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 Sermon > Sunday Morning Service |
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Title |
Spirit, soul and body(20) - The 2nd lecture on - Spirit, soul and body(12) |
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Speaker |
Rev. Jaerock Lee |
Bible |
Jn 3:5-7 |
Date |
2004-07-25 |
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[Scripture]
[John 3:5-7]
"Jesus answered, "Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. "That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. "Do not marvel that I said to you, 'You must be born again.'"
[Introduction]
Dear brothers and sisters, human beings consist of not only visible body but also invisible spirit and soul in the body.
For one to say that he knows himself, he has to know about not only his body but also his spirit and soul.
Also, he can control himself as he wants only when he knows about himself.
Most worldly people cannot control themselves as they want.
For example, even though they do not want to think about something, it keeps on coming up to them and they suffer from it. They cannot do something that they want to do, or cannot stop doing something even though they want to abstain from it.
In case of the first man Adam, because his spirit controlled his soul and body, he could do anything he wanted because his soul and body obeyed what his spirit desired. But after his Fall, people's spirit died, and soul and body came to disobey.
That is why people say, "I want to do it so much, but I can't." Or sometimes, they say, "I do not even know my heart."
For example, if students want to get good grades, they have to reduce the time for sleeping and enjoying themselves and study with concentration.
But even though they want to get good grades, their souls and bodies want to enjoy themselves and take a rest, and they cannot control themselves.
It is the same with our life in Christ. Even if we want to get rid of sins, hope for New Jerusalem, and live according to the Word of God, our soul and body do not obey to the extent that we live in flesh.
Even though our heart says, "I want to pray earnestly," our body says, "I'm tired. I don't want to pray."
Even though we want to love and think with goodness in our heart, the soul says, "I cannot understand that person. I don't like him." But if our spirit revives after accepting the Lord, we receive God's power through prayer and can bring our disobedient soul and body under obedience in truth.
To the extent that we give birth to spirit through the Holy Spirit and become sanctified, the power of spirit gets greater and greater.
Then, as it was the case with Adam in the beginning, our soul and body obey what our heart desires.
If we want to do something, we can do it. If we don't want to do something, we can stop doing it.
If you realize about your spirit, soul, and body through this message, it will be much easier for you to give birth to spirit through the Holy Spirit and change into a man of spirit.
I bless in the name of the Lord that you will keep this message in your mind and run along the shortcut to New Jerusalem, our ultimate destination.
[Body]
Dear brothers and sisters, members who are attending the service through the satellite all over the country, members of branch churches, local sanctuaries, Light and Salt mission, Restaurant Mission, members who are attending the service on the Internet all over the world, [children of Sunday school] today, let us look at the process of demolishing the soul in order to go into spirit.
When we listen to the gospel and accept the Lord, we receive the Holy Spirit and our dead spirit revives. Then, we will have thanks and joy from the depth of our heart.
How thankful we are because we had to fall into eternal hell, but now we can go to heaven!
Also, we are thankful and happy because, according to our spirits' well-being, we can stay in God's love to receive answers to whatever we ask and blessings whether we come in or go out. But there are many people who do not believe the gospel they hear.
Even though we let them know, "God is alive, there is heaven and hell, and Jesus Christ is our only Savior," they say they cannot believe.
This is because their soul works very strongly.
As said in 1 Corinthians 2:14, "The man without the Spirit does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him, and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually discerned," we can only hear, understand, and believe spiritual things with spirit.
Therefore, in order for men to believe the spiritual contents in the gospel, the gospel has to reach one's spirit that is deep inside one's heart.
But those whose spirit is dead refuse the gospel because their soul works first. For example, they would think, 'How can I believe in God who is not even visible?' Because their soul works first in this way, they cannot accept the preaching.
To accept spiritual things, these works of soul must be broken down and they have to open their heart.
Revelation 3:20 says, "Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with him, and he with me."
When we hear the gospel, the Lord and the Holy Spirit knock on our heart. When we open our heart and accept the Lord as the Savior, the Holy Spirit comes into our heart.
Then, our spirit revives through the Holy Spirit and we can give birth to spirit with the Holy Spirit. At this time, in order to open our heart, we first have to demolish the operation of soul. It is like, in order to eat the yolk of an egg, we first have to break the shell and get rid of the white part.
