Commentary on John 12 (3)

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Commentary on John 12 (3)

“He that loves his life shall lose it; and he that hates his life in this world shall keep it unto life eternal. (John 12:25)

Jesus says this after saying that unless a corn of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it abides alone: but if it die, it brings forth much fruit (John 12:24).

These days, cars that use two fuels are called hybrid cars.

Or, we see people with dual nationality or multinationality being referred to as hybrids.

In that sense, I say that we are a spiritual hybrid because our bodies are dead because of sin, but our spirits are alive toward God through righteousness.

However, when I look at Christians, I often see them speaking and acting as they are as a single grain.

When we receive and believe in Jesus as Lord and Christ, and are baptized, it is a ritual in which we promise to die with the Lord and are alive again with the Lord to walk in newness life.(Romans 6:3-4)

Therefore, baptism must be voluntarily received by those who believe that they died with Christ and wear alive with Christ.

Because you can't force one else to kill oneself.

Nevertheless, as with today's marriage customs, women have no intention of adapting to their in-laws after getting married. Believers say that they believe and have been baptized. But they live with their own lives.

A woman who says she is going to get married, but does not follow their in-law, lives with her own life, saying that she will die in union with Christ, be united with Christ in his resurrection, and live in eternal life.

Refusing to their in-law after being married is an act of betrayal. She is saying to die in union with Christ and live in a new life in union with His life, but then commits betrayal by living with her own life..

That is the Church of Laodicea, the path of the adulteress, and a betrayal of the Word of life.

So, John wrote the Epistle to prevent deception about this eternal life. (1 John 2:26)

Admiral Yi Sun-sin's name will be preserved as the highest holy hero as long as the history of the Republic of Korea continues.

It is as they say, if you try to live, you will die, and if you try to die, you will live.

Likewise, others will forget our names.

However, God will preserve us for eternal life along with the gospel we preach as long as we can preach the gospel of Christ's life as those who died with Christ and are alive with Christ.

Not only will our very existence be preserved, but the work we have done will also be preserved forever.

God is a God who never forgets even giving a small child a bowl of water.

We must not forget that if we die with Christ and are alive again and have eternal life and testify the Word of life, this fact will be preserved for eternity.

So, “If any man serves me, let him follow me; and where I am, there shall also my servant be: if any man serves me, him will my Father honor.” (John 10:26)

If you only believe on Jesus and do not receive Christ as Lord, you cannot become united with Christ's atoning death and resurrection, so you only know water baptism for the forgiveness of sins, and you cannot receive the baptism of the Holy Spirit (1 Corinthians 12:13), which makes you one with Christ.

This goes against the Lord’s words, “Follow me.”

A person who only believes in Jesus and knows only water baptism has one corn of life which is stuck under sin because he does not know how to follow the message of the cross of the Lord's death and being raised.

He receives forgiveness of sins because he follows the Lord's death and being raised through repentance and baptism.

Receiving the Holy Spirit as a gift in the place(Acts 2:38), you will always have the Lord sitting on the throne in front of you, like David, and will approach the throne of grace again and again, calling on the name of the Lord.

This is what it means to serve the Lord Jesus Christ and what it means to follow him.

Like David, if you earnestly call on the name of the Lord in the Holy Spirit and with faith that has the way of Zion in your heart, you will be saved, you will receive grace for grace, and the Father will honor you.

It is said that we see glory in that which the Father honor you.

Therefore, like Mary who has finally tasted the power of the Lord's word and seen its glory, she opens the alabaster jar and pours the ointment on the Lord's feet, not on her head, and wipes his feet with her head, which is her glory, we are always delivered our earthen body to the Lord's death and  long for the life of Jesus to be revealed in our bodies and mortal bodies (2 Corinthians 4:10-11), we will finally see glory.

However, if you do not know the baptism of the Holy Spirit, the life of the earthen vessel of your body is more precious, and you cannot escape the path of a foreigner who always eats, drinks, and wears that body.

How the corn of wheat that love their lives are groaning here and there...

However, even though their body is like an old bag, those who have seen the glory of being able to voluntarily carry the Lord's cross every day as possessing the Lord's righteousness and life have no interest in their own lives.

They only focus on how to speak and act with the life of Christ.

They love the redemptive grace of Christ's cross, and they are always careful to continue to be moved by the Holy Spirit, and and following the truth instructed by the Holy Spiri they call on his name and they serve the Lord.

Just as a watchman waits for the morning, and a servant girl waits for her mistress's hand, they always look to the Lord.

He calls on the name of the Lord so that the hybrid function may be revealed to him through the word of truth, although the body is dead because of sin, but the spirit is alive because of righteousness.

Written by Ptr. Yohan Kim.

Translated by  Nancy Chung

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