286-Get Rid of Condemnation and Enjoy Freedom#
286-Get Rid of Condemnation and Enjoy Freedom
(JP Text Group - Organized by Life Like an Eagle)
Luke 6:37-38,
37 Do not judge, and you will not be judged; do not condemn, and you will not be condemned; forgive, and you will be forgiven (“forgive” in the original text means “release”); 38 give, and it will be given to you; a good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.”
The topic we are sharing is: Get Rid of Condemnation and Enjoy Freedom
Let us pray together:
Heavenly Father, thank You and praise You, thank You for preparing such a wonderful time for us to share Your words here together. May the Holy Spirit lead us, so that through Your words, we can receive supply and strength. You are our Lord, our help, renewing our thoughts and minds, allowing us to regain strength. As we begin a new week of life with Your words, please lead me, I pray in the name of the Lord Jesus, Amen!
Get rid of condemnation and enjoy freedom. When we live in this world, we may inadvertently condemn others and also accept the condemnation of others. If we were living in the Eden recorded in the Bible, those days would be truly wonderful. This is the result that many people have always wanted to achieve; many people want to return to Eden, feeling that Adam's days in Eden were too beautiful.
The world we live in now is not a perfect world. We expect everyone around us to treat us like Jesus does, and we can treat others like Jesus does, and then we feel that this world would be wonderful. It seems that this can only be seen in fairy tales. Therefore, after being hurt, people watch TV dramas, write some science fiction novels, and express their unrealized dreams in a virtual world.
Where is our hope? In Jesus Christ. We long to live happily and joyfully like in Eden, but the world we see is different from the desired outcome because we live in a fallen world where unpleasant things always happen. There will always be someone who offends you, and problems will keep coming to your door. When conflicts, disputes, or misunderstandings occur, how should we resolve them? When things do not develop as beautifully as expected, many people cannot stand it.
In such cases, how should we respond? The Bible says that we should love others and give to others, but some people are unlovable, and we cannot give to them. What should we do? Whenever there is a conflict or dispute with certain people, the first thing to do is to find out where the root of the problem lies and how it was triggered. Once understood, we can resolve it from the root, and those external results will disappear. It is like seeing a doctor; the doctor first asks about the cause of the illness before prescribing the right medicine.
It is impossible to say that all patients should be given the same medicine, as this could lead to some people dying. The relationships between people are the same; whether in marriage, friendship, among colleagues, or between superiors and subordinates, whenever a problem arises, we must find out what the root cause is and rely on the words of the Lord Jesus to resolve these issues.
Philippians 2:1-3,
1 Therefore, if there is any encouragement in Christ, any comfort from love, any participation in the Spirit, any affection and sympathy, 2 complete my joy by being of the same mind, having the same love, being in full accord and of one mind. 3 Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves.
Here it tells us that we are people in Jesus Christ. What encouragement do we have in Jesus Christ? What comfort do we have? What fellowship do we have? What affection and sympathy do we have? First, we have the same standard. Why is it that we cannot communicate or unite with the world? The reason is that our thoughts are different, our minds are different, and what we receive is also different. Through the Bible, we can see that shirking responsibility has become an innate instinct of humanity. When Adam and Eve sinned, God asked Adam, “Did you eat from the tree that I commanded you not to eat from?”
What was Adam's first reaction? “The woman whom You gave to be with me, she gave me fruit of the tree, and I ate.” Today, many people are the same; when problems arise, they first say they have no problem, it is all someone else's fault. Adam unhesitatingly pushed the responsibility away completely; if Eve had not given him that fruit, he would not have sinned. In fact, whether it is Eve or Adam, they both think that the ultimate fault lies with God.
Many Christians, when they fail and when relationships between people are terrible, believe it is all someone else's fault, someone else's problem. Some more spiritual people say this is the devil's attack. They count all the external reasons and never think it is their own fault.
When people have selfish desires, they can be tempted by the devil. If there are no selfish desires, the devil cannot tempt them. Did Jesus have any selfish desires? No, even though the devil hoped Jesus would fail, Jesus still overcame him.
Since the beginning in Eden, when humanity began to shirk responsibility, this problem has intensified. Many people listen to all kinds of words and believe all kinds of people, leading to a lack of discernment.
Why was Eve tempted by the devil? Because she originally had doubts; she thought, “Why can’t that fruit be eaten?” If the entire Bible could be summarized in one word, what would it be? It is “love.” Many people always feel that God is so cruel; having done this, they fall into a curse. But have you considered it from another angle? Why does God not allow us to do these things? Because the things God does not allow are all bad, and the things God allows us to do are all beneficial to us.
If we act according to our own ways and selfish desires, we will definitely fall into temptation. Even if there were no devils in the world, we would still not trust God, we would still have doubts. How did those angels fall in the beginning? No one tempted them; it was when they had selfish desires that they began to fall and become proud. We think it is the devil's fault, but in reality, the devil merely exposes the selfish desires within us through these events and people.