Let me give you another example. Let's suppose there is a man outside the gate of a house. If he wants to meet the owner of the house who is in a room inside the house, he first has to open the gate, go into the house, and then open the door of the room where the owner is.
In the same way, we first have to destroy our soul and open the gate of our heart for the gospel to reach our spirit.
Therefore, when you preach, to make the listener open his heart, we first have to demolish his operation of soul.
How can we do that? The most important thing is to make the listener accept the fact that not all his knowledge and thoughts are correct. Only after he realizes his own knowledge and thoughts that he believed to be true were not all truth, can he have the attitude to accept the spiritual message that does not agree with his own thoughts.
For example, if there is a person who says, "I cannot believe in God because He is invisible," what would you do?
You have to let him realize that it is not right not to believe only because he cannot see something.
We cannot say air, wind, infrared or ultra-violet rays do not exist only because we cannot see them.
In the same way, it is not right to say we cannot believe in God only because we cannot see Him who is spirit with our physical eyes.
The easiest way to prove that God is living is the powerful works of God that cannot be done by human ability. John 4:48 says, "Then Jesus said to him, 'Unless you people see signs and wonders, you will by no means believe.'" We can lead others to believe in invisible God through the signs and wonders that can be manifested only by God.
If you give your own testimony or introduce the testimonies of so many people along with evidence such as photos, their soul will be destroyed more easily.
Also, if you let them know that these powerful works are being scientifically proved through medical doctors around the world, you can convince them even more.
As I explained in the message of the cross, there is a lot of scientific evidence that the universe cannot be put in such an order unless God is alive.
If you have kept these things in your mind while you listen to the messages, it will not only benefit yourself but also become your strength when you preach the gospel.
Also, some people say they can believe in Darwinism because it is scientific, but not in creationism because it is not scientific.
Then, what would you say to them?
You can just let them know that Darwinism is in fact not scientific, and rather, creationism is more scientific and logical.
When I preach the gospel to unbelievers, I almost always tell them one thing.
I let them realize Darwinism is not right by saying all human beings have same structure and functions having two eyes, one nose, and one mouth regardless of race.
Not only human beings, but also all animals, birds, fish, and even insects have the same structure.
Even the scientists acknowledge the fact that it is absolutely not probable for everything to evolve in this same way. Only by one creator's architecture can these things come out in this way.
When we explain about the falsehood of Darwinism with evidence seen in nature, their souls can be destroyed.
They can realize what they used to believe was illiberal knowledge and their soul can be demolished. They, then, can open their heart and acknowledge God the Creator.
Also, there are many ways to destroy the soul of people.
We can give them historical facts or give them examples in the nature.
But we cannot use the same method to everybody in the same way.
For some people, if we explain logically with sound facts, their soul gets destroyed soon and they open their heart. For others, it is good to show them powerful works. For still others, their soul will be abolished and they will open their heart with appropriate parables.
You have to listen to the voice of the Holy Spirit in your prayer to decide which way is the best for each person and receive wisdom.
Dear brothers and sisters, when Jesus taught spiritual things to the people on earth, he applied many methods to shatter the works of soul, and one of them is parables.
Mark 4:33 says, "And with many such parables He spoke the word to them as they were able to hear it." Also Matthew 13:34 says, "All these things Jesus spoke to the multitude in parables; and without a parable He did not speak to them."
For example, the teachers of the law condemned Jesus as a sinner who breaks the Sabbath because He healed the sick on the Sabbath. But it is obvious to think that Jesus is not a sinner who violates the Sabbath but a man of God because He performed a healing that only God could do.
Furthermore, whether on Sabbath or not, if He healed the sick and drove away demons, how could this be going against God and violating the law?
However, even though Jesus explained this truth, the teachers of the law at that time could not understand it. It was because their operation of soul, namely their framework of their law, was so strong that they considered only themselves right.
So Jesus let them realize their wrong thoughts and frameworks through many parables.
Matthew 12:11-12 say, "Then He said to them, "What man is there among you who has one sheep, and if it falls into a pit on the Sabbath, will not lay hold of it and lift it out? "Of how much more value then is a man than a sheep? Therefore it is lawful to do good on the Sabbath." Also, Luke 13:15-16 say, "The Lord then answered him and said, "Hypocrite! Does not each one of you on the Sabbath loose his ox or donkey from the stall, and lead it away to water it? "So ought not this woman, being a daughter of Abraham, whom Satan has bound--think of it--for eighteen years, be loosed from this bond on the Sabbath?"
