Jesus Christ, the Seeker and the Redeemer!

‘Jesus entered Jericho and was passing through. A man was there by the name of Zacchaeus; he was a chief tax collector and was wealthy. He wanted to see who Jesus was, but because he was short he could not see over the crowd. So he ran ahead and climbed a sycamore-fig tree to see him, since Jesus was coming that way.

When Jesus reached the spot, he looked up and said to him, “Zacchaeus, come down immediately. I must stay at your house today.” So he came down at once and welcomed him gladly.

All the people saw this and began to mutter, “He has gone to be the guest of a sinner.”

But Zacchaeus stood up and said to the Lord, “Look, Lord! Here and now I give half of my possessions to the poor, and if I have cheated anybody out of anything, I will pay back four times the amount.”

Jesus said to him, “Today salvation has come to this house, because this man, too, is a son of Abraham. For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.”’ - Luke 19:1-10 NIV

Most of us are afraid and worried if we are lost, especially when we are young, because we do not know where our next step is going to be or we are worried that we are going to make wrong move. If we are lost, we are most likely to panic and we try to get back on track. I was about to get lost when I was very young in Korea. I was in the mall and was not concentrating on my parents as they go. I thought I was following my mother  but  she called me on the other side. Because of this,  I was really embarrassed and noticed that the woman I was following was not my mother.

As we feel that we are safe and secured when we are found, it is like that spiritually as well except we do not have spiritual mother that we cling to for spiritual health. I kind of have a spiritual mother but she is just the woman that I greatly admire as a devoted fellow believer in Jesus Christ and she is more like my spiritual mentor or a teacher. However, all of us have one spiritual and heavenly Father (Ephesians 4:6), whom we cannot see until we get to the kingdom of heaven. He is the God of all living (Genesis 1:1; Psalm 24:1). Therefore, we become children of God as soon as we believe Jesus Christ as our Lord and Saviour (John 1:12-13).  Jesus Christ is the Lord because He is the perfect image of God (Colossians 1:15). He is also the Saviour because He was crucified on the cross for our sins and disobedience that is under God, the Almighty (Colossians 2:13-15). 1 Corinthians 8:6 declares, “Yet for us there is but one God, the Father, from whom all things came and for whom we live; and there is but one Lord, Jesus Christ, through whom all things came and through whom we live.”

Jesus, the Son of Man, came into this world to seek and to save the lost. This is probably because all of us have fallen short of the glory of God (Romans 3:23), which means we have been disobedient against God, since Adam, the first man of God, ate the fruit from the tree of knowledge of good and evil (Genesis 2:4-3:19). I think we have became sinners because we have been fallen away from the truth and trying to become smart and clever in our own ways. This is probably reason that God sent Himself as Jesus Christ  into the world to crucify Himself on the cross, in order to prove that there is better life than the world is urging us to have (John 10:10).  Moreover, when Jesus was crucified, the curtain of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom (Matthew 27:51)—meaning, that the separation from God and human beings is no more (Hebrews 10:19-20). In other words, God has given us eternal life through the blood of Jesus (Romans 6:23). Hence, Jesus Christ declares, “I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in me will live, even though they die; and whoever lives by believing in me will never die. Do you believe this?” (John 11:25-26)

God has never viewed us with favouritism, such as pouring His Spirit into particular people who has been doing good deeds to save them spiritually and not putting His Spirit into bad people. He has been pouring His Spirit into all of us after the resurrection of Jesus (John 16:7-15) because He desperately wants to restore us back to His kingdom, so it is a matter of the fact that we accept and believe in Him or not (Revelation 3:20). “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. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because they have not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son.” (John 3:16-18) This does not mean that we are going to never have temptations to get back into our own nature, leave and forsake Jesus Christ, especially following Him becomes hard (Matthew 7:13-14) or when crises come into our lives. It means that when we believe in Jesus, we become eternally secure (1 Peter 5:8-11). This is because of the power of the Spirit of God (John 14:15-27).  Furthermore, 1 Corinthians 10:13 states that God is going to never put temptations into us and if we have temptations for some reason, then He is going to provide a way out. Thus, we are saved spiritually through faith in Jesus Christ. Because of this, followers of Jesus tend to do good works in Him (Ephesians 2:8-10; Titus 3:3-8; Romans 3:21-31).

So prepare your minds for action and exercise self-control. Put all your hope in the gracious salvation that will come to you when Jesus Christ is revealed to the world. So you must live as God’s obedient children. Don’t slip back into your old ways of living to satisfy your own desires. You didn’t know any better then. But now you must be holy in everything you do, just as God who chose you is holy. For the Scriptures say, “You must be holy because I am holy.”