God does not say you should not have your own thoughts; God does not want robots. God hopes that we willingly follow Him, viewing everything through God's standards, seeing all things and all people. God allows us to have weaknesses and problems, but when we see problems, we should actually look at which aspects need to be adjusted. This is a process of self-improvement, and what adjusts us is actually the words of God.
Therefore, if there is any encouragement in Christ, our encouragement should be encouragement in Christ. Our love and comfort are also in Christ, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit is also in Christ; it cannot be separated from the standard of Christ. Many people are very spiritual and say, “This is what God told me; this is what God revealed to me.” Their revelation has already surpassed the Bible and is in contradiction to the Bible; this is certainly not from the Holy Spirit but from selfish desires. All our fellowship is in Jesus Christ; the words of Jesus are our standard. We have a lot of compassion and sympathy in our hearts, feeling very loving and humble, but in reality, it is a gift from God.
Our thoughts are the same, referring to being in Jesus Christ. All of this is given to us by God: the love given to us, the thoughts given to us, the joy given to us. When we have these, we can fulfill what is said in verse 3; the previous verses tell us that having the same thoughts and the same love allows us to achieve “not to act out of selfish ambition.” It is impossible to realize this with selfish desires.
Everyone desires world peace; this is the wish and goal of every person. Can true peace be achieved? No, why? Because there are selfish desires within people. These selfish desires will inadvertently condemn others, turn selfish desires into greed, and ferment into any other bad thing, resulting in the impossibility of achieving this. This issue started in Eden; many people believe everything they hear and want to inquire about everything. When problems arise, we should say to the Lord, “Lord, have I eaten poisonous weeds during this time?” So what should we do? We cannot stop living just because we have eaten poisonous weeds! We can come before God and receive the true words of God.
Some people have been hurt in childhood or in the past, affecting them today, and they keep encountering the same problems. When conflicts arise with others, they can always find excuses, saying,
This is caused by my family;
It is due to my childhood;
It is my experiences that have affected me to become this way;
It is not my fault; blame my terrible past;
For example, someone says, “You have a terrible temper.” They will say, “I was born this way!” If people, especially spouses, say such things, isn’t it quite infuriating? Born this way, what can be done? Outside of Christ, it is indeed impossible to live. But in Christ? Can God change all this? When willing, God can change us.
Brothers and sisters, we are created in the image of God, as new creations. Although we may look the same as before, in Christ, we are a new creation. Now, everything in Christ has been turned around; you can choose what kind of person to become. You can choose to live like you did in the past, or you can choose to live like Jesus.
In the past, we did not have this choice. Although many people wanted to change for the better, they ultimately lacked the ability to do so. Now you are in Jesus; God says you are a new creation. Are you willing to live according to the example of Jesus? If you are willing to make this choice, God will renew you, and the Holy Spirit will help you! Please remember: God is our co-worker. Amen! This is what Paul tells us; we are co-workers with God. Only when you are willing, with your thoughts aligned with God's thoughts, and your love willing to align with God's love, can God help you. If you are unwilling, no one can change you. If your heart is full of scars and bitterness, and you are willing to remain in bitterness and complaints, that is your choice.
Romans 12:2-3,
2 Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect. 3 For by the grace given to me I say to everyone among you not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think with sober judgment, each according to the measure of faith that God has assigned.
First, it tells us not to conform to this world. This world refers to three things: the desires of the flesh, the desires of the eyes, and the pride of life. These are not things we should conform to because these three things all come from selfish desires. What should we conform to? We should be transformed by the renewal of our minds.
How can the mind be renewed and transformed? By seeing what God's good, acceptable, and perfect will is. How do we see this? First, by looking at the promises God has given us in the Bible, and at the same time, through the corruption and problems of the world, we can see the goodness of our God. God gives us the right to choose freely; only when there is bad can we know what is good. When we see the corruption and sin of the world, we look forward to saying, “Lord, we do not want to live like this; I want Your righteousness.” When you have this heart, God is willing to help you, and God can renew you.
So verse 3 says, “For by the grace given to me…”
Brothers and sisters, our change is not the result of our own efforts; it is His grace given to us. You only need to do one thing: be willing to be changed by God. When can we be changed by God? Paul tells us here to say to everyone among you: do not think of yourself more highly than you ought to think, meaning that everyone should be humble before the Lord.
Today we are sharing about relationships between people. When problems and conflicts arise with others, do not think that all the problems are the other person's fault; in fact, both parties have problems. Not to think of yourself more highly means not to have an inflated view of yourself. So what should we do? We should see according to the measure of faith that God has assigned to each person. The measure of faith of each person is different.
For example, if someone is sick and says, “I prayed, and God healed me,” that is their faith; someone else says, “I must find a doctor; God has prepared a good doctor for me to heal me through,” and some say, “I can just take medicine.” Which of these three is correct? They are all correct; it is just that the measure of faith is different. The one who believes, “I pray and can be healed,” should not look down on those who take medicine or see a doctor. Do you understand? The ways of expressing faith are different, so we should look at what is in accordance with moderation. The meaning of moderation is to change according to the renewal of individual faith.
