The Good Fight

2005-02-14 14:05

In the Bible, the fight between two lives is called "the good fight." In the fight, "Death has been swallowed up in victory," and "The light shines in the darkness."

There is no hope for anyone who is without this fight between two lives. We fight this fight through faith that leads to the salvation of the soul. The crown of life will be given only after the fight.

The fight began in the beginning. The strong defeat the weak in fights, but in the good fight, the weak defeat the strong.

In the evil fight, the strong defeat the weak, but in the good fight, the weak defeat the strong. The Lord Jesus Christ had fought this fight, conquered and was appointed the judge of it. He said, "I have overcome the world."

In all who are appointed for eternal life, there is the fight between two lives--strong and weak. A man born of the flesh and a man born of the Spirit continue to fight day and night.

The man who was born by the strong slave woman according to the flesh 14 years earlier is strong and powerful, but the man who was born by the weak free woman as the result of a promise 14 years later is weak and feeble. The son of the free woman is always brought into captivity by the son of the slave woman and cannot get free of it by himself.

It is written: "But I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members."

However, the son of the free woman will win the good fight in the end because the Spirit of the man who has already won the fight is with him, as it is written: "But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ."

I don't want my flesh to win the fight. I really want my spirit to win it. But if I am not vigilant, I always see my flesh, overcoming my spirit and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin again, as it is written: "What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body of death?"

However, the result of the good fight was shown by the Lord Jesus. So the life of Jesus must be revealed only in those who carry around in their body the death of Jesus.

Though my weak inward man is defeated by my strong ourtward man seven times, he will rise again, as it is written: "Do not gloat over me, my enemy! Though I have fallen, I will rise. Though I sit in darkness, the LORD will be my light."

And also, "for though a righteous man falls seven times, he rises again, but the wicked are brought down by calamity."

Sometimes the outward man who was born of the flesh seems to prevail, but after all, the inward man who was born of the Spirit will overcome, as it is written: "I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day--and not only to me, but also to all who have longed for his appearing."

Therefore, the helper said, "Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us." And also, "Because he himself suffered when he was tempted, he is able to help those who are being tempted."

"For God, who said, 'Let light shine out of darkness,' made his light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ. But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us. We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed. We always carry around in our body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be revealed in our body." Amen. Thank you, Lord.

The Last Brother, Kim Yun-gu.