Life With Jesus (Philippians 2:5-11)
If you’re now living an eternal life with Jesus, you no longer have to fear. To live an eternal life with Jesus means He’s responsible over us and will take care of us.
Last week we shared about assurance in Christ. Today we are sharing the word, Life with Jesus.
Unbelievers – John 8:44
If we received salvation, it is the blessing of being with Christ. The reason why people fail is because of John 8:44: it may look like things are going well but fundamentally it is going wrong.
Believers – Past self (Idol Worship) New Self
For believers, instead of enjoying the blessings of world evangelization, they live lives of suffering. Why is that? Simply put, their old selves haven’t changed. To live as a new creation means you’re now living with a restored life with Christ and you are made anew.
Thoughts (Word), Heart (Prayer), Brain (Spirit)
Our thoughts, brain, and heart must be rooted in God’s Word. Our hearts must receive strength through prayer, through the spirit. We have received salvation, but why do we continuously fail? It’s because this hasn’t changed. So, shock and trauma, all the incidents that happen in our lives get imprinted in our brains; it’s recorded, it doesn’t get erased. When there’s a security camera on, it records everything. Our brains, since we are born, record everything, but this doesn’t happen the way I want. I can’t act according to my thoughts, because whatever’s recorded in my brain captivates my life.
(Recorded)
But whatever’s recorded in my brain, I can remember some things but not other things. The things you can’t remember are things like, when you can’t remember when you were in your mother’s womb, or when you were maybe a year or two old; I can’t remember when I was four. But because a person has a spirit, unconsciously, this is all recorded.
A mother gave birth to her child and abandoned her child, and someone else is raising this child. Because she’s not able to raise her child herself, she gives the child to someone else. People can say, “Can’t this child have someone who can wean them and breastfeed them?” It’s not just that, but as they get older, they are placed in different homes, perhaps in a well-off foster home.
When they became an adult, they left their home for America, and when she reached America, her foster parents visited her. She was very young being raised by her foster parents, and because the original parents couldn’t take care of her, she was raised by foster parents, and when she got older, she went to America. We can think, “She was raised well by different people and came to America,” but it’s not just that. When they’re young, there’s something the parents give to them, but she began to be raised by someone else.
This person is very confused because she doesn’t know where her roots are. She works, then after work, she drinks multiple bottles of alcohol and makes very good money. She made a very good living, taking care of a factory in downtown LA, but all that money was used for alcohol and gambling, and she would constantly drink. When you ask, “What do you drink?” She would buy some meat and drink, usually by herself, then she would go to work hungover, because it’s her workplace, but afterwards she would go gamble. This was her lifestyle.
Why is it like this? She herself doesn’t understand why she’s like this. She remembers all the different kinds of experiences and trauma and confusion; all this was recorded in her brain, constantly oppressing her. Her business went bankrupt and now she’s doing something else, but to this day, she’s still drinking. Even if you tell her to stop drinking, she can’t. She studied in seminary but she can’t. She’s done various things and she still can’t overcome this. She’s my age, and I was feeling so sorry for her.
This cannot be changed without God’s Word. How can you fix someone’s heart? This is not something you can fix just by encouraging them. It already determines your spiritual state. That’s what this is like. So, even if you do Bible study with her, she can’t continue with the Word of God. Since we’re a new creation, we now have to live the lives of a new creation, so even if you have received blessings, you still live like an unbeliever.
1. How precious is our salvation?
As a result of being unable to see your salvation as precious, you have incorrect thoughts.
1) Salvation- precious
God came as the Word, why? To give us salvation, to root out the background of sin, satan, and hell. This cannot take place without Christ, so it is so precious to be saved from these three problems. Only when you can see the preciousness of salvation will you be able to see how important you are.
(Idolatry)
If you don’t see how precious your identity is, you have no choice but to live your life in idolatry. The reason why the Israelites failed was because they failed to see how precious salvation was. You have to always think about who you are. We can never receive salvation through our good deeds. God came in the form of a man and died on the cross for me. Only when He is with me as the resurrection and new life in me can I be changed, so how precious is this? It is the greatest wisdom and the greatest blessing
But they really water this down, and if it’s watered down, you’ll go back to your past. Then, continuously, the things that are unconscious in me will constantly oppress me.