When conflicts and disputes arise with others, isn’t the method of resolution also different? A new believer with little faith may retaliate tenfold when someone insults him. Does that mean this person is not saved? He is saved; it is just that his faith is very small. After he finishes cursing, he feels quite upset, saying, “How could I curse? I believe in Jesus!” Having this heart is already very good! This is his faith.
Some people, after their faith grows, can bless others when they are insulted, just like Jesus. This is also a manifestation of faith; it is just that the life is different, and the measure of faith in God is different. We cannot compare or criticize; always remember!
Many teachings in the church are different from those in the world, especially when it comes to forgiveness and tolerance. Generally, people will find excuses, saying,
“You don’t know what he did to me!”
“You don’t know how he treated me!”
But I want to say, so what? We are not using the world’s methods; if we were to use worldly methods, you might as well ask a psychologist to comfort you. But God’s way is the best. You may not be able to bear it, but you say, “Lord, I am willing to try to receive.” Then wonderful things will happen to you.
Many people always say that many terrible things have happened to them, things that they cannot endure. Brothers and sisters, always remember, no one can occupy your thoughts or your heart unless you open the door of your heart and let those thoughts in. Some say, “Things have happened; I cannot control it. I was violated as a child; I have had many failures in the past. No one likes to be friends with me; my life is destined to be ruined.” In the Lord Jesus Christ, this is called condemnation. These condemnations, whether from family or from others in childhood, have continuously affected them to the present. This person ultimately concludes that they are destined to have a terrible life. But I tell you in Jesus Christ, that is your past; you have been reborn, you are a new creation. From today on, you can choose to renew your mind and recognize the hopeful you in Christ. No matter what you were like in the past, if you say, “I am willing to live according to the example of Jesus, to live like Jesus in this world,” you can do it because the Holy Spirit will help you.
Titus 3:3-7,
3 For we ourselves were once foolish, disobedient, led astray, slaves to various passions and pleasures, passing our days in malice and envy, hated by others and hating one another. 4 But when the goodness and loving kindness of God our Savior appeared, 5 he saved us, not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to his own mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit, 6 whom he poured out on us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior, 7 so that being justified by his grace we might become heirs according to the hope of eternal life.
The psychology of the world will never tell you “you are a new creation”; it will only tell you to work hard to let go of the past and also tell you to let go, to be tolerant, to forgive. Isn’t that what they advise you? To think more positively, to let everyone tolerate a little bit, but do these things work? There is a profession with a particularly high suicide rate, which is psychologists. These people usually advise others, but in the end, they cannot bear it and collapse.
Isn’t our Lord Jesus the one who solves such problems the most? There is a saying in the world, “It is hard for a good judge to settle family matters.” Who is right and who is wrong is very difficult to clarify. Jesus lets us solve the problems between people, which the world cannot solve and considers the most difficult. Jesus says, relying on me, it can be easily resolved. Because the methods of the world cannot achieve this at all.
I first tell you that you are a new creation. We were once, “once” means in the past, right? We were once foolish, disobedient, led astray, slaves to various passions and pleasures, passing our days in malice and envy, hated by others and hating one another. This is actually something that comes from condemnation, because of our foolishness, disobedience, selfish desires, and pleasures, resulting in us living in malice, having a jealous heart, and hating one another. Isn’t this how the world is?
For example, in a company, when you are rising rapidly, will your colleagues genuinely congratulate you? Will everyone say, “Great! You’ve been promoted again!”? No. When you tell others, “The boss gave me a raise of 10,000 yuan,” will all your colleagues say, “That’s great!”? It is quite the opposite; many people think, “Why is it you?” This kind of mutual hatred and jealousy has always existed within people. This was our past state.
Verses 4-5 say, “But when the goodness and loving kindness of God our Savior appeared, he saved us…”
Brothers and sisters, the interactions between people, what people give you, will never exceed what our Savior Jesus gives you. How great is the gift of our Savior Jesus? What He gives you, He does not take back. The love, tolerance, grace, and mercy He gives you are prepared for you, whether you are willing to accept them or not. When He shows His loving kindness to people, He saves us. Therefore, the purpose of Jesus performing miracles, speaking the truth, comforting us, and healing us is because He loves us. He saved us not because of our works of righteousness.
Brothers and sisters, we need to renew our thoughts. Jesus loves us not because our behavior is good, but precisely because our behavior is very bad, that is why Jesus loves us. It is precisely because we cannot save ourselves that Jesus came to save us.
It is according to His mercy. How does Jesus love us? According to His mercy. How great is God's mercy? At any time, as long as you call out to Him, He is willing to have mercy on you and help you, regardless of how you treated Him in the past.