And remember that the heavenly Father to whom you pray has no favorites. He will judge or reward you according to what you do. So you must live in reverent fear of him during your time here as “temporary residents.” (1 Peter 1:13-17)

Galatians 3:29 NLT/NIV proclaims that if we belong to Jesus Christ, then we are counted as the children of Abraham and as Abraham’s seed. This is probably because God spoke to him that He is going to make him a great nation and all people are going to be blessed through him (Genesis 12:2-3). In addition to this, God called him the righteousness of God (Genesis 15:6). Because of this, I also think we are Abraham’s seed, that we probably should consider him as a spiritual model, due to the fact that Abraham believed in God, even though he did not know where he was being led to (Hebrews 11:8) In other words, God wants us to always have faith in God—up to the point that we would not know where we are being led to—such as what Abraham had in his faith journey. I am in that faith journey right now because of going to Unitec. I do not know where I am being led to, due to the fact that I do not really need to know how to service computers. All I want to do is going to a Bible College, in order to become a Christian Writer. I believe theology is only study that I am passionate about because I desire nothing else apart from Jesus Christ. Because I found going to Unitec to finish computer course is the will of God for me, I am going to try my best to study computers. Proverbs 3:5-8 declares, “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight.

Do not be wise in your own eyes; fear the Lord and shun evil. This will bring health to your body and nourishment to your bones.”

“For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,” declares the Lord. “As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.” (Isaiah 55:8-9)

The Victory in Jesus Christ!

‘“Where, O death, is your victory? Where, O death, is your sting?”

The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.

Therefore, my dear brothers and sisters, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain.’ – 1 Corinthians 15:55-58 NIV

Most of us know that God is the Ultimate Judge of all living (James 4:12) but some of us tend to take it very seriously. For instance, we worry that we are going to make wrong move or decision that is not or contrary to the will of God, and we dwell with this thought all the time. If this happens, we cannot function as the children of God properly, due to the fact that we lose our confidence to walk and stay in relationship with God. Because we think God is the Ultimate Judge so seriously, we forget God is the Forgiving God. Therefore, when we once sin after we became the children of God, we may believe that our life is all over. We might return to our natural passions and desires, and live according to those ways, or we might sacrifice ourselves to death.

However, the truth is that Jesus Christ was crucified on the cross for our sins already (Colossians 2:13-15), which means we do not have to bear the consequences of our sin at the end of the age or our physical lives. Moreover, He resurrected three days after His crucifixion (Luke 24:1-8) and God has given us eternal life through Him (Hebrews 2:14-15). This basically means that God would resurrect us in the glorious bodies at the end of our physical lives as long as we have been born in the Spirit of God (John 3:1-8) and believed in Jesus Christ during our lives on Earth (1 Corinthians 15:50-55; Romans 8:1-17; John 11:25-26). “For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Romans 6:23) How can we born in the Spirit? We are able to be born ourselves in the Spirit of God by starting to believe in Jesus Christ. After acknowledging that Jesus Christ is our Savior and Lord—since He is the perfect image of God (Hebrews 1:3)—and we have been baptized—just like Jesus Christ was baptized (Matthew 3:13-17)—we fully become the children of God (John 1:12-13). Why do we have to be baptized? did not John 1:12-13 clearly say that once we have received Him and believed in His name, we become the children of God? Yes, but Baptism is necessary because Baptism represents us that we have died to ourselves—our natural passions, desires, pleasures, and will—and then, we let the Spirit of God to control us from that point on (Romans 6:3-11). Why God came down into the earth from heaven, as Jesus Christ, only to save us spiritually? The main reason for this is that God has loved us from the beginning and He has created us to be His image (Genesis 1:26-31) and His children (Ephesians 1:4-6). In other words, because God has loved us, He wants to restore us back to Him so that He has given us eternal life through faith in Jesus Christ (John 3:16-18; 1 John 4:9-10). Out of the gospel of Jesus Christ, I believe the crucifixion and the resurrection is so important, that I am already thinking about making a book called “The Crucifixion + The Resurrection of Jesus Christ” when I become a Christian Writer.

[Jesus Christ] Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage; rather, he made himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to death—even death on a cross!

Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. (Philippians 2:6-11)

Therefore, we ought to remember that God is not only the Ultimate Judge, but He is Forgiving God as well. If we only confess our sins to Him, He is able to forgive us (1 John 1:8-2:2). Hence, we do not have to be stressed about our sins. In fact, the angels of God rejoice each time we repent (Luke 15:1-10). In addition to this, repentance should be the joyous act of our lives because we are willing to become more holy and righteous in Jesus Christ and to stay in an intimate relationship with God than our previous times with Him. This does not mean that we purposely can live according to our natural passions, desires, pleasures, and will until the end of our physical lives and start to confess our sins to Him before we die. This is because God looks at our heart (1 Samuel 16:7) and He is going to judge us according to our deeds as well (Mark 8:34-38). Furthermore, there are two kinds of law—the law of God and the law of the world. The law of the world demands us to forget about God, Jesus Christ, and the Holy Spirit, or to think that we literally have to try hardest to please God by doing good deeds, in order to go to the kingdom of heaven at end of our physical lives. However, the Spirit of God urges to change our heart from the natural world into godliness (2 Peter 1:3-11; Titus 2:11-14). This is because we are saved spiritually through faith in Christ Jesus Christ rather than our deeds. Because of this, truly-devoted followers of Jesus tend to do good deeds through faith in Jesus Christ (Ephesians 2:8-10; Titus 3:3-8). The main reason that we have to remain in godliness, righteousness, and holiness through faith in Jesus Christ (Ephesians 4:17-24) probably is that all of us have been made in the image of God (Genesis 1:27). “For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters. And those he predestined, he also called; those he called, he also justified; those he justified, he also glorified.” (Romans 8:29-30). I strongly believe what we focus on becomes like an addiction (Colossians 3:1-4). I watched pornography online or out of DVD, even after I knew it was sin. I knew that I had to stop watching it but I kept doing it with religious and worldly repentance. After a while, I quit watching it since I knew that I was a child of God and want to walk intimately with the Lord, and now, I do not even like to think about it. Another example of mine for addiction that I had is watching television other than Christ-related resources. I used to watch Korean dramas. The Spirit of God was urging me to read the word of God something from time to time but I did not listen to God. All that I cared about was fulfilling my worldly desires. I also watched Pokemon cartoons, which has been my childhood favourite cartoon. Because I watching it too much, the desire to download the game increased. After I downloaded the game and played it whenever I got bored. However, I realized that playing Pokemon game was sin for me when I heard my favourite worship song, “Jesus At The Center” by Darlene Zschech in the church service. Because of this, I deleted the game to regain my focus on Jesus Christ. Now, I am very glad that Jesus Christ became my true and only passion. In other words, through faith in Jesus overcame my natural desires, that Jesus Christ, Christ-like, and putting my theological mind-set is like so natural to me, now. To be more specific, I desire nothing else apart from Jesus Christ. This is the reason that I want to do theology study(s) so badly.   

  

But now apart from the law the righteousness of God has been made known, to which the Law and the Prophets testify. This righteousness is given through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference between Jew and Gentile, for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and all are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus. God presented Christ as a sacrifice of atonement, through the shedding of his blood—to be received by faith. He did this to demonstrate his righteousness, because in his forbearance he had left the sins committed beforehand unpunished—he did it to demonstrate his righteousness at the present time, so as to be just and the one who justifies those who have faith in Jesus.

Where, then, is boasting? It is excluded. Because of what law? The law that requires works? No, because of the law that requires faith. For we maintain that a person is justified by faith apart from the works of the law. Or is God the God of Jews only? Is he not the God of Gentiles too? Yes, of Gentiles too, since there is only one God, who will justify the circumcised by faith and the uncircumcised through that same faith. Do we, then, nullify the law by this faith? Not at all! Rather, we uphold the law. (Romans 3:21-31)

Few days ago, I sensed that going to Unitec is the will of God for me right now, even though I think I made a big mistake. What I am afraid is that I might lose my passion of Jesus Christ through the computer servicing course. I cannot fully explain to everyone why I think going to Unitec is the will of God for me right now because of a personal issue. What I can tell you is that I noticed that christian-writing has been the will of God for me over the years. Therefore, I am going to try my best to study computer-servicing while I am staying in an intimate relationship with God in Jesus Christ.

The Scriptures of God!

“You study the Scriptures diligently because you think that in them you have eternal life. These are the very Scriptures that testify about me, yet you refuse to come to me to have life.” – John 5:39-40 NIV

What do you think of the Scriptures in the Bible? Apparently, most of us cannot understand them if we do not know and believe in Jesus Christ. Therefore, some of us tend not to read them at all, even after we come into faith in Jesus Christ and become one of God’s children, since we consider that believing in Jesus just comes through faith. There are some of us, who do not read the Bible, tend to twist the meaning of the Bible verses into our own understanding of the Scriptures. In other words, we like to just use the verses to suit us according to our circumstances and situations and if they do not suit us, then we just skip or forget about them.

