Clothe Yourselves with the Lord Jesus Christ (Rom. 13:8-14)
Let us bless and greet one another, “Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the Living God.” I bless you in the name of Jesus Christ that God’s unprecedented and never-repeated blessings will be upon you. The title of today’s message is, “Clothe Yourselves with the Lord Jesus Christ.” Why do we wear clothes? We wear clothes because our mothers put us in clothes since we were born, and clothes have been worn throughout the history of mankind. The very first instance of this was after the fruit of the knowledge of good and evil, to cover themselves. After Adam and Eve sinned against God, they were filled with shame and fear, so they tried to cover themselves with clothes, and after that point, people have always worn clothing.
Today’s Bible scripture tells us to clothe ourselves with Christ. What exactly are the clothes of Christ? As soon as humans are born, they have mental problems, and that mental problem is fear. Fear is what happened as soon as mankind sinned against God and became separated from Him. At the same time we received fear, we also received shame and embarrassment. That is why humans are embarrassed to show themselves and they cover themselves with clothing. But if that is where humans stay, they will always suffer. They think that they’re afraid and embarrassed because they are naked, they think, “My life is like this because I’ve done x, y, and z.” They think, “I’m suffering from depression because I’ve done this or that,” then they will never be healed, because they don’t know the source or cause of their depression.
1. Jesus Christ
1) Reason
If we don’t know the reason why we are forced to drink alcohol, then can we quit alcohol? Whenever we get stressed out, we cover ourselves with clothing, and that is alcohol. Sometimes, it is drugs. Sometimes, it can be online addictions, but we still have not found the source. The Bible tells us that we are filled with fear because we are separated from God, not because we are naked. So, God made them clothing made out of animal hide to forever cover their shame. The fact that God made the clothing out of animal hide means that something had to die. Our problem can only be solved when Jesus Christ dies on the cross for us.
If there are any of you who are living your walk of faith and not receiving answers, listen to today’s Word carefully in prayer. Same thing for people who see the repetitive family line curses coming into them. Or, if you have a problem that other people may not know, that you cannot solve on your own? “No matter what I try, I cannot solve these problems.” When we live our walk of faith, our prayers should be answered, but are there any of you who are not receiving answers? When I go into the world, people around me should receive the Word and come to life, but are there any of you where this is not taking place? You should not stay in that state; if you stay in that state, you will live like that forever. There is something that is wrong, and I hope that you will confirm, through today’s Bible scripture, what is wrong and turn around. Even the devil knows Jesus Christ. Not knowing Christians know that Jesus is the Christ; Satan the devil knows that, all too well. There is a gathering of people who believe that Jesus is the Christ, 100%, and they believe in Jesus Christ according to the Bible. But the problem is, we don’t know who we are. That is where we get twisted. There is a difference between me knowing myself and me knowing myself based on what God tells me about me. If you know yourself, that is not really knowing yourself. We need to know what the God Who created us says about us. So you need to know yourself biblically and Jesus Christ biblically. Then, you will receive answers according to the Word of God.
If you’re living your walk of faith for a long time, but you’re not receiving God’s answers, there is something that is broken. If you’ve believed for a long time, but the mental and spiritual problems of your family line are not being fixed, then something is broken. You must know the cause of that from the Word of God in order for something to happen. Everybody has a different motive for believing in Jesus. “I accepted Jesus because I had a disease,” or, “I believe in Jesus because of a mental problem that I cannot solve,” or, “I believe in Jesus because He will help me succeed.” Or some people believe in Jesus because they think He will help them with their human relationships, but if your thinking does not change from that, you will not receive answers and you will live a continuous life with no answers. It’s possible that you accepted Jesus Christ because of a problem that you had, but by God’s grace, your faith must be corrected.
(1) Sinner (Rom. 3:23)
Why do I need Jesus? Because I lack money? Because I cannot solve a problem? To help my child succeed? Then it’s better to be a Buddhist because they do those things in Buddhism, but that’s not what Christianity is all about. What does Christianity tell us? The Bible tells us, “All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,” and among all of those people, I am included. So, what does God say about me? That, I am a sinner.