If we use human standards, when we see this person, we think of how they treated us in the past, and we will hate them. But the world also says to be tolerant and let go, but in reality, that is just a form of endurance. Do you understand? Endurance means temporarily putting this matter down. When you can no longer endure, you will reveal everything. This is very common among colleagues and especially between spouses. Because they have been hurt in the past, it has never been resolved or taken away, and it exists in their hearts. One day, it will explode, and everything will come out. But is Jesus' mercy towards us like this? No, Jesus does not care how you treated Him in the past or how you treat Him now. As long as you are willing to turn to Him in prayer, He is willing to heal you.
In this regard, I have discovered something in children. In the Bible, Jesus said, “Unless you turn and become like children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.” In the past, I thought this might just refer to salvation. In fact, God wants us to look at the example of children because children have many aspects worth learning from. Children also have interpersonal relationships. In my family, the eldest is seven years old, and the second is three and a half. This age is the easiest to fight. They can communicate and have free will and ideas. The eldest just gave the youngest a good beating, and the youngest is crying. Within two minutes, the eldest takes out a toy, and the youngest happily goes over to play again, as if nothing had happened, even though the tears on their face have not dried yet. What about us? Can we really digest it in two minutes? It may take ten or twenty years, and we still hold a grudge, thinking, “How did you treat me before?”
So the example of children is truly worth learning from. If we use the example of children to enter into interpersonal relationships, into our families, marriages, and lives, you will truly be a free person, a released person. Indeed, many people have caused us harm. If we can forget it in two minutes and feel quite good, then looking at this person, it seems as if the incident has been forgotten. This is a good thing, indicating that we are truly in freedom. And when Jesus looks at us, it is like this, do you understand?
When Jesus first entered the city of David, Jerusalem, as a king, those people welcomed Him with cheers, taking off their clothes and laying palm branches on the road, saying, “Hosanna! Hosanna!” They felt it was wonderful! Being a disciple of Jesus was also very glorious. Not long after, in the same place, the same group of people said, “Crucify Him! Crucify Him! We have no king but Caesar!”
If it were you, wouldn’t you be unable to bear it? We can accept others’ praise and respect, their glory and compliments, but cannot bear others’ accusations. How did Jesus treat this group of people? For more than three years, Jesus did not do anything wrong to them! But conversely, this group of people insulted Jesus like this. Did God stop showing them mercy? No, our Jesus still showed them mercy. I am talking about the Israelites; you might feel it is far from you, but in fact, that person also includes you. When you are in a good mood, you say, “Our Lord is so good; He gives me grace.” But if one thing does not come to pass, do you start to complain to God? You must remember: Jesus' mercy towards you is according to His mercy, constantly having mercy on you, through the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit. No matter when you seek Jesus, He is willing to accept you. This is our way of living in freedom.
The Holy Spirit is richly poured out on us by God through Jesus Christ our Savior. When you are weak, the Holy Spirit dwells in you; when you are joyful, the Holy Spirit dwells in you; when you are glorified, the Holy Spirit still dwells in you. The Holy Spirit is poured out on you by God; why? So that we may be justified by His grace and become heirs according to the hope of eternal life.
One more thing, the Holy Spirit dwelling in you allows you to have hope in any environment and with any person. What does it say in parentheses? (You may become heirs according to the hope of eternal life.) You come to this world to inherit eternal life. Eternal life does not just refer to entering the kingdom of heaven; eternal life is God's abundant blessing. No matter what kind of teachings you have received in the past, how your family defines you, how your friends define you, from today on, you must believe: you are a person who inherits eternal life. Hallelujah!
Maybe your family says, “You will never accomplish anything in your life!” That is your family’s condemnation of you; perhaps your friends say, “I don’t see you having any future!” That is your friends’ condemnation of you; maybe your boss says, “You are someone who can’t accomplish anything!” That is your boss’s condemnation of you. But Jesus tells you, “You are a person who can inherit eternal life.” Hallelujah!
Jesus can help you be released from bondage, can release you from condemnation, and let you be free. He wants to tell you that even if a tragedy occurs, the shadow can be wiped away, Amen! Your scars will not accompany you for a lifetime; you need to look up to this Savior, Jesus. What is the purpose of Jesus coming?
Luke 19:10, “For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.”
The purpose of Jesus coming is not to condemn you; the first purpose of Jesus is to seek, not for you to seek Jesus, but for Jesus to always be seeking you. At this moment, we become very individualistic. I have previously shared about the Song of Solomon in the Old Testament. The Song of Solomon actually speaks of the relationship between us and God, a relationship that continuously grows and becomes more intimate. At first, we are truly proud; the Lord comes to find us, waiting outside the door for a whole night, hoping we will open the door. At that time, what do we say? “I just washed my feet, and my bed is already perfumed; if I go down, won’t I pollute my feet?” We are unwilling to go down! As a result, the Lord outside says, “The dew has wet my head.” What does this mean? He waited the whole night! He waited a whole night, and you wouldn’t open the door! As a result, the Lord left.
