Quotation: 1 John, 3:1-3
These words are very, very popular. Old John wrote this letter, not because he wanted to spend his idle hours, but because he was lead by the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit lead him in this way, because this letter was indispensable for believers in that era. They needed to be cheered up, comforted, and encouraged. Thus, John wrote about the incredible truth. The title of this message is "A Happiness for Believers". Those who can say these words as John are blessed. I will read them again, this time not in plural, but in mono. How great is the love the Father has lavished on me, that I should be called a child of God! And that is what I am! The reason the world does not know me is that it did not know him. Dear friends, now I am a child of God, and what I will be has not yet been made known. Not hoping, nor wanting, but believing it firmly. But I know that when he appears, I shall be like him, for I shall see him as he is. Everyone who has this hope in him purifies himself, just as he is pure. Those who can say, "I know it, I affirm it." are blessed. Off course, the reason why we can affirm it is not that we learned it, nor that we experienced it, nor that we heard the voice of God and saw a vision, nor that we were persuaded, but that the LORD promised it. What is most important thing is not what we think, but what the LORD promised. And that's all. This certitude is "A Happiness for Believers". John wrote three points. #1:We are already children of God. #2:We shall be like Christ. #3:We shall see Christ as he is. One truth about the present time is stated, and two for future, thus we can clearly understand that the future is more important than the present time. For a while, I would like to think about these truths with you. The basis of a happiness for believers is the truth, #1:We are already children of the God. Some people say that all human beings are children of God, but this idea is, off course, not unbiblical, and a lie. If all human being are children of God, the present world should be different. Yes, all men are what the Creator made, creation, but definitely all men are not necessarily children of God. After all, human beings who just have a created life, should have the eternal life, in other words, should be children of God. The only God, the LORD, who is alive and true, who created the heaven and earth and everything, opened the road towards salvation through Jesus. In other words, Jesus was sent for expiation, and paid a ransom on the cross for our salvation. Surely, we believers, when looking back on our past, have to say that we didn't know God, the LORD, off course we didn't fear Him, nor we didn't worship Him, and we were full of selfishness. But eventually, as a result of His work, we became to know that we were sinful, fault, selfishness, in front of God the LORD, that we were under divine anger, and that we were hopeless apart far away from God the LORD. And, we realized the senselessness and emptiness of our life without God, understood that any effort and endeavor can not resolve our problem of our sin. We, then declared bankruptcy under the light from above, and obtained a grace to confess our selfishness and sin to Jesus. As a result, we became to confident that we were redeemed by a blood shed by Jesus, and changed into children of God. We are confident about it, but it doesn't strike a chord, can't be figured, can't be explained. Even so, we are confident about it. This is really a miracle? What, do you think, happened at the beginning of our life as a believer? We saw Jesus who was crucified, through the eyes of heart. In the Holy Bible, it is written as, John, 1:29
Believing is recognizing the LORD Jesus who was crucified, as a man who died for ourselves, believing a truth that he was sacrificed for our sin. The Holy Bible tells that one who thanks for Jesus's redemption will have an eternal life. It doesn't matter whether we can understand it or not, feel it or not. 2600 years ago, Isaiah wrote, Isaiah, 45:22
It doesn't say, study or carry on one's effort and be saved. Just turn to me and be saved. Turning to Him is in other words acknowledging Him. On John, 1:12, it is written, John, 1:12
Not to those who understand Him, but to those who accepted the LORD Jesus who is savior. John, 1:12
It is the supreme privilege to become a child of God. An almighty God permitted us to become his child. Because of Jesus, the LORD God admitted becoming our father. We are no longer alone. The Great LORD is always with us. It is an unimaginable truth. Ten and years ago, I visited a woman at a hospital at Naha in Okinawa Pref. She was a professor in a university, and paralyzed by a traffic accident. During my first visit, she cried and cried. "My world is collapsed away, and everything is over." "WHY?" She became a solid of that thinking. But, the LORD gave a grace to her. She said "I am happy", not knowing surely why she could say so then. She confessed that without this misfortune she would not have opened her heart, and she is not alone, because Jesus is always with her. Why a believer became a child of the LORD God? It is impossible to explain it. By the grace of the LORD God, we were newly born, and became a child of God. And, just like we were born into this world just once, the new birth happiness only once. The seed of a new birth is the words of God written in the Holy Bible, and the action of the spirit of God. And, just like a birth into this world means the beginning of a life, a new birth also means a beginning. At a birth, a baby is a seed of happiness for parents. But if it doesn't grow at all, it will on the contrary be a seed of grief. After a new birth, we are required to grow always. Thus apostles wrote letters. Those who were redeemed, and admitted becoming a child of God, are though required to grow. It is an incredible truth that we are now already a child of God. We may know its greatness when we are in heaven. The reason why we can vastly rejoice now is that our down-and-dirty past is vanished, and our sin and selfishness is washed away by His blood. Let's rejoice greatly. Praise the LORD. People may abandon their children, hate them, or in some cases kill them in cold blood. But the God, alive and true, lives for His children, and does the best for them. As for a future, or a growth from now on, it is written as follows. This is the second point. We shall be like Him. As I have said, to be saved and to be a child of the God, it is only requested to turn to and look at the LORD Jesus as our savior. Turn to me and be saved, all you ends of the earth. Look, the LORD Jesus, who takes away the sin from you, and He promised it. Jesus promised as, John, 6:40
