242-He is True Peace#
242-He is True Peace
(JP Text Group - Organized by the Prince of Heaven)
The topic of sharing is: He is True Peace
Luke 2:8-14
8 In the fields near Bethlehem, there were shepherds keeping watch over their flocks at night. 9 An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. 10 But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid; I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people.
11 Today in the town of David, a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord. 12 This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.” 13 Suddenly, a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying: 14 “Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests.”
Let us pray together:
Heavenly Father! We thank and praise You, thank You for giving us the word on this special day, allowing us to meditate on such words, that You came to the world not only to redeem me but also to grant me Your peace. On that night two thousand years ago, Jesus was born, coming for my sins, dying for my sins, redeeming my life. Lord! In this moment, let us recall the grace You have given to each person, completely surrender this time to You, may the Holy Spirit lead each brother and sister to be filled with blessings, all glory belongs to You! In the name of Lord Jesus, we pray. Amen!
Thank the Lord! Today is Christmas, wishing everyone a Merry Christmas! Jesus is True Peace. Regardless of whether one believes in Jesus or not, peace is essential. I used to work in insurance for a while, and someone said: This world is too dangerous, there are frequent car accidents, flying is dangerous, sailing is dangerous... In short, it’s too dangerous, I’ll just stay at home. Later that person had an accident; a plane fell from the sky and hit the roof of his house, he lived on the sixth floor, and he was killed. Is there peace?
Whether one believes in Jesus or not, peace is needed. Tonight is called Christmas Eve; why is it Christmas Eve? Because the Prince of Peace has come, He was born and granted us His peace. Many people think peace means having no troubles and everything going smoothly; this is the peace understood by the world. In the eyes of our Lord Jesus, what is peace? No matter what happens, you have peace in your heart. What does it look like to be unshaken even when a mountain collapses before you? Without peace, one cannot achieve this. There is a person in the world named Jesus, who, when faced with any situation, was never flustered or afraid... because He had peace within, so peace is not merely the absence of storms and troubles.
In the Bible, when Jesus encountered fierce winds and waves, He still had peace. Once, Jesus took His disciples to cross the Sea of Galilee, and suddenly the sky changed, and a great storm arose on the sea. The disciples lost their peace and were very afraid; finally, one disciple woke Jesus, saying, “Teacher, wake up! We are going to die; don’t you care?”
When we lose peace, our hearts become chaotic, and fear arises. When Jesus woke up, He had no fear in His heart; He always had God's peace. He stood up and said to the wind and the waves: “Be still! Be quiet!” Think about this passage; I suggest you meditate on it often and consider what kind of peace Jesus had at that time. Because Jesus Himself is the Prince of Peace.
Do not say that Jesus has the power to calm the storms. Even if we have the ability to handle some things, we still feel fear when we see them. But no matter what Jesus encountered, He was always at peace. When Jesus prayed in the Garden of Gethsemane, sweating drops of blood on the ground, He still had peace. In such an environment, He knew that soon His disciples would leave Him, and the Father would soon depart from Him; shouldn’t He lose peace then?
But He still had peace inside because He knew He was about to fulfill humanity's redemption plan, about to accomplish what the Father had always wanted to do, so He still had peace. Moreover, He knew that when He died, He would completely defeat death, which is why He said on the cross, “It is finished!” It was because He already had peace within.
Brothers and sisters, it is absolutely not enough to just hang a peace charm to have peace; that charm is useless. The key is to have the peace of Jesus. Most people who drive will hang a pendant in front of their car that says “Safe travels.” But without God’s protection, even if you hang that pendant all over your car, is it useful? You must first know where peace comes from. Peace comes from our Lord Jesus Christ. The birth of Jesus brought us peace; we need peace and the redemption of Jesus Christ. God sent His only begotten Son to come for us, bringing His true peace to us, so that all who believe in Jesus can receive this peace. As long as you believe, you will receive it.
In this article, in the fields near Bethlehem, there were shepherds watching over their flocks at night, and the angel of the Lord stood beside them, and the glory of the Lord shone upon them. It was night, and the shepherds were keeping watch over their flocks, at the darkest moment of the night. Perhaps Jesus was born during the time from the winter solstice to New Year’s Day, because during this time, darkness is the longest. Personally, I think Jesus may have been born on the longest night of the year. What does night signify? Darkness. In the dark, what do we need the most? Light.