At that time, we were putting on airs before the Lord! Truly, very few people believe at first hearing. Most people say, “Don’t talk to me; I’ll believe when I’m older; I’ll believe when I have nothing to do; I’ll believe when I have problems.” Isn’t that how it is? When the Lord came to seek her, she ignored Him. Later, when she finally realized she had a problem and needed to find this Lord, she could not find Him, searching everywhere, only to be beaten and condemned. Until one day, she heard the truth and said, “I turned around and found Him.” She finally found Him.
Brothers and sisters, you come here to find the truth. In the past, you indeed bumped your head and bled, but now you have found the truth and realize it is particularly easy to find. It is not you who found Jesus; it is Jesus who has always been waiting for you to come. Many people do not believe that God has given us the right to choose; in fact, this right has always been there. When things happen, we can choose to forgive or choose to continue living in hatred. Your experiences or what someone did to you have made you what you are today. You can choose to believe that “the past me has already died; now I am a new creation in Jesus Christ,” and declare it. If you still play the role of a victim, pointing at others and saying, “It’s all your fault; you made me become this irresponsible person today,” as long as you cannot get rid of this victim mentality, you cannot truly be free. Jesus lets us forgive others; forgiving others actually releases ourselves.
When you can truly tolerate this person or let go and forget this matter, you are free. Just like I said about those two children, if they start holding grudges from a young age, saying, “How did you treat me just now? From today on, I will no longer play with you.” If they hold grudges in their hearts, when they grow up, this hatred will not only happen to this person but will also happen to others. They will be defensive against everyone and trust no one; the bondage is actually themselves. Therefore, when facing people or situations, do not choose to be the victim anymore; you are free. God can change your life and let you live in His freedom. Many people always try to change others; you cannot change anyone, including your children or your spouse. You cannot change anyone. What is the most popular teaching now? How to change your wife? How to change your husband? People hope others will change.
I once read a story about a person who wrote a book called “How to Change Your Life.” This is a very good topic, but no one liked it. When the book was published, a letter was printed incorrectly. The English word for “life” is “life,” but it was printed as “wife.” The content was about how to change your life, but the cover was about how to change your wife. This book became the number one bestseller in that area for a month just because of a printing error. In the second edition, this person wanted to correct the mistake, so he changed “wife” back to “life.” The content was the same, the cover was still the same, just one letter was changed, and this book was no longer bought.
You can see that not many people care about life. What do people care about? How to change my wife, how to change my husband, how to change my children. People always feel that what needs to change is others; in fact, what really needs to change is ourselves. We cannot make another person change. If that person’s heart is not opened, even if you spend your whole life, you cannot change them. The only thing that can change is to let ourselves not be bound by these people or situations. If you see a book titled “How to Change Your Spouse” or “How to Change Your Wife,” don’t read it; it must be a trick or sorcery.
God never forces anyone to do anything against their own heart. If you are unwilling to change, God will not force you. If you do not believe in our Lord, the Lord will not force you to accept Him. Our God is particularly individualistic. To what extent? Only when you are willing, God says, “Okay, I will pour My blessings upon you.” Although we cannot change others or control others, we can influence others.
Jesus did not say, “I come to change you.” Jesus came to seek and save the lost. It is because of being hurt in certain matters or having trauma that one cannot overcome these problems and urgently needs a Savior. Jesus says, “I come to find such people.” Those who think they are righteous cannot be saved by Jesus. In His hometown of Nazareth, the Bible says He could not perform any miracles; He could not even save His own hometown because those people were unwilling to be saved. Let’s not think about controlling others, but we can influence others. When we live out the grace of Jesus, we can attract people to follow you.
John 12:32, “And I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all people to myself.”
Jesus never forces people to follow Him. Were those people in the Bible not the ones who actively followed Jesus? You do not need to climb high to let others see how high you can climb. Are people interested in how high you climb? No one cares about you unless you affect their position; they will find ways to bring you down. If you are a completely unrelated person, no one will care how high you climb. However, when Jesus is lifted up, He can draw all people to Himself because Jesus has a relationship with everyone. When He is lifted up, it represents letting everyone see that His grace is about to come upon them. If you are willing to lift Jesus up, His grace will come upon you. If you can live out a life full of wisdom, peace, and joy like Jesus, and face situations without complaining, I dare say you are also a very attractive person.
Some time ago, I shared a testimony about a sister who has now changed. In her circle, everyone is particularly willing to get close to her, saying, “Why are you so joyful? You used to look so frowning, and such big things happened to you…” Originally, her husband and mother-in-law were united against her, and it was impossible to live like that. Later, they drove her out of the house, not allowing her to live there. She was very angry and divorced. Everyone in her circle knew about this and said, “How could this happen?” But such things are too common. After God prepared a new believing husband for her, she completely changed and is now a person who can attract others.
Brothers and sisters, I am more concerned about us living out the life of Jesus after we are saved. You do not need to chase others every day saying, “Believe in Jesus! Believing in Jesus is great!” You only need to live out the glory, peace, and joy of Jesus. In any environment, live out this style of Jesus, and others will definitely come to you and say, “I have a problem; can you help me and pray for me?” Because your life has been lived out, it can attract those around you; this is the key. In our lives, if Jesus is in the first place, lifting Him up means putting Jesus in the first place in your life, and everything else will change with Jesus.