(2) Death (Eph. 2:1)
Because you are a sinner, the result is curses and disasters, then you will continuously have problems that you cannot solve. Why am I a sinner? You must be able to make that confession by God’s grace in order to be aligned with God. Why is Adam’s sin my sin? If you don’t acknowledge this, then your walk of faith will never work out, because, “I think I have something good about me, but God tells me I’m a sinner, but I don’t think I am. Maybe I’ll accept that a part of me is a sinner, but a part of me is okay.” But because of the fact that you think you’re fine, your walk of faith is not taking place. Are there any of you who think, “Well, according to what you’re saying, that means I should completely look down on myself and hate myself, then.” No, you simply have to understand and believe according to the words of the Bible by the work and grace of the Holy Spirit.
The Sin that Adam committed is my sin. You must be able to agree that you were a sinner from your mother’s womb. If you don’t agree with this, your walk of faith will not work out. So, for people whose faith is not working out, listen carefully, for this is why. Even if you pray, there are no answers, because the content of your prayer is wrong. It’s always, “Solve this problem, do this for me,” the content of your prayer is wrong and evangelism seems like a world away. But if you understand the gospel, then evangelism is the easiest thing and saving people should be the easiest thing, and even if you don’t pray, you should continuously receive God’s answers. You should continuously receive God’s answers, how? You must begin correctly.
(3) Kingdom of the air (Eph. 2:2)
“Who am I? I know Jesus, I believe Jesus Christ died on the cross and resurrected, but where does the problem begin? Who am I? Maybe I didn’t receive salvation, but I’m a pretty alright person,” that’s not going to work. By God’s grace, I must realize that I’m a sinner. Do you know what it means to be a sinner? It means there is a punishment that follows. No matter how much they succeed, a sinner is punished, a sinner has the relationship with God cut off. A sinner is somebody who is enslaved by the ruler of the kingdom of the air, Satan.
2) Faith
(1) Justified through faith (Rom. 5:1)
(2) Peace with God (Rom. 5:1)
(3) United with Christ (Rom. 6:5)
“But I’m so smart, or I’m very ethically upright, or I’m very successful,” but you are still a slave to the devil. If you cannot acknowledge this, then your faith cannot work out. You know yourself whether your faith is working out or not. “I’ve gone to church for decades and I was born a Christian, but I’m not receiving answers; I have no peace in my heart,” why? Because I don’t know who I am. The Bible tells us that we are sinners before God. Because we are sinners, we keep on committing sin, and because of our sin, there are curses and disasters, so I follow the devil because I have no choice but to be a slave to Satan. That is what we must be set free from. If you are not set free from that state and you go to church, it only is a heavy burden; then, the more you know, the more confusing it becomes. “Oh, I’m somebody who cannot exist even if I do something.” David confessed he was a sinner even in his mother’s womb, and Paul confessed, “I am the sinner of all sinners.” These are not just scholarly expressions, these are not just things they are philosophizing about on their desks, they have discovered that about themselves by God’s grace, and if that takes place, you only need one thing.
There is only one way to change my state. You cannot just snap to your senses. You tell the kids to pay attention but they can’t just snap into it. Their spirit is seized; it is not a mental problem. Because we are sinners, we keep on sinning, and this isn’t something we can discipline ourselves out of. “Live a good, successful life,” we cannot. Even if we succeed, we are sinners. Satan continuously works, then our life becomes so miserable. Yes, I have certainty that I will go to heaven, but my life is so miserable. Are there any of you who are like that? I hope today you will be able to confess who you are according to the Bible. I was born a sinner, so I don’t believe in Jesus because of my depression; I need Jesus Christ because I am a sinner. I might have accepted Jesus Christ because of my depression, but I realize now that sin left me no choice but to have that problem. Because of the Original Sin, it has gone all the way through the family line to me. If you are able to make this confession by the work and grace of God’s Holy Spirit, you will always receive answers to prayer. You will receive answers even if you don’t pray, and if you do pray, you’ll receive more; that is what is normal. If you look at an abnormal Christian and think that that’s normal, that’s like a one-eyed monkey thinking that is normal. If there is a group of one-eyed monkeys and there is one monkey with two eyes, they are the normal one but they look abnormal.
Did you continuously receive answers to prayer throughout the week? I’m sure you haven’t, do you know why? It’s not because you didn’t pray; it’s because you don’t know what prayer is. Even Buddhists pray, and even shamans pray. Muslims also pray but that’s how you think of prayer, so you’re not receiving answers, because you don’t know who you are. If you realize who you are, then the content of your prayers will change, then you will always receive answers to prayer. That is a normal Christian, and if there are any of you who know someone who is not receiving answers, that is an abnormal Christian. When I go to work, the people around me should continue to come to life because of me, that’s normal. But, if you never see anything like that and think that’s normal, that’s abnormal. We only need one thing, a sinner only needs one thing, not money, not success. A sinner must be changed into a righteous person. If my identity is not fundamentally changed into a righteous person, then I will always be enslaved by Satan. That is why there is only one way: only Jesus Christ. If you’re moved by this, then that is normal; if that does not move you, that is abnormal. When we say the word, “Christ,” it should make our heart race.
