the garden, and I was afraid because I was naked; so I hid."
After Adam and Eve sinned, their hearts were troubled by condemnation, and they hid. When God came to find them, they heard God's voice and were afraid. Many times, we fear because we have heard the wrong voice, because of our lack of understanding of God, thinking that God comes to punish us. Are demons scary in the world? In themselves, demons are nothing, but in people's descriptions, demons bring many bad results, which makes you afraid. Let me ask everyone a question: Is sickness scary? Sickness is not scary; what is scary is the lack of a cure.
A headache itself is nothing; just take some headache medicine, and it will be fine! But if the headache is so severe that even doctors cannot solve it, that is what makes people afraid, because the outcome could lead to death. People who go to the doctor fear hearing a doctor say, "We have done our best." You might ask the doctor, "What is wrong with my illness?" The doctor might say, "Eat whatever you want, drink whatever you want, play however you want." Do you think this is a good thing? What do we most expect the doctor to say? "It's nothing; it's a small problem."
What you hear will lead to different outcomes. When God had not yet spoken, the two of them had already developed fear in their hearts because they had previously heard a wrong voice; whose voice? The devil's voice. When he heard the wrong voice and believed the wrong voice, condemnation entered him, resulting in fear. The reason he was afraid was that he knew that eating would lead to death; Adam was not unaware of this; he knew that eating would lead to death, but he did not understand what death really was. Fear arises from not knowing what will happen in the future. So when God said, "You will surely die if you eat," what did he mean by death? No one knew.
Unbelievers are extremely fearful before death; why are they afraid? This person, while alive, says: "I believe in nothing; I only believe in money, I only believe in myself; as long as I live well, that’s enough." But when there is only one breath left in their life, they begin to fear. They are not afraid of death itself, but of not knowing where they will go after they die; that is what truly frightens them.
Many people will self-condemn or be condemned by others. How does self-condemnation arise? When they do something wrong, they say, "Why did I do that? I am such a jerk; why did I do that? Why didn't I love my child a little more? Why didn't I treat my husband or wife better?" They will dwell on their past mistakes and failures, and this way, there is no way to make amends. Especially when the person they should care for has already passed away, it’s like saying, "I want to care for them, but they are no longer here."
What should we do when we lose something? You can no longer make amends for that; the devil begins to use this to condemn you. Look at what you have done! Do you still deserve it? Isn’t condemnation appearing? When they think back, this is indeed a fact, but we cannot change it anymore. Self-condemnation will continue to brew and brew in this person's heart until they say: "No, I can't do anything." Fear has already arisen; this is one type.
The second type is being condemned by others. When others say hurtful words to you or hurt you, we cannot let it go. Are we suffering? Perhaps that person was unintentional, or they simply misunderstood. But bitterness and condemnation have already filled our hearts; if we do not recognize God's grace, we will be filled with fear and bitterness; these are all fruits produced after condemnation.
In fact, this condemnation can catch us off guard; this is a spiritual battle. It comes from others; what others say is not about you, but we receive it and say: "This is for me!" This is what they mean! A careless word from someone else makes us think they are talking about us, which exaggerates the negative things; this is also a form of condemnation. What will it produce later? Jealousy, strife, bitterness, and even when you see that person, you will say they are not a good person; how dare they say that to me? But one day you ask: "Why did you say that to me?" They say: "What are you talking about?" You say: "Don't play innocent with me." Isn’t that person also quite wronged? Because they have no idea what happened, and it just happened like that.
In our church, there was indeed an incident that happened a few years ago. At that time, the church had just been established for a short time, and many people who could not get pregnant came to our church to listen to the sermon. After listening, they went home and became pregnant. Those who could not get pregnant brought many others who also could not get pregnant, and in the end, they all became pregnant. Many people took long-distance buses to come and listen to the sermon, saying they could not get pregnant, so they went to the church to listen to the pastor preach, and as soon as they heard the sermon, they became pregnant. I wondered what kind of publicity this was!
At that time, a couple came; they had been married for two or three years without children. They checked their bodies and found no problems, but they just could not get pregnant. They tried various methods, but nothing worked. Someone suggested they come to the church to listen to the sermon. When they came, they sat at the back because they had already been condemned and did not dare to sit in front. One time, they were late, and when they opened the door, a sister happened to look back at them. We thought there was nothing wrong; it was just someone entering and looking. But after that, the couple said they would never come back to church again. I went to find them.
