294-He Became Flesh to Seek You and Bless You#
294-He Became Flesh to Seek You and Bless You
(JP Text Group - Organized by the Little Prince of Heaven)
Matthew 1:18-21,
18 Now the birth of Jesus Christ was as follows: After His mother Mary was betrothed to Joseph, before they came together, she was found with child of the Holy Spirit. 19 Then Joseph her husband, being a just man, and not wanting to make her a public example, was minded to put her away secretly. 20 But while he thought about these things, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, “Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take to you Mary your wife, for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit. 21 And she will bring forth a Son, and you shall call His name Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins.”
Let us pray together:
Heavenly Father! Thank You and praise You! Thank You for giving us such a wonderful time today to celebrate Christmas, the birth of Jesus, which is related to me. Your incarnation has given me Your life. Your becoming flesh and coming into the world is to seek me and to give me Your life, to bless me, because You love me and are willing to accomplish the work of redemption for me. I am willing to receive Your strength through Your word, to know You through the birth of Jesus during this holiday. Heavenly Father! Thank You for loving me like this. Please help me to receive provision in Your word. I pray in the name of Lord Jesus. Amen!
The topic we are sharing is: He Became Flesh to Seek You and Bless You
Our Lord Jesus became flesh not to condemn us, but to seek us and bless us. Why did Jesus come to save us? Because we need to be saved; why does Jesus love us? Because we need love; why does God come to bless us? Because we need to be blessed; everything that Jesus gives us is what we need the most. Do we need condemnation, death, and curses? No, you do not need these, and Jesus has borne them all. This is such a wonderful Savior who came into this world.
The first point to share: All have sinned and need to be saved
Some say Jesus is a foreign religion, the God of Israel, and has nothing to do with me; if I believe, I will believe in the Chinese gods. If the only true God belongs to a certain country, then He is not the true God; the true God belongs to all humanity.
Why do we need a Savior? Because all have sinned. Romans 3:19-23,
19 Now we know that whatever the law says, it says to those who are under the law, that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may become guilty before God. 20 Therefore by the deeds of the law no flesh will be justified in His sight, for by the law is the knowledge of sin. 21 But now the righteousness of God apart from the law is revealed, being witnessed by the Law and the Prophets, 22 even the righteousness of God, through faith in Jesus Christ, to all and on all who believe. For there is no difference; 23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.
This passage of scripture is very clear: all have sinned, and after sinning, there is an identity called a sinner. A sinner is a noun; that is our name, and the children born to sinners are also sinners, and their descendants are also sinners. The identity of a sinner began with Adam. Romans 5 clearly states that because Adam sinned, all who belong to Adam became sinners.
What can a sinner do? Sin. Do not expect those who do not believe in Jesus to not sin; that is impossible. Some say, "Even believers sin!" Your sin is different from that identity of sin. Those who do not believe in Jesus have the identity of a sinner; they sin and are still sinners. But if you believe in Jesus, your identity is a righteous person; even if you sin, you are still a righteous person. This point must be clarified.
If your child makes a mistake, is he still your child? Yes. If another child makes no mistakes, is he your child? No, that has nothing to do with you. So, brothers and sisters, because all have sinned, humanity needs to be saved. And the things we do not want to see in the world, such as diseases, curses, suffering, and death, where did they begin? They began because humanity sinned and fell under a curse; these are all part of the curse. Who wants to live under a curse? Even if you do not believe in Jesus, do you want to live under a curse? What is a curse? It is when everything you do results in terrible outcomes; that is the result of a curse. It is not just someone cursing you; it is that whatever you do leads to a very bad outcome.
For example, some people drink water and choke to death; some people take a flight and then disappear with the plane. These are outcomes we do not want to see. These things do not exist in the Kingdom of Heaven; they came into the world because humanity sinned. How can we escape these? By not thinking about them, will they not come? Some say Christianity is just a spiritual religion; if you do not think about it, it does not exist. Is that really the case? If you say you do not want to get sick, will you not get sick? If you say you do not want to die, will you not die? This is a fact; these spiritual realities exist. How can you avoid these curses? You need to be saved.
