344 - Always Be Aware That You Are Loved by God#
344 - Always Be Aware That You Are Loved by God
(JP Text Group - Organized by Huang Jihong)
Mark 1:9-13:
9 At that time, Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee and was baptized by John in the Jordan. 10 As soon as He came up out of the water, He saw the heavens being torn open and the Spirit descending on Him like a dove. 11 And a voice came from heaven: “You are my beloved Son; with you I am well pleased.” 12 The Spirit immediately drove Him out into the wilderness. 13 He was in the wilderness for forty days, being tempted by Satan. He was with the wild animals, and the angels were ministering to Him.
Let us pray together:
Heavenly Father, thank you and praise you! Thank you for such grace upon us. As we begin a new week, you once again provide us with your word to live in this world. We need the strength that comes from you, but this strength is rooted in receiving your love, willing to be aware that we are loved by you in all things. When I know I am loved by you, I will no longer fear problems or the environments I encounter. Your love for me will surely lead me out of these issues. You will make all things work together for my good. During this time, through your word, let me find rest and strength in you. Help me continually renew my thoughts and ideas, allowing the words of Jesus to become the strength and help in my life. Bless every brother and sister seeking you. I pray in the name of our Lord Jesus, Amen.
The topic of the sharing is: Always Be Aware That You Are Loved by God.
Why do some people become discouraged when they encounter difficulties or when their prayers seem unanswered for a while? They may feel that God no longer loves them, leading to complaints and even outbursts of anger. When faced with problems, they become anxious, not realizing that the One who protects them is still there. They overlook or mistakenly believe that God has distanced Himself from them. It's like when parents do not allow their children to achieve something; the child might ask, "Mom, do you not love me anymore? Why is this happening?" Because they were not allowed to achieve something or did not receive their favorite snack, they conclude that they are no longer loved.
Isn't it similar to when our prayers go unanswered, we doubt that God loves us? Just because God does not grant us something does not mean He does not love us. We must always be aware that we are loved by God, not because of what we have done or because God has granted us something to prove His love. Regardless of whether He has answered a specific prayer, He loves you, and this is a fact you must keep in your heart.
How can we gain enduring faith and love to face various problems in life? It is by always being aware that you are loved by God. Knowing you are loved by God, no matter how great your achievements, you will not become proud, because you know it is a gift from God. Of course, no matter how difficult or defeated you may feel, you will not despair or become discouraged, because you know your God will lift you up again. It may be due to your personal reasons or mistakes, but it does not matter; our God has the power to make you stand again. Just as Adam failed, God sent Jesus to replace Adam, who is greater than Adam. Amen!
The first point of sharing: You are loved by God, not because of what you have done.
According to today's text, we see that Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee and was baptized by John in the Jordan. This was Jesus' first public appearance, unlike the ancient dramas where characters trained for many years in the mountains before coming out to show their skills. Jesus was an ordinary person who lived for 30 years, and the people in the surrounding villages may have known Him; some may have even sat on the chairs or tables He made. But one day, Jesus was different, and people could not accept it. Why did Jesus have such great confidence when He began His ministry? Why was He not discouraged in any environment? Let’s look at today’s text.
When He was baptized by John and came up out of the water, He saw the heavens torn open. What does the tearing of the heavens symbolize? Do you know why we need to be baptized? Many people say that if you are not baptized, you cannot be saved, based on this verse. Do you know that Jesus' baptism is different from ours? What is the reason for our baptism? The Bible mentions in the other four Gospels that the Israelites went to John to confess their sins and then be baptized. But Jesus had no sin; why did He need to be baptized? It was to set an example for us and to take our place for our sins.
Baptism symbolizes our death with Jesus; going into the water signifies dying with Jesus. Coming up from the water represents our resurrection with Jesus. Amen! When Jesus came up from the water, it can be understood that He was like us. When we are baptized, our relationship with the Father is restored. Amen.
When Jesus came up, He saw the heavens torn open, which can be understood as the Father wanting to speak to Him, affirming something important. What was that? First, the Spirit descended on Him like a dove, representing that when we accept Jesus, the Holy Spirit dwells in our hearts. Will He leave? No, He will not leave. Brothers and sisters, once the Holy Spirit dwells in you, He will not leave. Just as when Jesus came up from the water, the Holy Spirit now dwells in Him and has never left. Amen.
The Spirit descended on Him like a dove, and at that moment, a voice came from heaven saying: "You are my beloved Son; with you I am well pleased!"
