[Passage]
[Ezekiel 47: 1-5]
[1] Then he brought me back to the door of the house; and behold, water was flowing from under the threshold of the house toward the east, for the house faced east. And the water was flowing down from under, from the right side of the house, from south of the altar. [2] He brought me out by way of the north gate and led me around on the outside to the outer gate by way of the gate that faces east. And behold, water was trickling from the south side. [3] When the man went out toward the east with a line in his hand, he measured a thousand cubits, and he led me through the water, water reaching the ankles. [4] Again he measured a thousand and led me through the water, water reaching the knees. Again he measured a thousand and led me through the water, water reaching the loins. [5] Again he measured a thousand; and it was a river that I could not ford, for the water had risen, enough water to swim in, a river that could not be forded.”
This is the 21st session of ‘God Measures Our Faith‘.
Jewelry cases will have different values according to what kinds of jewels are put in there, rather than the cases themselves.
You are very precious vessels that contain the most precious treasures of the world.
2 Corinthians 4:6-7 says, “For God, who said, ‘Light shall shine out of darkness,’ is the One who has shone in our hearts to give the Light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ. [7] But we have this treasure in earthen vessels…”
We were only earthen vessels that were made of clay.
But as the light of the gospel was contained in us, we became treasure boxes that contain treasures.
And are there any of you who have forgotten how precious you are and are mistreating yourselves?
Namely, are there any of you who are destroying and polluting yourselves by committing grave sins that are difficult to be forgiven, causing yourselves to become vessels that are no longer worthy to contain treasures?
I hope nobody will be such foolish ones any longer.
Keep yourself pure and firm until the day Lord comes back.
I hope you will keep the treasure that is in you safely.
In doing so, I pray in the name of the Lord that you will be able to stand as a jewelry case that contains precious treasures before the Lord on the Last Day.
Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, viewing audiences,
The 12th sin that deprives of salvation is to defile the temple of God.
The Bible clearly warns us of the grave sins that deprive of salvation.
And to defile the temple of God, namely to severely defile our body and mind belongs to one of those sins.
1 Corinthians 3:16-17 says, “Do you not know that you are a temple of God and that the Spirit of God dwells in you? [17] If any man destroys the temple of God, God will destroy him, for the temple of God is holy, and that is what you are.”
Since we are saved and have become God’s children, God says that we are the temple of God where the Holy Spirit dwells.
The Holy Spirit dwells in our hearts.
Therefore, to defile the temple of God is to defile once again our body and mind with sins and evil, after having received the Holy Spirit.
This message is in line with circumcising our heart, which I explained in the last session.
Not everyone who has accepted the Lord and become God’s children will be unconditionally saved.
They can be saved only when they try to live a life that is worthy to be called God’s children by circumcising their heart.
It’s because faith is to live such a life.
As I mentioned in the last session, we have to wash the robes, namely our hearts, that are stained with sins and evil.
Accepting the Lord and repenting once is not the end of the story. We have to try hard to cast away the evil that is in our heart.
Or, if we just keep on sinning just like before we accepted the Lord, the Holy Spirit has to leave our heart.
It’s because the Holy Spirit is literally ‘holy’.
He cannot dwell in a filthy place.
Of course, He endures for a long time.
When a new believer sometimes stumbles in his struggle against sins, He would not leave him right away.
If he tries to live in the truth again, the Holy Spirit will wash his sin-stained heart with the power of the blood of Jesus Christ.
It is as said in 1 John 1:7, “but if we walk in the Light as He Himself is in the Light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus His Son cleanses us from all sin.”
But after defiling our body and mind with various sins, if we repent only with lips, saying, “God, forgive me,” and just keep on sinning, then the Holy Spirit has to leave us.
Brothers and sisters, since I accepted the Lord, I really tried hard to cleanse myself and to keep myself pure.
When I realized the sins and evil that I had to cast away while reading the Bible, I made notes of them and prayed about them until I had cast them away completely.
I did not want to harbor any unholy thought or emotions.
It’s because I felt in my heart that my dear Father God and the Lord are so holy.
The apostle Paul who passionately loved the Lord always challenged me.
He advised the believers as follows:
2 Corinthians 7:1 says, “Therefore, having these promises, beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all defilement of flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God.”`
I tried hard according to this verse.
As a result, after three years which was a relatively short period of time, I could be assured that all kinds of dirty sins were removed from my body and heart.
Anybody can do this.
Is there anyone who has fear and agony because you are still dwelling in sins while you know the word of God?
I hope you will be thankful for that, too.
2 Corinthians 7:10 says, “For the sorrow that is according to the will of God produces a repentance without regret, leading to salvation.”
The fear of the judgment and Hell will let you turn from sins.
If you do not only turn from sins but circumcise your heart to have a holy heart, the fear will go away.
You will be able to feel that the love of God the Father is really warm.
You will want to see God so much.
So, just by saying, “Father God, I love you,” you will burst into tears.
Also, your heart will be filled with thanks, peace, and happiness.
Of course, rather than fear, you have a more powerful motivation in your heart, which is the love of the Father God and the Lord, and the hope for New Jerusalem.
Therefore, you are more than able to turn from sins and circumcise your heart.
If you have been defiling your body and mind with sins and evil until now, do begin to clean the temple, namely circumcision of your heart.
If you have been diligently cleaning your heart, I hope you will keep your body and heart clean, which is the temple of God, until the Lord comes back, as said in 1 Thessalonians 5:23, “Now may the God of peace Himself sanctify you entirely; and may your spirit and soul and body be preserved complete, without blame at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.”
Brothers and sisters, you should remember that not only defiling your body and heart, which is the temple in the spiritual sense, but also defiling the physical temple of God is a grave sin that will jeopardize your salvation.
The sanctuary is a holy place where God dwells.
Are acts of vandalism in the church or intentionally contaminating the church with some filth or garbage the only acts of defilement? Of course not!
It is not just such evil acts as these, but also speaking unholy words or acting with unholy behavior in the church are all defiling the sanctuary.
Let me give you some examples. If you get angry, quarrel or curse in the church; if you sell and buy things or take worldly forms of entertainments, it is defiling the sanctuary.
If you watch obscene materials or do obscene things in the church, it is directly related to your salvation.
Of course, you must not have secular conversations or do secular things in the church such as having parties, bazaars, or exercising.
If you have little children, you must watch them carefully so that they will not break anything or make a mess in the church.
The same goes for wasting church things.
It is because such an act shows your lack of reverence for God and that you do not cherish the things that are in the sanctuary of God.
Please refer to the sermon, “Consider the Temple Holy” that was preached in 2009, so that you can be careful about each behavior that you have in the church.
In doing so, I urge you in the name of the Lord, that you will not build up any wall of sin before God and cause God’s wrath to be brought upon you.