Verse 19 says, we know that whatever the law says, it says to those who are under the law, that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may become guilty before God.
Here, the law refers to God's law, not the law of a certain country. God's law is for those under the law, and those under the law refer to those who do not believe in Jesus. The unbelievers are the ones under the law; only under the law can your sin be revealed, and only then can you live under a curse.
I have previously explained why being under the law means living under a curse. It is because there is no way to keep all of God's laws. When you cannot keep them, you fall under a curse. How can you get out? You cannot rely on yourself. Under God's law, all humanity is under judgment. In other words, the descendants of Adam falling under these curses is to be expected; it is related to his actions, and it is self-inflicted.
Verse 20 says, therefore, by the deeds of the law no flesh will be justified in His sight, for by the law is the knowledge of sin.
What does it mean to be justified? In faith, righteousness is often mentioned, the righteousness of God. What does it mean to be justified? Here, righteousness refers to the identity of the righteous.
Sinners fall under curses and sin. Conversely, the righteous are the opposite of sinners, so we know what righteousness is. What is righteousness? It is God's attribute; the righteous can receive blessings. The power, authority, and glory of Jesus Christ are prepared for the righteous. If you live under the law, that is, if you do not believe in Jesus and try to live by your own efforts to obtain blessings, that is what everyone in the world is doing, but it is very difficult to achieve.
Who can say that doing business will be 100% successful? Does anyone dare to boast like that? No, but in Christ, Jesus, what He says is, it will be, and what He commands will stand. Only Jesus can do that. Moreover, Jesus also said, "I have overcome the world; in Me, you will have peace. I will lead you to victory." Because He Himself is the victorious King.
Verse 21 says, but now the righteousness of God apart from the law is revealed, being witnessed by the Law and the Prophets.
Brothers and sisters, you can receive the identity of the righteous and blessings, absolutely not by your own efforts. Please remember, it is not under the law but apart from the law; that is God's grace. The phrase "witnessed by the Law and the Prophets" means the past law and prophets all bear witness to God's grace. What do they witness? Under the law, we know we are sinners and truly cannot receive God's blessings. The prophets also tell you: you are rebellious, you are a sinner, and you deserve to be cursed. But the blessings we receive today are because we do not rely on those; we rely on Jesus Christ.
Verse 22 says, even the righteousness of God, through faith in Jesus Christ, to all and on all who believe. For there is no difference.
The righteousness of God, many people after believing in Jesus do not know what the righteousness of God is. Simply put, the righteousness of God is God's attribute.
What characteristics do you think God has? Holiness, justice, mercy, love... these are all part of God's attributes. What I mean is that when God gives you His righteousness, you also possess His holiness, His justice, His mercy... these are freely given to you. When you have God's righteousness, it means you have all the blessings God wants to give you; you are already qualified for them. How do you receive these? Verse 22 says through faith in Jesus Christ; we emphasize not doing but believing. Because correct faith will lead to correct actions. Why do we need to believe in Jesus? Why must we have God's righteousness through Jesus?
Verse 23 clearly states, for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.
What does it mean to fall short? The moon has phases; originally, the moon is round, but in the middle, it is half, and later it becomes a small crescent. Is that not the part that is lacking? God originally created Adam as a full moon, but after he sinned, he became a moon that is lacking. The lacking part is God's authority, power, and glory, and people live in great suffering in this world.
When a person in their seventies or eighties looks back at their life, they often see it filled with toil and trouble. This is the word of the Bible and also the conclusion of humanity. So where is our hope? You have fallen short of God's glory, and it is destined that you cannot live out God's glory, so you need to be saved by Jesus. You need to be saved by Jesus. Amen! Thank and praise the Lord!
Let’s take a look at what Jesus did when He came into this world. Matthew 9:35-36,
35 Then Jesus went about all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing every sickness and every disease among the people. 36 But when He saw the multitudes, He was moved with compassion for them, because they were weary and scattered, like sheep having no shepherd.