When there was a tabernacle, the Israelites lived in the wilderness. They lived a tabernacle life, surrounded by the twelve tribes of Israel, with the tabernacle in the center. The center of the tabernacle is the Holy of Holies, and the center of the Holy of Holies is the Ark of the Covenant. There is a very important mercy seat on the Ark. God is at the very center, and the mercy seat is where grace descends. The mercy seat is at the very center, surrounded by all the people of Israel. We live surrounded by God’s grace, Hallelujah! So lift Jesus to the first place in your life, and your life will be filled with grace. Perhaps dark things will happen, but God’s glory is greater.
When they were in the wilderness, there was darkness at night, but God had a pillar of fire; God’s light overcomes darkness! During the day, the weather was hot, but God used a cloud to shade them, overcoming that heat. What I mean is that when you truly lift Jesus up and let Him be the first in your life, your life will be filled with God’s grace. The past depression, fear, vigilance, and anger will disappear, and you will shine like a bright lamp in the darkness. Therefore, the Bible says, you are the salt; you are the light.
Matthew 5:13-16,
13 “You are the salt of the earth, but if the salt has lost its taste, how shall its saltiness be restored? It is no longer good for anything except to be thrown out and trampled under people's feet. 14 You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. 15 Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house. 16 In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.”
This passage of scripture is very important. It begins by saying you are the salt of the earth; there is no need for salt in the kingdom of heaven. You are the salt of the earth. In the past, we received some teachings saying, “You should be light and salt.” How to be light? Can you invent salt? This thing is given by God. Look carefully, you are the salt of the earth; God has never told us to be the salt of the earth. You are the salt; this salt is given to you, placed in you by the Holy Spirit.
If salt loses its taste, can salt lose its taste? There is a background here; the salt in Israel is different from our current table salt. They had rock salt. When you take a bite of food and lick the rock, that is rock salt. The more you lick, the fainter the taste becomes, and then it turns into stone and is thrown away. Jesus said, if the salt loses its taste, what should be done? It becomes useless and can only be thrown away.
So are we God’s salt in this world? How can we exert the function of salt? When cooking, it should be mixed well with the food. If the salt is put in the soup and does not dissolve, or put in the food and does not dissolve, do you want to eat it? Just throw it away. Real salt is put in the soup; it dissolves and becomes one with the soup. It is put in the food; it dissolves and becomes one with the food. You are the children of God; wherever you go, you should disappear and become one with others, completely entering into them. Amen!
In the past, I did not understand a passage of scripture Jesus said, “I send you out as sheep in the midst of wolves.” At that time, I thought, if a sheep enters a pack of wolves, doesn’t that mean the sheep will be eaten? The sheep indeed disappears, but it enters into each wolf and becomes one with them, and their lives are changed. Just like salt, it enters into the food; although the salt is no longer visible, its effect is still there. If the food lacks salt, it will be tasteless.
When we interact with people, you possess the glory of Jesus, and first, you can integrate with others. If you believe in Jesus and are out of sync with the world, you were out of sync before, and now you are even more out of sync. This requires blending with other things, needing to harmonize with the Word.
The same goes for the next part; you are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. When someone lights a lamp, they do not put it under a basket. If you have the light of Jesus, then Jesus must lift you up. The lamp being lifted is to shine on others; to shine on others means sacrificing yourself. Is there a lamp that says, “It’s too cold outside; I need to stay inside”? What about the people outside? Therefore, we are the light that God has placed in this world. When do we need light? We hate darkness! Some people complain, “Why are the people around me so terrible? Why are they so bad-tempered? Why is there nothing good in the company?” It is precisely because of this that you need to be the light; otherwise, everyone would be harmonious and living in heaven. What do you need the light for?
If it is daytime, your light is not needed; it is precisely because the surroundings are dark, and everyone lives in condemnation, bitterness, and bondage, so you need to live out the grace of Jesus, live out the joy of Jesus. When others insult you and condemn you, if you can bless them, you are living out the light; when others encounter problems and complain and are bitter, if you can praise God, that is the light. Jesus wants to lift you up; you need to shine on the people in your company, so that they may be saved because of you, shining on your family, so that the whole family may be saved because of you.
Your light should shine before others, and the first part is to shine on your family. It is very simple; if you are the only believer in your family, congratulations, you are the light in your family, and you need to shine. Meditate on God’s words, receive God’s words, understand as much as you can, and live out as much as you can; that is the measure of your light shining on your family.
You say, my family always has problems; either this one has a problem, or that one has a problem, or there is a car accident, or this matter fails. What should I do? They are living under a curse and need the light of Christ’s salvation, but they cannot see Jesus; they need to know Jesus through you. It is very easy for us to be saved through Jesus; Jesus has already done it. The remaining part is how to let our lives change and live out the light of Jesus, to shine out the light that already exists.
