• 그가 살아나셨고 여기 계시지 아니하니라 (J

  설교날짜: 4/20/2025

  설교자: 김덕신 목사

  설교본문: 마가복음 16:1-20

  그가 살아나셨고 여기 계시지 아니하니라 (Jesus Has Risen, He Is Not Here)

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  • 

• 그가 살아나셨고 여기 계시지 아니하니라 (J

  설교날짜: 4/20/2025

  설교자: 김덕신 목사

  설교본문: 마가복음 16:1-20

  그가 살아나셨고 여기 계시지 아니하니라 (Jesus Has Risen, He Is Not Here)

  • 
  • 

그가 살아나셨고 여기 계시지 아니하니라 (Jesus Has Risen, He Is Not Here)

설교날짜: 4/20/2025

설교자: 김덕신 목사

설교본문: 마가복음 16:1-20

• 예수님의 십자가는 나의 자랑입니다 (The

  설교날짜: 4/13/2025

  설교자: 김덕신 목사

  설교본문: 갈라디아서 6:14

  Sunday Worship Service Sermon (4-13-2025)

  The Cross of Jesus is My Boast

  (Galatians 6:14)

  1.     

  Today is Palm Sunday, or Passion Sunday, a day to remember and give thanks for the suffering and death of Jesus on the cross. On this special day, following last week, I am going to again share with you the word about The Cross of Jesus.

   

  Crucifixion was the primary method of execution for heinous criminals in Rome in the first century. Crucifixion was a very violent and shameful death. It was so shameful that no one wanted to talk about it.

   

  When we think of the cross, who comes to our mind first? Who is it? Yes, Jesus, who came to the world in human form for our salvation, suffered a cruel death on this very cross.

  2.     

  However, in today’s text, Paul boldly confesses to the Galatians that he boasts more than anything else about the cross of Jesus, who was killed on the cross, which people at the time considered the most shameful death and were too ashamed to even talk about. Let’s look at verse 14: “May I never boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ.”

   

  The healthy psychology of boasting is that when I am happy because of something (or someone), I boast. It is that when I have benefited greatly because of something (somebody), I boast. And it is that when I tell others about the beautiful things someone has done, I boast.

   

  However, Paul confessed that he boasts more than anything else about the cross of Jesus, who was killed on the cross, which people at the time considered the most shameful death and were too ashamed to even talk about.

   

  In fact, Paul once hated Jesus and His cross and persecuted the church. But now, Jesus and the cross of Jesus became the center of his life. Jesus and the cross of Jesus became his pride. Jesus and the cross of Jesus became his everything. Jesus and the cross of Jesus became the happiness and hope of his life. For Paul, Jesus and the cross of Jesus changed everything. Jesus and the cross of Jesus gave Paul a new perspective and way of life. Jesus and the cross of Jesus led him to no longer live for himself but for Jesus. Jesus and the cross of Jesus gave him a new motivation and strength to live righteously. So, Paul said that everything (=I am what I am) is explained to him in terms of Jesus and the cross of Jesus (1 Corinthians 15:10). For Paul, the cross of Jesus was not a shameful cross. For him, the cross of Jesus was a glorious cross. For Paul, there was only one thing to boast about in this world, and that was not in the world, but only in Christ and especially in the cross of Christ. Christ was everything to Paul. The cross of Jesus was everything to Paul.

   

  Do you have the same confession of faith in your heart? - “The cross of Jesus is my only boast.” “I love Jesus and His cross.” Are Jesus and His cross your everything, your happiness, your hope, and your gratitude?

   

  I wonder: Why was the cross of Jesus Paul’s greatest boast? Why did Paul say that the cross of Jesus was his greatest boast?

   

  Apart from righteous Christ’s death on the cross, we deserve nothing but condemnation from God. Because if Christ had not died on the cross for us, we would have nothing but condemnation from God (=we would have perished, we would have received the terrible judgment of God). Because if our sins, which were bloody and crimson red, had not been paid for through the cross of Jesus, we would receive nothing but condemnation and death from God. Without Jesus and the cross of Jesus, there is no hope for sinful human beings.

   

  However, as a result of the atoning death of Jesus on the cross, all the good things we have received ultimately flow from the cross of Jesus. (God has made it possible for sinful mankind to receive forgiveness of sins through the death of Jesus Christ on the cross. He has made us righteous so that no one would perish but would gain eternal life. God has made us, who were once enemies of God because of sin, children of God. God has made it possible for us to live in the grace of God. God has made heaven our inheritance.) The cross of Christ is where we see the pinnacle of God’s grace. The cross of Christ is where Jesus took our sins upon Himself and made it possible for us to be reconciled to God. And the cross of Christ is where we can receive all these good things (=the most necessary things for all humans) from God. God of love has made it possible for us to receive all these good things through the cross of Jesus that we could never obtain through human wisdom and effort.

   

  Dear friends, look back at all the good things we have in our lives. All the good things we enjoy in our lives are because of the cross of Jesus. Everything good in our lives is ultimately possible because Christ paid the price for our sins. For the saved saints, all good things have been obtained through the cross of Christ. Without the death of Christ on the cross, sinners would have nothing but judgment. Apart from the cross of Christ, there would only be condemnation and death. Everything we enjoy in Christ, that is, everything we enjoy as believers in Christ, is due to the death of Christ on the cross. The cross is the place where Christ took our sins upon Himself and made it possible for us to experience and know and enjoy the goodness, the blessing of God. That is why Paul boasted about Jesus and the cross of Jesus.

   

  One of the reasons why we are not Christ-centered and cannot be moved, thankful, and boast of the grace and love of Jesus on the cross is because we have not yet realized that all the good things God has given to His saved children are because of Christ's death on the cross.

   

  We take for granted our life and breath, our family, our health, our friends, our church, our peace, our salvation, our eternal life, and all the good things we have. We think they are ours by right. But the fact is that they are not ours by right. Everything we have is because of Jesus and the cross of Jesus. However, Paul realized that all the good things he enjoyed were because of Jesus and the cross of Jesus. He realized that Jesus and the cross of Jesus were the most necessary things for his salvation. That is why he confessed that Jesus and the cross of Jesus were his only boast.

  3.     

  Dear friends, do you realize why Jesus bore the cross for you? Do you realize why Paul said that he was most boast of the cross of Jesus? Do you realize that the cross of Jesus shows us the amazing power and wisdom and love of God that saves us?

   

  Today, on Palm Sunday, Passion Sunday, I hope that we all realize that the cross of Jesus shows us the power and wisdom and love of God that saved us. So, I hope that we can boast, be thankful, praise, and joyfully share with everyone the cross of Jesus who saved us.

   

  Now, I will end my sermon by telling you the story of a person who realized that Jesus and the cross of Jesus are the power and wisdom of God that saved him and lived in gratitude for this grace.

   

  A 19-year-old young man who had just graduated from college was traveling around Germany to broaden his horizons and prepare for social life. One day, the young man visited an art gallery in Düsseldorf. There, he saw a painting titled “Christ on the Cross” by Stenberg, a famous 19th-century German artist. When he saw the painting, he experienced a strange emotion surge through his heart. So, he looked at the painting titled “Christ on the Cross” for a long time. Then he saw the words written under the painting. “All this I did for you. What are you doing for me?”