In darkness, we do not know which way to go, we do not know where to go, and there is fear in the dark. But that night, angels came, turning the night into day, and the glory of the Lord shone around them. What does this signify? In the fields, if I shine a flashlight on you, I can only see one side of the light, but now they are surrounded by the glory of the Lord, and the whole person is in the light. Brothers and sisters, can you imagine what that scene was like? The message of Jesus' coming is like being in darkness; God’s light shines not just from one side but from all around you, dispelling all darkness. The darkness in our hearts is driven away by Jesus. You must know that when you accept Jesus into your heart, all the darkness in your heart will completely disappear.
At that time, the glory of the Lord shone upon them, and suddenly the heavens changed. At the darkest moment when light was most needed, the Lord Jesus was born. They were very afraid when they saw the light because they had never seen it before and did not understand why the glory of God would come down. The angel brought the message of peace for all people. The scripture we just read says that the shepherds were very afraid; not only the shepherds, but we also have fear in our hearts. Everyone has it; fear is everywhere in this world, and it is an experience shared by all. When a person has fear inside, it means they have lost God’s peace.
In fear, people often comfort themselves: “I am not afraid…” Does saying you are not afraid mean you are no longer afraid? Brothers and sisters, when a person says they are not afraid, it actually shows that they are very afraid, and they say it to bolster their courage; they have no confidence inside, and outward strength cannot cover inner fear. This is how people are after leaving God. If you are not afraid in one place, you will be afraid in another; in short, wherever you are afraid, it is because you have lost peace. The fundamental reason is that people have sinned and become sinners, and fear has forever taken residence in the hearts of people, unless the Son of Peace, the Prince of Peace, Jesus, comes.
Let’s take a look at what fears we encounter. Can Jesus’ power solve these problems? Are you afraid of the environment? Many times we fear it won’t rain, or fear it will rain too much, or fear other problems like earthquakes... all kinds of fears. After entering the year 2000, various geological disasters have increased, and strange things have become more common, leading us to fear the environment.
When in fear, can you solve the problem? Take earthquakes for example, how can you avoid them? You say there are warnings; can that prevent the event from happening? No, people can only avoid them. This fear is always present; when you are sleeping at night, and suddenly the house shakes, are you afraid? Who would say: “Great! I’ve been waiting for this day!” No one says that, right? The environment causes many people to start fearing. What are they truly afraid of? They are not afraid of the earthquake itself; they are afraid of losing their lives because of the environment.
Ecclesiastes 8:8 says, “No one has power over the wind to contain it; so no one has power over the time of their death. As no one is discharged in time of war, so wickedness will not release those who practice it.”
No one can control life, referring to people, because Ecclesiastes discusses a phenomenon about humans. No one can control their own life; how many people say they control their own lives, but when problems arise, when the environment changes, they cannot control their lives. No one can say, “I can keep my life.” No one has the power to control the time of death.
Our Lord has always been in control of life and death. This battle is unavoidable, meaning no one can escape it. Since we cannot avoid death, what should we do? Is there no way out? Today you receive good news: Jesus is your way out. Evil cannot save those who do evil; can the devil save our lives? He cannot even save himself.
This is the first fear people have regarding the environment. The second is death. Why do people go to the hospital when they are sick? It is actually out of fear of death; they are not afraid of the illness itself. When doctors say, “We have done all we can,” fear grips them immediately. The reason fear can seize them is that they know they cannot avoid death. Who can overcome death? Only Jesus. Hallelujah! Why did Jesus have to die on the cross?
Because He wanted to completely abolish death, so that we would no longer fear death. Therefore, Christians themselves do not fear death. The moment you accept Jesus, death is far from you. Some may say, “That’s not right; I will still die.” What you think of as death is not the same as what God calls death. The end of the physical body is called death, but in God’s eyes, it is merely sleep. When your child falls asleep at night, do you cry out, “Don’t sleep!”? Why can you sleep and not cry? Because they will wake up in the morning.