2) Ephesians 1:3-11 Predestined
He has predestined us for salvation, so from before Creation, God has predestined us, and in this time of predestination, we have received salvation. So, in this age, there are people who have been predestined to receive salvation, and that is how much God has prepared us. So, how must I live my life? To be with God and to save those whom He has prepared, so we really have to embrace this as the correct thought.
Without embracing this in our hearts, we’ll go back to our old state. There is nothing more important than the gospel; the gospel is so precious and evangelism is so precious. To receive salvation is for me and to evangelize is to give salvation to others. It’s the love of God and the love of man. Through the cross, I have received salvation through His grace such that I’m able to love others, and as a result, I live to love others. Because you’re always loving materialistic things, success, and lies, you always live a life of idolatry. You’re in the incorrect love.
2. When you believe in and abide with Jesus Christ, you will be led to success. Why?
It’s to abide with Christ and believing in Him. If you have received salvation, the new start is believing in Jesus Christ and abiding with Him.
1) How does Jesus describe Himself?
(1) Mark 14:61-62 The Lord of Judgment
Only God can judge; it’s only the Lord who can judge; nobody else.
(2) John 6:38 The One Who came from Heaven
So, God was enthroned above he came down to earth as a form of men and He is Jesus.
(3) Matthew 9:6 He has the Authority to Forgive
No one on earth has the authority to forgive, but for the ones who are afflicted by illnesses, God said they were healed, and they were healed. So, He can heal those who are sick because of sin, and after believing in Jesus Christ, this person was immediately healed.
(4) John 6:47 The One Who Gives Eternal Life to Those Who Believe Him
Eternal life means eternity. Even if we die, we are not dead. That is eternal life. When I believe in Jesus, my soul, my spirit is eternal, and my body is resurrected when Jesus comes back. Now you are living a life with Jesus in eternity. If you’re now living an eternal life with Jesus, you no longer have to fear. To live an eternal life with Jesus means He’s responsible over us and will take care of us.
Why do you fear the future? He is with you eternally. You do not have to fear the past; it has been finished, because the things of the past become a platform today. To still be oppressed by the past means that the gospel is not confirmed in you. No, but because of my past, I’ve come to know the gospel; without my past, I wouldn’t have come to know the gospel, but now I’m living on this platform to save people who share a similar past.
(5) Mark 9:31 The One Who Will Rise Again in Three Days
No one resurrected; no one could overcome the authority of satan, sin and death. Who could overcome Satan’s authority? Only Jesus. Who is the One who brings us out of hell into heaven? Only Christ, and the One who has that authority is with me. If I’m captured by Jesus, no one could take me away from that. The Word of God must be rooted in my thoughts, my brain, and my heart, and only then can I be led by God. When you hear this, you understand, but whenever we go into the field the moment you see a problem you turn into your old self. So, it’s okay; it takes time, you just have to listen, but that’s why this time is a time of blessings.
Why is this a time of answers? It’s a time to be rooted in God’s Word, so people think that blessings are visible. You have to be in a state where blessings come to you. Only when there is a cause is there an effect. Without the cause, how could you ask for the fruits, the effects? Even for trees, only if they are rooted down can they bear fruit, but if they are constantly shaken in their roots, they cannot bear fruit. If you’re constantly asking for fruits when your roots are shaken, that’s a mental illness. That is why being imprinted in the Word of God at this time is to prepare you to be rooted down, to bear fruit.
People who are very calculative cannot do this because they’re trying to think of God’s Word with their mind; they try to control the Word of God with their mind. That’s the devil. How could the mind of a man control God’s Word? How can a human mind understand God’s Word? The more the Word of God is rooted down in me, the more fruit I bear. That is why, one heart, whole heart, and continuation itself is a blessing.
Some people consistently shake because they’re imprinted, rooted, and have the nature of shaking. For those people, they constantly go back and forth between the states of a believer and an unbeliever, but if you have the grace of God, you can continue. Sometimes, a person will be allowed to fail and have them change their imprint, root, nature, because if you don’t break their leg, they’ll continue to wander the world, thinking they’re all that. But if your legs are broken, you have to listen to God and look towards Him because you can’t walk. But having broken legs is a blessing because, through that, I come into God’s word, because at least through that, God allows you to have the imprint, root, nature of the Word.