   

  At that moment, the young man came to his senses. And he asked himself: “I, who was saved by the suffering of the Lord on the cross, what have I done for the Lord up until now? The Lord gave His life for me, but what have I done for the Lord? When I go to heaven and meet Jesus next, what will I have to offer to the Lord?”

   

  This young man knelt down under the painting and sincerely confessed to God: “God, I have lived until now without knowing this love of yours. But now I realize it. I will live the rest of my life only for you.”

   

  Under this picture drawn by Stenberg, the young man who made this promise to God that day began to believe in Jesus diligently. He diligently read and studied the Bible. And the more he read and studied the Bible, the more he realized the deeper truth. Then, following the truth he realized, he resolved, ‘I must somehow repay the Lord’s love, the love of the cross,’ and he used his wealth to help the poor. However, he felt that what he did was too little compared to the love and grace of the cross that Jesus had saved him, so he decided, ‘I will live my young life for the Lord,’ and he began to preach the gospel.

   

  At that time, Europe was at war. He began to preach the gospel to refugees. As a result, many people heard the gospel he preached and believed in Jesus. This person was Zinzendorf, who started the Moravian Church. The Moravian Church was founded on Zinzendorf’s cross-centered faith and became a denomination that evangelized more than any other denomination in the world in the 19th century.

   

  Today is Palm Sunday, Passion Sunday. We are now worshiping and remembering Jesus who carried the cross for our salvation and giving thanks. Jesus on the cross says the same thing to us this morning: “I shed blood and died for you, but what do you do for me?” I hope that Passion Sunday will be a day when saints like Paul and Zinzendorf are raised up. Amen!!

   

  
  

  • 
  • 

• 예수님의 십자가는 나의 자랑입니다 (The

  설교날짜: 4/13/2025

  설교자: 김덕신 목사

  설교본문: 갈라디아서 6:14

  Sunday Worship Service Sermon (4-13-2025)

  The Cross of Jesus is My Boast

  (Galatians 6:14)

  1.     

  Today is Palm Sunday, or Passion Sunday, a day to remember and give thanks for the suffering and death of Jesus on the cross. On this special day, following last week, I am going to again share with you the word about The Cross of Jesus.

   

  Crucifixion was the primary method of execution for heinous criminals in Rome in the first century. Crucifixion was a very violent and shameful death. It was so shameful that no one wanted to talk about it.

   

  When we think of the cross, who comes to our mind first? Who is it? Yes, Jesus, who came to the world in human form for our salvation, suffered a cruel death on this very cross.

  2.     

  However, in today’s text, Paul boldly confesses to the Galatians that he boasts more than anything else about the cross of Jesus, who was killed on the cross, which people at the time considered the most shameful death and were too ashamed to even talk about. Let’s look at verse 14: “May I never boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ.”

   

  The healthy psychology of boasting is that when I am happy because of something (or someone), I boast. It is that when I have benefited greatly because of something (somebody), I boast. And it is that when I tell others about the beautiful things someone has done, I boast.

   

  However, Paul confessed that he boasts more than anything else about the cross of Jesus, who was killed on the cross, which people at the time considered the most shameful death and were too ashamed to even talk about.

   

  In fact, Paul once hated Jesus and His cross and persecuted the church. But now, Jesus and the cross of Jesus became the center of his life. Jesus and the cross of Jesus became his pride. Jesus and the cross of Jesus became his everything. Jesus and the cross of Jesus became the happiness and hope of his life. For Paul, Jesus and the cross of Jesus changed everything. Jesus and the cross of Jesus gave Paul a new perspective and way of life. Jesus and the cross of Jesus led him to no longer live for himself but for Jesus. Jesus and the cross of Jesus gave him a new motivation and strength to live righteously. So, Paul said that everything (=I am what I am) is explained to him in terms of Jesus and the cross of Jesus (1 Corinthians 15:10). For Paul, the cross of Jesus was not a shameful cross. For him, the cross of Jesus was a glorious cross. For Paul, there was only one thing to boast about in this world, and that was not in the world, but only in Christ and especially in the cross of Christ. Christ was everything to Paul. The cross of Jesus was everything to Paul.

   

  Do you have the same confession of faith in your heart? - “The cross of Jesus is my only boast.” “I love Jesus and His cross.” Are Jesus and His cross your everything, your happiness, your hope, and your gratitude?

   

  I wonder: Why was the cross of Jesus Paul’s greatest boast? Why did Paul say that the cross of Jesus was his greatest boast?

   

  Apart from righteous Christ’s death on the cross, we deserve nothing but condemnation from God. Because if Christ had not died on the cross for us, we would have nothing but condemnation from God (=we would have perished, we would have received the terrible judgment of God). Because if our sins, which were bloody and crimson red, had not been paid for through the cross of Jesus, we would receive nothing but condemnation and death from God. Without Jesus and the cross of Jesus, there is no hope for sinful human beings.

   

  However, as a result of the atoning death of Jesus on the cross, all the good things we have received ultimately flow from the cross of Jesus. (God has made it possible for sinful mankind to receive forgiveness of sins through the death of Jesus Christ on the cross. He has made us righteous so that no one would perish but would gain eternal life. God has made us, who were once enemies of God because of sin, children of God. God has made it possible for us to live in the grace of God. God has made heaven our inheritance.) The cross of Christ is where we see the pinnacle of God’s grace. The cross of Christ is where Jesus took our sins upon Himself and made it possible for us to be reconciled to God. And the cross of Christ is where we can receive all these good things (=the most necessary things for all humans) from God. God of love has made it possible for us to receive all these good things through the cross of Jesus that we could never obtain through human wisdom and effort.

   

  Dear friends, look back at all the good things we have in our lives. All the good things we enjoy in our lives are because of the cross of Jesus. Everything good in our lives is ultimately possible because Christ paid the price for our sins. For the saved saints, all good things have been obtained through the cross of Christ. Without the death of Christ on the cross, sinners would have nothing but judgment. Apart from the cross of Christ, there would only be condemnation and death. Everything we enjoy in Christ, that is, everything we enjoy as believers in Christ, is due to the death of Christ on the cross. The cross is the place where Christ took our sins upon Himself and made it possible for us to experience and know and enjoy the goodness, the blessing of God. That is why Paul boasted about Jesus and the cross of Jesus.

   

  One of the reasons why we are not Christ-centered and cannot be moved, thankful, and boast of the grace and love of Jesus on the cross is because we have not yet realized that all the good things God has given to His saved children are because of Christ's death on the cross.

   

  We take for granted our life and breath, our family, our health, our friends, our church, our peace, our salvation, our eternal life, and all the good things we have. We think they are ours by right. But the fact is that they are not ours by right. Everything we have is because of Jesus and the cross of Jesus. However, Paul realized that all the good things he enjoyed were because of Jesus and the cross of Jesus. He realized that Jesus and the cross of Jesus were the most necessary things for his salvation. That is why he confessed that Jesus and the cross of Jesus were his only boast.

