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The mission of God’s heirs (Romans 8:18-22)
The smell of knowing Christ (2 Corinthians 2:14) is a smell that can be seen with the eyes.
To God it is the aroma of a sacrifice (2 Corinthians 2:15), and to people it is the scent of life (2 Corinthians 2:16).
When a substance vaporizes after turning from a solid to a liquid, it creates an odor.
When the anointing of the Holy Spirit works within him, living water works within the believer from the solidified body of death.
Waves of life radiate from these people.
Because it is the divine energy of God, it is a powerful force and spiritual charisma that cannot be treated carelessly.
It is essential for leaders.
It is truly an outward expression of the inward image of the inward christians.
If the energy of life, which is different from the beauty of health, emanates in waves, that is the smell of Christ.
Young children are cute and lovely because they are physically fresh.
But as he gets older, his whole body is filled with the energy of death, so he becomes dislikable.
The blessing of those who have the life of Christ is that people want to be with them and give something to them.
Q. Are God’s heirs sure to suffer?
“For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us” (Romans 8:18).
A, of course. Paul explains why, although we are heirs of God and children of God, we must also suffer for the glory we will receive with him.
This is because the sufferings of the present can never be compared to the glory , the revelation that will be revealed in us.
This is because the sufferings of the present can never be compared to the glory , the revelation that will appear in us.
God's heirs are joint heirs with Jesus Christ.
This means that they are equal to him and have become one spirit and one body.
Therefore, since it is only Christ who has won first place, suffering is essential in order to run as one with Him and participate in the first place award ceremony.
Any suffering becomes beneficial if we pass through it with the Word.
So the psalmist sings that suffering was beneficial and that through it he learned the Lord’s statutes (Psalm 119:71).
However, if you do not receive refinement through the Word, the suffering is simply pain.
The Lord’s statutes are about understanding how to apply the Word.
Suffering that does not allow one to give up one's body through suffering is just suffering.
People must realize God's will and providence through that suffering and move closer to God.
However, in their minds, they think, ‘If I have suffered this much, isn’t that enough?’
So, like Job, he stubbornly holds on even in the midst of suffering, saying, 'He knows the way I should go; after he has tried me, I will come out as gold' (Job 23:10).
Therefore, Job becomes the person who listens to God's nagging the longest in the Bible. (Job 38-41)
In order to become God's heirs, we must sell what we own.
This is not suffering for Christ, but an essential course to become an heir.
Possessions is not just what is registered in your name, but everything you deem valuable.
However, if you sell what you own and donate it to the church, and then think of it as “I donated half of this church building,” that means you are only changing possesion, not giving up ownership.
Giving up what you own means forgetting what you own.
The Lord reveals his glory to those who have given up what they have.
Since we have died the flesh with its lust and greed through the cross of Christ , we must follow the Holy Spirit and train repeatedly to reveal the fruits of ‘love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.(Gal. Chapter 5)
If it doesn't work out in 10 years, you have to do it in 20 or 30 years.
That is why we must suffer in order to qualify as heirs of God.
Q. What is it that creature look forward to so much?
“For the earnest expectation of the creature wait for the manifestation the sons of God.” (Romans 8:19)
A. The creature mentioned here do not refer to trees or animals.
The Lord says that they are different creatures from us, but they are other sheep that are not of the fold (John 10:16)
The creature here are people.
You should not think of it as all things in nature.
Do your pets look forward to the appearing of the Sons of God?
All they need is an owner who takes care of them.
It is not about showing nature the glory of our salvation.
It has to be visible to people.
What are they looking forward to?
The sons of God appear.
The earnest expectation means looking forward to something. Manifestation of the Sons of God.
The Bible says that people long to see that glorious freedom.
Is that so?
There are people who go to church to enjoy the sermon, but those who are actually born of God carefully examine the pastor to see if he has the freedom of the glory of the Son of God, right?
Q, Whose will is it that creature is subject to futility?
“For the creature was made subject to vanity, not willingly, but by reason of him who has subjected the same in hope,” (Romans 8:20)
A. For creature to be subject to vanity, it may be subject to false religion, or to superstitious religion or faith obsessed with material blessings.
However, God's revelation is not vain and is always certain.
Jesus says to the Samaritan woman in Sychar, we worship knowingly, and you worship without knowing (John 4:22).
For example, when the Samaritans in northern Israel offer sacrifices to God with vague knowledge, they are actually surrendering to vanity without knowing anything.
However, the Lord clearly showed us how to worship God. (John 4:24)
How many people in Christianity today are giving in to vanity...
We must show such people the glorious freedom of the children of God and show them the path of life that leads to God.
There is a clear difference between following the revelation of the Son of God and surrendering to vanity following religious rituals.
Revelation is something that is revealed, and vanity is truly unknown.
However, it was also God's will to allow us to be captured and accepted by such trivial things.
God's children must have the revealed splendor of the gospel of Christ shown to them through their lives.
Q. What should we show?
“Because the creature itself also shall be delivered from the bondage to corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God.” (Romans 8:21)
A. In any era, people hope for the glorious freedom of God's children.
They themselves don't know what this is.
The life that shows such people the glorious freedom of the children of God is the life of a royal priest.
So when people ask you the reason for your hope, you must give them an answer. (1 Peter 3:15)
We must show that the kingdom of God is righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Spirit (Romans 14:17).
Therefore, suffering follows.
Crucifying lust and greed, not being able to do what you want, and living under the guidance of the Holy Spirit is itself suffering.
Why should it be that way?
Because we are the princes and heirs of God the Father, the King of kings.
All religions deal with sin and want to be liberated from it.
However, there are many people who are giving in to the empty words, ‘This is a blessing.’
The Church of God has a mission to bring such people to the freedom of God's glory.
So, it is said that there is present suffering to obtain this glorious freedom.
We suffer to show those who are enslaved to corruption that they can attain the glorious freedom of God's children.
God formed man from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and man became a living soul. (Genesis 2:7)
These are the people who are called creature.
When creature like this receive the Spirit of life in Christ, they become children of God.
So,
“For we know that the whole creation groans and travails in pain together until now” (Romans 8:22)
Until now, all creation has been groaning and suffering together.
Groaning is internal and suffering is external.
We must understand fanatical believers.
Look at the charismatic movement that is taking the world by storm these days, an outward manifestation of the Holy Spirit.
If how frustrating would it be for those people to want to do that?
But now it is our responsibility to ensure that they do not give in to futility as they struggle to be freed from the vague fears they are unaware of.
Through us, the Bible must be translated and brought to life for people who have religious passion due to vague discomfort, anxiety, and fear, or who are caught up in childish religious rituals such as offering other substitutes for their own sins.
Because the “glorious freedom of the children of God” is shameless and proud, it can be persecuted, but no one can find fault with it and criticize it.
But those who surrender to futility sigh and suffer as they surrender to it.
As Genesis 1:2 says, “the earth was without form and void, and darkness was upon the face of the deep.”
In this state, when He said, ‘Let there be light,’ light came into the darkness and divided it into light and darkness. Day and Night,
He divided the waters above the firmament into the waters under the firmament, divided the land and the sea and deal with chaos, fill the void with seed-bearing plants and fruit-bearing trees with seeds, it becomes a world where people wearing the image of God be fruitful, multiply, fill, conquer, and rule.
Because God is light, life, and love, there is no chaos, void, or darkness.
Therefore, while we live on this earth, we must achieve salvation that leads to the glorious freedom of the sons of God.
That is why there is suffering on the way to glory.
Written by Ptr. Yohan Kim.
Translated by Nancy Chung
COME AND SEE WORLD MISSION