In the spiritual realm, God sees us the same way. You have worked for six days; it’s time to rest. Those six days also have spiritual significance: you have worked a lifetime in this world, and it’s time to take a break, so your physical life ends, and you rest. When you wake up again, the caterpillar has turned into a butterfly, and your whole life is renewed. If you think of it this way, will you still fear death? Many people look forward to: “When will I become a butterfly?” Don’t worry; once you finish your work and sleep, when you wake up again, all of this will be realized, just like when we sleep at night and wake up the next day, so death is not scary.
Why do people in the world fear death? It is because they do not know where they will go after death, which is why they fear death. Those in the hospital with terminal illnesses are very afraid before they die. In fact, death is not scary; it is just that they do not know where they will go when this life ends, which is why they fear. We are different; we know where we come from and where we are going. After death, our life does not end; there is still judgment. Fear comes from three aspects: first, the environment; second, death; and third, judgment. People are particularly afraid of God’s judgment. When Adam sinned, and God came to find him, He said, “Where are you?” What was Adam’s first response to God?
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 sinned, the first thing that entered him was fear; he feared God’s judgment because he knew he had sinned. A sinner discovers their shame and corruption and knows they have violated God’s word, so they begin to hide from God. This is why it is difficult for a person to believe in Jesus.
God did not say, “Go into all the world and make everyone believe in Jesus.” He said, “Preach the gospel to all nations; as for whether they believe or not, that is their own choice.” God also knows that you cannot make someone believe; you cannot do that. The only thing you can do is tell them the gospel; if they are willing to believe, they will receive it. But all people are the same; in the face of God’s calling, the first reaction of people is to hide.
I once shared a joke when I first started pastoring. I was chatting with an elderly lady who watched over the church and found that the church door was never locked. We have security doors at home, locked very tightly, but the church door was never locked. One day I asked her, “Grandma, why don’t you lock the church door when you go out?” At that time, the church was on the roadside, with many people coming and going. She went out to buy groceries without locking the door. I asked her, “Aren’t you afraid something will be stolen?”
At that time, I had just entered the church and knew nothing. The elderly lady said to me, “Thieves don’t want to come in here.” I asked her why, and she said, “We can’t even get people to come in, let alone thieves. They don’t want to come in; thieves know there is God here, and they dare not come in casually.” In the presence of God, people have a fearful heart; instinctively, they fear God. But they are eager to go to false gods; everyone is willing to worship whatever goddess. You ask them, and they will readily go. Another spiritual fact is that when you say, “Come with me to believe in Jesus!” people will always have a thousand reasons not to come. But when it comes to worshiping false gods, they say, “Sure! I can go when I have time.”
In fact, this is a spiritual matter; we have fear of God because we fear His judgment. They know that this God knows everything about people, so they have a kind of rejection towards God, wanting to hide away, not wanting to get too close to Him. The more the true God is, the more people fear Him. This is because people have a fundamental misunderstanding of God; we have been deceived by the devil for many years. Martin Luther once said something; he described Adam hiding from God, saying, “This is actually the hell that follows a person like a shadow. We see idols in paganism appearing with fierce and terrifying faces, reflecting the human psyche of fear towards God.”
Many religious gods appear particularly frightening; those are man-made things. Have you ever thought about why people create such gods? Because they themselves fear the true God, thinking that God is fierce and terrible, projecting their inner fear onto the image they create, ultimately creating such a god, which precisely reflects their inner fear. Because they fear the true God, who will judge them. When you go to their places and see those bizarre things, you are also afraid; that precisely proves one thing: that is merely a reflection of what is truly in the hearts of humanity. If Jesus looked like that, would you want to believe in Him?
Jesus is not like that; in fact, it is a misunderstanding of God by people and a misunderstanding of the devil. The devil is actually beautiful; if he were not beautiful, how could he attract people? If he really looked fierce and terrible, who would want to go near him? The truth is, the true God is kind and approachable. I want to tell you good news: in these days, churches around the world are preaching messages of grace. In these days, you can visit various churches, and it’s not messages of condemnation, is it? No. You say, “I’m not worthy; I can’t believe in Jesus; I’ve done many bad things…”
The pastor will say, “Jesus loves you.” In these days, it is all messages of grace. This is why every year during Christmas Eve and Christmas, churches are filled with people, because during these days, we reveal to the world the true nature and purpose of Jesus, because God’s love and purpose can completely eliminate the fear within people. Just like the shepherds mentioned in the scripture, when God’s great light shone in the darkness, their inner darkness completely disappeared. Christmas is a commemoration of the birth of our Lord Jesus Christ. Many people say not to celebrate Christmas because the Bible does not mention this holiday.