  3.     

  Dear friends, do you realize why Jesus bore the cross for you? Do you realize why Paul said that he was most boast of the cross of Jesus? Do you realize that the cross of Jesus shows us the amazing power and wisdom and love of God that saves us?

   

  Today, on Palm Sunday, Passion Sunday, I hope that we all realize that the cross of Jesus shows us the power and wisdom and love of God that saved us. So, I hope that we can boast, be thankful, praise, and joyfully share with everyone the cross of Jesus who saved us.

   

  Now, I will end my sermon by telling you the story of a person who realized that Jesus and the cross of Jesus are the power and wisdom of God that saved him and lived in gratitude for this grace.

   

  A 19-year-old young man who had just graduated from college was traveling around Germany to broaden his horizons and prepare for social life. One day, the young man visited an art gallery in Düsseldorf. There, he saw a painting titled “Christ on the Cross” by Stenberg, a famous 19th-century German artist. When he saw the painting, he experienced a strange emotion surge through his heart. So, he looked at the painting titled “Christ on the Cross” for a long time. Then he saw the words written under the painting. “All this I did for you. What are you doing for me?”

   

  At that moment, the young man came to his senses. And he asked himself: “I, who was saved by the suffering of the Lord on the cross, what have I done for the Lord up until now? The Lord gave His life for me, but what have I done for the Lord? When I go to heaven and meet Jesus next, what will I have to offer to the Lord?”

   

  This young man knelt down under the painting and sincerely confessed to God: “God, I have lived until now without knowing this love of yours. But now I realize it. I will live the rest of my life only for you.”

   

  Under this picture drawn by Stenberg, the young man who made this promise to God that day began to believe in Jesus diligently. He diligently read and studied the Bible. And the more he read and studied the Bible, the more he realized the deeper truth. Then, following the truth he realized, he resolved, ‘I must somehow repay the Lord’s love, the love of the cross,’ and he used his wealth to help the poor. However, he felt that what he did was too little compared to the love and grace of the cross that Jesus had saved him, so he decided, ‘I will live my young life for the Lord,’ and he began to preach the gospel.

   

  At that time, Europe was at war. He began to preach the gospel to refugees. As a result, many people heard the gospel he preached and believed in Jesus. This person was Zinzendorf, who started the Moravian Church. The Moravian Church was founded on Zinzendorf’s cross-centered faith and became a denomination that evangelized more than any other denomination in the world in the 19th century.

   

  Today is Palm Sunday, Passion Sunday. We are now worshiping and remembering Jesus who carried the cross for our salvation and giving thanks. Jesus on the cross says the same thing to us this morning: “I shed blood and died for you, but what do you do for me?” I hope that Passion Sunday will be a day when saints like Paul and Zinzendorf are raised up. Amen!!

   

  
  

  • 
  • 

예수님의 십자가는 나의 자랑입니다 (The Cross of Jesus Is My Boast)

설교날짜: 4/13/2025

설교자: 김덕신 목사

설교본문: 갈라디아서 6:14

• 십자가의 메시지 (The Message of

  설교날짜: 4/06/2025

  설교자: 김덕신 목사

  설교본문: 고린도전서 1:18-25

  십자가의 메시지 (The Message of the Cross)

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  • 

• 십자가의 메시지 (The Message of

  설교날짜: 4/06/2025

  설교자: 김덕신 목사

  설교본문: 고린도전서 1:18-25

  십자가의 메시지 (The Message of the Cross)

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  • 

십자가의 메시지 (The Message of the Cross)

설교날짜: 4/06/2025

설교자: 김덕신 목사

설교본문: 고린도전서 1:18-25

• 자기와 그 온 집안이 다 믿으니라 (So H

  설교날짜: 3/30/2025

  설교자: 김덕신 목사

  설교본문: 요한복음 4:43-54

  자기와 그 온 집안이 다 믿으니라 (So He and His Whole Household Believed)

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  • 

• 자기와 그 온 집안이 다 믿으니라 (So H

  설교날짜: 3/30/2025

  설교자: 김덕신 목사

  설교본문: 요한복음 4:43-54

  자기와 그 온 집안이 다 믿으니라 (So He and His Whole Household Believed)

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  • 

자기와 그 온 집안이 다 믿으니라 (So He and His Whole Household Believed)

설교날짜: 3/30/2025

설교자: 김덕신 목사

설교본문: 요한복음 4:43-54

• 그리스도의 사랑이 우리를 강권하시는도다 (F

  설교날짜: 3/23/2025

  설교자: 김덕신 목사

  설교본문: 고린도후서 5:11-21

  그리스도의 사랑이 우리를 강권하시는도다 (For Christ's Love Compels Us)

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  • 

• 그리스도의 사랑이 우리를 강권하시는도다 (F

  설교날짜: 3/23/2025

  설교자: 김덕신 목사

  설교본문: 고린도후서 5:11-21

  그리스도의 사랑이 우리를 강권하시는도다 (For Christ's Love Compels Us)

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  • 

그리스도의 사랑이 우리를 강권하시는도다 (For Christ's Love Compels Us)

설교날짜: 3/23/2025

설교자: 김덕신 목사

설교본문: 고린도후서 5:11-21

• 우리는 하나님의 자녀로 다시 태어나야 합니다

  설교날짜: 3/16/2025

  설교자: 김덕신 목사

  설교본문: 요한복음 3:1-18

  우리는 하나님의 자녀로 다시 태어나야 합니다 (We Must Be Born from Above)

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  • 

• 우리는 하나님의 자녀로 다시 태어나야 합니다

  설교날짜: 3/16/2025

  설교자: 김덕신 목사

  설교본문: 요한복음 3:1-18

  우리는 하나님의 자녀로 다시 태어나야 합니다 (We Must Be Born from Above)

  • 
  • 

우리는 하나님의 자녀로 다시 태어나야 합니다 (We Must Be Born from Above)

설교날짜: 3/16/2025

설교자: 김덕신 목사

설교본문: 요한복음 3:1-18

• 누구든지 예수님을 믿는 자마다 (Whoeve

  설교날짜: 3/09/2025

  설교자: 김덕신 목사

  설교본문: 요한복음 3:16

  Sunday Worship Service Sermon (3-09-2025)

  Whoever believes in Jesus

  (John 3:16-21)

  1.     

  John 3:16, which we read this morning, is one of the most favorite Bible verses for many Christians. This verse is a word that 'shows how much God loves mankind.' It is a message of love, a message of hope, and good news that the God of love delivers to all mankind who have sinned. This verse is the good news of the good news that summarizes the contents of the 66 books of the Bible in one word.

  2.     

  When God, who is love, saw that all mankind were dead in their trespasses and sins (i.e., when death entered the world because of the sin of all mankind, whom God had created, disobeying God), He gave his one and only Son, so that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life (Verse 16).  God did this - not to condemn the world - but to save the world through Him (Verse 17). How amazing is God's love! This is good news from God to humanity in their despair. This is good news that will cause great joy for all the people (Luke 2:10).