Have you ever heard the testimony of someone who survived the 9/11 attacks? They were about to get into the elevator when the building was attacked, and then the work of God took place. Only that person was alive. They were within the work of God, why is that? Why did the 9/11 attacks happen? That is a place where all the famous elites gathered, so what did they do that was so wrong, and why is it that these people were cursed above all others? Why is it that there are a few people who die in selected school shootings? It turns out, for example, one of them might be my relative. That’s life, but we don’t know the reason why, but the Bible tells us why.
Because all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. There is no other reason. Because humans are sinners, things like this keep on happening. It might seem like I’m having my child succeed, but then they have a mental problem. The problem that happened to the father happens to the child as well. They are doing so well in school, they did everything well, but the child ends up having the same problem as the father. You thought that, if you send your child to a good school, that would be the end, but it’s not, I’m sorry. Because they are in the state of a sinner, these things will keep on happening, and there is only one way out of that. It’s not “Christ;” it’s “only Christ.” If you love someone, there is a difference between loving someone and loving only that person. If you say, “I love Jesus,” it means you might also love Buddha. But when you say “I love only Jesus Christ,” it means, “I love nothing else.” There is no other way other than only Jesus Christ. That is what we call, “Faith,” and the person who has that faith will receive the fruits of that faith. For those people, God continuously pours His love into their hearts. There are no words that are needed for love. “Why do you love that person?” “I can’t express it with words, its irrational;” you just love them.
3) Love
We have a grandmother and grandfather in the front and they’re taking pictures with their grandchild because they love him. I don’t think they came to see their daughters; they came to see their grandson. Is it because their grandson did something or told them to come? They just love him; there’s no explanation, they just love him. Every parent has the ability to exchange their life for their child because they love them, and the Holy Spirit will continuously pour the love of God into our hearts.
(1) Poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit (Rom. 5:5)
That’s Romans 5:5, and the spirit of God is the Spirit of Jesus. For the people who receive love, they are not so stuck on something. The people who are always in conflict with one another; it’s because they are in conflict with their parents, and if the parents are powerless, the children will fight back against the parents. Then, even if they grow up, they will fight against the authorities of the world. Even as we get older, this doesn’t change, why? Because they did not receive love, not because they were orphans, but because they did not receive love. Even if you grow up in a normal family, if you did not receive love, your life will end up like that, but God is love.
(2) Christ’s death – God’s love (Rom. 5:8)
God Himself is love, and His spirit, the Holy Spirit, continuously pours out His love and grace into us. What kind of love is that? That love is in Romans 5:8, that God demonstrates His own love for us in this, that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.
(3) Cannot separate us from God’s love (Rom. 8:39)
It says in Romans 8:39 that whoever receives the Word of God cannot be separated from that love by anyone or anything in the world. 1 Corinthians says that, no matter what skills or talents you have, if you do not have the love of God, then it is all in vain. Why do you want your children to succeed? There’s a reason for that. Why do you want your children to succeed? What is your reason? That reason is you, and that will be the conclusion of your life. If that reason is not the reason for God, then your result will be pathetic. If the reason is for yourself, then the result will be pitiful. If the reason is for yourself, then that is sin, and that is the result of your sin.
For the reason of God, you should raise your children. God has entrusted that child to you, and that child can never be separated from the love of God. If you and I have received God’s love and grace, then honestly, every problem is finished. If a man loves someone, then they are in love even if they’re hungry. There is no “night and day” for them. But, if they are arguing, “Oh, it’s getting a little late, I don’t think I can see you,” it is because they don’t love them. If you love someone, even in a war, you will have children. But if you do not love the other person, we say, “Oh, we’re so busy; how could we have a child now?” Do you know why we have excuses in love? It’s because we lack love. The work that you’re doing is hard, isn’t it? Do you know why? It is because you do not love your work. Have you ever experienced it? If you love work, then it’s fine; you don’t realize time passes, and when you do your work, you don’t have conditions like money, because you love. Do you have any conditions for loving your child? No, that is love. But humans have conditions, they always have some conditions, “Oh, if I accomplish this,” or, “If they succeed, then my name will also be elevated.” There are always these conditions attached, but the love of God has no conditions because God Himself is Love.