What Jesus did on earth is what we lack the most; we can also say this is the part you are lacking. Many people have deficiencies in health and often get sick. Do they need God to fill them and heal their deficiencies? They can come to Jesus, and Jesus can complete them. Some say, "I am not good at anything; I am not lazy, but I just cannot succeed." If you are lacking in finances, can God fill that? Yes; some say, "My relationships are terrible; everyone hates me. People were fine until I showed up." If you need harmony in relationships, can Jesus fill that? Yes; whatever part you are lacking, Jesus can fill it. This is what you need, and it is what all humanity needs.
Everyone's deficiencies are different, but God wants to fill the parts of your life first. If you do not have the life of Jesus, even if you have the whole world, you still have nothing. What did Jesus say? What does it profit a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul? Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul? Jesus first wants to solve the most important issue, which is your life issue. Today, humanity has realized this; there are news reports about many wealthy people who die young. People say it is such a pity; they say life is only once, so we must cherish our lives. In this world, are people increasingly paying attention to health and wellness? The reason is that there is a lack in life, fear of death, and there is no way to solve this problem; they can only rely on expert advice, exercise more, and keep a good mood.
But can that solve your life problems? No, your life needs to be saved by Jesus. That is why Jesus came; He first taught people with words in every city and village, then preached the gospel of the kingdom. The kingdom of heaven has everything you need, and you are going there in the future. You can tell those who do not believe: if you believe in Jesus, He will fill the deficiencies in your life, complete your life, and complete your living. No one is unwilling to love this Lord because Jesus sees us in distress and is willing to help us and save us.
The second point to share: Only the innocent can save the guilty.
If two people are both guilty, who can take the place of the other's sin? No one can replace anyone; humanity cannot save us, the people around you cannot save you, your parents cannot save you, and your children cannot save you; only Jesus can save us.
2 Corinthians 5:18-21,
18 Now all things are of God, who has reconciled us to Himself through Jesus Christ, and has given us the ministry of reconciliation, 19 that is, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not imputing their trespasses to them, and has committed to us the word of reconciliation. 20 Now then, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were pleading through us: we implore you on Christ’s behalf, be reconciled to God. 21 For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.
This passage of scripture is very familiar to everyone. All things are of God; this means your salvation is God's mercy thrown towards you. It is God who is willing to save you, sending His Son Jesus to seek you, and the purpose of seeking you is to bless you. If you do not even have life, what can you talk about blessings? So all things are of God; He reconciled us to Him through Christ. You must tell the world a beautiful testimony, which is the main character of Christmas is Jesus. Through Jesus, you are reconciled with the Heavenly Father. Reconciliation means you are no longer enemies with Him, and you can receive all His blessings. Amen!
The next part says and has given us the ministry of reconciliation. This means we go and preach the gospel, telling the world: if you believe in Jesus, you will be reconciled with the Heavenly Father and be called righteous by the Heavenly Father, and you can have the blessings of the righteous.
Verse 19 also tells us this is what God does, not imputing their trespasses to them.
Brothers and sisters, this is a question many people want to ask: “What benefits can I gain from believing in Jesus?” When someone asks you this, just give them this verse: not imputing their trespasses to them. According to what we have done in the past, what comes upon us must be curses. But God says, “I will not impute these curses to you; if you believe in Me, you can receive My blessings.”
In the past, someone said, “Can believing in Jesus give me money?” A brother was very troubled and said, “How should I respond to such a person?” One day, God personally revealed to him, opened his eyes, and he said, “I understand now; believing in Jesus is giving me money. After believing in Jesus, I live every day in the love of Christ, praying blessings for myself, and I do not get sick. Isn’t that making money? I pray for my parents, and they are both very healthy; the eighty-year-old lady is as healthy as a young person. Isn’t that making money?”
Someone says, “What can believing in Jesus give me?” If your family never gets sick in their lifetime because they are in Christ, how much have you gained? Isn’t that part of it? Yes, many people always say, “What can I gain?” God says, “I know what your thoughts are; I will not impute your trespasses to you.
According to your deceitful heart, how many times have you been deceived by others? But I have kept you every time.” Haven’t you gained? According to your current indulgent state, you would have fallen into others' traps many times, but God has protected you. God does not impute your trespasses to you; isn’t that a gain? Has your life been saved by Jesus?
