The Ministers of the Gospel-4

¹⁹ 그러므로 형제들아 우리가 예수의 피를 힘입어 성소에 들어갈 담력을 얻었나니 ²⁰ 그 길은 우리를 위하여 휘장 가운데로 열어 놓으신 새롭고 산 길이요 휘장은 곧 저의 육체니라 ²¹ 또 하나님의 집 다스리는 큰 제사장이 계시매 ²² 우리가 마음에 뿌림을 받아 양심의 악을 깨닫고 몸을 맑은 물로 씻었으니 참 마음과 온전한 믿음으로 하나님께 나아가자 ²³ 또 약속하신 이는 미쁘시니 우리가 믿는 도리의 소망을 움직이지 말고 굳게 잡아 ²⁴ 서로 돌아보아 사랑과 선행을 격려하며 ²⁵ 모이기를 폐하는 어떤 사람들의 습관과 같이 하지 말고 오직 권하여 그날이 가까움을 볼수록 더욱 그리하자. ¹⁹ Therefore, brothers, since we have confidence to enter the holy places by the blood of Jesus, ²⁰ by the new and living way that he opened for us through the curtain, that is, through his flesh, ²¹ and since we have a great priest over the house of God, ²² let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, with our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water. ²³ Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for he who promised is faithful. ²⁴ And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, ²⁵ not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near. (Heb. 10:19-25 ESV)

⁷ 이 복음을 위하여 그의 능력이 역사하시는 대로 내게 주신 하나님의 은혜의 선물을 따라 내가 일군이 되었노라 ⁸ 모든 성도 중에 지극히 작은 자보다 더 작은 나에게 이 은혜를 주신 것은 측량할 수 없는 그리스도의 풍성을 이방인에게 전하게 하시고 ⁹ 영원부터 만물을 창조하신 하나님 속에 감취었던 비밀의 경륜이 어떠한 것을 드러내게 하려 하심이라 ¹⁰ 이는 이제 교회로 말미암아 하늘에서 정사와 권세들에게 하나님의 각종 지혜를 알게 하려 하심이니 ¹¹ 곧 영원부터 우리 주 그리스도 예수 안에서 예정하신 뜻대로 하신 것이라 ¹² 우리가 그 안에서 그를 믿음으로 말미암아 담대함과 하나님께 당당히 나아감을 얻느니라 ¹³ 그러므로 너희에게 구하노니 너희를 위한 나의 여러 환난에 대하여 낙심치 말라 이는 너희의 영광이니라. ⁷ Of this gospel I was made a minister according to the gift of God's grace, which was given me by the working of his power. ⁸ To me, though I am the very least of all the saints, this grace was given, to preach to the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ, ⁹ and to bring to light for everyone what is the plan of the mystery hidden for ages in God, who created all things, ¹⁰ so that through the church the manifold wisdom of God might now be made known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly places. ¹¹ This was according to the eternal purpose that he has realized in Christ Jesus our Lord, ¹² in whom we have boldness and access with confidence through our faith in him. ¹³ So I ask you not to lose heart over what I am suffering for you, which is your glory. (Eph. 3:7-13)

FCF: We tend to misunderstand the ministry and minister of the gospel for the unity of the church.

주제: 하나님은 복음을 위하여 사역하는 은혜를 주시기에 고난이 있어도 하나님을 위하여 복음으로 사람들을 섬겨야 합니다. 

Theme: Because God grants us the grace to minister for the gospel, we must serve others for God through the gospel amid suffering.

Introduction: As long as we live in the world, we can’t completely avoid conflicts and divisions among people. Where people are, there are conflicts. People with a sinful nature can’t establish a utopian world no matter how desperately they try. We Christians know this fact well. We are not naïve to believe there is a perfect church in the world. We have been thinking about the topic of unity in the church for months. Since the early church, the church of Christ has sadly gone through unnecessary divisions. One mega-church in Seoul, Korea was divided into two factions, one group gathered around their current pastor and the other group gathered around their retired pastor. One group occupied the first floor where they held worship services and fellowship meals, whereas the other occupied the eighth floor and held Sunday meetings. Both groups seemed to worship God sincerely. But both groups fought fiercely with each other to monopolize the right to the entire church building. The first group was barred from going up to the next floor. They slandered each other. They shouted and hurled slurs at each other. But it seems that they forgot they belonged to the same family of God.