2. Fulfillment of the Law – Love
1) Only the debt of love (Rom. 13:8)
(1) Whoever loves others (Rom. 13:8)
(2) Fulfilled the law (Rom. 13:8)
(3) Love your neighbor as yourself (Rom. 13:9)
What happens to the people who continuously receive that unconditional, agape love? The Bible says, “Do not have any debts except for the debt of love,” it means, pay back what you owe. Why do you keep on getting debts? God has the ability to pay back the debts, so receive that answer and pay it back. In the Old Testament, God actually says, “You can lend to others, but do not borrow from others, and when you lend to others, don’t expect to get it back. If you are in debt to someone else, that is a failure because you need to receive the answer from God. God does not make his children live a debtor’s life. If there are any of you who are in debt, may you receive God’s answers and pay it back. God has that power, and if God’s child is praying for them, then God will take care of it. There is someone who refused to come to church because there was someone else from the church who had taken $30,000 from them. There are people like that. You should just pay back your debts. God doesn’t put you in debt. But there is one debt He does put you in. He says, “except continue the debt to love one another.” Let’s say, when I’m in difficulty, someone gives me money, and you pay back the money, but you cannot repay back grace. For the people who know that, they can succeed. For people who do not know grace, they cannot succeed, and even if they do succeed, they will one day fall because a person must know grace. There, you will have the result of not knowing grace.
Carnegie was a good example of that. He was from Scotland, and he borrowed money because he lacked it, and then he worked diligently in America and paid back that loan. We think that it’s over, right? But people who are successful think differently. He said, “I may have paid back the money that I owed you, but I can never repay the grace you have shown me.” There is only one way to repay grace. There is no way to repay grace except by giving grace to someone else in need, and that is the mentality that made Carnegie. There are many people who seem successful, but they don’t grow anymore because they don’t know grace. If a child does not know the grace of their parents, then they can never grow up correctly. If they don’t receive the grace from their teachers, then they can never mature. Same thing with the church. People who do not understand grace cannot have spiritual growth. “Oh, what grace have I received? I paid back the money I owed,” that’s that person’s level. When that person let you borrow the money, that was grace, and just because you pay back the money does not mean you repaid the grace. You take the debt of grace you’ve received your entire life and you give it to other people, then you will continuously grow. Those are the kind of people that are needed, so, do not have any debts other than the debt of love. You receive the love of God and you receive love from others, and the only way to pay that back is for you to love others.
2) Love
(1) Adultery, murder, stealing (Rom. 13:9)
(2) Covetousness, whatever other command (Rom. 13:9)
Romans 13:9 talks about the Ten Commandments, “You shall not commit adultery, you shall not steal, don’t do this, don’t do that.” That’s the law. But is it enough to not break the law? That’s the bare minimum. What is the way for you to abundantly not break the law and live?
(3) Does no harm to a neighbor (Rom. 13:10)
If you love your neighbor as you love yourself, you will not steal your possessions, you would not forcefully take sex from them, so all of these things that say, “Do not do it,” that is the bare minimum. It’s not about holding yourself back with self-restraint; if you love them, you naturally wouldn’t do those things. There are a lot of spousal problems, aren’t there? I’m the same way. I’m not just talking about others, I’m including myself in all of this. You say, “I don’t like my wife because of this reason,” or, “I don’t like my husband because of that reason,” those words are correct but they are not right. It is because love has cooled off. When you are in love, even if they love with pepper in their teeth, you’ll like that. Even a porcupine will only love their own child, because of love, but it is because the love has dwindled. Of course, love between husband and wife is bound to do that. Then what should we do? We need to continuously receive love from God. If you continuously receive love, your eyes go blind and you don’t see their flaws or the food stuck in their teeth.