I asked: "Why haven't you come back?"
They said: "That sister in your church looked down on us."
I asked: "What happened?"
They said: "When we entered, she looked at us with disdain; clearly, she looked down on us. We just don't have children."
I went to find that sister and asked: "Did you look at them?"
She said: "Yes, when I heard the door open, I looked back."
I asked: "Did you look at them with disdain?"
She said: "No, how could I look at them with disdain!"
Unintentionally, a wrong message entered us. No matter how we explained, they never came back, saying: "You look down on people." Is this kind of condemnation very common? We fall into the trap without realizing it. Not understanding God's grace makes it really hard to get out! For example, if two people are whispering, and you happen to pass by, and they look at you and continue talking, what do you think? They must be talking about me. In fact, these are all baseless things; if you take this to heart, you have already fallen for it.
When Adam and Eve ate from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, they realized one thing: God would not let them go. They began to fear, and when they were afraid, what was their behavior? They hid. They didn't want to explain anything to God because they thought God would not let them go. When we accept the condemnation of others, what do we do? We directly go to that person to clarify, asking why they looked at us that way. We fall into the devil's trap again, hiding after being hurt. It's like having a layer of glass wrapping yourself up, making it impossible for others to see you. In reality, we have surrounded ourselves; we don't want anyone to touch us; we want to stay away from you to avoid being hurt again.
Adam thought, "If I leave God, that would be fine," but he forgot that God really came to kill them? No, God knew they had sinned. What was God's purpose in coming? To bring salvation! How many people talk as if God is a tyrant, saying, "If you dare to sin, I will come and deal with you." So when many people are weak or have problems, they avoid coming to church. When you are weak or have sinned, you need to come before Jesus, because His purpose is not to punish you but to save you. So when God found Adam and Eve, He gave them clothes made of skins to cover their shame; this is our Lord.
What does a life lived in self-condemnation or being condemned by others look like? It leads to condemning others, not trusting anyone. This fruit may continue to affect them for a lifetime. I have heard a true story about a sister in the Lord; I don't know how her situation is now. A few years ago, she testified in front of many people. When she was little, she often wet the bed; this is a normal thing, right? At that time, she was already two years old and still wetting the bed. Her mother beat her and said: "You are so big; why are you still wetting the bed? Do you have a problem with your brain?" From that moment on, the little girl was filled with fear. When she wanted to go to the bathroom, she held it in, fearing she would not make it. What was the consequence of this fear? Every time she couldn't make it to the bathroom, she would wet her pants, and her mother would scold her again, saying: "You are so big; how do you not know?"
She was already in elementary school, and the problem still hadn't been solved. One day, she was napping at home and wet the bed again. Her mother scolded her again and put her wet mattress outside to dry, and many people knew about this. From that day on, the little girl was troubled by this; she was always fearful, always afraid, and eventually developed a condition where she could not hold it in, which continued until college.
There was nothing physically wrong with her, but she was troubled by this fear for over twenty years. Until one day, she understood the grace of Jesus Christ; she realized that God no longer condemned her. In a prayer, she was completely released, and her situation changed in that instant; she never wet the bed again. In fact, it was not a disease; it was just her heart being troubled by this fear, troubled… until she could not break free. This was actually the result of self-condemnation and the condemnation of others.
We might think this is nothing, but if it happens to someone close to us or to ourselves, it is very hard to get out of it. Everyone's problems are just different; some are condemned by their parents, some by their children, some by friends, whether intentionally or unintentionally. But what should we do? Don't hide like Adam; find Jesus Christ to be released from this, Hallelujah! This fear deeply binds some people, making them no longer dare to believe in themselves or trust others. They always think negatively, and whenever something happens, they think of the worst possible outcome; this is a very common problem. Christians should not live like this; you who are under grace should not live like this, Amen!
Let me tell you a joke. A wife was very worried about her husband and always suspected he was having an affair. One time, she went on a business trip and returned a day early. She wanted to surprise her husband and see what he was doing at home. She quietly came back, and when she opened the door, she saw four feet on the bed. It was obvious that two of the feet were men's and the other two were women's. Her anger flared up, and she picked up a broom to hit the bed. When she turned around, she saw someone sitting on the balcony; her husband was sitting there smoking. He said, "Your parents are here; they were tired from the long journey and just fell asleep."