Your light should shine before others, first shining on your family, and then shining before others. This is an order, so first, we must live this out ourselves. You must recognize the goodness of God, Amen! Then you will shine on your family, and only then will you shine before others. When we have conflicts and disputes with others, we must not condemn ourselves. You should say, “I have the light of Jesus; the joy, gentleness, and forgiveness of Jesus are within me; I can help them.”
God has never given us the right to condemn others. We may not like some people or some things, but we do not have the right to judge or condemn others unless that person is willing to seek your opinion and criticism, saying, “Can you point out what is wrong with me?” When others say this, you can speak. If others do not let you speak, do not “pop off” and make them feel worthless; do not say that.
Jesus has given us the authority to forgive others, to pardon others, and to tolerate others. To reiterate: God has not given us the right to condemn others, nor the right to judge others. Only when you privately judge and condemn others will you be judged and condemned by others.
So what measure do you use to measure others? If you give salt and light to others, each is a self-sacrificial act. To shine light on others means to burn yourself; to give salt to others also means sacrificing yourself. When we are truly willing to think of others, even to sacrifice our own interests to think of others, if you give others this, others will also measure you with a better measure. Amen, thank and praise the Lord!
This is the same between spouses, friends, and relatives. A husband does not have the right to control his wife, and a wife does not have the right to control her husband. The relationship between husband and wife should be love, just as the love between Jesus and the church is a connection. Love has a characteristic: it is all voluntary. Therefore, there are three things that cannot be done in love: it is not demanding, it is not commanding, and it is not exchanging; love is unconditional. When we understand that Jesus’ love is in us, we can truly find freedom in Him. Please remember: you are not the center of this world, nor the center of the universe. Everyone does not need to accommodate you, obey you, or lift you up; there is no need. The Creator of the world holds you in His palm and lifts you up; that is enough. Hallelujah!
If you always hope others will lift you up and look favorably upon you, you will easily be offended and angered. Similarly, if you always focus your attention on Jesus, making Jesus the focus of your life, you will always be joyful. Do not place your value on the recognition of people; you will easily become angry. Too many people place their standards, attention, and comments on people, leading to their own hurt. But God tells us to focus on Him; He loves you, and His evaluation of you is the only true one. Amen!
Romans 12:17-18,
17 Repay no one evil for evil, but give thought to do what is honorable in the sight of all. 18 If possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all.
Why say “as much as possible”? Because we cannot do it all. You can do what you are capable of doing, Amen! It is not to say that I have told you today to forgive your family, to forgive your husband, to forgive your children, and you say, “From now on, I will forgive him.” But when you get home and see that situation, it’s over! You cannot forgive. It is as much as possible! Just do your best to live in peace with others.
We should pay attention to doing what is honorable in the sight of all. It is not to say that I have told you today, and you should immediately implement it when you get home. According to your current faith, if you cannot do it, what should you do? Continue to receive God’s words; do not be anxious, Amen! So brothers and sisters, there are always many people in the world you do not like, and you do not like how they do things, but there is no need to think about changing others; just do not be influenced by them, Hallelujah! Likewise, when conflicts and disputes arise because of us, we need to meditate on the grace of Jesus Christ and get rid of others’ condemnation of us so that we will not condemn others. Only when you do not accept others’ condemnation will you not condemn others. Do you understand?
What does it mean to die to sin? We must see ourselves as dead to sin and alive to God. How do we understand this? The Bible has many methods and ways to help us understand this. I will explain through one thing how to see ourselves as dead to sin. When it comes to sin, we must see ourselves as already dead. When others offend you, can you see yourself as dead?
For example, a person stands in front of a mound of dirt, cursing at a person who is already buried in the ground, cursing vigorously… does the person inside react? Why does he not react? Because he is already dead. If we say we are not dead yet (some people often say this), when he curses once, the person inside jumps out, and that would be scary, right?
We are alive in Christ, but to sin and to the world? You are already dead. How do you think about this? When others curse you, especially when close people curse you, you should think: the person you are cursing is already dead; now the one who lives is Jesus, Christ is living in me. “The person you are cursing seems familiar, but that person is already dead.” If you think like this and shift your perspective, you will understand what is going on. Is this not the truth of the Bible? What about when others praise you? “You are really amazing!” You are good at work, your children are good, your family is good, and you have money and land… using the same method, “Sorry, the person you are praising is already dead.” You cannot always say, when others insult us, to give glory to Jesus, but when it comes to glory, keep it for yourself! You are just a channel.
Ephesians 4:30-32,
30 And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. 31 Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice. 32 Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you.
When will the Holy Spirit grieve for you? It is when you clearly know you are already dead but still feel you are not dead and are still resisting; the Holy Spirit will grieve. Especially when you speak words of condemnation, condemning others or yourself, or insulting others or yourself, the Holy Spirit will grieve. All of this should be thrown away; do not forget, you are sealed by the Holy Spirit, waiting for Jesus to come to receive you. You should treat one another with kindness, have a tender heart, and forgive one another, and all the above should be put away because that is the old life we have already thrown away.