   

  God loves mankind so much that He sent His only Son into the world as our Savior to save us (=forgive us and give us eternal life) from the terrifying wrath of a righteous God, despite our having sinned against Him.

   

  Paul said in Ephesians 2:4, “Because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, sent us Christ to make us alive even when we were dead in trespasses and sins.”  Titus said, “When the kindness of God our Savior and his love for man appeared, he saved us” (Titus 3:4-5).

   

  Then, what kind of love is this ‘great love’ (Titus 2:4), ‘his love for man’ (Titus 3:4), and love that ‘God so loved the world’ (John 3:16) that God gave to mankind who sinned against Him?

   

  It is the love that Jesus showed when He gave himself for us: “who gave himself for us to redeem us from all wickedness and to purify for himself a people that are his very own, eager to do what is good” (Titus 2:14).  

  It is the love that Jesus showed when he gave himself up for us and became a sacrificial offering: “and live a life of love, just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God” (Ephesians 5:2). It is the love that Jesus showed when He gave himself for us because He loved us: “I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me” (Galatians 2:20).

   

  God loves us. God does not want anyone to be punished in hell forever. God does not want anyone to perish forever. God does not want anyone to receive the terrible judgment of God because of sin. God, who is love, wants everyone to have eternal life. However, God is a perfect and just judge. God is a God of love, but he is also a God of justice.

   

  Therefore, God cannot just say, “Oh don’t worry about those sins.” All mankind had to be punished for disobeying God. The wages of sin is death (Romans 6:23). This death does not mean only physical death. Death here means separation from God and eternal punishment in hell. So, God took pity on us who were in this situation, and sent his only begotten son Jesus to the world as a man to save us from this terrible destruction. And Jesus, who was righteous, became a sacrificial offering on the cross and received the punishment for our sins that we, sinners, should have received. If it were not for this grace of Jesus, we would have received the same punishment for sin that Jesus received on the cross and live in hell forever. And we would be living a life without God (a life without any hope).

   

  God the Father, who loves us, poured out the wrath of His justice on Jesus for all the sins of the whole world (=all mankind). God gave His only begotten Son Jesus as a sacrifice for all our sins so that we could have eternal life. That’s what God did out of His love for us: He sent His Son to earth, to atone for our sins. That was the only way our sins could be forgiven. Nothing else could pay for our sins and appease the justice of God. So, when Jesus asked if there was another way and to “take this cup from me” (Luke 22:42), God sent Jesus to the cross because there was no other way. There is no other way for us sinners to be saved except through Jesus Christ and the cross.

   

  So, what should we do to obtain the greatest gift that God who loves us wants to give us - eternal life? It is to believe in Jesus, the only begotten Son whom the God of love sent to the world to give us eternal life, as my Lord before it is too late. Jesus said, “Whoever believes in Jesus shall not perish but have eternal life” (Verse. 16). This is the greatest invitation that God of love gives to save all sinners.

   

  So, what does it mean to ‘believe in the only begotten Son Jesus’?

  What I define as ‘believing in Jesus’ and what God says is ‘believing in Jesus’ must be the same (Jesus warned in Matthew 7 that there are many people who have different definitions of this).

   

  First, ‘we believe in Jesus’ means accepting Jesus, the only begotten Son of God, who was sent to the world to give us eternal life, as ‘my Lord’ in my life and confessing it with my mouth. It is not just hearing this fact with your ears, but sincerely confessing, ‘I believe in Jesus as my Lord and my God. And I am wholeheartedly grateful for everything Jesus did to save me’ (Romans 10:9).

   

  Second, ‘we believe in Jesus’ means ‘living in obedience as Jesus taught us’ (as we learned from Jesus, as Jesus told us) (Matthew 7:24-27, 1 John 2:3-5, Galatians 2:20).

   

  Third, ‘we believe in Jesus’ means living in the grace of salvation that Jesus achieved for us through the cross and resurrection. It means that, since you have been justified (=since we have been purified from sin) through the cross and resurrection of Jesus, you must live righteously like the righteous Jesus, love one another as Jesus loved you, forgive one another as Jesus forgave you with all of himself, live holy as Jesus is holy, and give peace to one another as Jesus gave you peace with God. (1 John 2:9, 3:10,14)

   

  Fourth, ‘we believe in Jesus’ means living according to Jesus’ example. Jesus said in John 14 that whoever believes in him will do the works that “I have been doing” (John 14:12). In 1 John 2, the Apostle John said that ‘whoever claims to live in him must live as Jesus did’ (1 John 2:6, Titus 2:14).

   

  But the reality is that, although the light has come into the world (=the only begotten Jesus has come, and God has revealed this secret to people), many people have not accepted the only begotten Jesus as ‘Lord’ (John 3:19). It is the same today. Why is that? Knowing who Jesus is, being thankful for what Jesus did to save us, and accepting the only begotten Jesus, whom God sent to give us eternal life, as my Lord is not something I can do on my own. The Holy Spirit, the Spirit of truth, must help us know, hear, realize, and believe this in order for these things to happen to us. This is called the grace of God. If we do not believe when we hear who Jesus is, if our hearts are not moved when we hear what Jesus did for our salvation, and if we do not feel thankful to God when we hear the love of God who sent the only begotten Jesus to give us eternal life, then we must begin to pray earnestly for the living Holy Spirit to help us realize and believe this amazing grace. Without the help of the Holy Spirit, we cannot know or believe in Jesus. It is only the Holy Spirit who helps us accept Jesus as our Lord, believe in Jesus as our Lord, and realize the things Jesus has done to save us. The Holy Spirit is the one who opens our hearts toward Jesus, gives us a heart to mourn and repent when we hear Jesus’ words, opens our eyes to see and know Jesus, and helps us believe in Jesus as our Lord. The Holy Spirit alone has the initiative in our faith and salvation.

   

  Finally, God of love gives an amazing blessing to those who ‘believe’ in his only begotten Son Jesus. What is it?

  Let’s look at verse 16 again: “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.”

   

  Dear friends, what did God say He would give to ‘those who believe in Jesus’? Yes, God promised that ‘whoever believes in Jesus shall not perish but have eternal life.’ This blessing of eternal life (and the blessing of resurrection) is the great gift of God that is enjoyed only in the Christian faith.

   

  What does that mean, to have ‘everlasting life?’

  Eternal life begins ‘from the moment we accept’ Jesus as our Lord. In John 5:24 Jesus says, “he who hears My word, and believes Him who sent me, has eternal life — not “will have” but “has” it—now!

   

  The moment we believe in Jesus as our Lord, God enters into us and is with us. From the moment we live in fellowship with God who has entered into us, Christians begin to taste the eternal life that they will experience in heaven one day. When we worship God, pray, praise, read and obey God’s word, receive God’s love, and live joyfully and thankfully because of God, it is a sign that eternal life has already begun for us.