Brothers and sisters, is this the result of condemnation? If she had asked who it was, would the subsequent events have occurred? Many times, it is because of this lack of trust; in the absence of faith in God, we do not trust people either. If Adam was unsure of what would happen after death, could he ask God? Yes.
Is there anything you don't understand? You can ask God! If you are hurt by a glance, you should directly ask that person: "Is it like this? Do you look down on me?" If they say no, shouldn't you let it go? Just believe their words. If we do not trust God, we will not believe people either.
The tree of the knowledge of good and evil is not called the tree of sin; it is not a tree that causes sin. It is called the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, symbolizing the law. It is a shadow of the Ten Commandments; the promulgation of the Ten Commandments is not God's original intention. You must understand this statement: The promulgation of the Ten Commandments and the law is not God's original intention. In fact, the devil is a psychologist; he does not manage the branches but goes straight to your most serious part to defeat you.
What is the devil's name? Satan; Satan is the accuser, the adversary. Who does he accuse? He accuses you. For example, he says: "Look at you; you are a useless person." Isn't that a form of accusation? Or he says: "Look at what you have done! How can you let him go? He treated you like that." Isn't that a form of condemnation? This is the devil's accusation; this is also called a spiritual battle.
How do we overcome it? We must rely on the grace of Jesus Christ. If we do not understand God's grace, we cannot walk out of this. Because the opposing lawyer is an accuser who will not speak well of you; his purpose is to sue you, to expose all your sins, and to make you think your family and friends are all bad, causing you not to trust your family or friends anymore; this is the devil's mission.
What is our mission? To tell you what your true identity is; in Jesus Christ, you are fully accepted, accepted by the Father, Amen! When you understand this, condemnation becomes ineffective for you, Hallelujah! The devil's name is Satan; his name is not thief. Does he steal? Yes, he steals your faith, steals your health, steals your peace; isn't that what he wants to take away? When he steals from you, what does he first give you? Condemnation, that is, accusation. If he does not accuse you, how can he take your things away? Understand that the peace of Christ is upon you; His peace is upon you. In the presence of God, you are pleasing to God; remember this, and what others say is of no use.
What is scary is not being firm in our faith; when others say something, it seems to be true! It seems to make sense! When others say it again, it seems to be true; this is the easiest situation to be deceived. His name is not thief, yet he steals our blessings, steals our faith, making us no longer believe in God or trust people; his name is not murderer, even though he also kills; his name is Satan.
Brothers and sisters, he is a destroyer. What does he destroy? He destroys the relationship between you and God, and the relationship between you and others; this is the devil's work. The devil does not want to build you up; he wants to tear you down. When two people fight, what is the reason? Before they fight, they already have a problem; they have been divided, and only then will they suspect and oppose each other; this is the devil's work. Whether you believe in the devil or not, he is always doing this work, leading some people to suicide, leading some into despair; this is the result he wants.
What does Jesus want? He wants you to have life and have it abundantly. So the work of Jesus is to bring salvation, to give you life. A person fears because they have accepted wrong condemnation; you need to have God's wisdom to discern these negative and wrong things and reject them. By receiving the grace of Jesus Christ, you can overcome these condemnations and fears. The Bible tells us that the law makes people aware of sin, but the law is absolutely not meant to make people holy. God gave the law to help us understand our true selves. The law makes people aware of sin; the law itself is not wrong; it merely helps us see our true nature, Amen! Because of human fallenness, condemnation and fear have been sown in people's hearts.
No matter how strong a person is, if someone says something unpleasant, will it stay in your heart? If it is a stranger, the weight of their words will be small; but what if it is a family member? The Bible says that people in our family are enemies; what does that mean? If you believe in the Lord and your family has not yet believed, the ones who attack you the hardest are not those strangers, but your family. This is the most painful thing; Jesus felt the same way. Do you know how Jesus described Judas Iscariot?
If it were an enemy, I wouldn't feel anything; but unexpectedly, it was you, eating at the same table with me, kicking me with your feet. Do you remember this? He was referring to Judas Iscariot. Jesus loved him very much, but did Judas accept this love? No, did he understand everything about Jesus? He understood. Brothers and sisters, if your family does not believe in Jesus and knows everything about you, when they attack you, it hurts the most because you care too much about their words.