The focus is not on the holiday; the focus is on who you are commemorating through this holiday. If Christmas is celebrated as Santa Claus, then there is a problem. Jesus died at thirty-three; He was very young. The country we are going to is a young nation. Christmas commemorates the birth of our Lord Jesus Christ; He made the atoning sacrifice for us, coming for our sins, and coming to redeem us. Why do we commemorate Jesus? For those who have already believed, why celebrate Christmas? First, to commemorate that He has solved our sin problem; second, to anticipate His second coming. The first time He was born in humility; the second time He will come in glory.
Revelation 1:7 says, “Look, he is coming with the clouds, and every eye will see him, even those who pierced him; and all peoples on earth will mourn because of him. So shall it be! Amen.”
Why does the Bible say this? Some people will be very happy to see Jesus, while others will begin to mourn. Why? For us believers, this is a good thing; for those who do not believe, they will regret it, their hearts filled with remorse, realizing that the person they once looked down upon is indeed true, and those Christians they despised are indeed true. At that time, everything will be over.
Luke 21:25-28
25 “There will be signs in the sun, moon, and stars. On the earth, nations will be in anguish and perplexity at the roaring and tossing of the sea. 26 People will faint from terror, apprehensive of what is coming on the world, for the heavenly bodies will be shaken. 27 At that time, they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory. 28 When these things begin to take place, stand up and lift up your heads, because your redemption is drawing near.”
Before Jesus’ first coming, there was great light and glory. When He comes the second time, there will still be glory, but before Jesus’ second coming, you will see many events happening on earth, such as signs in the sun, moon, and stars. The Bible also mentions things like the sun not shining, the moon turning blood red, and there will be earthquakes, famines, plagues, and wars; these things will happen. When these things occur, many people will begin to feel fear.
The heavenly bodies will be shaken; what does this mean? Many celestial bodies will fall. Have you noticed that there have been many meteors in recent years? This is the beginning of the heavenly bodies shaking. People will remember the things that are about to come upon the world and will be terrified. You should not be afraid of these things. When the world is afraid, anxious, and terrified, you should see the Son of Man coming in power and great glory. When Jesus was born, it was the angels who brought down a small glory.
But when Jesus comes the second time, it will be great glory. I suspect Brother David is right: stories like “Journey to the West” may have been inspired by this, because in this world, only our Lord Jesus Christ can truly come and go on clouds. These mythical stories are hard to understand from a physical perspective; can this happen? No, people are much heavier than clouds; how could they possibly stand on them? But Jesus indeed walked this way, and He also said, “The way I go, I will come back.” Doesn’t the scripture say He will come on clouds?
When the world is afraid of various strange phenomena in the sun, moon, and stars, and when nations on earth are in distress, do not be afraid; your focus should be on Jesus, for He is coming soon. You should live with your heads held high. While the world is hiding in fear at home, you should live with your heads held high because your redemption is drawing near. This does not mean you will be saved; it means the caterpillar is about to turn into a butterfly, and your day of redemption is near.
It is very possible that in our time, this will happen because everything seems very close. Perhaps one day while we are gathering, suddenly... everyone’s body will change shape and ascend into the air, happily walking on clouds. Jesus did not come on clouds in this physical body; it was after His death and resurrection that He had that body, which is magnificent. So you should look forward to that change. This is why we celebrate the birth of Jesus, because His birth, death, and resurrection bring us a new hope. Celebrating the birth of Jesus is about solving our sin problem, and we look forward to His second coming. Hallelujah!
When Jesus came the first time, the angels comforted them, saying: “Do not be afraid; I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people.” What does this mean? Is Jesus merely serving the Israelites? Is Jesus really a foreign religion? Many people say, “I cannot believe in this foreign religion; if I believe, I will believe in Chinese gods; Buddhism is good enough.” I say, “Sorry, that is not Chinese either.”
Brothers and sisters, you must know that He is truly the Creator, not a god of a particular country; He is the Lord of all humanity. Here it says, “I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people,” which naturally includes you. For today in the town of David, a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord. What does this mean?