   

  Also, in John 17:3, Jesus said, “This is eternal life, that they may know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom Thou hast sent.” That is, Jesus said that ‘eternal life’ is living with God, knowing God, seeing the beauty of God, seeing the glory of God, and tasting the love and grace of God. All of these are graces that we are already experiencing here.

   

  We who believe in Jesus as our Lord and live are now experiencing the eternal life that God gives us. We are enjoying eternal life with God. Always give thanks to God who made us believe in Jesus as Lord and gave us eternal life. Eternal life does not mean living forever after death. Eternal life means knowing God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit, and living with God, in God's presence, in intimate fellowship with God, and seeing God's glory while living on this earth.

   

  Another thing, eternal life means that we will live forever in heaven with God, with our families, with the saints - there will be no more death, no more mourning, no more crying, no more pain (Revelation 21:3-4).

   

  Our life does not end with death on this earth. We will all be resurrected on the day Jesus returns to this earth. And we will stand before God, the righteous judge. In Matthew 25:46, Jesus said that on the day when He judges us according to our deeds, those who do not accept Him as Lord will go into “eternal punishment,” while those who do accept Him as Lord will go into “eternal life.” Both are “eternal”; that is, they last forever. However, those who do not believe in Jesus while living on this earth will be punished eternally because their sins were not resolved while living on this earth. These people are judged because their sins still remain. They will be punished for their sins in hell forever. On the other hand, those who believe in Jesus as Lord can taste eternal life while living on this earth and enjoy eternal life in heaven because Jesus cleansed our sins and made us righteous on the cross.

  3.     

  Dear Friends,

  We must know how great the love of God is that He sent His only Son Jesus to give us eternal life because He loved us who sinned. We must know how great the love of God is that He made the righteous Jesus take the punishment for our sins and gives us eternal life simply by believing in Jesus as our Lord. And we must know how great the grace is and what a blessing it is for us to believe in Jesus as our Lord. Jesus is the greatest gift that God, who is love, gave to save mankind. God wants us all to live an eternal life here and now and in heaven. I bless you in the name of Jesus to be people who serve Jesus well. Amen!!

   

  • 
  • 

• 누구든지 예수님을 믿는 자마다 (Whoeve

  설교날짜: 3/09/2025

  설교자: 김덕신 목사

  설교본문: 요한복음 3:16

  Sunday Worship Service Sermon (3-09-2025)

  Whoever believes in Jesus

  (John 3:16-21)

  1.     

  John 3:16, which we read this morning, is one of the most favorite Bible verses for many Christians. This verse is a word that 'shows how much God loves mankind.' It is a message of love, a message of hope, and good news that the God of love delivers to all mankind who have sinned. This verse is the good news of the good news that summarizes the contents of the 66 books of the Bible in one word.

  2.     

  When God, who is love, saw that all mankind were dead in their trespasses and sins (i.e., when death entered the world because of the sin of all mankind, whom God had created, disobeying God), He gave his one and only Son, so that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life (Verse 16).  God did this - not to condemn the world - but to save the world through Him (Verse 17). How amazing is God's love! This is good news from God to humanity in their despair. This is good news that will cause great joy for all the people (Luke 2:10).

   

  God loves mankind so much that He sent His only Son into the world as our Savior to save us (=forgive us and give us eternal life) from the terrifying wrath of a righteous God, despite our having sinned against Him.

   

  Paul said in Ephesians 2:4, “Because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, sent us Christ to make us alive even when we were dead in trespasses and sins.”  Titus said, “When the kindness of God our Savior and his love for man appeared, he saved us” (Titus 3:4-5).

   

  Then, what kind of love is this ‘great love’ (Titus 2:4), ‘his love for man’ (Titus 3:4), and love that ‘God so loved the world’ (John 3:16) that God gave to mankind who sinned against Him?

   

  It is the love that Jesus showed when He gave himself for us: “who gave himself for us to redeem us from all wickedness and to purify for himself a people that are his very own, eager to do what is good” (Titus 2:14).  

  It is the love that Jesus showed when he gave himself up for us and became a sacrificial offering: “and live a life of love, just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God” (Ephesians 5:2). It is the love that Jesus showed when He gave himself for us because He loved us: “I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me” (Galatians 2:20).

   

  God loves us. God does not want anyone to be punished in hell forever. God does not want anyone to perish forever. God does not want anyone to receive the terrible judgment of God because of sin. God, who is love, wants everyone to have eternal life. However, God is a perfect and just judge. God is a God of love, but he is also a God of justice.

   

  Therefore, God cannot just say, “Oh don’t worry about those sins.” All mankind had to be punished for disobeying God. The wages of sin is death (Romans 6:23). This death does not mean only physical death. Death here means separation from God and eternal punishment in hell. So, God took pity on us who were in this situation, and sent his only begotten son Jesus to the world as a man to save us from this terrible destruction. And Jesus, who was righteous, became a sacrificial offering on the cross and received the punishment for our sins that we, sinners, should have received. If it were not for this grace of Jesus, we would have received the same punishment for sin that Jesus received on the cross and live in hell forever. And we would be living a life without God (a life without any hope).

   

  God the Father, who loves us, poured out the wrath of His justice on Jesus for all the sins of the whole world (=all mankind). God gave His only begotten Son Jesus as a sacrifice for all our sins so that we could have eternal life. That’s what God did out of His love for us: He sent His Son to earth, to atone for our sins. That was the only way our sins could be forgiven. Nothing else could pay for our sins and appease the justice of God. So, when Jesus asked if there was another way and to “take this cup from me” (Luke 22:42), God sent Jesus to the cross because there was no other way. There is no other way for us sinners to be saved except through Jesus Christ and the cross.

   

  So, what should we do to obtain the greatest gift that God who loves us wants to give us - eternal life? It is to believe in Jesus, the only begotten Son whom the God of love sent to the world to give us eternal life, as my Lord before it is too late. Jesus said, “Whoever believes in Jesus shall not perish but have eternal life” (Verse. 16). This is the greatest invitation that God of love gives to save all sinners.

   

  So, what does it mean to ‘believe in the only begotten Son Jesus’?

  What I define as ‘believing in Jesus’ and what God says is ‘believing in Jesus’ must be the same (Jesus warned in Matthew 7 that there are many people who have different definitions of this).

   

  First, ‘we believe in Jesus’ means accepting Jesus, the only begotten Son of God, who was sent to the world to give us eternal life, as ‘my Lord’ in my life and confessing it with my mouth. It is not just hearing this fact with your ears, but sincerely confessing, ‘I believe in Jesus as my Lord and my God. And I am wholeheartedly grateful for everything Jesus did to save me’ (Romans 10:9).

   

  Second, ‘we believe in Jesus’ means ‘living in obedience as Jesus taught us’ (as we learned from Jesus, as Jesus told us) (Matthew 7:24-27, 1 John 2:3-5, Galatians 2:20).