Brothers and sisters, have you noticed that the Father in heaven affirmed Jesus, but had Jesus saved a single life? Had He healed anyone? Had He preached the gospel of the kingdom? None of that had begun, yet our God had already affirmed Him. What does this show us? It means that our Heavenly Father delights in you and affirms you, not based on what you have done or the goodness of your behavior. It is impossible for the Father’s love for you to be affected by your actions. Amen.
It’s like when your child is just born, they are so small. Their behavior is not good; they cry, eat, and relieve themselves without any schedule. Who would say that a three-month-old child should urinate every 15 minutes? But there is no regularity; they eat when they want, drink when they want, and relieve themselves when they want, without any concern. Are they behaving well? But does it affect the mother's love for them? Does it affect the father's delight in them? Absolutely not. Do you know why parents delight in this child? Because they are theirs. Amen. Because they are theirs, they delight in you.
Delight in you does not depend on how you behave now because your behavior will improve one day. You cannot say that an 18-year-old child who cries when they want, laughs when they want, and relieves themselves when they want is sick. But at this age, parents know that such behavior does not affect their delight in you, nor does it affect their love for you. Amen!
Now I want to tell you that you are the same in the eyes of the Father. When your behavior is good, our Heavenly Father loves you like this; when your behavior is not good, the Father still loves you like this. Our Heavenly Father desires for your life to grow and to do what pleases Him. Amen!
When Jesus was affirmed by the Father, He had not saved a single life, had not healed anyone, and His ministry had not even begun. Yet our Heavenly Father said: "You are my beloved Son; with you I am well pleased." We are delighted by the Father not because of good behavior, but because we believe in Jesus. Through Jesus, we are delighted by the Father.
A few days ago, I heard a very strange theory. Some people teach that you are loved by God, but you may not necessarily be pleasing to God. We are loved by God, but we may not necessarily be pleasing to God... What kind of emotion is that? God loves you, but He may not necessarily like you. Do you know what kind of love that is? Brothers and sisters, when you hear such confusing logic, you should return to the Bible to see where the truth lies.
Some people often say: "You are saved, but you may not necessarily be born again."
"Am I saved or not?"
He says: "That's hard to say; it depends on whether you are born again."
"How do I know if I am born again?"
"That's also hard to say..."
They give people ambiguous answers, just like many people say: The Father loves you, but He may not necessarily like you. We ask: When does the Father delight in you?
He says: When you behave well...
Brothers and sisters, have you thought about this? If the Father delights in you because of good behavior, there is not a single person in the world who deserves to be delighted by the Father. Because our behavior is not good; many times we are only thinking of ourselves, planning for our own benefit. Even when we seek God, it is for our own good. Does God not know our inner thoughts? But this seems to contradict the truth being taught. What I want to tell you is: You are loved by God, and you must also be pleasing to God. Amen! This has nothing to do with your behavior.
Let’s look at a passage from 1 John 1:12-13:
12 But to all who did receive Him, who believed in His name, He gave the right to become children of God, 13 who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God.
Some may say: Why are you not pleasing to God? Because you are not born of God. Does this tell you that you are born of God? Does it mention your behavior? Or does it say that when your behavior is good, you are a child of God, and when it is not good, you are a child of the devil? Has it ever said that when your behavior is good, you are born of God, and when it is not good, you are born of the devil? The Bible has never said that we are children of the devil. Right? We have just been deceived by the devil.
To all who received Him, what does receiving mean? It means believing in His name. When you believe that Jesus is your Savior, that He died on the cross for your sins and rose from the dead three days later, when you believe in Jesus, you have received Him. He will give you the right to become a child of God! Is Jesus the Son of the Father? Are you a child of the Father? How do you become a child of the Father? By believing in Jesus!
Do not complicate simple matters; otherwise, you will not know whether you are pleasing to the Father. Through these behaviors, you should know that when you accept Jesus, at that moment, you are a child of God, not born of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of man. Why are there so many modifiers? It is to tell you that even if you believe in Jesus, there are still moments of fleshly desires. But you are still a child of God, still loved by God. Amen! Are there desires within you? Yes. Even when your desires arise, you are still loved by God, still pleasing to God. This is something we need to be aware of. Amen!
You are not born of the will of man. When we believe in Jesus, are there human intentions within us? Yes, many times we do things based on our own ideas. This can be called human intention, but the Father still delights in you. Amen! This is something to remember: You are born of God, a beloved child of God, not because of what you have done, but because you believe in Jesus. Through your faith in Jesus, you become a beloved child of God. Amen!
Galatians 4:4-6:
4 But when the fullness of time had come, God sent forth His Son, born of woman, born under the law, 5 to redeem those who were under the law, so that we might receive adoption as sons. 6 And because you are sons, God has sent the Spirit of His Son into our hearts, crying, “Abba! Father!”