                  Both groups never held a meeting for repentance and reconciliation. While making every effort to worship God on Sunday, they forgot the following exhortation of Jesus: ²² 나는 너희에게 이르노니 형제에게 노하는 자마다 심판을 받게 되고 형제를 대하여 라가 라 하는 자는 공회에 잡히게 되고 미련한 놈이라 하는 자는 지옥 불에 들어가게 되리라 ²³ 그러므로 예물을 제단에 드리다가 거기서 네 형제에게 원망 들을 만한 일이 있는 줄 생각나거든 ²⁴ 예물을 제단 앞에 두고 먼저 가서 형제와 화목하고 그 후에 와서 예물을 드리라. ²² But I say to you that everyone who is angry with his brother will be liable to judgment; whoever insults his brother will be liable to the council; and whoever says, 'You fool!' will be liable to the hell of fire. ²³ So if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother has something against you, ²⁴ leave your gift there before the altar and go. First be reconciled to your brother, and then come and offer your gift (Matt. 5:22-24). Both groups were zealous of worshiping God while neglecting their duty to be reconciled to each other. According to Jesus, their Sunday worship services wouldn’t be acceptable in the presence of God. Their pastors leading these divided groups were not resolving the division but worsening it. Both of them failed to act according to the gospel of peace.

                  On the contrary, the apostle Paul did his best to bring Jewish Christians and Gentile Christians into harmony in the Ephesian congregation. He was a faithful minister of God willing to live and die for Christ, His gospel, and His church. He is certainly exemplary for all Christians, including Christian gospel ministers, who are called to work together for the unity of the church. So far, we have been learning this proposition: “Because God grants us the grace to minister for the gospel, we must serve others for God through the gospel amid suffering.” I have dealt with the first three major points: 1) serve for the gospel with divine enablement, 2) share the wealth of Christ with others with humility, and 3) show the unity of the church for the glory of God. Today, I will discuss with you the fourth point, that is, “speak freely to God in His presence.”

I.              하나님의 능하게 하심으로 복음을 위하여 섬기라. 

Serve for the gospel with divine enablement.

II.            겸손함으로 다른 이들과 그리스도의 부요함을 나누라.

Share the wealth of Christ with others with humility.

III.          하나님의 영광을 위하여 교회의 하나됨을 보여주라.

Show the unity of the church for the glory of God.

IV.           하나님께 나와서 자유롭게 말하라.

Speak freely to God in His presence.

Paul presents himself as a model for faithful gospel ministry. He has proclaimed the mystery of Christ, which is to save sinners from every tongue, every nation, and every race in the world through the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Paul has been faithfully living according to the practical ramifications of the gospel of peace. Paul has never discriminated against any group of people in his preaching ministry. Paul has made all efforts to reach both the Jews and the Gentiles. Even though the majority of Jews didn’t like Paul’s gospel outreach to the Gentiles, Paul rightly understood the atoning work of Jesus Christ as applicable to all classes of people in the world. However, he was opposed by his fellow countrymen when he preached the gospel of salvation by faith alone in Jesus Christ. These Jews contended that the Gentiles should be circumcised and keep the law of Moses to be saved. They tried to lay the burden upon the Gentiles, which even they couldn’t bear.

Jewish Christians and Gentile Christians worshiping together in Christ in Paul’s time was sensational or scandalous because they held different, opposing religious and cultural differences. It may be compared to American Indians, regarded as “savages” by white people during the colonial period, and white Christians worshiping together in the same church building. It may be compared to Black slaves and White masters worshiping together in the same church. Or it may be compared to Japanese and Korean believers worshiping together in the same church. It may be compared to a former Muslim terrorist converted to Christianity and his terror victims worshiping together in the same Church. Paul was a social reformer and gospel minister who used the transforming power of the gospel of reconciliation to bring Jewish Christians and Gentile Christians into the same body of Christ. This is what Paul did for the Ephesian congregation. David Brainerd, an American missionary to American Indians, preached the gospel of peace and worshiped with those regarded by some whites as “soulless.”