According to our state, what can we give to Jesus and say, “Lord! I deserve Your salvation; You should save me.” No one is qualified to say such things to our Heavenly Father, but because He loves you, He saves you like this. As ambassadors of Jesus Christ, we also tell those who have not yet believed in Jesus to come and believe in this Lord! He comes to seek you, and He wants to bless you. Let you receive His life, and let you have abundance in His life. First, how does God save us?
Verse 21, For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.
This clearly tells us that Jesus is innocent; only the innocent can take the place of the guilty. If He has sin, living under a curse, how can He bless you?
Jesus is innocent; how do we know Jesus is innocent? Let’s look at the text, Matthew 1:20, But while he thought about these things, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, “Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take to you Mary your wife, for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit.
Brothers and sisters, the angel appeared to Joseph in a dream and told him these words, proving Jesus' identity. The child conceived in Mary is from the Holy Spirit. At that time, Joseph was thinking of secretly putting her away, thinking that this child came from some man. If the child in Mary's womb came from some man, then it would be a sinful life.
There are only two types of people in the world: the first type is the life born from man and woman; all that comes from here is Adam's life, a sinful life. The other type is born of the Holy Spirit, which is our Jesus. Therefore, Jesus was not born in the same way as Adam, which is enough to prove that He is innocent. Amen!
He came from the Holy Spirit. Can this issue be understood? Can it be believed? Can it be explained to others? The Word of God became a person, and His name is Jesus. The Chinese Bible translates “the Word became flesh”; this is God's great power. Can people do this? Today, no matter how advanced technology is, can anyone create a person out of thin air? No, even test-tube babies come from the Adamic system. Unless you say to create a person out of air or mold a person out of clay, people cannot be created. There are only these two ways to bring forth a person: the Word of God became a person, named Jesus; this is God's great power, surpassing human thought and ability.
The Bible uses the term “Savior,” saying that today He is born in the city of David. We call this day Christmas; the meaning of “holy” is different, different from the way others are born; He is Jesus. God created this world with His Word; do you believe this? Yes, then God became a person with His Word; is that difficult? It is very simple; you must believe that the world was created by God, and God can create a person; it is not a difficult thing.
John 1:14-16,
14 And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth. 15 John bore witness of Him and cried out, saying, “This was He of whom I said, ‘He who comes after me is preferred before me, for He was before me.’” 16 And of His fullness we have all received, and grace for grace.
I just explained what “the Word became flesh” means, the Word of God became a person and dwelt among us; His name is Jesus. His birth sequence is no different from that of a normal child; after ten months of pregnancy, He is born and gradually grows up. Although we grow up similarly to Jesus, the life Jesus lived is not a lacking life but a full life.
Here, a term is used: full of grace and truth, meaning He is full of grace and truth within Him, and we have seen His glory. In other words, the most successful person in the world is Jesus. Think carefully, is there anyone in the world who surpasses Jesus? If you say you have power, is Jesus' power not the greatest? How great is His power? Look closely at how the four gospels record Jesus' power: raising the dead, healing the sick, comforting and encouraging people... He can do all these things.
If we have this power, what are we afraid of? Isn’t that already the greatest? What about status? If Jesus wanted to be king in the world, would it be difficult? After the feeding of the five thousand, that crowd forced Jesus to be king, but Jesus did not want to be king; those people insisted that Jesus be king. Now think about how people in the world do things.
They particularly like to be kings: “You must listen to me; I am your boss.”
Jesus, on the other hand, did not want to be king, and those people forced Him to be king because of the power within Him. He is a complete life, unlike us, who are lacking lives; we need to receive from others. Jesus is not like that; a person who can live like Jesus is already lacking nothing and does not need anything else, and can often give to others.
Verse 16, And of His fullness we have all received, and grace for grace.