Do you know what this means? Before we knew Jesus and believed in Him, we lived under the law. Are people in the world living under the law? Someone asked: What does it mean to live under the law? It means being self-centered! People live self-centered lives. There is a saying in the world that is very accurate: "If a person does not care for themselves..." Right?
They think of God in the same way; if they do not care for themselves, then the existence of heaven and earth has no meaning. But we are not like that. When you believe in Jesus, God redeems you from the law and gives you the status of a son. Amen. After becoming a son, what will God give you?
When Jesus came out of Nazareth, was baptized in water, and the Spirit descended on Him like a dove, this was evidence, right? It proved that He is the Son of God. When you believe in Jesus, God also sends the Spirit of His Son, which is the Holy Spirit, into you, proving that you are a child of God. You have the right to call Him Abba! Father! Do you know that when Jesus bore our sins on the cross, He said: "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?" At that moment, He bore sin and had no right to call the Father! He could only call Him my God. Amen!
Can you call our Heavenly Father? Here is the simplest way to pray: When you feel that God seems distant, please read this passage. You can pray as if you are talking to your father, but He is your heavenly Father, which is different from your earthly father.
You can say: Abba, I want to talk to you... Can you pray like this? Do not think it has to be a religious way, kneeling in a certain place, and being very pious, cleaning yourself up before the Father will listen to your prayer... It is not like that. At any time, in any place, you can pray to the Father like this. Abba,
If you feel uncomfortable, can you tell Him? Abba, I have something happy to share with you; is that okay? Absolutely. Knowing that you are the beloved child of the Father allows you to pray joyfully, transcending all laws to approach the Father, and that prayer is also the way the Father delights in.
If your beloved son wants a candy and kneels at home for three hours waiting for you to come home, when you walk in, he first bows nine times and says: "Beloved mother, you are the greatest mother in the world. You gave birth to me, raised me, provided for my daily needs, and bought me many toys. I also admit that I am very spoiled, always breaking things and not listening to you. I confess my sins and ask for your forgiveness; please give me a candy."
Have you heard such a prayer? This pattern is very similar. Many times, to pray to the Father for something small, we feel like we have to praise God first, often saying: "Because you created the world, created people..." starting from Genesis and praying all the way to Revelation, lamenting how spoiled we are, asking for forgiveness... as if we need to restore the relationship.
If you feel that way, do you like it? If someone raised your child to be like this, would you like it? Why not? You would feel, is this really my child? You might even feel that your relationship has become so distant that they have to bow down and confess their sins and praise you.
If we change the approach to one under grace, when you come home, the child rushes over and hugs your leg, saying: "Mom, I want candy." Would you say, "Why don’t you know the rules? You should call me 'Mother'..." Have you ever said that? Why? Because you feel that this way, you love your son or daughter more, and this way, your relationship with them is very close, right?
Brothers and sisters, I just said that when Jesus had done nothing, our Heavenly Father first said: "You are my beloved Son; with you I am well pleased." Then Jesus had the strength to do what pleases the Father. Amen. You need to know that Jesus has redeemed you from under the law. The key is how close our hearts are to the Father. If you feel that the Father delights in you only when you follow a set process or after you have done certain things, it will be exhausting.
I want to tell you that because you are the beloved son of the Father, you can ask Him freely. Amen! Even when you feel uncomfortable, can you speak like that? Can you complain? Yes! I have shared my past testimony. At that time, I did not know God and felt that He had caused me to lose everything, saying: "It’s all your fault; look at how you have ruined me!" I felt that I was a very clever person, but now I was left with nothing because of you... I was genuinely upset with God.
At that time, I did not understand God’s grace. God did not hold it against me; He did not say, "I will send a lightning bolt from heaven to show you the consequences of disrespecting me." Instead, God gave me grace and answered my prayers at the fastest speed. The more I got to know Him, the more I realized how foolish I had been. Was it not God’s grace that led me to repentance? Now I know even more that I am loved by God. At that time, I was loved by God, even though my behavior was terrible, but it did not reduce the Father’s love for me. Amen! God is willing to bless us because He loves us, not because our behavior has improved.
Ephesians 1:3-7:
3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! He has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places, 4 even as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before Him. 5 In love, He predestined us for adoption as sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of His will, 6 to the praise of His glorious grace, with which He has blessed us in the Beloved. 7 In Him, we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of His grace.