That’s what I’m saying. “Don’t do this, don’t do that,” that’s what a religion tells you. That’s not our religion. If we have received love from God, we will love others. Inside of us, the Holy Spirit continuously pours God’s love into us. The standard of success for today is, “Did I receive God’s love this morning?” If someone received God’s love, then they will have success in their human relationships, they will succeed at work as well, because they love their work. There is nobody who can compete with love. If I like what I’m doing, then nothing can compete with me. But if you’re just grinning and bearing it so that you can boast of yourself, you will get a mental illness. If you’re enduring and gritting your teeth just to succeed, you’ll get a mental problem. You cannot just endure it; you must love it. If you love it, then you’ll want to do it. You need to love your studies as well; if you’re forcing yourself to do it, wait and see—you’ll get a mental problem. God does not say this in the Bible for no reason. The people at your work are difficult, aren’t they? There’s no other way, because you lack love. Because you hate them, of course they are difficult, and because of that, you hate them. Then, if God gave us the condition to be loved, do you think we are worthy of God’s love? If we have received unconditional love, then we can love others unconditionally.
Who is the most beautiful child in the world? It’s your own child, right? Would you replace your daughter with Miss USA? I think my daughter is more beautiful than Miss USA, and rationally, people might think that I’m crazy, but that’s what love is. If there is love, they are the most beautiful. That is love. If you receive God’s love, then the work you are doing becomes joyful and good. And even that strange manager above you, you can respect them and love them. That is the beginning of success. Because God always blesses me through the authorities He has placed above me, that is the beginning of success, and that beginning must begin in the family. The one who is complimented by their parents, that is the beginning of success, and if you fail in the home, then do it in the church. “Oh, the pastor must look at them and realize, ‘I have to pray for them,’” then that person will succeed, because the Holy Spirit of God continuously works upon them. There are some people who just pray once and then stop, “Because I don’t think about them,” and that’s not done by a person, but at the very least, I pray for everyone at least once, and even with that, the work of the Holy Spirit takes place.
3) Present
(1) Wake up from slumber (Rom. 13:11)
It says here that love is the fulfillment of the law, and in Rom. 13:11 it says, “Do this, understanding the present time,” what is the present time? It is the hour for you to wake up.
(2) Spiritually awakened (Jonah 1:6, Rev. 3:2, 1 Thess. 5:6)
When it says, “It is the hour for you to wake up from your slumber,” it means spiritually. To be spiritually awake means to pray.
(3) Awakened through prayer (Lk. 21:36)
Luke 21:36 says, “Always be on the watch, and pray that you may be able to escape all that is about to happen.” You’ve heard of the word, “watchman,” right? What is that? If someone was in the military or they’re a security officer, they would understand. You must be alert. A thief might come. If you fall asleep, then a thief will come. If you’re spiritually asleep without prayer, then the devil comes in, how? The problem that is flowing down your family line will repeat again, the problem of the father will go directly into the child, and the problem of the mother of the father will go directly into the daughter. Try researching this. Look into this and then believe. The depression of the mother goes directly into the daughter, why is that? It is coming from the spiritual reality. There is no choice but for this to happen if our relationship with God is broken. It might seem that the father is successful because of their intelligence, but later, they fail, and that goes directly into the son. This is the reason you must remain spiritually awake. It is not done by a person. You keep on going into that spiritual state.
(4) Salvation is nearer now than when we first believed (Rom. 13:11)
In Rom. 13:11, it says our salvation is nearer now than when we first believed. It says, “We received salvation,” that’s past tense, and then it says, “To accomplish salvation,” that’s present tense, and then we say, “Salvation will be complete,” that’s future tense. When I say, “I have received salvation,” it means I am regarded as righteous, and to be saved now in the present tense, it is talking about “sanctification,” and then, when the Lord comes back again, then we will be brought back in the perfect body, without sin, and that is the “glorification,” the end of salvation. There is a journey of salvation in this way, so what does it mean that “salvation is nearer”? It means that the day of the Lord is nearer. So, do not be spiritually asleep, but awake.
3. Clothes of Christ
1) Put on the armor of light (Rom. 13:12)
(1) Put aside the deeds of darkness – Devil’s work (Rom. 13:12)
Rom. 13:12 says, “The night is nearly over, the day is almost here, so let us put aside the deeds of darkness and put on the armor of light.” It says to put aside the deeds of darkness, the deeds of the devil.
(2) Stand against the devil’s schemes (Eph. 6:11)
What is the work of the devil? 1 John 3:8 says that whoever sins is of the devil because the devil has been sinning from the beginning; the reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the devil’s work. Then, what is the work of darkness? Anyone who has not believed has sinned. You study so hard, you work so hard, but we have to look at the result: whatever you did without faith is sin. Then, it is the time schedule for the devil to enter. The devil enters through the channel of sin. So, do not let your guard down just because you have succeeded, because you will fall as soon as you stand. You have to have true success, the success where God is with you and working upon you, then what happens?