Your legs are broken but you still try to crawl out into the world? Then God breaks another leg, and that is the love of God. Only through that can we go inside of God’s Word. It’s absolute. People say, “Oh, but I’m fine,” that person has a very small vessel and will not be used very well. Because God considers you unimportant, God just lets you be. It’s the same thing for children.
(6) John 14:1-3 The son of God who prepares a place in heaven for us
Who is Christ? Christ is someone who did amazing things
2) What was the testimony of those who witnessed the life of Jesus?
(1) Opinions of the Enemy
Matthew 27:24
For Philip, he says, “I don’t have any sin” and he says, “Because you committed this sin, you pay the price,” and in Matthew 27:25 says that the price they paid will go down to their children, so although they failed, they failed with assurance. What this means is that for sure, they don’t see Jesus as the Christ, so for those who are going to fail, their rejection of God’s Word is assured. Then, their children will definitely fail. There is no other standard. The Jewish people went completely against God’s Word.
Matthew 27:4 Judas thought Jesus was innocent.
So, since Judas betrayed Jesus, he says, “I am responsible.”
Matthew 27:54. The Roman soldiers thought He was the Son of God
So, everyone was saying that this person was the Son of God, the Messiah.
(2) Opinions of the Disciples
John 1:29 John the Baptist says, ” Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world .”
So in the Old Testament, in order for your sin to be forgiven, you have to do a Burnt sacrifice to God, only then can you be with God. That is why John the Baptist knew Jesus and said, “Behold the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world.”
1 Peter 2:22. Peter saw Jesus sinless and flawless.
2 Corinthians 5:21 Paul said Jesus had no sin.
A sinless man died on the cross for sinful men.
Matthew 8:27 He rules over the heaven and the earth.
He is able to command the wind and sea and it’s true, He is the Creator God, he is controlling everything, God is the One Who allows for new life to form and for lives to be taken away. Even if I want to live a long life, it’s not up to me; it’s up to God. If you’ve been diagnosed with cancer, leave that all to the Lord, the more you try to live, the harder it is for you. Does it mean you should die early? I’m not saying that. I’m saying to place your life in the hand of God Who created you.
Because you’re not placing your life in God’s hands, you’re going to die in cancer’s hands. Don’t pray asking to survive; you’ll just be stressed. You have to quickly realize, “This is the time for me to really pray and focus on God.” You have to completely place your life in the hands of God “Whether I live or whether I die,I have to live for the kingdom of God ” But if you say, “I have cancer,” you’ll be captivated by that message; you hear it as, “I’m going to die,” so there’s no God; there is only darkness, and it is death. You must give your life completely to God.
If you’re older, you’ll completely place your life into the hands of God, and you have to go all into prayer. There’s no reason for you to try to go around and travel this world, no. You have to give up your life to the Lord and pray. “I will pray for the multiethnics, the church, and the remnants, and doing that, I will go to heaven.” “I want to live a few more years to travel the world,” no, you have to quickly understand that, that is not the case, you have to quickly acknowledge this. We do not know what will happen today or tomorrow; it’s all in the hands of God.
3) With His Love, Jesus lavishly gives all He has to people
Jesus Himself is love.
(1) Luke 7:11-15. Jesus raised the widow’s only son from the dead in the city of Nain.
There is only Jesus.
(2) Luke 7:47. Jesus took away all the sins of the sinful woman.
There was a sinful woman and she was washing Jesus’ feet because she had so much sin, I pour my love on her and in response, those who are sinners recognize their sin and are able to devote themselves to Jesus. If you have small sin, you will receive small grace and you won’t devote as much because you’ve only received very little grace. So, the sinful woman took all her perfume that was being saved for her marriage, Jesus asked Simon, “You didn’t even do that for me,” meaning your grace is very small. Of course, when you receive the filling of the Holy Spirit, your life is overturned. Because you’re always receiving the love and grace of God, you’re always devoting to God.
