285-What You Receive is What Your Life Looks Like#
285-What You Receive is What Your Life Looks Like
(JP Text Group - Organized by the Little Prince of Heaven)
The topic of sharing is: What You Receive is What Your Life Looks Like
Ephesians 3:12-21,
12 In him and through faith in him we may approach God with freedom and confidence. 13 I ask you, therefore, not to be discouraged because of my sufferings for you, which are your glory. 14 For this reason I kneel before the Father, 15 from whom every family in heaven and on earth derives its name.
16 I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, 17 so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, 18 may have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, 19 and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.
20 Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, 21 to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen.
Let us pray together:
Heavenly Father! Thank You and praise You! Thank You for giving us such words, receiving Your love, living with Your strength. When we receive Your love, we possess the power of love. Please lead us during this time, guiding every brother and sister seeking You. You are the God who provides food in due season, knowing what brothers and sisters need in their hearts right now. May the Holy Spirit personally supply them, help us, and we pray in the name of Lord Jesus. Amen!
Many people have received various revelations from God. When we believe in Jesus, the Holy Spirit dwells within us. Whether reading the Bible, praying, or meditating, God will speak to you in some way. Sometimes, you may not realize that it comes from God; you may have some verses from the Bible come to mind, which are the words the Holy Spirit speaks to you. Everyone has this. In different aspects and from different angles, what we receive is what our life looks like.
People without the Holy Spirit have some voices in their hearts. For example, when making choices, they start to judge whether this matter is beneficial to themselves. Where do these voices come from? From others' testimonies, experiences, or some references from books; they are all human things.
But the Holy Spirit dwells within us, personally guiding you. When you receive strength from the Holy Spirit, you can live out God's power. When you receive faith from God, you can live out faith in your life. This is why many people hear Jesus' words here and immediately their faith is filled. When facing their circumstances, they have the strength to stand up because they have received faith.
If what you receive before God is love, you can live out Christ's love; otherwise, it is too difficult. When we receive the gifts of the Holy Spirit, we can manifest the gifts of the Holy Spirit. All of this is freely given by God in Jesus Christ. We believe, and He gives it to us. If you believe in Him, He is willing to reveal this to you so that you can understand.
Whether it is love or various gifts of the Holy Spirit, they all help us understand how God loves us. If there are many gifts, abilities, and the ability to perform miracles but no love, it is of no benefit, bringing no benefit to others or ourselves. If brothers and sisters do not connect with each other in God's love, everyone is just scattered. What we understand is merely isolated and partial truths.
For example, what I am sharing with you now is not all the truths in the Bible; it is just a part of it. You also receive revelations from God, which is also a part. Each person receives a part, and when this group of people who have received parts gathers together, they can comfort each other. This is the mutual connection between the body. Some parts may seem insignificant, but they are indispensable.
This needs to be shared with all brothers and sisters when we receive revelations and what we receive from God; then we will be strengthened. Love is the way Jesus connects us. Your life is determined by what you receive. What you believe determines the pattern of your life. How your life turns out is actually related to what you believe.
When problems arise in life, for example, if we are not satisfied with our current state of life, what should we do? What needs to be adjusted is your faith. For example, when people are dissatisfied with their poor living conditions, what do they do? They set goals for three or five years and start to work hard. Should Christians set such goals? Yes, in this aspect, they are the same as the world, but the difference becomes apparent immediately. The world relies on itself, following the example of someone successful in a book, while we follow God's way. Which has a greater chance of success?
We have God's words. To achieve this, you will prosper in all things, which means believing in God's words in everything. Some people say they don't know how to execute God's words. It's simple; Jesus gives us many methods with love as the purpose. Some say they don't know how to educate their children. The Bible is very simple; if you read Proverbs carefully, it is very clear. Proverbs contains wisdom, teaching us how to interact with others, how to educate children, how to earn money... The world is created by our Lord, so what He gives you is definitely the most suitable and the best. Therefore, what you believe determines what your life looks like; what fills your heart is what you give out.
Matthew 12:35, A good man brings good things out of the good stored up in him, and an evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in him.