Just as God forgave you in Christ, here you should think about how Jesus forgave you, how Jesus treated you kindly, how Jesus placed His light in you, how He placed His salt in you. Live this out, and you will be able to integrate with others and not be influenced by others. When salt enters into food, it integrates into the food; the salt grains are no longer visible, but its flavor is always there. If the food lacks salt, it will be tasteless. So brothers and sisters, you are important; in your family, you are crucial. You may not see your actions, but your prayers are particularly important, your words are particularly important, and they will influence them, affecting their bodies, bringing peace!
Brothers and sisters, from today on, think of how Jesus forgave you. In Christ, He forgave you, so you can treat others with kindness and first forgive yourself, accept Jesus’ forgiveness, and then forgive others. This is a joyful life, a life of freedom.
Let us pray together:
Heavenly Father, we thank and praise You. Thank You for renewing and helping us again today through these words. In the past, we condemned ourselves and others, but today I measure others with the measure of love in Christ Jesus. As much love as I understand, I will measure that much love to others. This is what You first gave me because You poured out Your blessings into my lap with a good measure, pressed down, shaken together. Please grant me Your forgiveness and let me understand what You did for me on the cross. With this strength, I look at everyone around me. You hope I live this way, and I am willing to live this way. Please help me; thank and praise You. In this new week, I am willing to act according to Your words and be a blessing to those around me. I pray in the name of the Lord Jesus, Amen!
Now, let us pray together and receive the Holy Communion…
In the name of the Lord Jesus, I set this bread apart. From this moment on, this is no longer ordinary bread, but the body of Jesus given for me. Jesus laid down His body so that I may know He gave His life for me, and it has become one with my life. Therefore, the power of Jesus is within me. At this moment, I am willing to think of Jesus’ health; His power is in His body. Now I want to receive His health and receive His power. As each of us receives this bread before the Lord, do not think of it as ordinary bread; this is the body of Jesus given for you. The body of Jesus laid down is to enter into you, and at the same time, His power, His healing, and His wholeness also enter into you. What aspect of healing do you need? At this moment, pray before God and let Him help you.
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In the name of the Lord Jesus, your prayers are heard by God. The power of Jesus is within you, so you need to release it. Let this power of Jesus enter your family, enter your life. At this moment, let this power of Jesus first enter your body, allowing you to enjoy His joy. By His stripes, you are healed. Do not look at how the world evaluates your body; you must believe that in Christ, you are healthy. Jesus has already given you this health through the Holy Communion. Diseases must retreat before Jesus and come out of your body! The name of Jesus can overcome all diseases. Hallelujah! In the name of the Lord Jesus, you are healthy. Each of us before the Lord must receive this faith, and then you will see the glorious manifestation in your body. Hallelujah!
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In the name of the Lord Jesus, we also set this cup apart. From this moment on, this is no longer ordinary wine, but the precious blood of Jesus shed for me. The precious blood of Jesus flows out, making all my sins forgiven, and also letting me know that I am a person under the new covenant. I have a covenant with the Lord, which is that the past me has already died; now I am a new creation, living before God, living before people. I do not need to look at myself through the eyes of the past; I am willing to look at myself with new eyes, and I also look at the people around me with renewed eyes. I know that when I start praying for this person, God has already begun to renew him, to change him. The work of change is not done by me; it is God who is doing the work of renewal. He lets me continually know Him through the Holy Spirit, filling my life with His glory.
Heavenly Father, thank You for giving me the precious blood of Jesus. Through the precious blood of Jesus, I know I am a forgiven person. Let me receive this power to forgive others and accept others. In this new week, please give me this strength. At this moment, if you have unresolved issues in your heart, if there are things that have condemned you, at this moment, through this precious blood, receive your release again!
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Let us pray together; each of us raises our hands to pray…
Today, as long as you receive this love of Jesus, this love inspires your life to keep moving forward. It is His love that continually inspires you to influence those around you. Although you cannot control others and cannot change their lives, you can influence their lives. When you lift Jesus up, those around you will change because of this Jesus in your life. They will also be attracted to come before Jesus to seek Him. When this light and salt shine through you, those around you will be blessed because of you. You are that channel of blessing; do not underestimate yourself. Do not accept the influence of those around you; you need to influence them and bring the love of Christ to them. Thank and praise the Lord; each of you is this channel of blessing.
In the name of the Lord Jesus, I bless you and your families. You will be the light and salt in your family. So in this new week, wherever you go, your mouth carries authority. You can bless your family and friends; they will receive this blessing from Jesus, and their lives will change. You will witness the glory of Christ manifesting in them. This is you, a you full of glory, a you full of the glory of Jesus. Boldly live out this love! Enjoy the freedom that comes from Jesus. I pray in the name of the Lord Jesus, Amen!