Though Our Sins Are Forgiven
2005-03-14 23:21
Though we believe in the gospel and our sins are forgiven and we are overflowing with the hope of salvation, we are autumn trees without fruit, and straw without wheat, if we don't have love which can live in God.
The Bible says about it, "God presented him as a sacrifice of atonement, through faith in his blood. He did this to demonstrate his justice, because in his forbearance he had left the sins committed beforehand unpunished--he did it to demonstrate his justice at the present time, so as to be just and the one who justifies those who have faith in Jesus." (Romans 3:25-26). By believing in the gospel and being justified, the fellowship between God and sinners begins.
It is as if a farmer who scattered his seed on a field sees it sprouting. The farmer scattered his seed on the ground to get the full grain, not the sprout. The blood of Jesus is the imperishable seed, the new life. So the Bible says about "sprinkling of blood." Sprinkling of blood means scattering of seed.
We cannot live in God only by sprinkling of the blood of Jesus. When the farmer scattered his seed on a field, it is not the end of farming. Scattering is just the beginning.
And also, though the sprouts of faith fully grow and come into ears and we overflow with the hope of salvation, it is not the end of the farmer's work. It is written, "For in this hope we were saved. But hope that is seen is no hope at all. Who hopes for what he already has? But if we hope for what we do not yet have, we wait for it patiently." (Romans 8:24-25). We are saved in the hope for the invisible love.
Faith is like seeing the sprout, and salvation is like seeing the head. The sprout and the head are visible things, but love the full grain in the head is not visible.
Though anyone was forgiven his sins by faith and was saved in the hope, if there is no love in the salvation, he is just the chaff, the straw that will be burned up with unquenchable fire.
Therefore, the Lord Jesus, the firstfruits, said, "For the earth yields crops by itself: first the blade, then the head, after that the full grain in the head." (Mark 4:28). It means the same as this passage: "And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love." (1 Corinthians 13:13).
The farmer's barn is not for the blade or the head without grain, but for the full grain in the head.
The Bible says, "We know that we have passed from death to life, because we love our brothers. Anyone who does not love remains in death." (1 John 3:14). And also, it clearly says, "And so we know and rely on the love God has for us. God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in him." (1 John 4:16).
Though anyone repeatedly cries out that he was forgiven his sins and was saved, if there is no love of God, love of Christ in him, all is vain. The new commandment, the commandment of love, is the key to the kingdom of God. No one can enter the kingdom of God without this key of the kingdom of heaven.
When the full grain comes out, the door of the farmer's barn will be opened. However, the seed does not instantly become the full grain. The seed must become the blade, and the blade the head, and the head the full grain in the head.
The Bible says, "Therefore, my dear friends, as you have always obeyed--not only in my presence, but now much more in my absence--continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling." (Philippians 2:12). These words encourage those who were saved in the hope to have love. The head comes out to have the full grain in it.
Therefore, having the forgiveness of sins and being saved are just part of process of entering the kingdom of God. They don't mean living in God. There is no rest, if there are only the forgiveness of sins and the salvation. The eternal rest is given only to those who have love through the forgiveness of sins and the salvation and live in love.
Therefore, without love, all is vain, though their sins were forgiven and they were saved. After all, only in love and with Christ, there is the rest of God. Thank you, Lord.
The Last Brother, Kim Yun-gu.
The Bible says about it, "God presented him as a sacrifice of atonement, through faith in his blood. He did this to demonstrate his justice, because in his forbearance he had left the sins committed beforehand unpunished--he did it to demonstrate his justice at the present time, so as to be just and the one who justifies those who have faith in Jesus." (Romans 3:25-26). By believing in the gospel and being justified, the fellowship between God and sinners begins.
It is as if a farmer who scattered his seed on a field sees it sprouting. The farmer scattered his seed on the ground to get the full grain, not the sprout. The blood of Jesus is the imperishable seed, the new life. So the Bible says about "sprinkling of blood." Sprinkling of blood means scattering of seed.
We cannot live in God only by sprinkling of the blood of Jesus. When the farmer scattered his seed on a field, it is not the end of farming. Scattering is just the beginning.
And also, though the sprouts of faith fully grow and come into ears and we overflow with the hope of salvation, it is not the end of the farmer's work. It is written, "For in this hope we were saved. But hope that is seen is no hope at all. Who hopes for what he already has? But if we hope for what we do not yet have, we wait for it patiently." (Romans 8:24-25). We are saved in the hope for the invisible love.
Faith is like seeing the sprout, and salvation is like seeing the head. The sprout and the head are visible things, but love the full grain in the head is not visible.
Though anyone was forgiven his sins by faith and was saved in the hope, if there is no love in the salvation, he is just the chaff, the straw that will be burned up with unquenchable fire.
Therefore, the Lord Jesus, the firstfruits, said, "For the earth yields crops by itself: first the blade, then the head, after that the full grain in the head." (Mark 4:28). It means the same as this passage: "And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love." (1 Corinthians 13:13).
The farmer's barn is not for the blade or the head without grain, but for the full grain in the head.
The Bible says, "We know that we have passed from death to life, because we love our brothers. Anyone who does not love remains in death." (1 John 3:14). And also, it clearly says, "And so we know and rely on the love God has for us. God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in him." (1 John 4:16).
Though anyone repeatedly cries out that he was forgiven his sins and was saved, if there is no love of God, love of Christ in him, all is vain. The new commandment, the commandment of love, is the key to the kingdom of God. No one can enter the kingdom of God without this key of the kingdom of heaven.
When the full grain comes out, the door of the farmer's barn will be opened. However, the seed does not instantly become the full grain. The seed must become the blade, and the blade the head, and the head the full grain in the head.
The Bible says, "Therefore, my dear friends, as you have always obeyed--not only in my presence, but now much more in my absence--continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling." (Philippians 2:12). These words encourage those who were saved in the hope to have love. The head comes out to have the full grain in it.
Therefore, having the forgiveness of sins and being saved are just part of process of entering the kingdom of God. They don't mean living in God. There is no rest, if there are only the forgiveness of sins and the salvation. The eternal rest is given only to those who have love through the forgiveness of sins and the salvation and live in love.
Therefore, without love, all is vain, though their sins were forgiven and they were saved. After all, only in love and with Christ, there is the rest of God. Thank you, Lord.
The Last Brother, Kim Yun-gu.