Luke 13:17 says, "And when He said these things, all His adversaries were put to shame; and all the multitude rejoiced for all the glorious things that were done by Him."
Through these parables, even those who were blocked by their own operations of soul could receive a chance to realize their wrong thoughts and frameworks.
Other than this, Jesus guided people to demolish their self-oriented thoughts and hope for spirit through many parables. Dear brothers and sisters, so far I explained to you that your soul must be shattered to receive and realize spiritual things.
And this is not only applied when you accept the Lord.
Even those who are already in the boundary of salvation must break their operations of soul to go into spirit more deeply and for their faith to grow.
Many people try their best but stay at the same place not being able to go into spiritual world more quickly.
Most of these cases are caused because they cannot realize spiritual things within their operations of soul.
We can understand this easily if we consider Job's case.
Job acted perfectly in his deeds and heart as far as he knew, so he never considered himself evil. But certainly he had evil in his deep nature, and for him to be perfect, he had to get rid of this, too.
Because he considered himself perfect, God had to shatter his operations of soul in a special way for him to realize his own evil.
That is why God accepted the accusation of Satan against Job and let Job have severe trial.
When Job lost his family and wealth and was struck by painful boils all over his body, he showed evil and spoke out evil words that he had not been able to think of.
At this time, when God pointed out his evil, he could realize his state.
He repented thoroughly, got rid of it, and went into deeper level of spirit. Also, he was blessed twice as much as he had before. Even today, you can find out your evil and shortcomings only when you shatter your works of soul.
Otherwise, the changing into spirit will be congested and slow.
For example, some people disobey God and do something else giving excuses with their thoughts even when God tells them to do a certain thing.
They give excuses like, "There is no other person who can do this job except me," "It is more beneficial for the kingdom of God for me to do this rather than that," and so on.
They know that disobedience is arrogance and comes from evil in their knowledge. But they do not acknowledge their evil saying, "I have a good reason and I am an exception," or "I did that with good heart only for the Lord." Only when you humble yourself and acknowledge your mistakes and repent, can you realize about your innermost heart clearly.
Only when you break your operation of soul like this, God can make you more perfect and lead you to deeper spiritual realm.
Also, some others, even after they act evil, say, "I couldn't help it," or "I had to react in that way because the other person did evil do me."
But you should not blame others or attribute to the circumstances but thoroughly acknowledge your evilness.
1 John 1:9 says, "If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness."
Confessing our sins means acknowledging our mistakes thoroughly before the Father and turning back in our heart. Also, Psalm 51:6 says, "Behold, You desire truth in the inward parts, And in the hidden part You will make me to know wisdom."
Only when you reflect yourself upon the Word of God with true heart and acknowledge your shortcomings before the Father, can you repent truly and your soul be demolished.
Only then can you realize about yourself, receive grace and strength from above, and have wisdom to be able to go into spirit.
[Conclusion]
Dear brothers and sisters, Philippians 3:7-9 say, "But what things were gain to me, these I have counted loss for Christ. Yet indeed I also count all things loss for the excellence of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them as rubbish, that I may gain Christ and be found in Him, not having my own righteousness, which is from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which is from God by faith;"
The apostle Paul was taught under Gamaliel, who was considered to be the best teacher among the Jews at that time.
The apostle Paul had a lot of knowledge of this world as well as about the law.
But as he believed in Jesus Christ and experienced works of the Holy Spirit, he considered what were gains to him rubbish.
He destroyed all things of soul including his knowledge, thoughts, righteousness, and frameworks, humbled himself and asked God to change him into spirit.
As a result, he communicated with God and received a great deal of revelation so that he came to know so many spiritual secrets that fleshly people could never understand, and he performed wondrous things. Even today, we must have this kind of attitude.
Only when our soul is shattered can we understand the Word spiritually and obey it.
Also, to listen to the voice of the Holy Spirit and see and hear spiritual things, our soul has to be broken down.
I hope you will always be clear-minded spiritually and break all your untruthful knowledge, thoughts, and frameworks, so that you will be able to confess, "I consider all these things rubbish."
I bless in the name of the Lord that you will advance to deeper spiritual realm and better heaven more quickly day by day. |
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