Now we know that those who were saved will be like Christ. Even though we can't understand nor grasp His greatness at all, we are sure that we will be like Christ. If we seriously think how, it will be ridiculous. It's impossible. Unimaginable. However, it is written. If we believe that He will surely do it, we will be surprised, and shocked, and have nothing but to worship Him. We can't imagine how we will be like Christ. The answer is written in 2 Corinthian, 3:18. You may know it by heart, 2 Corinthian, 3:18
The mystery for being like Jesus is looking at the LORD Jesus who was pulled up into high above. While looking at the LORD, without knowing it, we will be changed, and provided a victory, and blessed so much. Because a human being is changed into whom he looks at. David, who wrote most of Psalms, once said. Psalms, 34:5
Filled with rejoice. You will follow what your eyes are looking at, and be changed as it is. So, unless we look at Jesus, we will not be satisfied with what our eyes see, and nothing will lead and support us. The purpose of Satan's temptation is unaware preventing us from looking at Jesus, and making us looking at ourselves. In this way, Satan leads people to haughtiness, and depression, and we will fall into truly miserable selfishness. And, it will bring us feelings of inferiority, and slavish feeling, and sometimes, on the other hand, feeling of superiority and arrogant feeling. The LORD Jesus can't use, nor bless those who are in this state. Even more, they are used by Satan as his instruments. Only by looking at the LORD who was pulled up into high above, we will be changed like the LORD, reflecting His glory, from glory to glory. What in nature is the basis of a happiness for believers? #1: We are already a child of the God, who create this immeasurable universe from nothing. #2: We will be like Christ. Surely, we can't imagine, nor figure it. But, it will be fulfilled without fail, because it is promised. One More Thing: Here it is promised that we will see Christ, as he is. Ten and years ago, I met a brother, who once was an anchorman on TV. He was dying. He seemed to be unconscious, but I was sure that he heard my prayer, because after it he wept. Then, his wife, who is a sister, talked to him, "You will be with Jesus soon. You will be with Jesus." again and again. Soon, we also will see Jesus as he is. This is surely an unimaginable, but wonderful truth. Even though we can't imagine nor explain it, but we are sure that we will be like the LORD at the very moment when we see Jesus. Off course, it must never be our achievement, it is only by the grace of the LORD. When we think about it, we have nothing but to worship the LORD. What we can do to be changed like Him, is merely intentionally looking away from ourselves and also people around us, and just looking at the LORD Jesus, who was crucified, who will come to this world again in the near future, and not preventing His words and the Spirit of the LORD working on our heart. It is recommended for us to confess like this. When we painfully recognize a lot of insufficiency, verdancy, defect, imperfection in ourselves everyday, we will find that being like the LORD is utterly unimaginable, and within us, there is no possibility. But it is explicitly written in the Holy Bible as the promise of the LORD, We will be changed like the LORD, looking at Him. We are confident that we will be like Christ, because we will see Him as He is. This is an irremovable truth. As a matter of fact, we can't understand it based on reason, follow it. But, it surely will happen so, because the LORD is not a liar. As a whole, what is important is not what we think, nor the ability to think, but that His words tell so. Thus, even we can believe it without anxiety that we will be like Jesus. Romans, we read this book often. In chapter 8, we mostly quote only verse 28, but I think we should read verse 29 together. Romans, 8:29
Jesus was called an only child. The child must be an elder son. As a whole, sisters and brothers are indispensable. Because the LORD always care about the family. Surely, in our life, there are a variety of scattered burdens, and things make us powerless. As a result, we sometimes feel that we want to throw everything away, and give up. But those who stand still in front of the LORD with the serious desire that Jesus is newly formed with in ourselves will be lead and be able to pass through any difficulties, and eventually will be newly formed. Off course at the aerial advert. Truly, what we call the aerial advert is described to encourage us. On 1 Corinthians, 15:51-52, it is described. 1 Thessalonians, 4:13-18
We will meet Him soon. There is a sister who has been on her bed tens of years. She is in a miserable status. She fell down and paralyzed and unable to talk. As a result, she can't even express her feeling. Last year, sometimes she felt good, and could move one finger, just 1mm. Her finger is connected to a Personal Computer, and with the machine she could talk what she want to say. She can't do things in hurry, so, in hours she could express what she wanted to say. One day she wrote this script. I am a solid of pain. So, I always pray. I can't hear, nor eat, but just wait for the sound of a trumpet. She longs for His coming. Please come in hurry. I eagerly wait for your coming. What a wonderful testimony. Her daughter once talk to a sister that she will take care of her mother for even ten years, twenty years... She lives her mother. Off course there are a lot of machines, and no need to stay at hospital. As a matter of fact, doctors can do noting to cure her. But she can't go out of home because of the care. She really wants to come to Miyota with her husband and children, but she can't. Because of her mother. However, she is willing to do everything for her mother. This is a miracle. As a whole, Jesus makes her do everything, Jesus controls everything, Jesus doesn't put unnecessary burden nor give unnecessary sickness. With this belief, you will see things in different ways, and be provided an incredible force. On 1 Corinthians, 15:51-52, an aerial advert is described. 1 Corinthians, 15:51-52
It's not a dream that we will be changed like Jesus. When? This Scripture tells that at the very moment we see Jesus, we will be changed in a moment. Churches in Corinth were in mess. Their existence was not used as a testimony. Believers in Corinth had no affinity to attract people to make them look at Jesus. "They are in mess." People thought so. But, here in this Scripture, it is written, "We". Incredible! But the LORD never break His promise. Let me read the Scripture again. 1 John, 3:2
We will be with Him forever. Those who are looking forward to his coming have the goal to live for the LORD. Paul wrote to believers in Corinth as follows. Colossians, 3:1-4
The mystery to be changed is off course looking at the LORD. In Hebrews, Hebrews, 12:2
Do not look away from Jesus. This is, for us, the most important encouragement, and order. |