This passage clearly tells us that Paul gives glory to our God because His power is truly great! But this powerful God loves us. To what extent does He love us? Some say that you may have met once in the last 500 years; this is the theory of other religions. But do you know? God said, "Before the foundation of the world, I have already loved you." Isn’t that greater than any religious love?
Then it says that in Christ, He has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places. God has placed all spiritual blessings in Jesus Christ. As long as you enter into Christ, these blessings are yours. Just like when a child is born into your family, everything in the house belongs to them. It is not that they have to behave well for the inheritance to be theirs. As long as they are born into this family, everything is theirs.
When we are in Jesus Christ, at the moment we believe in Jesus, the Father has already prepared all the blessings for us. Amen. Everything you need, the Father has prepared for you. These were not prepared in a hurry after we were born; He knew all of this before the foundation of the world. This is the characteristic of God being all-knowing and all-powerful.
He chose us in Christ to be holy and blameless before Him. Many people do not understand what God’s choosing is about. To put it simply, God gives everyone the opportunity to enter into Christ; this is called being chosen. God cannot say, "I have not predestined you; I have not chosen you; you cannot be saved." There are no such people. It just means that the way of salvation varies in different eras, but the core is always our Lord Jesus Christ. When we are in Christ, we have already become holy before God. Amen.
Today, many people teach that you must strive to be holy, strive to be sanctified... This statement does not align with the Bible. The moment you believe in Jesus, you enter into Christ and are already set apart and made holy by God. Moreover, in God’s eyes, you are blameless. You may say, "That’s not true; I see many blemishes on my face in the mirror." God does not look at your physical self now; He looks at the resurrected version of you in the future, which is perfect. Amen.
Because before the foundation of the world, we were spiritual beings. Later, we will also be spiritual beings, and in that state, there are no blemishes. Because He loves us, brothers and sisters, because the Father loves us, He is willing to go to great lengths to save us. Otherwise, when Adam and Eve sinned, there was a more direct way. Do you know what it is? Just kill them both and create new ones; wouldn’t that be faster? Right? Why wait thousands of years for my Son to come down and sacrifice for all people? Why go through so much trouble?
But because God is love, He does not want to lose a single soul. Amen! So He did not give up on us, which proves that He loves you. Because He loves us, He predestined us according to His own good pleasure. Many people complicate the doctrine of predestination. What does predestination refer to? The comma; the latter part is what God predestined. What is predestined?
To be adopted as sons through Jesus Christ. This is God’s predestination. Amen! God gives everyone the opportunity; if you are willing to believe in Jesus, He grants you the authority to be a child of God, making you a beloved child of God. Hallelujah! This is God’s predestination.
Let us be fully pleasing to the Father through Jesus Christ; this is the glorious grace that receives praise. This grace is not because we have behaved well that God saves us, but because the Father loves us and is willing to save us in this way. This grace is given to us in the Beloved, meaning it is given freely, regardless of how you behave. God is willing to give it to us freely.
Verse 7 tells us: In Him, we have redemption through His blood.
Brothers and sisters, please remember that you are saved by God and become a beloved child of God through the blood of the Son. You have the life of the Son. If we lose too much blood and someone with the same blood type gives us a transfusion, that person is very strong. After their blood enters us, our strength will also increase. There is such a saying.
Today, I want to tell you that the blood of Jesus is alive. When the blood of Jesus enters us, your body will experience the powerful life like Jesus. What does this refer to? Where do we find the blood of Jesus? In the Holy Communion! That’s right.
When you partake in Holy Communion, you are not taking ordinary grape juice; that is the blood of Jesus. After drinking it, this blood is alive and powerful. What will this power do? It will eliminate diseases but will not harm the good and normal things within you.
When hospitals treat cancer patients with chemotherapy, what is the characteristic of chemotherapy? It kills every cell it encounters, leaving none behind. The good and the bad cannot be distinguished. But the blood of Jesus will not cause negative harm to your body, but the bad things affecting you will be removed through the blood of Jesus. This means that through the blood of the Son, we have redemption and forgiveness of our trespasses according to His rich grace. All of this is the result of the blood of Jesus. Amen!
Please remember, dear family, that you are redeemed by the blood of Jesus and are a beloved child of God. No one can change your identity. Amen!
The second point of sharing: Knowing you are pleasing to God gives you the power to do what pleases God.
Those who believe in Jesus all want to live a rich life, a prosperous life, to glorify our Lord and bear much fruit. Is this not our common wish? Is there anyone who believes in Jesus to sin more? No, right? If you want to sin more, you would not believe in Jesus. Without believing in Jesus, you can still feel justified when you sin.