(3) Full armor of God (Eph. 6:11)
It says, “Put aside the deeds of darkness and put on the armor of light.” “Armor” means it is protective. Eph. 6:11 says to arm yourselves with the armor of Christ so you can protect yourself against the attacks of Satan.
If there’s a person who has sexual immorality, it is because of what’s inside of them. Do you think God made that person to be sexually immoral? It is because the evil spirit of sexual immorality went into that person. There are people who cause division anywhere they go. Do you think that God originally made them to be divisive? It means that the evil spirit of division has gone into them. Humans are spiritual beings, so we are influenced spiritually. There are some people who fight no matter where they go, it’s automatic fighting. They just can’t stay still, they just want to fight, because that is the spirit inside of them. God did not make humans like that—that is what Satan, the devil, does, and that spirit influences people, so you must change that into the Spirit of Christ. Then, even if you want to fight, you’ll calm down. Even if you try not to be sexually immoral, if you have the spirit of sexual immortality, you will be drawn into that direction. That is why you ask for the Spirit of God to reign over you.
Animals are not spiritual beings. For an animal, you can train them to live a certain way, but humans can receive a Harvard education, and it still wouldn’t help. Why is it that they are so well-educated, but they still kill themselves? Why is it that they study so much and then lose their minds? Because this cannot be solved through education. Humans are spiritual beings, so the Spirit of God has to reign over me. The American army fought in World War I, World War II, the Korean War, the Vietnam War, and the Afghanistan War. America is the land that has the most wars, but no matter how much somebody fights, if they haven’t been in the army, they won’t understand. America has never stopped waging war, that means that American people are going there and dying. The people who live and come back are not normal. 90% of veterans suffer from PTSD.
Is it because they did something wrong? If someone next to you is shot and killed, you cannot be in a normal state of mind. Even in my life, my friend committed suicide and I could not be normal. Because the friend I liked and loved committed suicide, I could not be in a normal state, and there is a very thick bond between people who serve in the military. But one day, as you’re fighting in a war together, you see them be shot and killed next to you, then you cannot be in a normal state of mind. There are people who come back from the Vietnam War, they have prosthetic limbs and they’ll ask you for money and they’ll almost get abusive if you don’t give it to them. Do you know why society lets them be? Because they went and fought on our behalf. He’s saying, “You’re living comfortably because of my sacrifice, so give me money,” and then they spend their life as an alcoholic and then they die, why? Their mental state is not normal. Over 90% come back with mental problems, it’s called PTSD.
I’ll give you the biblical evidence. There was nobody who waged more wars than David, but there is no mention of mental illness with David in the Bible. Then, why do you think that is? He saw many of his people die, then even if somebody goes crazy, David should have been the first one, but it wasn’t like that at all. You must have this mystery. If you go to the military without this military, then you’re going there just to die. It’s the same thing if you go. You cannot be normal. After I was in the military, I got a job, and around 10:30 am, I would fall asleep and I wasn’t aligned with professional life because I was always living nocturnally in the military, so there were many people that I couldn’t get along with. The girls would come and give me tea, and I didn’t get along with them, because there was no such thing as that in the military. So, after going to the military, I got a job and it didn’t fit. If you go into the military and you’ve seen battle, and then you go into society, there are lots of things that will make you angry. Even just looking at students having parties on Fridays makes you angry. There was a veteran who came back from the war, and saw people partying, and thought, “While I was suffering, fighting for this country, these kids were playing every weekend,” and they shot up the party. This was in San Francisco, and it will keep on happening. “Pastor, how are you so sure that it’s going to keep on happening?” That’s what happens if people don’t have love. Even a child will kill their parents, why? Because that is what was planted in them. If you don’t plant love but you plant conditions, that is what will happen to your child. If a child talks back against their parent, once that child becomes a parent, they will also be rebelled against. So, do not have any debts other than the debt of love. You must continuously receive God’s grace. There is nothing humans can do, we must receive God’s love.