Recently, a friend called me; his nephew had health issues, and his parents had given up, not wanting to take care of the child anymore. But he couldn't let go; the burden was particularly heavy, but he felt powerless. At this time, he was deeply bound by condemnation. He said: "How do I get out of this? I know this state is not normal, but I can't help it!" I told him: "Have you thought that if this child were not your relative, but a child in the church?" He said: "Maybe I wouldn't be so heartbroken."
Brothers and sisters, the more you care about someone, the more the devil uses that to control you because it can cause you the most pain. If someone insults me, and I no longer care, what does that indicate? It indicates that they do not matter much to me. But if I care about that person, it becomes a very painful thing.
When I first established the church, because I preached grace, many people did not understand and kept saying it was wrong. An aunt took three people away from the church; at that time, the church was very small, and I loved and respected those aunts very much. To be honest, they were like my mothers; we talked about everything. But one day they turned against me and left, and I couldn't sleep for three days.
Later, as the church grew, many people left, but I was not as heartbroken as I was at first. Do you know why? Because I cared too much. I want to tell everyone that the devil will attack you and condemn you through what you care about the most. Should we adjust? Where should we adjust our most important things? To Jesus. If you adjust to Jesus, you will not lose anything else; if you adjust to Jesus, the devil can no longer shake Jesus; he has already failed before Jesus. Amen!
If you focus on your mother, she cannot have any problems; if her heartbeat is unstable, you must hurry to see what is wrong with her!" The more you do this, the devil says: "Hurry over; she is not doing well today." It will disturb your peace; you will be constantly troubled by this condemnation. When we say, "Lord, I entrust her to Your hands," this is the advice I gave to that sister. I said: "Rest assured to entrust her to Jesus; do not let the devil deceive you anymore. Say, 'Lord Jesus, I entrust my child to You.' Amen!"
Do you know what it means to entrust? You give it to Him and let Him take care of it. You all have children; if you have something to do, you might say to a friend: "Can you help me watch my child for a while? I need to go out." You would feel at ease giving it to them, right? You wouldn't say ten minutes after leaving: "Is everything okay? Can you take care of my child?" That would show you are not at ease; that is not entrusting. Entrust all your matters to Jesus; do not let the devil deceive you like this anymore.
I want to emphasize again that although we are not good, we have many problems and shortcomings, and even fears, these do not affect God's love for you. He knows you have many problems, but He still loves you, Amen! Don't think that if you behave well, God will stay away from you.
It is not like that; do not be deceived like Adam again. This kind of condemnation has already been sown in people's hearts, but you must know what Jesus came for: to save you from all troubles, to destroy the works of the devil, Hallelujah! The devil hopes you will be afraid, hopes you will hide, hopes you will be defensive against everyone, and then not trust anyone. Jesus came to first restore your relationship with God, Amen!
The previous passage, Romans 5:9 says: "Since we have now been justified by his blood, how much more shall we be saved from God's wrath through him."
You must believe one fact: God is no longer angry with you. Do not think that when you sin or have problems, you are unworthy to come before God. You should come before God even more because through the blood of Jesus, you have been justified; believe this fact: God is no longer angry with you today. When we were enemies, who were we enemies with? When we did not know Him, when we slandered Him, when we said we did not believe in Him, what did God do? God already loved us, so He reconciled us through the death of His Son. When Jesus died for us on the cross, we were reconciled with God, Amen!
Understand that you have been reconciled with God, and only then can you truly be reconciled with others. If you are not reconciled with God, you cannot be reconciled with others; you will be suspicious and distrustful of everyone. After being reconciled with God, He will give you His power. The fact that you have been reconciled proves that Jesus has already completed this matter. What should you do? Believe that God is no longer angry with you, that through Jesus you have been justified, and that through the death of God's Son, you have been reconciled with God. Do you know what reconciliation means? It proves that the past relationship was not good; in the past, you were enemies, but now you are reconciled with your enemies. After being reconciled with God, you will have the strength to reconcile with others and have the strength not to accept the wrong condemnation of others anymore, Amen!
The Bible tells us that when there are grievances between people, we should always be at peace with one another, forgive one another, and bear with one another, Amen! What is God's purpose in doing this? He does not want us to live in condemnation; He does not want us to be bound by these fears and the fruits of condemnation. Therefore, God wants to release you, Amen! And to be saved through His life is God's desire to release us. Our sins have already been paid for on the cross; God has paid for all your sins in your lifetime and placed them all on Jesus Christ. Although you are not good, God still loves you, Amen!
