[Passage]
Galatians 6:9
“Let us not lose heart in doing good, for in due time we will reap if we do not grow weary.”
Introduction
Dear brothers and sisters in Christ,
It’s not easy for a man to understand another person’s heart clearly.
But people usually think they understand another person’s heart just by seeing his outer appearance.
But God clearly knows the deep heart of each one of us.
When people commit sins, God does not look at the deed itself. God looks at the heart of each individual to judge the severity of the sin.
For example, two persons respectively stole somebody else’s money.
Stealing is certainly a sin.
One of them stole the money out of his greed for money.
But the other one had a friend whose mother was dying but could not afford any treatment. He stole the money for this friend’s mother.
He did not steal out of his greed for money, but with the sympathy and with the desire to help his friend and his friend’s mother.
Though they committed the same sin called stealing, God considers each case very differently.
It’s because the motive is completely different.
God may have mercy on the one who stole the money to help others, even though it’s a sin.
For this reason it might seem that they committed the same sin, but the punishment is all different for each one.
In John 7:24 Jesus said, “Do not judge according to appearance, but judge with righteous judgment.” As said, God judges justly.
But it doesn’t mean we can commit sin if it is with a good motive.
Whatever the motive was in committing the sin, a sin is still a sin.
Also, even if we do something with a good motive, God may say it is still evil unless we completely resemble God. Then, it is still a sin that is evil.
Also, the punishment for the sins will be greater when the evilness in one’s heart is greater.
Therefore, what is important is that we have to have good heart in the sight of God.
Through this message, I hope you will try to check how much goodness of heart you have in the sight of God who sees the heart.
In doing so, I pray in the name of the Lord that you will realize the way to receive an answer from God and also cultivate a higher level of goodness.
[Main]
Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, since the last session I’ve been talking about the cases in which it is very difficult for you to receive an answer.
They are the cases where you committed sins that are very difficult to be forgiven and you created walls of sin before God.
In the last session, I talked about blaspheming against the Holy Spirit and about the sins in relationships between men and women among the evident works of the flesh.
Even though you committed the same works of flesh, I explained that, the measure of justice that you have to fill to be forgiven of sins and to receive an answer is different from person to person.
According to the heart of the person who committed a sin, the same act for one person may be a grave sin while it may be considered to be a minor sin for another person.
Accordingly, the punishment and the trials following the sin will also be different.
In the last session, I gave you the example of the case of murder where the murderer was able to go to the city of refuge and save his life.
In Deuteronomy chapter 22, we can find different punishments for adulteries according to the situation of each case.
In the Old Testament, one’s outward deed was the standard of judgment for his punishment.
They were not punished for the sins they committed in thoughts.
Unlike the New Testament where the Holy Spirit helps us, it was difficult to cast away sins of the heart in the Old Testament times.
But when they did commit sins in action, they were strictly punished.
However, God still considered the heart of each one.
For example, if they willfully committed evil acts, God did not forgive them.
If an unmarried lady committed adultery or if a man committed adultery with a married woman, God said they had to be put to death to remove the evil.
It tells us that it was an act of evil because they followed their lusts and willfully committed the acts.
Also, when a man slept with a married woman, it was a greater sin because it destroyed the marriage relation that is supposed to be solemnly kept.
Today, there are so many people who meet with persons of opposite sex to satisfy their lusts.
God allowed for the sexual relationship between a man and a woman only for married couples who are legally bound to one another.
To maintain chastity before marriage and to keep their fidelity for their spouse after the marriage is the will of God.
It applies to both men and women.
But some people have sexual relationships even before marriage.
They say they love one another, but they really don’t. They don’t want to get married, but they ask their partners to marry them, take their bodies, and just desert them.
Then, they meet other people.
They say they love each other, but they betray each other because of their lust and come to hate each other.
Even among those who attend church and who, unlike the worldly people, know about God, there are some who commit such sins repeatedly.
This is such a great sin in the sight of God.
These sins are very difficult to be forgiven.
On the other hand, some people commit works of the flesh, but God considers their sin less severe.
For example, in Deuteronomy 22, God may or may not hold them accountable even though they are caught while committing adultery.
God made the people consider whether it was intentional or not, to decide the punishment.
Deuteronomy 22:23-24 says, “If there is a girl who is a virgin engaged to a man, and another man finds her in the city and lies with her, [24] then you shall bring them both out to the gate of that city and you shall stone them to death; the girl, because she did not cry out in the city, and the man, because he has violated his neighbor’s wife.”