A few days ago, someone asked me a question: Did Eve's desire to eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil belong to her selfish desires? Was this bad thought given to her by God? It was the temptation of Satan. Let me clarify this issue for everyone. God did not create her with an evil heart; God created man, but man has free will. God created us to be free, which means at least you have two choices. So God gave her two choices: the tree of life and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. Does this reflect the freedom God gave her? She had a choice, which also proves that God created man to be good; it is just that man chose evil and failure.
Someone asked, "Isn't the devil created by God?" This is where it becomes unclear. They say, "God created the evil devil and created good people, allowing the devil to tempt people to sin. Isn't this all self-directed by God?" This is incorrect. God created angels, and angels have thoughts; they are not robots. It is just that angels fell and became devils. The meaning of Satan is adversary, opposing God.
God created man and gave man the will to choose freely. When man chooses evil and is filled with evil, what is in his heart? How can we tell he is good? It is because what he stores in his heart is good, and what comes out is good; this is related to what he receives. Watching some TV shows and reading some books, you will find that how parents view the world will influence their children, and their children will be filled with their parents' thoughts.
For example, those who commit murder and robbery teach their children from a young age that there is no good in the world, that they must be wary of everyone, and that they must develop the best skills. Others teach their children that the world is created by God and that Jesus loves us. Both are teaching their children, giving out what is stored in their hearts. What is stored in the heart is what is given out. An evil person brings evil out of the evil stored in him. So when we see someone's behavior is very evil, it indicates that there is a problem with what he believes. What he believes fills his heart, and what he brings out is like that.
How to solve these problems? We need to address all issues from the source. If you are fighting hard with this person, you are actually being deceived. You need to completely resolve what he believes in his heart and cut off these problems from the source; naturally, his behavior will change. In the past, I told everyone that you cannot give what you do not have to others.
It is the same in Christ. We can only give God's love when we receive God's love. Some people think they have received it, but when they give it out, they cannot actually give it because they have not received it. What I mean is that if you receive Jesus' love, what you give out must also be Jesus' love. What are the characteristics of Jesus' love? It is selfless and unconditional. If you receive Jesus' forgiveness, no matter how despicable that person is, you can forgive him because that is not yours.
What did Jesus say on the cross? "Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing." That is Jesus' forgiveness. Even if those people did not understand at that time, Jesus still forgave them. Some say, "I cannot forgive my spouse." That is because you cannot give out what you do not have. If you lack the broad-mindedness to love others, and you force yourself to love or forgive others, if you are in such a state, you cannot do it because you have received too little of Christ's love. But upon hearing this, do not condemn yourself. When you find you lack love, receive His love from Jesus.
Many people get this wrong. Why do couples fight and argue? The reason is simple. When building a family, many people unconsciously hope to extract love from the other person because they themselves do not have it. They hope to extract it from that person, but unexpectedly, the other person does not have it either. So when both people are extracting from each other, and there are desires and problems within, how can they not argue and fight? In the absence of love, do not complain to each other; both should come before Jesus, where there is abundance, and it is the best. If you lack something, come to Jesus first to receive, and then give out.
If you expect to receive love from a certain person in the church, putting all your focus on that person, you will definitely be disappointed unless you say, "I want to see Jesus' love through this group of people." If you find the right source, you can receive Jesus' love. Come to hear God's words, hoping to receive supply from God, and you will definitely receive.
If you come to church looking for someone to love you more or to comfort you a few more times, you will definitely be disappointed. Do not place your focus on people; place it on Jesus, where the endless love is. Many people, because they were not loved as children, grow up not knowing how to love others. What they can give out is what they have received before. What you give out today is not what you have learned but what you have received.
You may have a lot of knowledge, but what truly matters is that you understand these truths. Only when you have been loved can you give out love. Today, I can serve you all because during the lowest point of my life, the brothers and sisters in my church comforted me in this way. Through them, I saw God's love. Because they loved me this way, I determined that one day when I stand up, I will also proclaim Christ's love.
