A Life Given Again

2004-12-27 23:00

"The reason my Father loves me is that I lay down my life--only to take it up again." (John 10:17).

Crying first and taking their first breath, all the people in the world were born by God. The life that they now have is by nature disobedient, and the wrath of God comes on it.

God's nature is blessing and cursing. The life that we should take up again belongs to blessing, but the life of the people who now breathe through their nose belongs to cursing.

Therefore, it is written, "Stop trusting in man, who has but a breath in his nostrils. Of what account is he?" (Isaiah 2:22).

The chosen children of God, who will live with Him in His Kingdom eternally, belong to Jesus Christ whom He sent, and they lay down their life in order to take it up again.

This is the gospel through which we preach Christ who was crucified to lay down the life of this world. Only the life given again can live in the better country.

The life breathing in this world is different from the life breathing in that world. The life given to the children of disobedience, who are from below, is perishable, dishonorable and weak, but the life given to the children of obedience, who are from above, is imperishable, glorious and powerful.

We have to know first what is perishable in order to know what is imperishable, and what is dishonorable in order to know what is glorious, and what is weak in order to know what is powerful. It is written, "and said, 'Everyone brings out the choice wine first and then the cheaper wine after the guests have had too much to drink; but you have saved the best till now.'" (John 2:10). This is the will of God that is shown to the world by Christ.

Therefore, the testimony of belief in the truth is that we with Christ lay down the life of sin to get a life again, crucifying the body of sin. It is written, "Anyone who believes in the Son of God has this testimony in his heart. Anyone who does not believe God has made him out to be a liar, because he has not believed the testimony God has given about his Son." (1 John 5:10).

Many people imitate this truth, but they don't have the substance of the truth. They cannot be set free from the perishable life that they got in this world. They, having been deceived, regard the life that they now have as substance, and the life given again as vanity. It is written, "They exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshiped and served created things rather than the Creator--who is forever praised. Amen." (Romans 1:25).

Therefore, they don't live a Christian life; they just live according to the flesh. They don't know what the life given again is. Because they don't have the life given again, they cannot crave pure spiritual milk. The people of God, who laid down their life and took a life up again, crave pure spiritual milk, because they have a newborn life.

It is written, "In reply Jesus declared, 'I tell you the truth, no one can see the kingdom of God unless he is born again.'" (John 3:3).

Here, it is important that we must first lay down our life to take it up again. There are many pigs that don't lay down their dishonorable life which God detests, and try only to get a glorious life which God gives again for His pleasure. And also, there are many dogs that don't lay down their perishable life which God detests, and try only to get a imperishable life which God gives again for His pleasure.

The Lord said, "Do not give dogs what is sacred; do not throw your pearls to pigs. If you do, they may trample them under their feet, and then turn and tear you to pieces." (Matthew 7:6). And also, it is written, "...No eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind has conceived what God has prepared for those who love him." (1 Corinthians 2:9).

The Bible says about the will of God, "Then he said, 'Here I am, I have come to do your will.' He sets aside the first to establish the second." (Hebrews 10:9).

"The reason my Father loves me is that I lay down my life--only to take it up again." (John 10:17). To fulfill these words is the testimony of the truth, the end of faith, the salvation of souls, the restoration of all things. It is written about the restoration, "For the Son of Man came to seek and to save what was lost." (Luke 19:10). And also, "He must remain in heaven until the time comes for God to restore everything, as he promised long ago through his holy prophets." (Acts 3:21).

"Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free." (John 8:32). Amen. Thank you, Lord.

Brother of the End, Kim Yun-gu.