What does it mean to have fullness of grace? There is no lack. Do people today have any lack? No one says they have no lack; looking around, apart from Jesus, everyone else in the world has some lack. We do not know what that lack is, but Jesus has fullness of grace; He has never lacked at any time. When a person has no lack, he is willing to supply others. Here it says, from His fullness of grace, we have all received. Now think about it; letting you believe in Jesus is to let you receive Jesus' fullness of grace! Some say, “Isn’t that simple? I am willing to believe in Jesus.” That’s right; you are willing to believe, and this is what Jesus wants to give you. Today, I am saying that He became flesh to come into this world to seek you, just to give you all His fullness of grace, first to give you His life, and then to give you His victorious life.
Later it says He not only wants us to receive from His fullness of grace but also grace upon grace. The Hebrew word mentioned here for grace upon grace actually consists of four letters; the first is an outstretched hand, and in the hand is grace, and then still grace, meaning when God stretches out His hand, below is grace upon grace, one grace connected to another grace.
How can this phrase be practically applied in life?
It is very simple; when this grace is used up, the next one is already prepared. This is exactly the opposite of human thinking; we always feel, “Give me everything! That way, I feel comfortable.” God is not like that; God gives you one, and when you have used it up, He gives you another, so you never lack. In Jesus Christ, God gives you a rich life, so that your life is always without lack. When we believe in Jesus, we are born of God, and our sins have been washed clean by the precious blood that Jesus shed on the cross, and God calls us righteous. Are you sure you are righteous now?
John 1:12-13,
12 But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name, 13 who were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.
Let me ask you a question: Are you sure you are born of God? Some say, “I was born of my mother; I was born of Adam.” If you are sure you are born of that, then you are still a sinner. Because it says here, when you believe in Jesus, He gives you the right to become children of God; the latter part is all given to you. These people are not born of blood; what is blood? It is born of Adam. These people are not born of the will of the flesh; the flesh is what is within us, the result of our efforts.
Abraham had two sons, one was the son of promise, Isaac; the other was Ishmael, who was born of blood, of the will of the flesh, and of the will of man. Abraham saw that his wife could not bear children, and his wife said, “You can have a child with my maid; she is young and beautiful; have a child with her.”
If the promised descendants come from this woman, how can it show God's power? Isn’t it something that everyone can do? Just find a young woman, and Abraham can have a child; that would not show God's power. Ishmael was clearly born of blood, human will, and fleshly desire.
What does it mean to be born of God? It transcends your imagination; that is what God does. Just as I mentioned at the beginning, all things are of God; it must be God who does it. When Abraham and Sarah could not bear children, the promised son Isaac was born, and no one had any credit; that is being born of God. Amen!
Your life is like this; when you believe in Jesus, you are saved and become a child of God; you are born of God. You say, “I don’t feel anything!” That’s okay; being sure is the fact. When you are born of God, God's blessings are upon you, so your life from that moment on is no longer the same as that of humanity, and the outcome is no longer the same. We will go to the Kingdom of Heaven, and on earth, you can live out the victorious pattern of Jesus. Although you may not be able to live out all of Jesus' pattern, you can certainly live out part of it.
The third point to share: He came to save us, not to condemn us.
John 3:16-18
16 For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. 17 For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved. 18 He who believes in Him is not condemned; but he who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.
This is the purpose of God sending Jesus; what is His purpose for coming? Verse 17 says, For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved.
How can humanity be saved through Jesus? By believing in Jesus. Some say, “How do I know if I believe or do not believe?” Can you know if you believe or do not believe? Yes, you may not know if the person next to you believes or does not believe, but you certainly know whether you believe or not. Whether it is true faith or false faith, only you know best, so do not make judgments. “I see you look like a believer.” Do not conclude like that; this is something only God can do. Do not say, “You look like you do not believe.” Because belief or disbelief cannot always be accurately seen from the outside.
Verse 18 says, He who believes in Him is not condemned; but he who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.
To put it simply, when we believe in Jesus, why are we not condemned by God? Because your sins have been placed on Jesus. God punishes sin only once; is it not the same in the world? This person is extremely guilty, with a hundred lives on his hands; one shot will execute him; there is no need to shoot him a hundred times. As long as he is dead, all the price of sin has been paid. Brothers and sisters, the law of God is the same; no matter how many sins you have committed in the past, as long as you die, the price of sin is paid.