I am not telling you how my teachers and coworkers in the church loved me in the past. I know God remembers them. I am telling you that all of this comes from Jesus. If we have not been loved since childhood and do not know how to love others, many people truly do not know. For example, growing up watching their parents fight, they will feel that all people in the world are so evil because they have not been loved and do not know how to love others. What they receive is hatred, conflict, and violence, and what they give out is also these.
If parents feel that the world is deceitful, they will teach their children to be wary of everyone to avoid being deceived. If parents often argue, they will unconsciously pass these things on to their children. Do you understand? Even non-believers know that when couples argue, the deepest impact is on the children. When couples divorce, the deepest impact is also on the children. But they do not have the strength to overcome these issues. The power to overcome these issues is in Jesus Christ; it cannot be found outside of Jesus.
Exodus 20:5-6,
5 You shall not bow down to them or worship them; for I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God, punishing the children for the sin of the parents to the third and fourth generation of those who hate me, 6 but showing love to a thousand generations of those who love me and keep my commandments.
Some say, isn't this the law, the Ten Commandments? That's right. What is the central principle of the Ten Commandments? How did Jesus summarize it? Love is the core and principle of the Ten Commandments. What we see is that it tells us what not to do. Why? Because God loves you and does not want you to do these things. Although God says that if you do these things, you will surely die, He tells you this because He loves you.
So Jesus said that the commandments can be divided into two kinds: you must love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, and mind; secondly, love your neighbor as yourself. One is towards God, and the other is towards people. But can we do these? No, but one person did, and that is Jesus.
He loves you this way and demonstrates our Father's love. Since the principle of the Ten Commandments unfolds around love, let us see God's love for us. God first says, "You shall not bow down to idols." Some say, "What if I bow down?" If you bow down to idols, you will surely hate our God. If you do not choose A, you will choose B; there is no middle ground. You either listen to God's words and stay away from idols, or if you choose idols, you will surely hate our God because God's words are completely opposite to those idols.
When a person chooses to believe in and bow down to those idols, they will hate our God. It says here, "I will punish those who hate me, from the father to the children to the third and fourth generation." Some say, isn't God punishing this person? Now let’s talk about what this really means. God's meaning is that when you hate me, the curse will naturally come upon you.
For example, the Bible says not to get drunk. Is getting drunk a violation of God's words? God says do not get drunk, and we say it’s okay; after getting drunk, all worries disappear. Isn't that a human excuse? It is disbelief in God's words that leads to choosing to get drunk every day. But after getting drunk, a series of evils emerge. A sister's husband does not believe in the Lord and drinks every day. After drinking, he smashes the TV and coffee table. Her coffee table and TV are quite expensive. The next day he wakes up regretting it, feeling sorry for the money, and resolves not to drink again. He buys a new TV and coffee table, but unexpectedly, a week later, he starts drinking again and smashes them again. This is a cycle of bondage. If this person does not make a firm decision to say, "Lord, I am willing to rely on You."
This thing is contagious. What I mean by contagious is a term in theology. Theology tells us that sin has a contagious nature. Using drunkenness as an example, if I drink every day, it will affect you. One day, you will drink with me and get drunk, and it will also affect your children. Many children of alcoholics also become alcoholics. This is unconsciously passing on what we have received to our children. If your child receives it, he will continue to pass it down until the third and fourth generation. You can see how serious this problem is.
All other bad habits in life, thinking that others are bad, will copy this mindset from generation to generation. A few days ago, when I was chatting with some people, I mentioned this. In fact, your child is your original version. After we grow up, we will disguise ourselves and pretend to be very gentle and kind. At home, we are our most authentic selves. Your child sees that, and that is your original version. If you find your child has a bad temper and always breaks things, it indicates that you need to change because he does not know how to fake it. When he grows up, he will pass on the real thing to his children. This is what the Bible means when it says, "I will punish his sin from the father to the children to the third and fourth generation." This is a curse.
How can we cut off this curse? Verse 6 says, "I will show love to a thousand generations of those who love me and keep my commandments." Which is greater, the power of the curse or our Lord's love? Love is the antidote. How can we solve those curses and conflicts in your life? Love is the antidote. When a person chooses to distance themselves from God, they automatically enter a curse mode.