(3) Mark 10:13-16. Jesus laid His hands on the children and blessed them.
(4) Luke 9:51-56. He forgives His enemies and blesses them.
God is a God of love; God is a good God. We want to kill our enemies, but for the Lord, God gives all His love to His enemies.
4) Jesus died for our failures (1 Peter 2:24, Colossians 1:21-22, Romans 5:10-11)
Jesus died for our failures, and we are able to live again through His death and resurrection. Through the wounds in His side, we can have life, and for my failures, Jesus was crucified on the cross, so there is no reason for me to fail again. There’s no other failure when Jesus had to die. Jesus Himself died for my failures; there was no reason for Him to die again. Now, I live a life of being with Jesus again.
If there’s something you’re doing with your own hands, quickly be raised in God’s Word. If you feel guilty about something, quickly go to Jesus and say, “He died for my sins, resurrected, and now I live a new life with Jesus.” What happens when your understanding of the gospel is very low? You fall into guilt. You are pounding on your chest saying “I am a sinner”. It doesn’t work, but we are people who have no choice but to be this way and for that very reason, Jesus Christ was crucified on the cross. When I was supposed to pound my chest, Jesus Christ died on the cross for us, and to be with Jesus now is to be liberated from your old self.
5) Jesus rose again as evidence of salvation for all human beings 1 Corinthians 15:3-5)
6) Ephesians 2:7 Preparing wonderful blessings for those who abide in Him
7) Acts 1:11 Will come back aa second coming
3. The Way to Walk with Jesus
In my past, I was living with my imprint, root, nature without God. Now that I’ve received salvation, I have become a new creation, living with God.
1) We Must Always Have Jesus in our Hearts (Philippians 2:5)
Place Jesus in the center of your heart. It’s not about, “Today, I decide to do this,” but it’s having Jesus as the center of your heart, then your heart will not shake. Whenever an incident arises, you’re always in shock, nervous. It’s because Jesus is not the center of your heart. Because I’m the center of my life, whenever problems come, it feels like it’s targeting and hitting me. What happens when you have multiple traumas in you? It will control you. But have Jesus as the center of your life, then what happens? All the trauma in your life isn’t trauma, but it’s an opportunity from God. Our faith cannot change by anything else; it’s not about trying this or doing that. If you’re saying, “Do this,” while you suffer from a trauma, that’s not going to help you. Christ is the center of your life, then everything is an opportunity for blessings, a plan from God.
2) We must humbly keep our eyes on the cross (Philippians 2:8)
It says, “Being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient to death–even death on a cross!” So why is it that Jesus, Who was a sinless Man, had to die on the cross for sinful men? Because He needs to save others, He must be humble. When we want to save the world, what kind of position must we sit in? If I want to save, I must go under, below. If not that, I cannot save. What happens when you have your pride on your shoulders? You cannot save people. For Jesus, He is God; He didn’t have to be humble, but He humbled Himself to men and he obeyed, and that’s how He saved lives.
For me, I’m no longer my old self; I have to be obedient to that, to God’s Word. Then, people will come to life. I will come alive, and many people around me will come alive. Obedience that isn’t obedience to the Word of God is not humility. Worldly humility is not humility because it’s not aligned with God’s Word. You’re not kneeling before God; how is that being humble? You’re just acting like you’re humble, you’re just being humble because it’s a benefit to you, because you ultimately live a life that is beneficial for yourself; you’re living for yourselves, and humility is a choice. Then, as you live your life, you live according to what’s beneficial to you, but we must be obedient to God’s Word. Only then can I follow God’s Word and proclaim God’s Word.
3) We must be convinced of tomorrow’s victory (Philppians 2:9-11)
Philippians 2:9-10 says, “Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave the name that is above every name.” Every knee shall bow at the name of Jesus. Philippians 2:11. “Every tongue acknowledge Jesus Christ is Lord, glory of God the Father.” So, only the ones who abide with Jesus will have victory. Even if there’s something that comes to you as a failure, it will all turn into victory because of Jesus who is with you. If you’ve received salvation, you are now living as a new creation. “I am now living a transformed life of being with God.”
I hope you will all be guided to live a life abiding with God, and help others to also abide in God.