Peace has descended from heaven, and this child has appeared in the town of David; He is called the Prince of Peace. We shared last week that the night He was born is called Christmas Eve; Christmas Eve has nothing to do with apples; it is related to Jesus. However, you can eat apples on Christmas Eve; just don’t get the order wrong. Don’t say apples are related to Christmas Eve; you can eat apples on Christmas Eve, but Christmas Eve is related to Jesus.
If Christmas Eve is separated from Jesus, then it is not peace. On the night Jesus was born, we describe it as Christmas Eve to commemorate that on that night, He granted us peace, and we enjoy His peace. Hallelujah! Each of us has that peaceful night, which is the day you believed in Jesus, when you suddenly felt a peace you had never experienced before in your heart; that is what you have gone through.
John 16:33 says, “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world, you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.”
When we see many troubles and problems in this world, Jesus says: “I have told you these things so that you may have peace in me.” Everyone knows what peace is, right? Peace and fear are opposing words. If you believe in Jesus, from the day you believe, if you hear others talk about Jesus and become more and more afraid, feeling more and more pricked in your heart, saying, “No, this is too scary,” then what you are hearing is definitely not the message about Jesus; the pulpit should be preaching about Jesus Christ.
God wants to give us peace through Jesus, so we preach the word, which is Jesus Christ. Every time you lose peace, when you are afraid, discouraged, and hopeless, you come before Jesus, and God will first fill you with His peace.
We have been deceived, or we have problems with our faith, mistakenly believing in some false things. When you come back to church and hear the message about Jesus Christ, peace will fill you. That is why He is the source of peace; He brings us true peace.
As I mentioned earlier, peace does not mean everything goes smoothly; this is a misconception many people have: “I believe in Jesus; why do I still encounter these strange problems?” God never said that once you believe in Him, you will not encounter any storms. What did Jesus say? “In this world, you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” This means you will encounter mountains and difficulties, but I can help you overcome these problems. When you know Jesus can overcome, your heart will have peace. This is the Jesus we believe in; it does not mean you will no longer encounter any difficulties or setbacks; it means that when you do encounter them, Jesus will help you overcome all these problems.
What do people who do not believe in Jesus do when they encounter problems they cannot solve? They struggle desperately; if they still cannot solve it after struggling, they will say, “This is fate!” But what about us? Remember, even the worst Christian, the one with the least faith, the weakest, when they encounter problems, at least they will pray to God; they have someone to rely on. How much do people in the world expect Jesus? They just do not know that Jesus is such a good God; they think of Jesus as being like other gods, fierce and terrible, always there to punish them.
In the past, before I believed in Jesus, I also encountered many difficulties. When I could not solve them, I would kneel down; I actually wanted to pray to God, but I did not know which god to pray to. At that time, my aunt’s house and my grandfather’s house had many gods; I actually looked down on their gods. But when I encountered problems I could not solve, I would kneel down and recite all the gods I knew. Was that useful? It was not useful. Until I met Jesus, you do not need to do that; when you encounter problems you cannot solve, just kneel down, and Jesus is enough. He can help you solve all the problems you encounter in life, including the problem of life, so you no longer fear the environment and no longer fear death.
The first Adam failed, and the second Adam came to the world on such a night. His purpose was to live out the original image of God creating man. He was nailed to the cross; to people, He seemed to have failed completely, but the last words He spoke were, “It is finished!” Then He entrusted His spirit into the Father’s hands, meaning no one could take Jesus’ life; He accomplished everything and laid down His life.
Romans 5:19 says, “For just as through the disobedience of the one man the many were made sinners, so also through the obedience of the one man the many will be made righteous.” The disobedience of one man refers to Adam; his disobedience made us sinners. Some may say, “I have not sinned; how can I be a sinner?” Because Adam sinned. Looking at the next part, “so also” means the same as above; through the obedience of one man, this refers to Jesus. Because of His obedience, He offered Himself as a sacrifice for your sins; were you there when Adam sinned? Were you there when Jesus obeyed? You were not there for either, yet you inherited both.
First, you were born a sinner, but because of Jesus, you changed; after believing in Jesus, you became a righteous person. This is a fact. Your life has been changed by Jesus. In Adam, all humanity has fallen short of the glory of God and sinned; in Christ, God gives His glory to all who believe in Him, imparting righteousness to all who believe. So now you possess the righteousness of Jesus; you are clothed in the righteousness of Jesus.