   

  Third, ‘we believe in Jesus’ means living in the grace of salvation that Jesus achieved for us through the cross and resurrection. It means that, since you have been justified (=since we have been purified from sin) through the cross and resurrection of Jesus, you must live righteously like the righteous Jesus, love one another as Jesus loved you, forgive one another as Jesus forgave you with all of himself, live holy as Jesus is holy, and give peace to one another as Jesus gave you peace with God. (1 John 2:9, 3:10,14)

   

  Fourth, ‘we believe in Jesus’ means living according to Jesus’ example. Jesus said in John 14 that whoever believes in him will do the works that “I have been doing” (John 14:12). In 1 John 2, the Apostle John said that ‘whoever claims to live in him must live as Jesus did’ (1 John 2:6, Titus 2:14).

   

  But the reality is that, although the light has come into the world (=the only begotten Jesus has come, and God has revealed this secret to people), many people have not accepted the only begotten Jesus as ‘Lord’ (John 3:19). It is the same today. Why is that? Knowing who Jesus is, being thankful for what Jesus did to save us, and accepting the only begotten Jesus, whom God sent to give us eternal life, as my Lord is not something I can do on my own. The Holy Spirit, the Spirit of truth, must help us know, hear, realize, and believe this in order for these things to happen to us. This is called the grace of God. If we do not believe when we hear who Jesus is, if our hearts are not moved when we hear what Jesus did for our salvation, and if we do not feel thankful to God when we hear the love of God who sent the only begotten Jesus to give us eternal life, then we must begin to pray earnestly for the living Holy Spirit to help us realize and believe this amazing grace. Without the help of the Holy Spirit, we cannot know or believe in Jesus. It is only the Holy Spirit who helps us accept Jesus as our Lord, believe in Jesus as our Lord, and realize the things Jesus has done to save us. The Holy Spirit is the one who opens our hearts toward Jesus, gives us a heart to mourn and repent when we hear Jesus’ words, opens our eyes to see and know Jesus, and helps us believe in Jesus as our Lord. The Holy Spirit alone has the initiative in our faith and salvation.

   

  Finally, God of love gives an amazing blessing to those who ‘believe’ in his only begotten Son Jesus. What is it?

  Let’s look at verse 16 again: “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.”

   

  Dear friends, what did God say He would give to ‘those who believe in Jesus’? Yes, God promised that ‘whoever believes in Jesus shall not perish but have eternal life.’ This blessing of eternal life (and the blessing of resurrection) is the great gift of God that is enjoyed only in the Christian faith.

   

  What does that mean, to have ‘everlasting life?’

  Eternal life begins ‘from the moment we accept’ Jesus as our Lord. In John 5:24 Jesus says, “he who hears My word, and believes Him who sent me, has eternal life — not “will have” but “has” it—now!

   

  The moment we believe in Jesus as our Lord, God enters into us and is with us. From the moment we live in fellowship with God who has entered into us, Christians begin to taste the eternal life that they will experience in heaven one day. When we worship God, pray, praise, read and obey God’s word, receive God’s love, and live joyfully and thankfully because of God, it is a sign that eternal life has already begun for us.

   

  Also, in John 17:3, Jesus said, “This is eternal life, that they may know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom Thou hast sent.” That is, Jesus said that ‘eternal life’ is living with God, knowing God, seeing the beauty of God, seeing the glory of God, and tasting the love and grace of God. All of these are graces that we are already experiencing here.

   

  We who believe in Jesus as our Lord and live are now experiencing the eternal life that God gives us. We are enjoying eternal life with God. Always give thanks to God who made us believe in Jesus as Lord and gave us eternal life. Eternal life does not mean living forever after death. Eternal life means knowing God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit, and living with God, in God's presence, in intimate fellowship with God, and seeing God's glory while living on this earth.

   

  Another thing, eternal life means that we will live forever in heaven with God, with our families, with the saints - there will be no more death, no more mourning, no more crying, no more pain (Revelation 21:3-4).

   

  Our life does not end with death on this earth. We will all be resurrected on the day Jesus returns to this earth. And we will stand before God, the righteous judge. In Matthew 25:46, Jesus said that on the day when He judges us according to our deeds, those who do not accept Him as Lord will go into “eternal punishment,” while those who do accept Him as Lord will go into “eternal life.” Both are “eternal”; that is, they last forever. However, those who do not believe in Jesus while living on this earth will be punished eternally because their sins were not resolved while living on this earth. These people are judged because their sins still remain. They will be punished for their sins in hell forever. On the other hand, those who believe in Jesus as Lord can taste eternal life while living on this earth and enjoy eternal life in heaven because Jesus cleansed our sins and made us righteous on the cross.

  3.     

  Dear Friends,

  We must know how great the love of God is that He sent His only Son Jesus to give us eternal life because He loved us who sinned. We must know how great the love of God is that He made the righteous Jesus take the punishment for our sins and gives us eternal life simply by believing in Jesus as our Lord. And we must know how great the grace is and what a blessing it is for us to believe in Jesus as our Lord. Jesus is the greatest gift that God, who is love, gave to save mankind. God wants us all to live an eternal life here and now and in heaven. I bless you in the name of Jesus to be people who serve Jesus well. Amen!!

   

  • 
  • 

누구든지 예수님을 믿는 자마다 (Whoever Believes in Jesus)

설교날짜: 3/09/2025

설교자: 김덕신 목사

설교본문: 요한복음 3:16

• 그리스도인에게 주시는 복 (The Bless

  설교날짜: 3/02/2025

  설교자: 김덕신 목사

  설교본문: 갈라디아서 3:26-27

  Sunday Worship Service Sermon (3-02-2025)

  The Blessings of God to Christians

  (Galatians 3:26-27)

  1.     

  If I had to pick the best thing I have ever done in my life, it would be receiving Jesus as my Lord. What I am most grateful for from my parents is that they taught me who Jesus is and, from a young age, raised me with the Word of God.

   

  Today's text teaches us two things about the amazing blessings God gives us when we believe in Jesus as our Lord.

  2.     

  First, when we believe in Jesus as our Lord, God makes us sons of God.

   

  Let’s look at verse 26: ‘So in Christ Jesus you are all children of God through faith.’

   

  When we believe in Jesus as our Lord, who came to the world in human form for our salvation, took the punishment for our sins on the cross, and rose again three days later, God, at that very moment, makes us sons (=God’s children, God’s family) of God.

   

  Through Paul God showed us that when we believe in Jesus as Lord, there is a tremendous change in our status and position. Christians are people who have become children of God. God makes Christians children of God, which means that He makes us people with the rights and qualifications to inherit all that God promised along with the gift of salvation that God gives. In other words, He makes us people who can legally inherit the riches of God's glorious grace. It means that God has made it possible for us to receive all the promises that He made to Abraham and his descendants (Galatians 3:29). This is the identity of a Christian.

   

  We live our whole lives dreaming of a change in status, a change in position. However, God gives those who believe in Jesus an incredible change in status, an incredible change in position that is incomparable to what we pursue in the world. He makes all Christians children of God. The amazing thing is that God gives us this gift without cost (=freely). He makes all those who believe in Jesus and what Jesus did for our salvation and who accept Jesus as Lord, children of God.

   

  The moment Christians accept Jesus as Lord, God, who created the universe, becomes our Father. And we become children and family of God. Christians are people who have a 'father-child relationship' with the holy God of the universe.