But when you choose to believe in Jesus and are willing to live according to Jesus' words, you automatically enter into blessings. Moreover, God's blessings last for a thousand generations. God's meaning is that if you are willing to teach your children according to my words and live with my love, your entire family and descendants will be blessed. To what extent will this blessing reach? You can look at some history or biographies of some figures. In the West, there are many Christian families where the entire family believes in Jesus, and many generations are blessed.
Some non-believers are indeed newly rich, but they last only two or three generations. There is a saying that wealth does not last beyond three generations. God's words are never wrong. Some people say that poverty does not last beyond five generations, which is incorrect. Many people have been poor for a lifetime, and several generations have been poor. How can we come out of this curse? Only Jesus Christ. Believing in Jesus is the way out because it is related to what we receive. Unconsciously, we pass on what we have received to friends and relatives around us. This explains why some parents have bad tempers, and their children do too. These bad habits can be inherited because they are related to what we receive. It is very difficult to clear these things away and live a new life by ourselves unless you are in Jesus Christ.
2 Corinthians 5:17-19,
17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here! 18 All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation: 19 that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting people’s sins against them. And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation.
Many people are familiar with this passage. If anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. Are you in Christ now? Yes, then you should believe you are a new creation. A new creation is a completely new existence. Before believing in Jesus, you had many bad habits, but after believing in Jesus, those are severed from you. Jesus does not want to transform our old life; that is a mistake.
The correct belief should be that at the moment I believed in Jesus, the past me died, and now I am a new person. Occasionally, some past thoughts may emerge, but I am a new person. I need to learn to reject them (the past bad habits and thoughts). What I receive is the words of Jesus Christ; what He says to me is my true self.
Do not get it wrong. If you get it wrong, it will be troublesome. It is not about saying, "Lord, I want to work hard to become a new person." No, all of this is from God. Do not misuse this verse. Many pastors interpret this verse as: all of this is from God, so your sickness, accidents, death... are all given by God. The context here means that you can become a completely new person; that is God's doing. Amen!
How do you view yourself? Use the Bible's description and blessings of you; that is what you should inherit. Gentleness, joy, peace, patience... these fruits of the Spirit are your true self. Make a decision for yourself: "Lord, I want to live that kind of life because those exist within me; I just have not lived them out. I want to strive to live that kind of life. You have already transformed my life; it is not about me trying to transform myself into a new person. The past me has died." How do many people's bad habits change?
"Smoking and drinking are actually no longer related to me; I am a new person." Just like a child just born cannot be said to be smoking because he inherited it from his father. Is this correct? No, this is clearly two people; how could such a thing happen? Unless he is influenced by others later, he will start smoking.
Are you born of God? Although you live in the world and are influenced by people, you are still a new person. Remember, this is God's love for you, and we should do the same to encourage others. When you continually tell others they are new, that God is constantly renewing them, and that He is letting them inherit God's blessings, their lives will change.
Some may argue, "No, I know God loves me. I know all these things. I also know I am a new creation; I am righteous. I understand these principles; I just don't know how to live them out." Where is this person's problem? You know too much. God does not say that knowing is enough; God wants you to believe in Him. Amen!
Jesus did not say that knowing Him more means you are saved; He said you must believe in Him to be saved. Do you believe you are a new creation? If you believe, you can change. The rest will change automatically. It is not about what I must do to change but how you believe.
Many people understand this principle. The Israelites may have done better than us. They printed scriptures on their clothes, on the city gates, and hung God's words everywhere in their homes. Yet their lives remained the same because having them printed does not mean they believe in Him.
It is like saying, "The cup of blessing overflows." Can you believe you are that cup of blessing? Some say, "Oh, I am that cup." The overflowing cup of blessing does not refer to a cup but to you. The blessings inside you must be filled by God and flow out. Can you think of yourself as that cup? Some say, "I never thought of that." You just know; you need to believe you are that overflowing cup of blessing. Too many Christians are like the Jews, specifically buying clothes printed with scriptures to wear, making big bags with scriptures printed on them, drawing crosses to see them often. These are all correct, but the key is that you must believe.