In the previous scripture, it says, “The angel said to them: Glory to God in the highest.” Glory itself belongs to God; you are a person who has fallen short of God’s glory, but now God wants to give you this glory. “And on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests.” What kind of people does He favor? Those who do what is right, show mercy, and practice kindness? It is all who believe in Jesus.
When we are willing to give this glory to God, saying, “Lord, the righteousness I have is not mine; it is from Jesus Christ. The glory I have is not mine; it is Yours.” When you view God this way, His peace will come upon you. If you always say, “This is mine; I earned it through hard work; I created this,” you will lose peace. The reason is simple: something earned through your hard work can easily be lost, leading to a loss of peace because you are always afraid someone will take it away. But if it is given to you by God, peace will always be in your heart.
Here, I want to tell you a fact: What is the gospel? The gospel is not a method of asceticism to attain something. Other religions will tell you: You must practice hard, improve your character, and reach a certain level. The gospel is not this; the gospel is Jesus coming to be your Savior, transforming your entire life into something new. It is not about gradually changing a bad person into a good person; it is about letting your old life die and giving you a new one.
What similarities are there between a caterpillar and a butterfly? Do they behave the same way? One crawls on the ground and sees things in two dimensions; we cannot understand how a caterpillar sees us. In short, it is different from a butterfly, which has a higher realm and sees things in three dimensions. When we look down from the roof, we see everything in three dimensions, but if we look at things close to the wall, our perspective changes, right? These two lives are completely different. In fact, we are like this; we see problems in one dimension, either black or white, either right or wrong, either life or death.
With love as the principle, in Jesus Christ, if the other party wants to win, let them win; even if they strike me, I will bless them... Isn’t that completely different from our past way of thinking and behaving? This is in Jesus Christ because you have changed; you are not struggling to transform from a caterpillar to a butterfly and grow wings. It is not like that; the old life is gone, and the new life has appeared. Can you go back? No, you cannot.
So Jesus came to let your old life die and to give you His victorious and glorious life; He came to be your Savior. Always remember: He did not come to condemn you, nor to persuade you with reasoning, but to rescue you when you fall into a pit. Historically, no religious leader has ever said, “I am the good shepherd; the good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.” Only Jesus said this, and He did it. So I dare to tell you: when you believe in Jesus, He will indeed save you; He not only says this, but He also does it. Look at the promises in the Bible; He said it, and He will surely accomplish it because His promises will be fulfilled.
His birth was not for anything else; His whole life was for the day He would go to the cross. When all children in this world are born, parents hope their children will have a good life and a bright future. Only the day Jesus was born was it destined for Him to die for us. Jesus died on the cross and rose again, solving three problems for humanity: the first is the problem of sin. He had no sin but became a sinner for us, bearing our sins, so today you are not living as a sinner in sin; you are a person justified by God.
The second is the problem of death. The Bible tells us: “And free those who all their lives were held in slavery by their fear of death.” When Jesus died for our sins, the power of the devil was completely defeated. So do not say from your mouth how powerful the devil is; he is nothing. Before Jesus, he is a loser.
The third is the problem of judgment. Because the Lord Jesus has already borne judgment for us, God will no longer judge us with punishment.
Romans 8:1-2
1 Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, 2 because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit who gives life has set you free from the law of sin and death.
You have been set free from the law of sin and death. Christians no longer face God’s angry punishment but receive rewards according to their deeds, which is also judgment. When you believe in Jesus, what you do for the Lord today, He will reward you. In front of a judge, there are not only punishments but also rewards. We have this one-sided concept that when we think of God’s judgment, we think of God wanting to burn us with fierce fire. In fact, God has another judgment, which is to reward according to deeds, which is what our Lord does. God will never treat you unfairly; it is impossible to say that after believing in Jesus, everyone will receive the same reward. That would not demonstrate God’s fairness and justice. In terms of deeds, the more you offer to the Lord, the more rewards God will give you. What we face is no longer punishment or judgment of hell, but God will reward you. Where is the scripture? Let’s read together:
Revelation 11:18, “The nations were angry, and your wrath has come. The time has come for judging the dead, and for rewarding your servants the prophets and your people who revere your name, both great and small, and for destroying those who destroy the earth.”