It says the girl had to be put to death because she did not cry out in the city.
Namely, because she did not fight it, but laid with the man by her consent, she had to be put to death.
Deuteronomy 22:25-27 says, “But if in the field the man finds the girl who is engaged, and the man forces her and lies with her, then only the man who lies with her shall die. [26] But you shall do nothing to the girl; there is no sin in the girl worthy of death, for just as a man rises against his neighbor and murders him, so is this case. [27] When he found her in the field, the engaged girl cried out, but there was no one to save her.”
A woman’s physical strength is usually weaker than that of a man.
So, it is difficult to escape the situation if there is no one to help.
In this kind of case, God told them not to kill the woman unless they had the evidence that she willfully committed a sin, so that the woman, being innocent, wouldn’t be put to death.
But God made the man pay the price for his sin.
Even though the woman is not married, as long as she was engaged God deemed it same as committing adultery with a married woman.
On the other hand, if a man slept with a single woman, God opened a way for him to be forgiven.
God let him repent and pay the price of his sin.
Deuteronomy 22:28-29 says, “If a man finds a girl who is a virgin, who is not engaged, and seizes her and lies with her and they are discovered, [29] then the man who lay with her shall give to the girl’s father fifty shekels of silver, and she shall become his wife because he has violated her; he cannot divorce her all his days.”
It is clearly a sin to have a physical relationship before marriage.
Nevertheless, if the man marries the woman and takes full responsibility for the rest of his life, God forgave him.
By doing so, both the man and the woman who was violated could be saved.
Recently, I could feel the love of God who wants to forgive even those who committed sins and who wants to let them live.
A certain sister got a disease and came to receive my prayer.
But her conditions didn’t get better even with the prayer.
Finally, she confessed that she had had a physical relationship with her boyfriend.
I thought now she would be healed because she repented with heart, but she wasn’t healed.
So I asked God in prayer about this case.
Then, God let me know that her boyfriend should also come and repent together.
When I told her this fact both of them came and repented before God.
I asked them if they still wanted to get married even though the girl was sick, they said they were willing.
Their love for each other did not change.
An unchanging mind and keeping the promise is what pleases God.
They committed sins because they couldn’t control their lust for the moment, but because they had this kind of good heart God accepted their repentance.
When I prayed for the healing she was healed immediately and now they are married and leading a diligent life in faith.
But it doesn’t mean you can just go ahead and commit works of flesh because you are going to get married and your heart won’t change.
As mentioned already, this sister suffered so much because of that sin!
If you really love each other, you have to keep each other.
Also, even in the same case, the magnitude of that sin will be different according to the level of faith of the one who committed the sin.
For example, if a worker of God who was diligently marching towards Heaven committed this kind of sin, the gravity of the sin is heavier.
And greater trials will follow.
Also, in some cases, even though they didn’t actually commit works of flesh, they get a serious disease and suffer for a long time.
Even though they repent, they are not healed instantly. This is actually a blessing.
Even though they didn’t commit any works of flesh, God has allowed this trial so they can pull out the root of adultery from their heart.
For example, suppose a person is gentle in heart and has been faithful for God’s kingdom with his love for God.
But even though he has not committed a work of flesh, he disobeyed God’s word, for example by riding in a car alone with another woman.
He gave his heart to that woman. So the disease came because God did not protect Him.
God allowed a trial for him. It’s because if he was just left alone, it could have developed into a work of flesh, too.
God sees the heart of each one and He knows the sinful nature of each person.
God knows that he has a good heart, even good enough to go to New Jerusalem, if he casts away an adulterous mind and keeps himself pure.
So, God intervenes midway to keep him pure and allows for him to cast away evil through the trial.
Sometimes, God allows trials in heart instead of diseases that are seen on the outside.
God lets them hate the sins while they are going through the trial, so they can cast away sins completely.
Trials will follow not just for adultery but also for works of flesh such as abortion.
Therefore, if you have done such a thing you must repent thoroughly.
Some senior people get a serious disease and pray for it, and they come to remember they did such things some decades ago and repent of them.
If they don’t tear down this wall of sin, God will certainly hold them accountable on the Judgment Day.
So, by allowing them some trials, God lets them realize their sins and cast away sinful nature itself.
Trials are the love of God.