Yes, believing in Jesus Christ just comes through faith. All of us cannot understand true and deeper meaning if the Spirit does not lead us into scriptures or we do not have the Spirit to work through us while we are reading them. This is probably because the Scriptures are God’s word that has been handed down to us to train how to become righteousness in Jesus Christ (2 Timothy 3:16-17) and the Spirit of God gives us deeper meaning of the Bible verses (1 Corinthians 2:6-16). Not only the Spirit gives us true meaning of them, but the Spirit also gives us life in Christ (John 6:63-65). Let’s take a closer look at Matthew 16:13-17, for example. When Simon Peter answered who Jesus Christ is, he said, “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.” After he said this, Jesus Christ replied, “Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah, for this was not revealed to you by flesh and blood, but by my Father in heaven.” The Spirit of God always testifies who Jesus Christ is and transfer it into our knowledge, so that we can know and understand Him better.  Furthermore, Jesus Christ proclaims that He is the way of the life and the truth (John 14:6). Hence, if He is the life and the Spirit reveals who actually He is while we are reading the Bible, we should consider God’s word as the living Word (Hebrews 4:12) and we must pursue Jesus Christ by reading His word daily and putting it into practise (Luke 6:46-49; Philippians 1:27-28). In addition to this, not only believing in Jesus Christ is eternal life, but getting to know Him is the eternal life as well (John 17:3). I believe I know most of the New Testament but I should read the Old Testament as well, even though they are like histories and true stories that happened a long time ago, because the whole Scripture testifies and points to Jesus Christ.

Blessed is the one who does not walk in step with the wicked or stand in the way that sinners take or sit in the company of mockers, but whose delight is in the law of the Lord, and who meditates on his law day and night. That person is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither—whatever they do prospers. (Psalm 1:1-3)

What I find interesting is that the Spirit of God reveals the Bible verses from time to time, even though I have not intensively studied them. This does not mean that we should humbly wait for the Spirit to reveal what each verses of the Bible mean. Instead of waiting, we should keep looking them over again, again and meditate on them until we find out what true meaning is or we should ask our spiritual mentors what they mean if we cannot comprehend the verses at all. I, sometimes, do that. In addition, I never studied the Bible intensively before I became a devotional writer. I only read the online devotionals intensively. The Spirit of God literally led me to become a devotional writer. However, I want to do more than devotional-writing, for this may be the will of God. This is the reason why I want to do a Bible College so bad, in order to get more knowledge of the Bible and improve my theological mind-set. Although I go to Unitec now, God has been working within me to develop things that I need to develop, I believe. I told everyone that God might want me to develop my faith, such as what Abraham had—putting trust in God, even though we do not know where we are being led to (Hebrews 11:8)—or to manage my time properly. Nevertheless, I think God wants to make me very humble before Him so that I would be willing to do everything for His sake, despite of any difficulties (2 Peter 1:3-11). Moreover, I am very thankful to have a theological mind-set. Putting a theological mind-set is like so natural for me that studying theology seems like no study at all. Instead of studying, it is part of my life in Jesus Christ.  

Jesus Christ, the Ultimate Sacrifice!

“It was necessary, then, for the copies of the heavenly things to be purified with these sacrifices, but the heavenly things themselves with better sacrifices than these. For Christ did not enter a sanctuary made with human hands that was only a copy of the true one; he entered heaven itself, now to appear for us in God’s presence. Nor did he enter heaven to offer himself again and again, the way the high priest enters the Most Holy Place every year with blood that is not his own. Otherwise Christ would have had to suffer many times since the creation of the world. But he has appeared once for all at the culmination of the ages to do away with sin by the sacrifice of himself. Just as people are destined to die once, and after that to face judgment, so Christ was sacrificed once to take away the sins of many; and he will appear a second time, not to bear sin, but to bring salvation to those who are waiting for him.” – Hebrews 9:23-28 NIV

Do we not hate ourselves when we have done something wrong accidentally? After these moments, we try to fix that particular situations to the way we have been wanting them to be. We even try to fix ourselves as well by developing our mind-set to think more deeply before we decide. In other words, we learn from our mistakes and improve how to do things properly. I think I have made a big mistake. I have wanted to do a bible college through distance-learning or studying theology at a bible college in person, but my mother thought studying theology was kind of hobby of mine. Maybe, I told her that I wanted to go to a school, so she thought that I was interested in computer course, due to the fact that she thought I was interested in computers. Therefore, I should have told her that I specifically want to do a Bible College. However, at that time, which is before I have gone to Unitec to do a computer servicing, I was not able to do a Bible College because of permanent residency or something. However, since I am in the computer course now, I am not going to simply quit studying. If I quit it, I am probably going to regret it. I think God wants me to develop my faith during the computer course, or He wants me to manage my time properly between reading Christian books and other stuff.