   

  We have sinned against God, rebelled against Him, turned away from Him, and defied Him, but when we ‘believed in the Lord Jesus’, whom God sent to the world for our salvation, just like 'the parable of the lost son' in Luke 15, God forgave all our faults and sins and made us His family, His children.

   

  J.I. Packer said in his book, 'Knowing God', 'A Christian is someone who has God as his Father.' He clearly knew this fact and lived his whole life enjoying this grace. This is the blessing that God gives us when we believe in Jesus as our Lord.

   

  Imagine God the Father: Our God the Father is always righteous and good. He always protects you and cares for you. He is always with you and helps you. He always provides for your needs and loves you to the end. He always guides you on the path of righteousness and life. He is the Almighty God who has infinite wisdom and understanding and who can do everything. He destroys all your enemies and adversaries. He gives you the best. He has upheld, rescued and sustained you since your birth and He will carry you even to your old age and gray hairs (Isaiah 46:3-4). And when all your toil on this earth is over, He leads you to the eternal kingdom of the Lord so that you can live in the house of the Lord forever.

   

  Dear Friends, through Paul God reminds you today that God is your Father, and that you are God's children who will inherit all the promises God has made. God is with you. God is in you. God loves you. God will bless you in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ (Ephesians 1:3) and He will bless you with the earth’s richness -- an abundance of grain and new wine. (Genesis 27:28). Live happily in this amazing grace and love of God.

   

  Second, when we are 'baptized' to believe in Jesus as Lord, God clothes us with the clothes of Christ. 

   

  Let's look at verse 27: “for all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ.”

   

  Baptism is essential for those who want to believe in Jesus as Lord. Baptism is a holy ceremony in which I repent of all my transgressions and iniquities before believing in Jesus, and from now on, I confess and decide to believe in Jesus as my Lord, who came to the world in human form to save me through the cross and resurrection, and to live by following Jesus. Therefore, baptism is the most significant day in our lives. Baptism is to be born again as a Christian. Baptism is the beginning of a life of following Jesus Christ as Lord. God clothed us with the clothes of Christ when we first believed in Jesus as Lord and received this baptism.

   

  Just as, when Adam and Eve, who disobeyed God, made aprons out of fig leaves to wear out of the shame and embarrassment of their sin (Gen3:7), God took off their fig leaves and clothed them with garments of skins (this is a promise that God will clothe us with righteousness in the future) (Gen 3:21), God clothes us with the clothes of Christ when we repent of all our transgressions and iniquities before we believed in Jesus and decide in our hearts to believe in Jesus as our Lord and live from now on and are baptized.

   

  God clothed us with the clothes of Christ when we were baptized, it means that He clothed us with the garments of forgiveness of sins, righteousness, and life. In other words, when we first believed in Jesus as Lord and were baptized, God granted us forgiveness of all sins, made us righteous, and allowed us to live with the Lord forever.

   

  And, to be clothed with Christ (=or to have clothed with Christ) means that our sins are completely covered through Jesus. So, when God looks at us, he does not see our sins, but the clothes of Christ that God put on us when we were baptized. It is so important that we live as those who have put on the clothes of Christ (= believe in Jesus as Lord).

   

  In Matthew 22:1-14, there is the parable of the wedding banquet. The content is as follows: A king prepared a wedding banquet for his son and sent his servants to those who had been invited to the banquet to tell them to come. However, they refused to come. Then, he sent his servants again to go to the street corners and invite anyone they found to the banquet. So, the servants went out into the streets and gathered all the people they could find, the bad as well as the good, and the wedding hall was filled with guests. But when the king came in to see the guests, he noticed a man there who was not wearing wedding clothes. He asked, 'Friend, how did you get in here without wedding clothes?' The man was speechless. “Then the king told the attendants, ‘Tie him hand and foot, and throw him outside, into the darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’”

   

  Here, wedding clothes are the clothes of Jesus Christ that God gave us when we believed in Jesus as Lord and were baptized (=clothes of forgiveness of sins, the clothes of righteousness).

   

  What message does Jesus give us through this parable?

  It is:  Only those who wear the clothes of Christ can enter the wedding feast (heavenly feast) to which the King invites them on the last day.

  God clothed us with the clothes of Christ when we believed in Jesus as Lord and were baptized. It is:  Those who believe in Jesus as Lord will enter the wedding feast in heaven to which God, the King, invites them on the last day.

   

  Also, the fact that God has clothed us with the garments of Christ means that God has made us ‘those who are with God’ and ‘those who are in God.’ This is also a tremendous blessing.

   

  Moreover, the fact that God has clothed us with the garments of Christ means that God has given those who believe in Jesus as Lord a resurrection body of life and given them eternal life in heaven. Paul talks about Christians who put on Christ's clothes in 1 Corinthians 15:42-44. He says “The body that is sown is perishable, it is raised imperishable; it is sown in dishonor, it is raised in glory; it is sown in weakness, it is raised in power; it is sown a natural body, it is raised a spiritual body.” If there is a natural body, there is also a spiritual body.

   

  And Paul said in 2 Corinthians 5:1-4, “For we know that if the earthly tent we live in (the flesh) is destroyed, we have a building from God, an eternal house in heaven, not made with human hands.” and he said, “We eagerly desire to be clothed with our heavenly dwelling (=Kingdom of God).”

   

  These amazing facts are the blessings that God has given you and me when we ‘believe in Jesus as Lord’: God has made us God’s children. God has clothed us with the clothes of Christ.

   

  These are things that we desperately need. However, these are things that we cannot obtain through our own efforts and strength. They are things that we can obtain only by the grace of God. God gives this grace to those who believe in Jesus as Lord. Believing in Jesus as Lord is so good and precious.

  3.     

  I hope that we can be thankful to God for giving us the grace to believe in Jesus as our Lord, that we can treasure this faith in Jesus as our Lord, and that we can live joyfully and thankfully as children of God and as those who have put on the garments of Christ. Amen!!

  • 
  • 

• 그리스도인에게 주시는 복 (The Bless

  설교날짜: 3/02/2025

  설교자: 김덕신 목사

  설교본문: 갈라디아서 3:26-27

  Sunday Worship Service Sermon (3-02-2025)

  The Blessings of God to Christians

  (Galatians 3:26-27)

  1.     

  If I had to pick the best thing I have ever done in my life, it would be receiving Jesus as my Lord. What I am most grateful for from my parents is that they taught me who Jesus is and, from a young age, raised me with the Word of God.

   

  Today's text teaches us two things about the amazing blessings God gives us when we believe in Jesus as our Lord.

  2.     

  First, when we believe in Jesus as our Lord, God makes us sons of God.

   

  Let’s look at verse 26: ‘So in Christ Jesus you are all children of God through faith.’

   

  When we believe in Jesus as our Lord, who came to the world in human form for our salvation, took the punishment for our sins on the cross, and rose again three days later, God, at that very moment, makes us sons (=God’s children, God’s family) of God.