If you are willing to believe in Jesus, it is not to sin that you believe in Jesus, right? Brothers and sisters, after we believe in Jesus, we all hope to become like Jesus, full of power, love, and faith, living a victorious life in the world. This is our common goal.
The question is, how do we live it out? Many people emphasize that you must have good behavior and live like Jesus, constantly telling you to do this and that... As a result, they say they cannot live it out. They try hard but really cannot do it. This is like a four-year-old child who is told to earn a certain amount of money in a month. They say, "I really cannot earn that." Finally, they cry and say, "Forget it, I won’t live anymore..."
They do not have that ability; it is not that their life is not good, but their life is not big enough. It is not that they do not want to live it out; it is that they really cannot live it out right now. So what do we do? Wait until their life grows to a certain extent, and they will naturally live it out. Some people say we need faith to live it out, and that’s correct; faith is needed. Where does faith come from? From the words of Christ. Let’s see how Jesus gained this strength!
Mark 1:11-13:
11 And a voice came from heaven: “You are my beloved Son; with you I am well pleased.” 12 The Spirit immediately drove Jesus out into the wilderness. 13 He was in the wilderness for forty days, being tempted by Satan. He was with the wild animals, and the angels were ministering to Him.
Have you noticed that when our Heavenly Father affirmed Jesus, saying: "You are my beloved Son; with you I am well pleased," where did Jesus go? Who brought Him to the wilderness? The Spirit. Why did the Spirit bring Jesus to the wilderness? If you do not know, let me ask you something: What is in the wilderness? Drought, no supply, wild animals, right? The wilderness is the opposite of the city; looking around, you see no life, no supply. Is this not when people are most likely to become discouraged?
But how could He overcome this environment? Angels helped Him! The angels helped Him at the last moment. Let’s not even talk about whether Satan tempted Him. Even without Satan’s temptation, if you were placed in the wilderness for 40 days, could you survive? I suggest you take a self-driving trip to the desert and see how long you can last. After a week, people would not be able to endure it. Why? Because when there is no supply, people are most likely to lose faith. You might pray: "Lord, quickly send me five loaves and two fish from heaven," only to find that your prayer is unanswered. "Lord, quickly let the rock bring forth water..." and that does not work either.
Did Jesus do any of those things? For 40 days without water, He did not strike the rock like Moses to see if water would come out. How did He maintain His strength? The strength that sustained Him came from that affirmation: "You are my beloved Son; with you I am well pleased." The greatest fear for a person is losing hope inside.
Jesus knew that while His physical body might be weak, there was a constant supply of strength within Him. What is that strength? Knowing that He is loved by the Father and that He is pleasing to the Father. What does this bring us? No matter how bad the environment is, the Father will not let Him die. Can you think of this?
If you constantly remember that you are loved by the Father, that you are the beloved child of God, no matter how great the difficulties you face, knowing that God will not abandon you, you will have strength. You have prayed for so long, and God has not granted you anything, but I believe that God still loves me. He will surely grant me at the right time, so I will not lose heart. Your strength will immediately arise within you. Amen. This is Jesus’ strength.
The Spirit driving Him into the wilderness also has another spiritual meaning: because we failed in the wilderness, the Israelites spent 40 years in the wilderness, and the first generation of Israelites failed. So the second Adam entered the wilderness again, facing the same lack of supply, but He overcame it. What did He rely on? Knowing He is the beloved Son of God, pleasing to God. This is the first way He could overcome the environment, right?
Secondly, how did He overcome Satan’s temptation? While living in this world, we are also susceptible to Satan’s temptations. These temptations can sometimes be devastating attacks, slander, and accusations, but many times they are constant flattery that makes you forget your true identity. These are all temptations from the devil.
After 40 days, when Jesus was at His weakest, the devil came to tempt Him. How did He overcome? He remembered the words of the Father: He is the beloved Son of God, pleasing to the Father. There are two aspects: first, Jesus had the words of God within Him; second, He believed He was pleasing to the Father. With this, He could overcome the worst environment and all the temptations and attacks from the devil. When you can overcome these, your weakness will be strengthened by angels. The greatest fear is not persevering until the end; if the angels come to help you, but you run away before they have the chance, you will miss the opportunity.
Many times we need to believe in our God. What I mean is that many people pray for a while and find no results, no answers, and immediately start trying to solve things themselves, using various human methods, only to find failure. The angels want to help you, but you are always thinking of your own methods. What should I do? What should I do? After exhausting your methods and suffering a lot, the most direct method is to pray to the Father when you encounter problems. First, believe that you are the beloved child of God, and He is pleased with you. Because Jesus knew He was pleasing to the Father, He had the strength to do what pleases the Father. This is the motivation of love.
