나그네 인생인데도 찬송이 넘쳐납니다

하나님을 알아가고 경험하는 삶이 나그네 인생의 즐거움입니다 Knowing and experiencing God is the joy of a stranger's life 갈2:20

하나님이 우리를 거듭나게 하신 것을 찬송합니다 We praise what God has renewed in us 요3:5

우리가 거듭난 생명을 얻게 하신 것 we gain renewed life

우리를 위한 유산이 하늘에 준비되어 있습니다 An inheritance for us is prepared in heaven

고후 6:8-10

Summary

A recent incident involving a friend's request to send items revealed lessons about faith. Financial constraints tested us as we considered fulfilling the request. We delayed, hoping for better circumstances. Amidst this, my wife's generous actions exemplified faith. Our identity as pilgrims separates us from worldly standards. Our values, responses, and hopes differ. We rely on God's guidance and trust His plans. Through Jesus, we're sanctified by the Spirit, transcending personal limitations. Our joy is grounded in God, not circumstances. This confident faith allows us to navigate life's challenges. Our inheritance, guarded in heaven, is imperishable. This living hope defines our identity and sustains us. We're called to live joyfully despite temporary lacks. This hope empowers us to overcome trials. In the end, it's about possessing everything through Christ, exuding joy even amidst hardship

Script

A few weeks ago, I received a message from a friend in Korea. They said they needed some specialty items and asked if I could send them through a courier from Sydney, as I was nearby. Of course, they mentioned they would reimburse the expenses later. My wife received the request call and couldn't confidently say "yes." The reason was that we didn't have the money to buy the health products they needed to send. Worried that they might be concerned if we said we couldn't afford it, my wife replied that we were busy at the moment but would try to visit the store next week. Perhaps we were secretly hoping that our Tax Return would come in by then, but when the next week arrived, the Tax Return hadn't arrived yet.

So, we postponed it another week, and finally, we said, "Since Ye-Young (referring to someone) is going to Korea next week, we'll send the items with them. Since they'll be taking care of the shipping fees..." We thought that by then, some money would have come in. However, my wife went above and beyond. Not only did she buy the health products, but she also prepared food and shared it with others. Watching her do all this, I realized that when we have money, we spend it comfortably, but when we're tight on money, we tend to feel down. Despite the financial constraints, I was grateful to see her not becoming anxious and distressed. As I started to recover a bit, I noticed I could confidently pull out my phone to pay for meals when we went out.

Reflecting on last week's teachings, we affirmed our identity as pilgrims, living a nomadic life. People in the world live as though they will be on this earth forever. Consequently, they focus on worldly things and go all-in. However, we don't confine our thoughts and feelings to the world's standards. We hold different values. With different destinations and goals, our life's direction, choices, and content differ. When challenges arise, our attitude in responding to them is different too. Rather than worrying when something is lacking, we wait for our needs to be met. If things don't go our way, instead of getting anxious and clinging, we open our hearts to God, knowing He might lead us in a different direction. Why? Because as Christians, our joy in life comes from learning about God and experiencing Him through all the ups and downs.

Beloved saints! God has planned ahead for me. Through Jesus' obedience in suffering and the shedding of His blood on the cross, the Holy Spirit now dwells within me. How can I make myself holy when my fundamental state is that of a sinner? Thus, having been sanctified by the Spirit, I now follow His guidance. I participate in Jesus' suffering and the path of the cross and experience the power of resurrection. This becomes the joy and delight of my pilgrimage. Though I might be able to keep up with enthusiasm, I easily give up when the journey becomes challenging. Because in those cases, it was about what I thought, what I prayed for, and what I pursued. I did my best, but with me as the master, I don't have the strength to continue.

However, since Jesus has become my Lord, giving me His Word and the desire to obey, there is a "naturalness" to walking that path. I can be grateful when things go well, but I can also maintain that attitude when they don't. It's not the "circumstances" that drive me but the "Spirit" within me. There's contentment in that. Believing in God who orchestrates all our mistakes to work together for good, I have hope. Whether things go this way or that, whether doors close or open, whether finances are lacking or abundant, I know that God is in control. So, my focus isn't on the "circumstances" but on the fact that it's Jesus. This is the confession of a saint who dies to self and lives for Christ, isn't it? We're familiar with Paul's confession in Galatians 2:20. I'd like to join in that confession. "I have been crucified with Christ, and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me." I pray that no matter what situation arises, you all may confess, "I have already won through my faith in Jesus!" In the name of the Lord, I bless you.

The apostle Peter, thinking about those who live a pilgrim's life of faith, begins his letter with praise to God. In verse 3, he says, "Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ..." When he thinks about these saints who possess the life of Jesus, the words that burst forth are words of 'praise to God.' They are overwhelmed by how good God is. Thinking of God fills them with gratitude, and their mouths are constantly filled with praises, unaffected by their circumstances and the world. What makes God so wonderful? Why are they so joyful even in their pilgrim lives? This is being detailed through verse 9, but today I would like to share only verses 3 and 4.

So, what has God done for us?

Verse 3 says, "... according to His great mercy, He has caused us to be born again..." We have been born again! We have been regenerated! The flesh that should be judged for sin is already dead, and we have been born again with a holy body! That's right, we are born twice. Once through our physical mother and again through the Holy Spirit.

Nicodemus came to Jesus at night. He was a scholar who knew all the laws and was known for his virtue. However, the more he studied the law, the more he realized his own sinfulness, and he realized that he couldn't enter the kingdom of God. So, he asks, "Teacher, how can I enter the kingdom of God?" And Jesus responds, as recorded in John 3:5, "Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God." That's right. We cannot enter the kingdom of God unless we are born of water and the Spirit. It's not about diligently following the law, praying, serving, and doing good deeds. The more we try, the more we realize that we are sinners. It is only possible through the Holy Spirit. It's impossible with our own spirit and efforts. Just as Jesus was conceived by the Spirit and came into this world, when the Holy Spirit comes into us, we are transformed into His people and receive His guidance.