Through these, you need to believe that God loves you. Just knowing is not enough. Just as we know Jesus loves us, that is not enough. You need to know exactly how Jesus loves you and believe in His love. Many people in the world know about Jesus; many non-believers also know. But can they live out Jesus' style? Unless they believe in Jesus.
Ephesians 3:17 says, "So that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith." Our Lord did not say, "Because you know Jesus, He dwells in your hearts." When you believe in Jesus and know that Jesus dwells in your heart, you will generate love. No matter how many years you have believed in Jesus or how many verses you know, every time you believe in Jesus' words, love will be generated. That is correct. "So that your love may be rooted and established."
Verse 18 says, "That you may have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ."
What does wide, long, high, and deep mean? We all come to Jesus by faith and believe that Jesus loves us. However, many people have different levels of understanding of Jesus' love. You may say, "I know Jesus' love very well." But I am telling you that Jesus' love is wide, long, high, and deep. Wide, long, high, and deep do not represent any shape because He fills everything. I feel that Jesus loves me; He loves me the most...
In the past, there were some classic songs, "You know how deep my love for you is; the moon represents my heart." But the moon cannot represent God's love at all. Our God's love fills the entire world, but how much can you receive? That is the part you truly know. It is not enough to read the Bible and see that God loves me. We cannot just stay on the surface of understanding in our minds. It is not as simple as saying Jesus loves you or God loves you. Many people receive healing and their lives are transformed in that moment when they understand Jesus' love, and then miracles happen.
Many people have this experience. For example, during communion, when they begin to meditate, they suddenly realize how much Jesus loves them, and their hearts are profoundly shaken, resulting in diseases disappearing. This is what I mean. It is not about reciting this verse ten thousand times and then asking why I am still not healed. It is through these verses, through what Jesus has done, that you suddenly understand how much He loves you, and you must connect with Him. Therefore, today's scripture says that we may approach God with freedom and confidence through faith in Jesus. Although Paul was in suffering, he still believed that God loved him. Such a person has the courage and strength to face all circumstances. Amen!
When you receive Christ, what do you hope to receive? Some say they hope for healing. It is simple; receive healing through God's love. Some say they want joy. In His love, you will have joy. Many people have been moved by Jesus' love, willing to repent and believe in Jesus, truly believing that this love is unconditional. This is the part most people know. What to do next? They start relying on their own efforts again.
Under the law, do you believe God's love is unconditional? Yes, everyone says so, but when it comes to implementation and drawing from it in life, they do not believe it. They believe it is conditional and needs effort, so they must obey God's commandments, listen to the pastor's words, go to church more, read the Bible more, pray more, do more good deeds, and give more... Only by handing in a satisfactory report card to God can He be pleased with us and bless us. This is what most people believe now.
But I want to tell everyone, do not forget that God's grace is a gift, a present. At Christmas, people think of gifts. Jesus is the best gift, given to us by God, and this grace is something we do not deserve, something we should not have, but God is willing and freely gives it to us.
When we understand this, we can bear the fruits above. You are willing to listen to God's words, willing to listen to the pastor's words, willing to go to church, willing to read the Bible, willing to give... These are all fruits, but you cannot obtain the tree through the fruits. If you possess the tree, you will naturally bear the fruits. Too many people expect to obtain the tree from the fruits, which is very difficult. You should not be like those under the law, striving to please God and earn His blessings through your good deeds. You cannot obtain them this way. The correct approach is to believe that God has already given you the tree, and then you cultivate that tree; bearing fruit is a matter of time. Are you that tree? Yes, as long as you are connected to God, it is fine. Jesus said clearly, "You are the branches; I am the vine." If you are connected to Him, bearing fruit is a natural thing.
So when a person understands God's love and has these experiences, they are willing to listen to God's words, willing to read the Bible, willing to give... This is the fruit borne after experiencing God's love. If the order is reversed, you will rely on your own efforts. When you do not believe in God, do not belong to God, and sin recklessly, Jesus has already loved you. If Jesus loves us because we behave well, then He would not save any of us.