Therefore, I hope you will realize what kind of category you fall into and pass through the trials in love and endurance so you can receive the answer you want.
Then, just march on with fervor, having the hope of New Jerusalem.
Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, the third case in which it is difficult to receive answers from God is in cases of idolatry.
Exodus 20:5 latter half says that the curses caused by idolatry will go down to three to four generations.
As explained, idolatry is such a grave sin.
Unless you repent thoroughly and turn back completely, it’s difficult to escape from the curses.
For example, some people receive disturbing works in worship services or prayers. The power of darkness gives them idle thoughts and drowsiness.
Even though they believe in God, they might get a disease or face disasters.
All things should go well with them but things don’t go well even though they believe in God.
They lead a life in faith without any joy or fullness of the Spirit.
But they think they repented, and they are not attached to idols any more.
They say they got rid of all idols and amulets and all traces of idolatry, and they focus on church only.
But in fact, in many cases they did not repent from the heart and their walls of sins have not been torn down yet.
It’s because they couldn’t repent from heart thoroughly because they don’t realize the magnitude of their sins.
Idolatry can never be considered a light sin.
It cannot just disappear if you just repent with lips.
For example, suppose a son hates his father so much. He blames his father for everything that goes wrong with him.
He complains against his father saying he failed in his life because his father didn’t educate or support him enough.
He curses at his father, and even threatens his father with a knife to give him money.
But one day, this son says he is sorry and asks his father for forgiveness. He gets a job and works hard.
He tries to serve his parents, too. Then, would the father be able to accept this son immediately?
He will watch his son at least for some time to find out whether this son’s attitude is genuine.
But soon, this son shows the same kind of attitude as before. The parents cannot feel any love of this son.
Then, this father will think the son will never change and he will only have greater distrust regarding his son.
Only when the son’s new attitude does not change at all, can he understand that the son is really repenting and he really loves his father.
But idolatry is even greater sin than what this son did to his father.
God the Father always wants to give us blessings and good things. As proof, He gave us His only begotten Son.
Also, God is good, blameless and spotless. He is a perfect being.
People have denied Him, stood against Him, and cursed Him for many generations.
Then, just because they attend church now, can the walls of sin be torn down at once?
They have to show that they completely turn back from idolatry and show that their love for God is genuine.
In order to do that, all the family members have to love God first. Namely, they have to keep on casting away sins and become sanctified.
Only then can God acknowledge their faith.
If God acknowledges a person, the enemy devil and Satan will leave. Any kind of serious illness will be healed.
But they doze off in the worship service, and they don’t pray with their heart either.
They don’t cast away just simple anger for many years. They don’t have peace in the family either.
Then, we cannot say they truly love God.
For this reason God cannot answer them even if He wants to.
If He does answer them, they will just stay where they are, or their faith will backslide.
Instead of being good for them, giving the desired answer would be harmful.
Also, if God answers them when they are not qualified, it is against the justice and the enemy devil and Satan will object to it.
Therefore, they first have to have show true love for God and melt His heart.
It’s not just about idolatry but also with the cases where you stood against God greatly and stored up so much evil.
You have to show that you are a really a child of God who truly loves Him.
[Conclusion]
Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, if you have some problems, I believe you want to receive the answer for it as soon as possible.
Since the opening of the church, I also have wanted all those who were sick to receive healings and who had problems to receive the answer as soon as possible.
That is why I have been fasting and stayed up many nights praying, for almost last 30 years.
As a result of my earnest prayers and endurance, God gave me the power we have right now.
God has fulfilled the measure of justice so that you can be healed of any serious disease and you can receive the answer to any difficult problem.
How thankful a thing it is that you have the hope to be healthy and to receive the answer to any kind of problem and blessings!
But to receive the answer, you must cultivate the goodness that God desires of you.
Even though you cannot cultivate it at once, you should be able to show the fruits of your accomplishment from time to time.
This rule of justice will never change.
Also, if you receive blessings without spiritual change and growth, it can be rather harmful to you.
The desire of God the Father who wants you to become His true children and receive blessings is much greater than your desire to receive an answer of God.
Isaiah 30:18 says, “Therefore the LORD longs to be gracious to you, and therefore He waits on high to have compassion on you. For the LORD is a God of justice; how blessed are all those who long for Him.”
I hope you will remember the deep love of God who waits to give to you the best things.
I pray in the name of the Lord that you will patiently endure to receive your answers.
[Amen]