   

  Through Paul God showed us that when we believe in Jesus as Lord, there is a tremendous change in our status and position. Christians are people who have become children of God. God makes Christians children of God, which means that He makes us people with the rights and qualifications to inherit all that God promised along with the gift of salvation that God gives. In other words, He makes us people who can legally inherit the riches of God's glorious grace. It means that God has made it possible for us to receive all the promises that He made to Abraham and his descendants (Galatians 3:29). This is the identity of a Christian.

   

  We live our whole lives dreaming of a change in status, a change in position. However, God gives those who believe in Jesus an incredible change in status, an incredible change in position that is incomparable to what we pursue in the world. He makes all Christians children of God. The amazing thing is that God gives us this gift without cost (=freely). He makes all those who believe in Jesus and what Jesus did for our salvation and who accept Jesus as Lord, children of God.

   

  The moment Christians accept Jesus as Lord, God, who created the universe, becomes our Father. And we become children and family of God. Christians are people who have a 'father-child relationship' with the holy God of the universe.

   

  We have sinned against God, rebelled against Him, turned away from Him, and defied Him, but when we ‘believed in the Lord Jesus’, whom God sent to the world for our salvation, just like 'the parable of the lost son' in Luke 15, God forgave all our faults and sins and made us His family, His children.

   

  J.I. Packer said in his book, 'Knowing God', 'A Christian is someone who has God as his Father.' He clearly knew this fact and lived his whole life enjoying this grace. This is the blessing that God gives us when we believe in Jesus as our Lord.

   

  Imagine God the Father: Our God the Father is always righteous and good. He always protects you and cares for you. He is always with you and helps you. He always provides for your needs and loves you to the end. He always guides you on the path of righteousness and life. He is the Almighty God who has infinite wisdom and understanding and who can do everything. He destroys all your enemies and adversaries. He gives you the best. He has upheld, rescued and sustained you since your birth and He will carry you even to your old age and gray hairs (Isaiah 46:3-4). And when all your toil on this earth is over, He leads you to the eternal kingdom of the Lord so that you can live in the house of the Lord forever.

   

  Dear Friends, through Paul God reminds you today that God is your Father, and that you are God's children who will inherit all the promises God has made. God is with you. God is in you. God loves you. God will bless you in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ (Ephesians 1:3) and He will bless you with the earth’s richness -- an abundance of grain and new wine. (Genesis 27:28). Live happily in this amazing grace and love of God.

   

  Second, when we are 'baptized' to believe in Jesus as Lord, God clothes us with the clothes of Christ. 

   

  Let's look at verse 27: “for all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ.”

   

  Baptism is essential for those who want to believe in Jesus as Lord. Baptism is a holy ceremony in which I repent of all my transgressions and iniquities before believing in Jesus, and from now on, I confess and decide to believe in Jesus as my Lord, who came to the world in human form to save me through the cross and resurrection, and to live by following Jesus. Therefore, baptism is the most significant day in our lives. Baptism is to be born again as a Christian. Baptism is the beginning of a life of following Jesus Christ as Lord. God clothed us with the clothes of Christ when we first believed in Jesus as Lord and received this baptism.

   

  Just as, when Adam and Eve, who disobeyed God, made aprons out of fig leaves to wear out of the shame and embarrassment of their sin (Gen3:7), God took off their fig leaves and clothed them with garments of skins (this is a promise that God will clothe us with righteousness in the future) (Gen 3:21), God clothes us with the clothes of Christ when we repent of all our transgressions and iniquities before we believed in Jesus and decide in our hearts to believe in Jesus as our Lord and live from now on and are baptized.

   

  God clothed us with the clothes of Christ when we were baptized, it means that He clothed us with the garments of forgiveness of sins, righteousness, and life. In other words, when we first believed in Jesus as Lord and were baptized, God granted us forgiveness of all sins, made us righteous, and allowed us to live with the Lord forever.

   

  And, to be clothed with Christ (=or to have clothed with Christ) means that our sins are completely covered through Jesus. So, when God looks at us, he does not see our sins, but the clothes of Christ that God put on us when we were baptized. It is so important that we live as those who have put on the clothes of Christ (= believe in Jesus as Lord).

   

  In Matthew 22:1-14, there is the parable of the wedding banquet. The content is as follows: A king prepared a wedding banquet for his son and sent his servants to those who had been invited to the banquet to tell them to come. However, they refused to come. Then, he sent his servants again to go to the street corners and invite anyone they found to the banquet. So, the servants went out into the streets and gathered all the people they could find, the bad as well as the good, and the wedding hall was filled with guests. But when the king came in to see the guests, he noticed a man there who was not wearing wedding clothes. He asked, 'Friend, how did you get in here without wedding clothes?' The man was speechless. “Then the king told the attendants, ‘Tie him hand and foot, and throw him outside, into the darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’”

   

  Here, wedding clothes are the clothes of Jesus Christ that God gave us when we believed in Jesus as Lord and were baptized (=clothes of forgiveness of sins, the clothes of righteousness).

   

  What message does Jesus give us through this parable?

  It is:  Only those who wear the clothes of Christ can enter the wedding feast (heavenly feast) to which the King invites them on the last day.

  God clothed us with the clothes of Christ when we believed in Jesus as Lord and were baptized. It is:  Those who believe in Jesus as Lord will enter the wedding feast in heaven to which God, the King, invites them on the last day.

   

  Also, the fact that God has clothed us with the garments of Christ means that God has made us ‘those who are with God’ and ‘those who are in God.’ This is also a tremendous blessing.

   

  Moreover, the fact that God has clothed us with the garments of Christ means that God has given those who believe in Jesus as Lord a resurrection body of life and given them eternal life in heaven. Paul talks about Christians who put on Christ's clothes in 1 Corinthians 15:42-44. He says “The body that is sown is perishable, it is raised imperishable; it is sown in dishonor, it is raised in glory; it is sown in weakness, it is raised in power; it is sown a natural body, it is raised a spiritual body.” If there is a natural body, there is also a spiritual body.

   

  And Paul said in 2 Corinthians 5:1-4, “For we know that if the earthly tent we live in (the flesh) is destroyed, we have a building from God, an eternal house in heaven, not made with human hands.” and he said, “We eagerly desire to be clothed with our heavenly dwelling (=Kingdom of God).”

   

  These amazing facts are the blessings that God has given you and me when we ‘believe in Jesus as Lord’: God has made us God’s children. God has clothed us with the clothes of Christ.

   

  These are things that we desperately need. However, these are things that we cannot obtain through our own efforts and strength. They are things that we can obtain only by the grace of God. God gives this grace to those who believe in Jesus as Lord. Believing in Jesus as Lord is so good and precious.

  3.     

  I hope that we can be thankful to God for giving us the grace to believe in Jesus as our Lord, that we can treasure this faith in Jesus as our Lord, and that we can live joyfully and thankfully as children of God and as those who have put on the garments of Christ. Amen!!

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그리스도인에게 주시는 복 (The Blessings of God to Christians)

설교날짜: 3/02/2025

설교자: 김덕신 목사

설교본문: 갈라디아서 3:26-27