The Gospel Is Enough-the Gospel of Grace That Should Be Enjoyed (3)

The Bible promises in several places that the day must come that the corrupt world and all the nations praise the Lord (Rev. 7:9~10). The kingdom of God, that the judgment and the curse is ended, flowers blossom in the desert and no longer there is sorrow and lamentation, is constantly present without pausing. Those who long to see the glory are the churches, the body of the Lord. In what manner should those who genuinely believe in the absolute sovereignty of God and the gospel he has given us to live in this land? The Bible says ‘The Life of a living sacrifice’ (Rom.12:1 b.). If he has not only raised us from our faults and sins by the cross of Jesus Christ, but also made us as who enjoys of glory with him, we must completely “dedicate” ourselves for Christ. Just as the bride takes good care of herself with an eagerness for the groom (2Cor. 11:2), we should not just dip our ankles in water, but go out to the place where the sea of grace devours ourselves and revels us in immense glory, power and blessings.
‘Sacrifice’ means, completely dead already. The only way to enjoy the gospel that God has given us all through the complete death of Christ is to give all thing of us to the Lord ‘in considering we were dead.’ This is the way of fellowship enjoying the living Lord and, at the same time, the core of spiritual worship(John 4:). We should believe that Only through this way, we can glorify God, and  it is the only way that we could be  joyful and delightful in God forever.
With the word “Dedication”, if depression is felt in our emotions, we are being deceived. By me, by my old self, not only can I never dedicate myself to the Lord, but also the dedication would be  only ‘self- eagerness’ after all. The “Dedication”, speaking in the Bible, is denying our old self, in faith, who died with Christ when Christ died on the cross, and now, in hoping only        the will of the Lord be fulfilled within me, giving up myself. Therefore, ‘the life that I died and Jesus Christ lives in me’ is dedication.
To express devotion/dedication in easier term could be said, ‘Trusting in God’. Just as when I trust my doctor in healing for my illness I can entrust my body, in order to entrust my life and my being, my faith in God should be real. ‘Entrusting myself by giving life to the Lord’ is different from theological consent or having  official position in the church after the long term membership in the church. If you wish to accept God’s Grace, but feel pressured about entrusting your whole life to the Lord, you must remember what God you believe in is like. The God of absolute sovereignty, who must fulfill his promises, has never been embarrassed by the weaknesses and failures of Abraham he called. Rather, everything he promised turned out to be a clear reality in history. Therefore, the word, believing in God is the same thing as believing in his promises.
Is our conclusion God’s Word or a situation? Is the Lord’s promise more real than the reality we are experiencing? We can’t lift even a little finger on our own. For the reason why the Lord purposely calls the incompetent to shame the able, so that they may know that their power is not in them(men) but in God(1Cor. 1:25 b.). Therefore the Lord does not need our power or ability. We only need faith abiding in the Lord. Even that faith will be shaken without the grace of the Lord. Let us take the faith holding on to the Lord today, at this moment, every minute and every second, and not for the lasting faith for the far future, (June 2017) <To Be Continued> [The GNPNEWS]
Kim Yong-Eui (WMM missionary, LOG Mission Representative)
<Copyrightⓒ Kingdom of God within my hands, Opening the world with the truth- GNPNEWS > For Inquiry: gnpnews@gnmedia.org