I want everyone to understand this point first: receive Jesus' love, and then love those around you who are not good. Even if that person has a bad temper and is unreasonable, you should love them, regardless of whether they can understand it, Amen! I am learning to love you in this way. I look forward to us praying together for this matter, Amen! Our hearts should not be influenced by condemnation; no matter whether others understand or not, I am willing to help them, willing to love them. Even if they have suspicions or doubts about you, it doesn't matter; one day they will surely understand because I believe the Holy Spirit will work in the midst.
In the past, some people initially attacked me, but later said: "Pastor Ren, I really misunderstood you." I said: "It's okay!" When they recognized their mistake, I was not hurt; only they were hurt, Amen! I want everyone to live in God's love because God is love. You must believe: He punishes every sin, but this matter has already been completed; through the death of God's Son, we have been reconciled. We have been reconciled with God, Amen! When you understand God's love, you will no longer live in fear.
Let’s look at a passage from 1 John 4:18-19: 18 There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love. 19 We love because he first loved us.**
Do you know what this passage means? When a person still has fear, it indicates that they have not received God's perfect love, or they are not living in God's perfect love. Because when you are in God's love, there is no fear. Why is there no fear in love? The love of Jesus Christ is different from human love; first, Jesus' love is self-sacrificial love, unconditional love, and love that does not seek return, Amen!
If this person is willing to die for you, do you need to be defensive against this person? Why be defensive? He has willingly given you His life; do you still need to analyze it? God spoke a word through me that I think is very important: God's words are not for analysis; they are for believing. When I understood this, I quickly wrote it down. Many people analyze God's words, saying: "This is incorrect; it does not fit my logic! What is this writing? It doesn't make sense; throw it aside." This cannot be believed. But God's words are not meant for you to analyze; they are meant for you to believe. Then you can receive that part.
In God's love, why is there no fear? Because how much does God love you? He gave you His Son, and everything He does is for your good, whether you can understand it or not. Even when Jesus spoke harshly, was it not also for them? It was also to love them. When Jesus said: "Woe to you, hypocritical Pharisees and scribes!" Did Jesus want them to die? Jesus wanted them to turn back and not live like that anymore, but how did that group of people respond? They did not understand Jesus' love.
When you live in the perfect love of Christ, it is said that "perfect love drives out fear," Amen! What does perfect love mean? It is the self-sacrificial love I just mentioned, the love that does not seek return, Amen! He has given without needing you to repay; no matter how you treat Him, He still loves you. When we were still sinners, God already loved us, Amen! This is the kind of love God has for us. Knowing that you have such a Father who helps you every day, what do you have to worry about? We do not need to analyze, "Is this word correct or not?" There is no need; this heavenly Father is completely different from earthly fathers, Amen!
We are learning to receive the love of Christ and to love those around us, regardless of whether they can understand; just give it, Hallelujah! You must first live in God's perfect love. If you still have fear in your heart, you need to recognize the grace of Jesus Christ more, to think about what Jesus has accomplished for you on the cross. Meditating on what Christ has done for you is how God's grace can help you overcome condemnation and fear.
Knowing how much God loves you, fear cannot remain in your heart. You will never worry: "Lord, how will You deal with me today?" These fears do not exist because fear contains punishment, and where does punishment come from? Punishment exists under the law, under judgment. If we are in love, there is no punishment; the characteristic of love is giving. Amen!
I want everyone to receive the love of Christ and then give it out. The more you give Christ's love to others, the less fear that person will have, Amen! If a person is not at ease with anything, if they do not trust anyone, what they lack the most is God's love. You need to give them Jesus, let them understand Jesus' love, and at the same time, let them see Jesus' love through you, regardless of whether they can understand it.
The fearful person has not been made perfect in love; the original meaning is that the fearful person is not in God's perfect love, meaning they understand too little of God's love. How many people think Jesus loves us and has taken us into the kingdom of heaven, leaving the rest for us to do ourselves? You understand too little of Jesus' love; what you need to understand is His perfect love, Amen! What does perfect love mean? No matter how you are now or what environment you are in, no matter whether you can understand it or not, He still loves you; this is Jesus.