Can you pay the price of sin yourself? There are two ways: first, you bear your own sins, and after you die, you are judged by God; both body and soul die, and that pays your sin. The final outcome is destruction. The other way is that you believe Jesus died for your sins, and you do not have to die. These are two paths; last time we mentioned two paths, and this time we mention them again. Which path will you choose? Either do not believe in Jesus and bear the consequences of your own sins, leading to destruction, or believe that Jesus has died for your sins. Every time Christmas comes, remember that Jesus came to save you, to die for your sins; only in this way can God's justice be fulfilled. Believe that Jesus has borne all your sins; I now live representing Jesus, which means I am righteous. Amen!
Remember, the purpose of Jesus coming into the world is to save you, not to condemn you. Those who are already condemned are not because of their bad behavior but because they do not believe in the name of the only begotten Son of God; their final outcome is destruction. But when you believe in Jesus, you are a person who has eternal life! After Jesus resurrected, He appeared to His disciples and told them what to do in this world. So, during Christmas, many people like to spread the gospel and tell others about Jesus. We should also speak correctly and not scare others.
Luke 24:45-47,
45 And He opened their understanding, that they might comprehend the Scriptures. 46 Then He said to them, “Thus it is written, and thus it was necessary for the Christ to suffer and to rise from the dead the third day, 47 and that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in His name to all nations, beginning at Jerusalem.
Do you know how to spread the gospel? You must tell the world that Jesus died for their sins, rose from the dead on the third day, and tell them they need to repent and believe in Jesus. Because He has already forgiven all their sins, this should start from Jerusalem and be preached to all nations. Is this not the content of the gospel? Jesus has made it very clear to us, so do not add anything else or take anything away.
Many people say, “Believing in Jesus will bring you benefits; don’t worry, after believing in Jesus, everything will go smoothly, your children will not get sick, and your work will go well…” If you forget about Jesus' death and resurrection, then Jesus is no different from other gods.
Brothers and sisters, those later things are indeed true, but they are not the most important. The most important thing is to let them know that Jesus came to forgive their sins and died for their sins and rose from the dead on the third day. When they believe this, the Holy Spirit will enter their hearts, and their lives will be completely renewed and changed. Amen!
If you only tell others that believing in Jesus will make their careers successful and families blessed, they might think that believing in that original god is also quite good; why must they believe in this one? In this world, only Jesus can bear our sins, and only Jesus has risen from the dead; only Jesus is innocent. Amen! Thank the Lord! This is the content we need to proclaim.
We must tell the world that He came to save us, not to condemn us. How long should this message be preached? Should it only be spoken around Christmas? Many churches only tell others around Christmas: Jesus loves you! Jesus does not condemn you; God loves the world and gave His only begotten Son to us...
This is well-known. Once Christmas is over, it quickly changes to obeying the law of Moses; otherwise, you will not be saved, or God will turn His face away from you at any time.
But Jesus said, you must preach the way of forgiveness of sins to the world. What is the way of forgiveness of sins? Jesus has forever forgiven their sins; should we not preach this way? This is not something to be preached only around Christmas but should be preached continuously. Because when you preach like this, it is equivalent to letting them understand what Jesus has done for them, so they can recognize Jesus' grace and have the strength to overcome evil. Amen!
Galatians 1:3-4,
3 Grace to you and peace from God the Father and our Lord Jesus Christ, 4 who gave Himself for our sins, that He might deliver us from this present evil age, according to the will of our God and Father.
Is this not what God does? So what can we do? Many people always worry: “If I believe in Jesus, but one day I sin, God will not want me anymore, and I will not be saved.” Is that so? Please remember: you are a saved person, which means you are willing to let Jesus save you. The initiative is with Jesus; you say you are willing to let Jesus save you, then Jesus reaches out His hand to save you from evil, and you are in Jesus' hands. You are a saved person; Jesus is the one who takes the initiative. Whether you can lose your salvation is not focused on you but on Jesus.