It is precisely when you sin recklessly and reject Him that He has already loved you. Now that you believe in Jesus, many people live on thin ice, trembling in fear, afraid that if they accidentally sin, they will offend God. Isn't that a pity? Looking back, what kind of life should we live? It should be a life of confidence and gratitude every day. Looking back, yes, Lord, when I did not believe in You, I sinned recklessly, I rejected You, and did not listen to Your words, but You still loved me. Now I believe even more, and I am willing to listen to Your words. Your love never changes. Amen!
So brothers and sisters, many people live wrong lives because they believe wrongly. Many people say, "I believe in Jesus; He has forgiven all my sins before I believed in Him." This is the thought of many people today. If you believe God's love is unconditional, then since you believe in God, He only forgives your sins before you believed in Him. Is this conditional or unconditional? It is clearly conditional. Unconditional means "no matter what, I love you." Amen!
Brothers and sisters, when we receive Jesus' love, we can forgive others, pardon others, and love others. So why should we love others? It is simple. When we love others, it proves that our hearts are filled with love, joy, peace, and freedom.
If someone says something unpleasant to you and you cannot sleep for three days, it proves that you lack God's love too much. Many people, because they believe wrongly, live even more tired and bitter after believing in Jesus. The reason is that they have received wrongly. If you truly believe that God's love completely depends on your performance, that you must change for God to love you, you will replicate that love and apply it unchanged to others.
For example, if I believe in Jesus this way, believing that Jesus only forgives my sins before I believed in Him, then after I become a Christian, people say I have grown up and am no longer a child, so I must take responsibility. Therefore, I must work hard to love God and do more for God. If I dare to go against God's will, God will strike me, bring disasters upon me, or even take my life, not allowing me to harm others in the world. If you receive such a message, what you give out will also be like this. When you share the gospel with others, it will also be like this: "Be careful; otherwise, God will prune you and take you back." Many people, after understanding this, no longer share the gospel. The reason is that they feel they are already suffering so much; why should they harm others like this?
Is this the gospel? No, this is a misunderstanding because you think God treats you this way, and you will treat others in the same way. Let me share something with you. For example, when problems arise in marriage, the Bible says we should forgive and be tolerant. But if you believe that only if you tolerate will God accept you, how exhausting will your life be? This is why many Christians, especially sisters, after believing in Jesus, live worse than dogs because their husbands do not believe. They spend all day trying to please their husbands, but the result is that their husbands become even more excessive.
Is God like this? No, brothers and sisters, it is not that you do well that God loves you. On the contrary, when you know God loves you, you can tolerate others. Amen! If you think that only when you do well, do right, and are worthy of love will God love you, I can guarantee that no matter how many Bibles you read, how many sermons you listen to, how much you want to change your attitude, or how much you want to forgive... you will never be able to do it. It is simple. You cannot stand this person because you still believe that he is wrong first. Why should I forgive him? He clearly betrayed me first; why should I forgive him? I feel he does not deserve my love, so you will never be able to forgive.
Now, if we switch the person you cannot forgive to your relationship with Jesus, if Jesus says to you, "Why should I die for you? Tell me, what makes you worthy of my death?" We are the ones who deserve to die. Jesus has no need to die for us. Jesus says, "Why should I forgive you? What makes you worthy of my forgiveness? I am a holy life; why should I die for you?"
We would be speechless, right? Only when you receive Jesus' love can you stop talking about conditions and say, "Lord, he does not deserve love, so I cannot forgive him." When you receive Jesus' unconditional love, you will say, "Lord, he is so pitiful; have mercy on him." Isn't this how Jesus sees us? On the cross, Jesus had mercy on those who crucified Him because Jesus knew what they were doing; they did not know, so He forgave them. That is because Jesus has wide, long, high, and deep love.
When you have this wide, long, high, and deep love of Jesus within you, you will not be controlled by these people. Brothers and sisters, please remember that forgiving others is releasing yourself. When you cannot forgive, you are actually in bondage. What you receive is not unconditional love; you cannot forgive unconditionally. This is also the real reason why you cannot forgive your spouse or relatives in life. It is because you have not truly forgiven yourself or have not truly realized Jesus' love for you.