2) Behave decently (Rom. 13:13)
(1) Carousing – drunkenness (Rom. 13:13)
(2) Sexual immorality – debauchery (Rom. 13:13)
(3) Dissension – Jealousy (Rom. 13:13)
It says, “Behave decently, as in the daytime, not in carousing and drunkenness, not in sexual immorality and debauchery, not in dissension and jealousy.” Then, how can we not do that? Just because we read this Bible verse, we’re not going to do that? What happens if we keep on drinking? What happens if you keep on seeking these things? Even after becoming the president, you keep on seeking these things. “I don’t want to fight, but I keep on fighting.” It’s because of jealousy, you compare yourself with others. People live well, but you keep comparing yourself with someone else, so you think you’re poor. The jealousy becomes the source of your problem. The reason why King Saul wanted to kill David was because of jealousy, and how did he become like that?
3) Clothe yourselves with Christ (Rom. 13:14)
(1) Lust – Desires of the flesh (Rom. 13:14, Gal. 5:19-21)
The very last verse, “Clothe yourselves with the Lord Jesus Christ, then you will not think about how to gratify the desires of the flesh.” If humans are not able to receive satisfaction from the love and grace of God, then they have a void inside of them that they want to fill. There are some people who always talk about success, they are trying to fill their void with success. Success is not bad, but that person is empty inside and they want to fill their void with success. But can people be filled with success? No. That is why they do those unthinkable things even after succeeding. Humans must be filled with the love of God, then their success is valuable, then they will be used to love others. Why do you go to church? Why do you believe in Jesus? Do you believe just to fill your void? You will not receive answers, even if you pray diligently, and definitely, no evangelism. But, for the people who have been filled with the grace and love of God, when you ask them why they want to succeed, it is to love others.
(2) Guidance of the Holy Spirit (Gal. 5:18)
Gal. 5:16 says, “How can you not fall for the things of the flesh? You must be led by the spirit. The Spirit of Christ lives in us. May the Spirit of the Lord control my thoughts, my heart, my spirit. Why do you keep using your own mind? Why do people become so cowardly? Why is it that people flip-flop back and forth? They say, “yes” one day, and “no” the next. Why is it that they will change sides depending on their need? That’s normal for people; that is why we need the love of Christ every day. As soon as you wake up in the morning, what must you do?
(3) Fruits of the Holy Spirit (Gal. 5:22-23)
You must pray to receive the filling of the Holy Spirit so that God’s Holy Spirit reigns over you with grace and love, then in the daytime, when you meet people, you can love them. Even in a business, you wouldn’t have conditions for people, but you can pour out unconditionally. Or, you will always have to be manipulative, “I’m meeting a business partner today; how can I get more benefit out of them?” That is an abnormal Christian. What is a normal Christian? “Yes, I might be meeting this person for a business meeting, but how can I give them grace and love?” That is a normal Christian. Then, does that mean your business will fail? God is the One Who intercedes. If anything, the people will be so moved that you’ll do better, not worse. That is the normal Christian who is clothed with Jesus Christ. I bless you in the name of Jesus Christ that you become the children of God who receive love and grace from God and give to others.
Conclusion
1. Cross – Clothes of Christ (Jn. 19:30, Acts 1:1)
2. Kingdom of Christ – Background, Mission (Acts 1:3)
3. Spirit of Christ – Filling, Guidance, Working – Witness (Acts 1:8)
Message Prayer
There is a Word God has given to you today. Let us hold onto that as a promise from God and live the rest of the week with that prayer topic.
Offering Prayer and Newcomer Blessing
God, we thank You. We have returned Your materials as offering. We have received everything from You, and we return a portion of that as tithe. We have returned Your offering as temple construction, future generations, missions, thanksgiving, and worship offering. We pray You will bless the hands that have given this offering with the economy of light to bring those who are lost in darkness to the light. We pray that You will bless their businesses with the economy of light that will save all nations and all people. We pray that You will allow all the people who are suffering from mental, physical, or spiritual problems to overcome them with the overflowing love and grace of God. We pray that You will bless them so they may stand boldly before the world as the witnesses of Christ. In Jesus Christ’s name we pray, amen.
Announcements
1. Online zoom early morning prayer (Tue-Fri, 5:30am, Sat, 6am). Raise the bartizan of prayer.
2. Remnant Bible 30-Verse Memorization Contest
3. 1/18-1/19 Presbytery New Year’s Greeting Ceremony
4. Venmo account address for church offering: @Antiochmissionchurch
Benediction
Now may the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, the unending love of God, and the indwelling, working, guidance, and fellowship of the Holy Spirit, be upon the heads of all the people of God, the people of all nations, and the remnants who desire to wear the clothes of Christ and share that with others, be with them now until forevermore and always, amen.
Let us wear the clothes of Christ!