In keeping spiritual lives healthy and not sin against God, the priests had to do yearly animal sacrifices to take their and their people’s sins away (Leviticus 16). Nevertheless, the Israelites kept sinning, such as not obeying the law of God (Psalm 78:10) and serving other gods rather than the true God (Jeremiah 11:10). Because things like these might happen, God had decided to sent Himself as Jesus Christ to take our sins once for all from beginning of time (Romans 3:21-26), to bring His presence into our lives all the time. When Jesus said “It is finished” at the end of His physical death (John 19:30), it is possibly not only meant that the will of God for Jesus was finally over, but it also possibly meant that the separation between God and us is over. The curtain of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom (Matthew 27:51). Not only we can stay in the presence of God all the time on the Earth, but we are able to have eternal life through Jesus Christ (Romans 6:23; John 11:25-26). Furthermore, when we sin whether it is physical or spiritual one, we are able to pray to God by repenting of our sins earnestly and God can wipe all of our sins and purify us in Jesus Christ (1 John 1:5-2:2). Overall, the real story of the Israelites shows us how important to have and believe in Jesus Christ throughout our lives!

The law is only a shadow of the good things that are coming—not the realities themselves. For this reason it can never, by the same sacrifices repeated endlessly year after year, make perfect those who draw near to worship.

Otherwise, would they not have stopped being offered? For the worshipers would have been cleansed once for all, and would no longer have felt guilty for their sins. But those sacrifices are an annual reminder of sins. It is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins.

Therefore, when Christ came into the world, he said:

“Sacrifice and offering you did not desire, but a body you prepared for me; with burnt offerings and sin offerings you were not pleased. Then I said, ‘Here I am—it is written about me in the scroll—I have come to do your will, my God.’”

First he said, “Sacrifices and offerings, burnt offerings and sin offerings you did not desire, nor were you pleased with them”—though they were offered in accordance with the law. Then he said, “Here I am, I have come to do your will.” He sets aside the first to establish the second. And by that will, we have been made holy through the sacrifice of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.

Day after day every priest stands and performs his religious duties; again and again he offers the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins. But when this priest had offered for all time one sacrifice for sins, he sat down at the right hand of God, and since that time he waits for his enemies to be made his footstool. For by one sacrifice he has made perfect forever those who are being made holy.

The Holy Spirit also testifies to us about this. First he says:

“This is the covenant I will make with them after that time, says the Lord. I will put my laws in their hearts, and I will write them on their minds.”

Then he adds:

“Their sins and lawless acts I will remember no more.”

And where these have been forgiven, sacrifice for sin is no longer necessary. (Hebrews 10:1-18)

Not only God is the source of eternal life through Jesus Christ (John 17:3), He is the Righteous Judge as well (James 4:12). Because of this, we try to be righteous by our deeds, even without faith in Jesus. Nonetheless, Ephesians 2:8-10 warns us that we are spiritually  saved through faith in Jesus Christ. Because of our faith in Jesus, we are to do good works in Him. Furthermore, we do not have to afraid that we might not going to enter the kingdom of heaven at the end of our physical lives, as long as our faith and our devotion is in Jesus Christ. 1 John 4:18 states, “There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love.” Instead of being afraid, we have to approach God in freedom and confidence (Ephesians 3:12). Furthermore, we should rejoice that God is the Righteous Judge. This is because if He is not the Righteous Judge of all living, then everybody can enter the kingdom of heaven, despite of their wickedness. If everybody go to there at the end of their age, including wicked people, then heaven would not be the place of eternal joyfulness, happiness, and life (Revelation 21:1-8). In addition to this, there would be really no point of Jesus’ crucifixion and resurrection. Jesus was crucified for our sins, In order to make us righteousness in God through faith in Him (2 Corinthians 5:21; 1 Peter 2:24-25).  

For, as I have often told you before and now tell you again even with tears, many live as enemies of the cross of Christ. Their destiny is destruction, their god is their stomach, and their glory is in their shame. Their mind is set on earthly things. But our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ, who, by the power that enables him to bring everything under his control, will transform our lowly bodies so that they will be like his glorious body. (Philippians 3:18-21)