When you understand that Jesus loves me like this, it allows me to follow Him no matter what environment I encounter. This is also the reason why when I help others, regardless of whether that person can understand, I am willing to do so, doing my best. I hope everyone can do this together; your family and those around you will change because of you. We should not expect Jesus to do things personally; Jesus wants to do things through you, so the world should see Jesus' love through you, Hallelujah!
At the end of Romans 8, it mentions: What can separate us from the love of Christ? This is a way of victory. Because Christ has already overcome death, He has already triumphed over various things and arrows; what can separate us from the love of Christ? Is it death? Is it persecution? Is it trouble? No, neither angels nor anything in heaven or on earth can separate us. If you are willing to live in this love of Christ, it proves that these things cannot overcome you, and thus these fears cannot take root in your heart.
What does taking root mean? It means it cannot continue to amplify within you. We cannot say: "After knowing the love of Christ, I will no longer have fear." To put it in a proverb: You cannot stop birds from flying over your head, but you can stop them from nesting in your hair. Do you understand my meaning? Nesting represents what? Staying here. Do not let fear take root and grow larger within you; your fear will only grow larger. If it comes in, what should you do? Let it out. If a bird lands on your head, what do you do? Or just stew it, just kidding, do you understand? Just eat it.
When fear comes, overcome it with the love of Christ! In Christ, I am righteous; I am in God's perfect love, no longer fearing darkness because God's light has already shone upon me. I am a righteous person, and the light of the righteous will shine brighter and brighter until noon, Hallelujah! Thank You, Lord!
Today, we are all justified ministers, 2 Corinthians 3:7-9,
7 Now if the ministry that brought death, which was engraved in letters on stone, came with glory, so that the Israelites could not look steadily at the face of Moses because of its glory, fading though it was, 8 will not the ministry of the Spirit be even more glorious? 9 If the ministry that brought condemnation was glorious, how much more glorious is the ministry that brings righteousness!
Here it mentions two types of ministries: one is the ministry of death, and the other is the ministry of righteousness. The ministry of righteousness is the ministry under the New Covenant. What does this ministry bring to people? It brings life. 2 Corinthians 3:10-11 says: "For what was glorious has no glory now in comparison with the surpassing glory. 11 And if what was fading away came with glory, how much greater is the glory of that which lasts!"
Can we teach some people under the law of Moses? Yes, you must do this, you must do that… doesn't it also help somewhat?
Do unbelievers have some methods to solve some problems? Yes, for example, if you are very afraid, they might say: "Don't worry, change your perspective, think of something else." Isn't this just a human method? But does this ministry have glory? Yes, will it have some effect? Yes, but it is too small. When they speak to you, you say it’s fine. When they go home, you immediately return to your original state; this is called the glory that was once there, referring to the glory under the law of Moses. Unbelievers are comforted under the glory of the law, merely using some methods they can think of, or methods that worked for others in the past.
We see later that what was glorious has no glory now in comparison with the surpassing glory. What does this surpassing glory refer to? The grace of Jesus Christ. In the love of Christ, in the grace of Christ, what is the characteristic of grace? Supply, giving; supply and giving are freely given! When you understand that you are under the glory of grace in Christ, how does Jesus' method compare to that of the world? Is it better or worse? Better. Can we use worldly methods? Yes, don't go to extremes. For example, if you are sick, can you go to the hospital? Yes. Can you ask a doctor to check you? Yes. Can you pray? Yes, all of these are fine.
Don't go to extremes, saying: "I am a Christian, so I cannot go to the hospital, I cannot take medicine; I would rather die than go to the hospital." Why must it be like this? God has never denied the previous glory; He just tells you that the latter glory is greater. If you do not have the latter glory, what will you do? Then just use the former. Not everyone can understand the grace of Christ, nor does everyone accept the grace of Jesus.
When they are sick, we say: "In the name of Jesus, you will be healed; no need to go to the hospital." This is your faith; do not impose it on them unless they understand the love of Christ and the grace of Christ, then they can overcome the fear within them. Otherwise, if you say: "It's okay, just pray." Their hearts are still afraid; that won't work! When will this fear disappear? When they go to the doctor, and the doctor says: "It's nothing; it's a small problem." They will feel at ease; can this method remove fear? Yes, then let them go see the doctor!