Still, the same saying: you cannot give what you do not have to others. If you are still feeling guilty for not praying, not worshiping, or not reading the Bible, that is actually wrong. Even if you do not read the Bible, you should not feel guilty towards God because God does not love you because you read the Bible. If you do not read the Bible, do not worship, or do not attend gatherings, you are the one who loses. Our God will not cease to be God because we do not worship Him, nor will He lose His glory because we do not glorify Him. To Him, there will not be even a bit of lack. The lack is in us because we need God's love too much. Amen!
Until today, if you still think God is petty and capricious, I can clearly tell you that it is because you do not understand Jesus' true love in your heart. Only when we truly receive this love can we live in freedom in all things. Jesus wants us to be free, so He allows us to enjoy this freedom in His love. Amen!
First, you need to receive the revelation of God's love. I cannot help you with this; I can only tell you because this love is something you need to experience and feel. When you read the Bible, that is actually God speaking to you. I have told everyone many times how you view the Bible. That is Jesus' love letter to you and all His blessings for you. Therefore, you need to read it yourself and comprehend it yourself. What I share with you is just some testimonies, testimonies of how I know Jesus, and you can know Him too. When you understand this, you can read the Bible and also testify about the Jesus you know, but there is a core: we all know Jesus loves us. Amen!
At that time, you will not be like shouting slogans, "Jesus loves you!" You may truly reach out your hand and say, "Jesus loves you!" You will find that when Jesus heals people, He is filled with compassion. Jesus has compassion for them and heals them. That is the wide, long, high, and deep love. How to understand and receive God's love? This is what we must do for a lifetime. At different stages, we only recognize a little bit.
Colossians 3:12-14,
12 Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience. 13 Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. 14 And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity.
What do you see through this passage? How does God define you? When you understand how God sees you, remember this: what people say about you is not important. Even if people say, "Look at what you are like," giving you many labels, do not believe these, especially the words of that person in your family when they are drunk. Do not believe them; those are all false labels. You are God's chosen people, selected from all nations, just like in the past when princes and princesses were chosen; you happen to be selected.
Chosen people mean that there are still some people who have not been chosen. Holy and dearly loved. Do not say, "I am trying hard to become holy and dearly loved." This is given to you by God. You are loved by God and are holy. When you know this, what happens? Clothe yourself with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience. The Chinese version says to "bear with patience," but it actually means to clothe yourself.
You say, "I have a bad temper." Jesus says, "Come and put on gentleness." You say, "Isn't that easy?" Otherwise, Jesus would say, "Put down this gentleness and change yourself to be gentle." You will find that you can never become gentle in your lifetime. Jesus gives you the garment of gentleness, and you immediately become a lady. So this is what God does. Amen!
In Jesus Christ, it is that simple. You know He loves you. After He gives you that garment, you already have gentleness. That exists within Him. You just need to draw it out, and you will have it. Gentleness, kindness, humility, patience... these are all garments. Whatever you need, ask Jesus to give it to you.
If you receive this, it will be easy. The next step is to practice. If someone has a grievance against another, always bear with each other and forgive one another. You say, "I cannot forgive. We clearly have a problem. How can you ask me to forgive and tolerate?" Why should it always be me? This is our human thinking. Let's switch perspectives. Jesus says, "Why should I always forgive you? I did nothing wrong. Why should I forgive you?" So, often use perspective switching. What about you and Jesus? Why should Jesus forgive you and tolerate you? It is because He loves you, not because you deserve forgiveness. Amen!
Verse 14 is the central answer: "And over all these virtues put on love."
If you do not have love, how can you tolerate others? How can you be willing to forgive others? In fact, God has already given us the method: "Forgive as the Lord forgave you." You must first receive the love of the Lord Jesus that forgives us. This is the real reason we need to listen to sermons and read the Bible: to see how Jesus loves me through reading the Bible. When you see Jesus healing the lepers, you should believe that Jesus is also willing to heal you. When we receive Jesus' love, we can forgive. You say, "I cannot forgive right now." I give everyone a piece of advice: Do not force yourself.
If you cannot do it now, why force yourself to do it? Because the part that is forced out is also fake, and the other party can feel that you are fake. For example, if your spouse drinks and then scolds you, saying, "I love you so much," you can see that it is fake. Unless you have truly received from Jesus, when you give out, it is real, and that has power. Hallelujah!