Now do you understand? Many people say, “This is nonsense; where does the Bible say judgment is God’s reward for us?” Doesn’t this passage clarify the issue? First, it tells you that there is no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. Through your faith in Jesus, the problem of sin has been solved. God no longer punishes you with death; then what kind of judgment will you receive? The nations were angry, and your wrath has come, referring to the unbelievers. For the unbelievers, God’s anger remains.
In John 3, it is also clearly stated that those who do not believe are already condemned; God’s wrath remains on them because they do not believe in the name of God’s one and only Son. The time has come for judging the dead; here, the dead refers to the unbelievers. How will they be judged? If you look further, you will understand that Revelation records that they will be directly thrown into the lake of fire. You might say, “This person committed fewer sins in life; let’s throw them into the oil pot to fry for a while. This person committed many heinous crimes; let’s throw them into the fire for 81 days.” Is it like that? Whether you commit a small sin or a series of sins, the outcome is the same; they will all be thrown into the lake of fire. This is the judgment for the dead, for the unbelievers.
Then it speaks to those who have believed: “Your servants the prophets and your people who revere your name, both great and small, will receive their rewards.” This refers to believers. What does “both great and small” mean? Do not say, “I am a small believer; I have only done a little for the Lord.” It does not matter; even a cup of water has its reward.
When the time comes for both great and small to receive their rewards, it means that after our lives end, everything we have done for the Lord in this world, God will reward you. Some may say, “If what you say is true, then those under grace will definitely do whatever they want and act without restraint…” Wrong. Those who truly understand that God has given them so many opportunities and rewards will cherish every day of their lives. Because they know that God easily gives them rewards, even a cup of water will be rewarded.
At the second judgment, God says that both the great and the small will receive rewards. Therefore, the birth of Jesus in the manger is to bring peace to the world. His death and resurrection on the cross bring people before God. We finally have a way to come before God, which is through Jesus’ death and resurrection; we can come back to the Father. How can you remove your anxiety, sorrow... fears about the environment, relationships, or the future? There is a method to resolve your inner fears and let God’s peace enter your heart. Let’s read the scripture:
Romans 10:9-13
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.” 12 For there is no difference between Jew and Gentile—the same Lord is Lord of all and richly blesses all who call on him, 13 for, “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”
This passage is particularly important; believing will surely lead to salvation. The Bible gives us a very clear answer. If you declare Jesus as Lord, what does that mean? You acknowledge Jesus as your Savior. This is why when we lead others in a prayer of commitment, we must let them acknowledge themselves as sinners and acknowledge Jesus as their Savior. They must confess with their mouths and believe in their hearts that God raised Him from the dead, and they will be saved. This is the prayer of commitment.
If you believe in Jesus, that He died on the cross for your sins and rose from the dead three days later, believing that Jesus died for your sins and rose for you, you will be saved. The scripture concludes with how to be saved: you will surely be saved. What does “surely” mean? It means you will definitely be saved. Do you believe in God’s word? Believe it, so do not discuss how many times one can be saved; do not debate such doctrines. You only need to believe what the Bible says, and you can believe it as it is written. God says that if you confess with your mouth and believe in your heart, you will surely be saved; it is not “possibly,” but you will definitely be saved. Because with your heart, you believe and can be justified; with your mouth, you confess and can be saved.
Verse 11 says, “Anyone who believes in him will never be put to shame.”
Do you know that those who believe in Jesus will not be put to shame? What does this mean? If you believe in Jesus, you will absolutely not be ashamed in front of the world; you will surely live out His glory.
Verse 12 says, “He richly blesses all who call on him.”
Please remember this: He richly blesses all who call on Him, so do pray to Him; He will give you His abundant grace.
Let us pray to God together:
Heavenly Father! We thank and praise You! Thank You for giving us this opportunity to reflect again that Jesus came to this world for us. I believe Jesus died for my sins and lives for me; I am justified by God. I believe, and I will be saved. I also believe You richly bless all who call on You. Friends around me hear me speak of Jesus; as long as they are willing to believe in You, You will accept them, for everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved. Thank You, Jesus, for loving me, dying for my sins; Your resurrection has justified me. I am a righteous person; all glory belongs to You! In the name of Lord Jesus, we pray. Amen!