We should not go to extremes, brothers and sisters; grace tells you: There is a better way. For example, when we do business, can we consult worldly experience? Of course! When you consult them, say: "Lord, they do it this way; do You have a better method?" All of this is fine; do not go to extremes, saying: "Now that I believe in the Lord, I cannot use worldly methods." Don't forget where worldly methods come from; they come from the law. God has given you a better way today, Amen!
Look at the next part: If what was fading away had glory, what does that fading away refer to? The law. Believing in Jesus does not make you suffer more; it makes you freer. Believing in Jesus gives you more glory and more joy. You say: "I see the world is quite joyful." God wants to give you greater joy. You say: "I don't want this great joy." Can you? You can return to living under the law; Jesus never forces us to accept His grace. I just want to tell everyone that what was fading away had glory, which is the comfort and methods the world gives you; they have some effect, but there is a better way. Depend on Jesus, understand the grace of Jesus Christ; this is the better way.
What lasts? What is lasting? The grace of Jesus Christ is lasting. Why is the grace of Christ lasting? How many times can people help you? Once, twice, a few times, or parents can help you for many years, but what if one day your parents are no longer there? Unless your parents are everlasting. Which parents are everlasting? The Heavenly Father; your Father is eternally everlasting, and you should rely on this Father. Can you rely on your earthly father? Yes, but they have a time limit.
Look at the previous part; the earthly things have glory, but the lasting ones have even more glory. Does this reading make sense to you? Can you rely on earthly friends? Yes, you can ask them for help. When you are weak, let them help you. But you must also know that there is a lasting one; when there is something, you should seek Him even more, Hallelujah! This Heavenly Father can help you with everything; this Father has the power to help you. So when you understand this, you are in the grace of Christ, and all fears will be eliminated.
When you go to someone and say: "I have a problem; please help me." If that person says: "I'm sorry, I really can't help you," is that still fear? But when you go to God, He always has a way; He always has the power. The key is that this God is willing to help you for free and is willing to give you the best. I encourage everyone to think often about the grace of Jesus Christ, to understand and reflect on what He has accomplished for you on the cross, and then condemnation and fear can be completely uprooted from your heart. Do not let these condemnations and fears take root in you; let the words of Christ take root in your heart. This way, you will always bear the fruits of the Spirit: peace, joy, gentleness, self-control, and goodness, Hallelujah!
Let us pray together:
Heavenly Father, we thank and praise You! Lord, we know that we can be deceived by the devil, accept our own condemnation, and be condemned by others, leading to fear. But through Your grace, we can overcome it. Because You are the God who is willing to give me all blessings freely, You know I am not good, yet You still love me! You let me rely on You; through the blood of Christ, I have been justified, and the Father is no longer angry with me. Because while I was still a sinner, You died for me, and I have been reconciled with You. Lord, You also give me this strength to be reconciled with others, so that my heart is not filled with bitterness but filled with God's love. I am willing to give out the love of Christ and do not want fear to exist in my heart.
In the name of Jesus Christ, remove all fear from your heart, and let God's love fill you. God has given you Jesus; He is the best in the kingdom of heaven. Since God has given you Jesus, will He not also freely give you all things? Nothing can separate you from the love of Christ, so do not look at yourself anymore, and do not accept the condemnation of others. You must believe that God is no longer condemning you today; He is willing to love you as long as you accept His love.
No matter whether you can understand it or not, say: "Lord, I am willing to try to understand Your love and receive Your grace." Your life will be different; these condemnations and fears will be completely removed from you. You need to understand the perfect love of Christ and live in His perfect love. When you are in His perfect love, fear will disappear, and peace will fill your heart; your life will be different. You will no longer fear in your work, no longer fear in your relationships, and no longer fear for your future because Jesus has already overcome all of this. He wants to give you this power so that you can live in this love in the new week.
I bless you in the name of the Lord Jesus. You are a justified group of people in Christ, a group of people loved by God. No matter what curses, wrongs, or negatives the devil gives you, when condemnation arises, declare in the name of Jesus to remove it. All of this is not true; Jesus loves you, and that is the truth. The Heavenly Father loves you, Hallelujah! You are drawn by the love of the Heavenly Father. Thank You and praise You, Heavenly Father. We thank You for giving us such words; all glory belongs to You. In the name of the Lord Jesus, we pray, Amen!