Let’s look at a passage from John 8:29-30:
29 And He who sent me is with me. He has not left me alone, for I always do the things that are pleasing to Him.” 30 As He was saying these things, many believed in Him.
Why did Jesus have such great power to do what pleases the Father? Because He knew one thing: the Father was always with Him and had not left Him alone in this world. Amen! We think that because Jesus did what pleases the Father, the Father did not leave Him alone and was always with Him. But today’s passage seems to reverse this; the order is correct! The Father recognized Him as His beloved Son and was pleased with Him, and then He was always with Him. The Holy Spirit never left Jesus.
Today, is the Holy Spirit also always with you, never leaving you? Unlike in the Old Testament, where the Holy Spirit temporarily came upon people and left after the task was done, today it is different. Remember, brothers and sisters, today the Holy Spirit dwells in you.
In the Old Testament, regardless of which prophet, when the Holy Spirit descended upon them, if they sinned, the Holy Spirit would leave. If you sin, will the Holy Spirit leave you? Why not? Because the blood of the Son has forgiven your sins. The Holy Spirit will dwell in you and remain with you! He has not left you alone in this world.
When do you use these verses? When you feel overwhelmed by your environment, and everyone around you misunderstands you, please remember this word. You can also say that the one who sent me, Jesus, is with me; He has not left me alone in this world. The reason we become weak, discouraged, and desperate is that we feel no one understands us, that no one is with us, and that no one is helping us.
Please do not have this thought. Remember, at any time, our Heavenly Father will not leave you alone in this world. Amen. Never think that no one understands you; our Father knows you, and the Holy Spirit is always with you!
When you are constantly aware of these things, you can do what pleases the Father. When Jesus said these things, many believed in Him. Why did so many believe? Because He spoke with such certainty. You must believe that wherever you go, the Holy Spirit is with you, and when you are certain of this, you will no longer fear. Amen!
Especially when walking alone at night, in the past, you might have been afraid. Now you can declare: "Because I know you have not left me alone on this road, because the Holy Spirit is with me." Even if there is danger, can you pray in tongues? When you speak in tongues, you realize, "Oh, isn’t this the Holy Spirit with me?" What is there to fear? The Holy Spirit within you says: "I am with you." Do not deceive yourself into thinking you are alone; you are not! I am always with you. You will regain confidence and strength. Hallelujah. When Jesus faced His disciples who were about to abandon Him and betray Him, how did He overcome this environment?
John 16:32-33:
32 Behold, the hour is coming, indeed it has come, when you will be scattered, each to his own home, and will leave me alone. Yet I am not alone, for the Father is with me. 33 I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world, you will have tribulation; but take heart; I have overcome the world.”
Connecting the context and looking at the background of John’s Gospel, you can imagine how Jesus faced this environment with this group of people. First, He was about to go to the cross, facing the fact that this group of people did not understand Him and would betray Him, especially the twelve disciples He loved very much. They had been together for more than three years. But Jesus knew that this group would betray Him, not leaving a single one behind.
If it were you, could you bear it? I think the most painful thing in the world is probably this: a group of disciples who have been together for more than three years all leave Him, running away when difficulties arise, including the one who said: "Lord, I am willing to die for you," but he ran away even faster than those who fled.
When these things happen to us, we might say we do not want to live anymore; we cannot bear it. Why? You forget that there is still a God who has never left you. This is the core strength that allowed Jesus to overcome these environments and these people. He had already known these things, saying: "Behold, the hour is coming, and it has come, when you will be scattered, each to his own home, leaving me alone." What does this mean?
In the face of the environment and persecution, you will all run away, and you will all disappear. You will return to your own homes, which means you are scattered, leaving me alone. Imagine when Jesus said this, was there not a bit of sadness? Yes, He is also a person; does He not have feelings for His disciples? He does! But when He says this, He knows that people are unreliable.
So He never placed all His recognition and hope on the disciples because He knew that if He did, He would surely be disappointed. What I want to tell you is also this: Please do not place all your recognition on people; one day you will be disappointed. If you place it on your son, one day your son will disappoint you. If you place it on your husband or wife, one day they will disappoint you. If you place it on your boss, they will also disappoint you, because they are imperfect.
You have placed your focus in the wrong place. When we are disappointed, we might say: "Why does God not help me?" Because you have misplaced your focus. But what if you place your focus on Jesus? At any time, He will not let you down. Just like Jesus, He focused on the Father. He said that even if you all leave and leave me alone, I want to tell you that I am not alone because the Father is with me. Amen.