I have shared authority before. For example, when someone scolds you, you can say: "In the name of Lord Jesus, be quiet." This is one method. There is another higher method: when you know Jesus' love and have received Jesus' love, you will say from your heart, "Jesus loves you," and that person will immediately become gentle like a puddle of mud. This power is definitely in Jesus. Do you remember how Jesus treated that leper?
Jesus reached out and touched him, saying, "I am willing; be clean." That person, in an instant, saw that someone was willing to touch him. No one had ever dared to touch him. That kind of love made leprosy disappear in an instant. You should think about this. You can meditate on such verses, and you will quickly understand Christ's love and be willing to receive it. The love of Christ for you is the driving force behind all truths. Please remember this: Jesus Christ's love for you is the original driving force behind all truths.
All truths in the Bible must operate through love, just like a car's engine. We use oil. In terms of truth, to operate, we need Christ's love. When you receive Christ's love and then teach others, it is a teaching filled with love. When you receive Christ's love and then comfort others, it is a comforting filled with love. At this time, there will be power released. Hallelujah!
1 John 4:9-10,
9 This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him. 10 This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins.
This is true love. Do not seek any true love in the world; it is only found in Jesus Christ. Amen! How does Jesus love us? How does God love us? He sent His one and only Son into the world so that we might live through Him and made atonement for our sins. This is God's love. Love is a verb. Since it is a verb, receiving it will lead to action. Action arises naturally. So do not let feelings sway your judgment. Many people feel that others do not love them, which leads them to say, "I feel you do not love me." These are all feelings. You cannot rely on feelings. Just because you do not feel others' love does not mean you should not love others.
In Jesus Christ, do not rely on feelings; rely on faith. People feel that God's love is unstable because they do not feel it. In fact, God's love is real. The cross of Jesus is real. We often mention that He shed His precious blood for us on the cross because that is evidence, emphasizing what Jesus did for us on the cross. That is the real evidence of His love for us. Hallelujah! Thank and praise the Lord!
Now let us quiet down. In Christ, you must believe that God's love is real. Do not rely on feelings; constantly remind yourself that God's love for you is unconditional. Because of this, when you encounter difficulties, you will have peace and joy, and you can pass through calmly. Some Christians do not understand this and say, "Lord, love me a little more." In fact, God has already done it. He let His own Son shed blood for our sins and gave us all the blessings of His Son. This is God's love.
Do not say you cannot feel it; it is clearly written in the Bible. Do not pray, "Lord, save me." God has already given you strength; you just need to draw from it. You need to believe correctly in God. God is a competent Father; Jesus is a responsible Savior; the Holy Spirit is a useful Comforter. They have done all they can. You need to come before Him to receive. You must believe He loves you. Amen!
If you think God lets you struggle in the devil's hands, watching coldly, that is conditional. Brothers and sisters, forget all these; abandon these wrong thoughts and come to know God's love anew. Meditate on what Jesus did for you on the cross. You must believe, not in a set of theories, but in a Savior.
Under the New Covenant, believe that when Jesus breathed His last, the veil of the temple was torn from top to bottom, proving that you have been reconciled with God. Your relationship with the Father is intimate and inseparable. Jesus has freed you from the bondage of sin. You are a new creation. From today, think about your life with Jesus' thoughts and start your new life with Jesus' power. Hallelujah! Thank and praise the Lord! Jesus! We believe You love us this way.
Let us pray together:
Heavenly Father! Thank You for giving us such words. Your love for us is wide, long, high, and deep. By believing in You, I can approach You with confidence and without fear. I come before You today and receive it. Whether in suffering or peace, You love me, and Your love has never left me. The saints of the past knew that Your love is so wide, long, high, and deep, and it is recorded in the Bible. This love surpasses what man can measure.
Please fill me with this love. May the Holy Spirit guide me, helping me understand Jesus' love more. Thank You, Jesus, for loving me this way. In this week, help me live a victorious life. In the name of Lord Jesus, I pray. Amen!