Unless He lets go, you cannot fall out of salvation. Jesus said, “No one can snatch you out of My hand.” This means Jesus holds you tightly. The devil, death, and disease cannot take you away. What can separate you from the love of God? Nothing can. Since nothing can, what do you have to worry about? After being saved, you must believe that you are always in Jesus Christ, possessing His grace and peace, which is given to me from our Father God and Jesus Christ. Amen!
Verse 4 says, who gave Himself for our sins, that He might deliver us from this present evil age.
Earlier, I mentioned life; now I mention living. What should you do when you sin in life? “Lord! Have mercy on me; why am I so rebellious? I am unworthy to be Your son…” This is somewhat like the prodigal son; does the father think like this? No, in the father's heart, the son is always the son; he just made a mistake. But he is still the son. So when you are weak, fall, or sin in life, remember, you are the son of the Heavenly Father. What you need to do is repent, change your direction, turn to Jesus, and turn to our Heavenly Father. He can save you from this present evil age. In sickness, can Jesus save you? You need to turn your focus from people and experts to Jesus. When you turn, Jesus can give you His words, His faith, and His power, and you will instantly receive it. When you encounter problems and difficulties in life, turn to Jesus; this is called repentance. He can save you from this present evil age.
A few days ago, a brother said, “Now people's hearts are so evil that I will not get married because I may not meet someone who can spend a lifetime with me.” You say, if you think like this, how can you manage your marriage with peace? Unless you believe that in Jesus Christ, He can save me from this present evil age. Hallelujah!
Brothers and sisters, you must believe that Jesus came to save you; He seeks you and saves you to bless you. Even if the surroundings are dark, you must believe that the light of Jesus is always within you. Do you remember Egypt? In the land of Egypt, everywhere else was dark, but the homes of the Israelites had light. This world may one day become increasingly dark; the people around you may have evil and deceitful hearts, but in Christ, no one can take away your blessings. What you need to do is, “Lord! I am willing to let You save me; I believe Your grace and peace are upon me.” That is enough.
Luke 19:9-10,
9 And Jesus said to him, “Today salvation has come to this house, because he also is a son of Abraham. 10 For the Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost.”
This is what Jesus said to Zacchaeus. Zacchaeus was seen as a sinner in the eyes of the world, living very poorly; people did not want to get close to him or have dealings with him. But Jesus received him, and Jesus said, “Because you believe in Me, today salvation has come to your house; you are also a son of Abraham.” In fact, what Jesus was telling Zacchaeus was, “You can inherit the blessings of Abraham; you can inherit the blessings of the covenant between Abraham and God.” Who did the Son of Man come to seek? The lost. This goes back to what was mentioned at the beginning: those who are lacking, those who are deficient.
Every person in humanity has deficiencies; we can also say everyone is lost and needs Jesus. You are the messengers of the gospel; you must tell the world this good news. The gospel is good news; you can tell them this good news: Jesus no longer condemns you; Jesus is willing to come and save you. He became flesh and came into this world just to seek you. As long as you are willing to accept Jesus, Jesus can fully accept you, and Jesus can save you.
She will bring forth a Son, and you shall call His name Jesus.
Before Jesus was born, the angel had already given Him a name; the name of Jesus is because He will save His people from their sins. His people are those who are willing to believe in Jesus. As long as you say, “I am willing to believe that Jesus can save me,” if you have this faith, Jesus can save you from sin, filling your life and living with the words of Jesus. God's blessings will surely come upon you, and you will also be victorious in all things like Jesus. Amen!
Let us pray together:
Heavenly Father! We thank and praise You! Thank You for helping us with these words. Jesus became flesh to seek me, to give me His life, and to let me receive His abundant life. He seeks me just to bless me. Only in Christ can I have true abundance because Jesus is abundant. Thank You for saving me and helping me.
Please You lead me to experience Your words in life. I believe Your words are true. When I encounter problems, I am willing to turn to You. Thank You, Heavenly Father. Please You also give me strength to be a messenger of the gospel, to tell the good news to those around me, so that they may also receive Your blessings in Christ.
Thank and praise You! Because Lord You are truly good! As a new week begins, please You lead me to encounter You in life and experience Your abundance. I pray in the name of Lord Jesus. Amen!