Over the years, I have experienced countless separations and losses. In such situations, it is hard to bear, especially when there is betrayal. The best friend stabs you in the back, and the best co-worker slanders you. Isn’t that the most painful thing? Many people say they will no longer serve or believe in the Lord, not expecting that people who believe in the Lord would act this way...
When faced with these situations, what should we do? Readjust your focus to the Father because you have misplaced your focus. You trusted this pastor too much, completely believing him, giving him all your money to invest, only to lose it all. So you no longer believe in Jesus and tear up the Bible. Does this have anything to do with God? This is not what God told you to do. God has always said: "You should trust me," and He wants you to trust Jesus. Amen.
Jesus could overcome this because He truly knew that at any time, even if the disciples left Him, the Father was still with Him. How do we face those we serve? I think our lives are like a one-way bus ride. Everyone is on the bus; when it reaches a stop, some people get off, but new ones will get on.
In the church, there is Jesus. Some people come, and some people leave, but the bus is always there; the church is always there. When someone gets off this bus, they are just getting on another bus. There is no need to be too sad; God will bring people who can help you and be beneficial to you in this stage of life. If you have a time when you get along very well, just thank God for that. Amen!
You will always encounter those who are unreasonable on the bus, taking up seats, spitting seeds, and cursing. What should you do? Let them get off the bus; there is no need to argue with them. You might get so angry that you say you will never take the bus again. That is wrong; that is not the bus's fault; that is the person's fault. When the bus reaches a stop, they will get off.
Jesus knew that He had come to this world for more than three years to fulfill the mission given to Him by the Father. These people betrayed Him, but the Father would never betray Him. Even if these people betrayed Him, He was willing to give His life for them. This is Jesus’ love. Amen! He was doing what pleases the Father because He knew there was someone who always supported Him, and that was the Father! And He would never leave Him. Why did Jesus want to tell us this? Why did He want us to see the true state of His heart?
Verse 33: "I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace."
We lose peace because we feel that no one understands us, that everyone has betrayed us, and that everything we have done is meaningless! No, everything you have done for the Lord has not been forgotten by the Father. Hallelujah. It is impossible for Him to forget even one thing. People may not know, but our Heavenly Father always remembers. You have peace in the Father and in Christ.
The Bible also tells us that in this world, you will have tribulation, but you can take heart. May I ask, are you at peace? When people often say, "Don’t worry; leave this to me," do they not often say that? Now Jesus says: "Please take heart." Do you feel at peace? Take heart, Hallelujah.
When you are at peace, you can do things without fear. Now, please be at peace; there is nothing our Heavenly Father does not know. He will surely help you. He has already overcome this world; even the most powerful devil has become a defeated foe. What are you worried about?
So, brothers and sisters, you are not trying to please God through good behavior, but you must always be aware that you are loved by God, and then you can live a sanctified life. Good behavior will naturally follow. Amen! Parents completely love their children, and when parents love each other, the child’s heart is healthy, and they give love to others. Amen. If parents are petty and only care for their own child, they will not have security, and the child will definitely not have security. So if you believe correctly, your life will be correct.
Still, do not focus on the fruit; focus on the tree. Amen! If you look at the tree every day and wonder why it does not bear fruit, you need to fertilize and water it. When the time comes, if you do not let it bear fruit, it will not listen to you. You must bear fruit because if it does not bear fruit when the time comes, it will be uncomfortable.
Brothers and sisters, it is the same. I continuously pour the truth into you. As long as you come to listen on time, I pour, you listen, pour, listen, pour, listen. One day, you will surely live out good behavior because you will be completely renewed inside, and you will live out a different you. Hallelujah! Thank you and praise the Lord!
So we are not saying we do not want to do anything. Many people say: "Under grace, we do not need to do anything..." If you want to do something, you are back under the law... This kind of thinking is wrong. Many people are unwilling to work, do not do anything, and shout slogans, and their homes become poorer. What does this indicate? It shows that their faith is incorrect, so adjustments are needed.
Receiving the Father’s love will surely produce loving actions, just like when you stand in water, your clothes will get wet; it is the same principle. It is that simple. You say: "I am in God’s love, but I have no love from God." That is impossible. If you are thrown into the water, you will definitely be wet. This does not need explanation, right?
As long as you continuously bathe in God’s love, realizing that the Father has not left you and is with you at all times, your life will surely change. Good things will happen one after another. As soon as one appears, the next good thing will follow, so just look forward to it. Hallelujah.