Thus, as Christians, we fellowship with the Holy Spirit, walk with Him, and live under His guidance. From there, the fruits of the Spirit, such as love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control, manifest through us. Through these fruits, we believe that the history of life and restoration will happen. A saint might appear faultless in the eyes of others, yet through them, the history of life is saved, and things that bind souls are released. Therefore, a Christian's life is a life of saving lives, healing souls, and living a life of salvation. Wherever they go, people around them rejoice and find joy through them. This was the life of Jesus, the life of His disciples who followed Him, and I believe it's the life of you and me today, where the life of Jesus resides.

How did we come to possess this 'amazing regenerated life'? The content of verses 3 and 4 sheds light on this.

Firstly, the 'motivation' for our regeneration is 'God's mercy.' It's because of His great compassion that we were born again. Pouring mercy and grace on me, who was in a pitiful state like someone owing ten thousand talents (one talent = 15 years' worth of wages; equivalent to about 150,000 years' worth of wages), an amount I could never repay even if I labored my whole life! That mercy and compassion was the driving force behind my salvation. I don't have conditions or qualifications to meet. He simply chose to love me unconditionally, and that's grace.

Secondly, the 'means' by which we are regenerated is 'the resurrection of Jesus.' Because we are united with Jesus, when He was resurrected, we were also resurrected together with Him. And it doesn't stop there. Just as Jesus was resurrected and seated at the right hand of God's throne, we are also seated with Him. Ephesians 2:6 says, "And raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus." Raised up! Seated! All in the 'past tense.' When I received the Lord, I was already resurrected with Him, becoming an entity that rules this earth while seated in heaven with Him. If we ask on earth, it's heard in heaven. The authority to open and close that heaven's realm has already been given to us; we possess it. I believe this is the authority of the regenerated sojourner.

Thirdly, the 'purpose' for our regeneration is to 'have a living hope.' This is an astounding word. A remarkable characteristic of regenerated saints who meet and believe in Jesus is that they possess a 'living hope.' Through this 'living hope' within the new creation of saints inhabited by the Holy Spirit, they live their lives. Even in despair, hope flickers; even in nothingness, hope supplies life. Yes, the distinguishing feature of regenerated saints is not a powerless, dead hope but a 'living hope.' Such a strong hope for the eternal kingdom, which all the hosts of angels will welcome with jubilation, enables us to praise God in all circumstances and live a life that overcomes through our Lord who has become our living hope. This hope isn't alive when I'm doing well and extinguished when I'm not. Just as the Holy Spirit constantly dwells within me, the hope He gives isn't extinguished like a golden candlestick in the sanctuary; it continuously illuminates our spirit. Even during times as dark as night, moments of pain and suffering, and in moments of despair where everything seems to be at a loss... just like a light that illuminates the whole world, it shines hope upon our hearts and thoughts. This hope isn't a past tense thing that I gained by believing in Jesus; it's a 'living hope' that continues to overflow within us, even now and until we stand before the Lord.

If you were to ask Peter right now, "What does it mean to believe in Jesus?" he would undoubtedly talk about having a 'living hope' that wriggles within him. He wouldn't just talk about being blessed and prospered. Instead, he would share that whether things are going well or not, whether he's at peace or in distress, whether he's struggling or falling, whether he's laboring fruitlessly or facing pressure from all sides, he isn't defeated. This is because in those moments, an 'alive hope' emerges within him, a hope that causes him to anticipate the work the Lord will do. He walks steadily, hoping, step by step. This place isn't everything. The things of this world don't define his identity. Instead, he believes that his identity as a saint is to carry out the mission of the gospel received from the Lord Jesus, to walk the path of pilgrimage, and to stand before the Lord, hoping for the crown of righteousness that the Lord will give us. That's the identity of a saint.

Fourthly, then what is the substance of that 'living hope'? Verse 4 says it's an 'inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading.' It refers to the best things that are different from and cannot be enjoyed in this world and dimension. I can't imagine what these things are, but personally, I want to experience the deep enjoyment and true happiness that come from it. This inheritance is waiting for us now. The phrase 'kept in heaven' in verse 4 is in the 'perfect passive tense.' What does this mean? It means that this inheritance is 'kept in heaven for us.' The inheritance we will receive is already prepared and being preserved for us. When the time comes, we will receive the inheritance that God has prepared. When I read this verse, I think of this image:

In Korea, during Chuseok or Lunar New Year, children visit their parents' hometowns. Parents prepare in advance by peeling garlic, drying red pepper flakes, and gathering harvested items. The children simply need to take these items with them when they visit.

'Kept in heaven!' Who can receive this inheritance? It's the saints who possess the 'living hope.' Therefore, even though a Christian's life might be that of a sojourner, there's an abundance and richness in their hearts. Even though they may lack in the present, they are not bound by their insufficiency. It's not because they don't need it; it's because greater and more amazing inheritances have already been prepared for us. This wriggling hope within their spirit, what can possibly cause them to stumble and drag them down? Through this living hope, our hearts and thoughts, which were slumping, are revived. May they praise the Lord, and may they live joyfully. In the name of the Lord, I bless them to live a life that overflows because of this living hope.

I would like to conclude by reading the confession of a saint who possesses this 'living hope.' It's found in 2 Corinthians 6:8-10:

"...We are treated as impostors, and yet are true; as unknown, and yet well-known; as dying, and behold, we live; as punished, and yet not killed; as sorrowful, yet always rejoicing; as poor, yet making many rich; as having nothing, yet possessing everything."