Finally, let’s look at a passage from 1 John 3:21-24:
21 Beloved, if our heart does not condemn us, we have confidence before God; 22 and whatever we ask we receive from Him, because we keep His commandments and do what pleases Him. 23 And this is His commandment, that we believe in the name of His Son Jesus Christ and love one another, just as He has commanded us. 24 Whoever keeps His commandments abides in God, and God abides in him. And by this we know that He abides in us, by the Spirit whom He has given us.
What is this passage repeatedly saying? John wants to tell us that because of Jesus’ redemption, you have already dwelled in God, with the Holy Spirit as a seal, and this has nothing to do with your behavior. When you know that the Holy Spirit dwells in you, it indicates something else: Our Heavenly Father is pleased with you.
When you know that the Father is pleased with you, you can approach God with confidence. Your heart will not condemn you. Why? Because you know you are loved by God. Why would your heart condemn you? If you think that only when your behavior is good will God bless you and love you; when your behavior is not good, you will feel unworthy to pray to God. Your heart will condemn you, right? Brothers and sisters.
Many people say after sinning: "How can I pray to God? I am too ashamed to pray to God." This is self-condemnation, so they keep turning in circles in sin, and ultimately, they sin more and more. John tells us that if your heart does not condemn you, you can approach God with confidence.
Approaching God with confidence does not mean you can do whatever you want. We come before the Father as we truly are, saying: "Lord, I have this problem; please help me overcome it." This is not a heart of condemnation. You let God give you the power of love. Hallelujah. And whatever we ask, we receive from Him because we keep His commandments. How can we keep God’s commandments? God’s commandment refers to loving one another!
How can we love others? First, receive the Father’s love; learn to love yourself before you can love others. If you do not even love yourself, you cannot love others.
Just like we shared last Friday in the Bible study of 1 Corinthians 16, if you cannot love the people in your own home, how can you love the unfortunate? You cannot love them. That would be empty talk or motivated by ulterior motives. God’s command is to let us believe in the name of His Son Jesus Christ. You can receive God’s love for this reason: you believe in His Son. Seeing that Jesus has given so much for you is not because you deserve it, but because Jesus loves you and is willing to give you His life. Amen! When you know these things, and continually think about how much Jesus loves you, you will have the strength to love others. Hallelujah.
When you love those who are unlovable, it is evident that this is one-sided; you are giving without receiving. This person does not understand and seems to have no feeling. This love must come from God; otherwise, you cannot sustain it. We continuously receive His love from God and give it out. Unknowingly, you will find that you are no longer affected by these people and environments because you know the Father cares for you, and you are His beloved child. Amen!
Verse 24: "Whoever keeps His commandments abides in God."
This can also be said in reverse: Because you know you dwell in God, you can keep God’s commandments, which refers to loving one another. God also dwells in him. This is a mutual confirmation. When you can genuinely express selfless love from your heart, you know that it is the strength given to you by God dwelling in you. Clearly, this person is unlovable, and you might think: "Why should I pray for him?"
Sometimes, during prayer in tongues, a strange thing happens. That person is my enemy, who has harmed me many times. Yet when I pray in tongues, I find myself praying for them. I think, "Why should I pray for him? I do not want to pray for him." But then I find myself praying for him. This is not something you can do by your own strength, right? Because God wants to release you, and at the same time, God wants to give you strength, letting you know that you are loved by me. God continuously gives you love, and you can love that person, forgive that person, and you will be completely free in His love. Hallelujah.
Through this, you will know that God dwells in you, and you dwell in God. Brothers and sisters, please remember: You are loved by God, at all times! No matter where you go, the Holy Spirit dwells in you, and He will give you the strength to overcome your current problems and environments. He is willing to pour His love abundantly upon you. Hallelujah!
Let us pray together.
Heavenly Father, thank you and praise you! Thank you for supplying us with such words, allowing us to always be aware that we are loved by God. Knowing that we are loved by God gives us the strength to do what pleases God. Father, you delight in us, not because our behavior is good, but because of the blood of Jesus, which fully accepts us and delights in us completely. We know that you delight in us, and with that comes strength, enabling us to forgive others and do what we cannot do. The love of the Father is upon me, allowing me to live out the image of the Father.
As we begin this new week, you are in control of all things. I will no longer fear the current environment and problems because you are with me. You will surely lead me. In all things, I look to you and pray to you. You will lead me on the right path. Let me encounter you in my life, experience you, and know your love more and more. Thank you and praise you. I am also a channel of this blessing, receiving your love and living out this love. Please help me to continually be aware that I am loved by God in this new week. Thank you and praise you! All glory be to you. I pray in the name of our Lord Jesus, Amen!