Paul preached the gospel of Christ through whom sinners were reconciled to God. Those who were reconciled to God through the blood of Jesus Christ are called to be reconciled to each other because Christ broke down all the barriers between Jews and Gentiles. As a result of Christ’s redemptive work on the cross, the Gentile Christians and the Jewish Christians were to worship together in the same church. Paul pointed to the fact that the division in the Ephesian congregation between these two groups was antithetical to the peace Christ brought in relationships with God and each other through His death and resurrection. The mystery of Christ for the church is the union of all believers with God in Christ. All believers are united with Christ forever. Not only so, but they are also united with each other in Christ because they belong to the same body of Christ. This is the remedy Paul offers for the unity of the Ephesian church.

When the church is united with each other in Christ regardless of one’s race, ethnicity, sex, age, opinions, or culture, the church shows forth the wisdom, power, and love of God to the world divided by all kinds of petty issues. The harmony of the church is evidence of what the gospel of peace can achieve. When Jews and Gentiles worshiped together and worked together to fulfill the purposes of the church of Christ on earth, unbelievers would watch their peaceful existence and cooperation and conclude that God was powerfully working in their hearts and lives. Their unity was an indication of God’s powerful presence in the church. So, the church can preach the gospel of peace through their words and unity.

God planned our peace with God and others from eternity in Christ. However, too many believers today seem to forget this truth and act against the gospel of peace whereby they have come to believe Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord through the Holy Spirit. Since the early church, the church of Christ has suffered from infamous divisions and splits throughout church history. We must go back to the basics of the gospel of peace so that we can work together for the unity of the church to demonstrate the manifold wisdom, power, and love of God to the entire universe. Breaking the unity of the church is a serious offense against God. Anyone who attempts to destroy the church takes sides with Satan and his allies. The single goal of Satan is to destroy the church, which is the work of Jesus Christ. Destroying the church of Christ is equal to destroying the redemptive work of Christ. Surely, none of us wishes to take sides with Satan even unconsciously.

Then, what can we do for the unity of the church? In vv. 11-12, let’s find the answer to what we can do as each believer and a church. First, let’s remember the unity of the church as God’s eternal purpose. In v. 11, Paul says, 곧 영원부터 우리 주 그리스도 예수 안에서 예정하신 뜻대로 하신 것이라. “This was according to the eternal purpose that he has realized in Christ Jesus our Lord.” The Korean New Translation renders v. 11 this way: 이 일은, 하나님께서 우리 주 그리스도 예수 안에서 성취하신 영원한 뜻을 따른 것입니다. “This is according to the eternal will of God, which he accomplished in Christ Jesus our Lord.” “This” here refers to the mystery of Christ for the unification of Gentile Christians and Jewish Christians as a new person in Christ, which may display the manifold wisdom of God to the angelic beings in heaven. The gist of this verse is that God planned for the unity of all classes of people who would believe in Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord before the foundation of the world in Christ. God’s eternal purpose was fulfilled in the cross of Christ that broke down all walls of partitions among believers. The unity of the church is God’s eternal purpose.

The implication of this truth is twofold. According to God’s eternal plan, first, Christ has brought OT saints and NT saints into the one universal church through His death and resurrection. Christ fulfilled the purpose of God, namely, the unification of all saints in the kingdom of God, through His redemptive work on the cross. As mentioned, so, any attempt to destroy the unity of the church is against the eternal plan of God. No one can defeat God’s eternal decrees. Everything happens under His sovereign control. Everything will come to pass according to God’s eternal plan. So, the final unification of all believers will take place at the second coming of Christ when Christ unifies all things in heaven and all things on earth. The universal church of Christ is one. All believers throughout human history belong to this universal church. They are one in Christ.

However, local churches often go through splits and divisions. All true believers in local churches form the one body of Christ. But there are unconverted people in the visible churches. They may cause church splits. Even some true believers may be involved in church splits. But we must do what we can do for the unity of the church, acting on the dire warning that any unbiblical attempt to divide the church is a challenge against the eternal place of God who created all things for His glory. If we fight against God, we can’t win. A lot of Christians try to justify their involvement in church splits. They may try to justify their actions to split their churches. But they must be warned that they are acting against the eternal purpose of God. Any believer who lives against the will of God can’t succeed in his or her work nor can receive divine blessings in Christ.

On the contrary, anyone who works together with his or her fellow believers for unity in the church will be remembered as a champion of faith in the eternal kingdom of God. The apostle Paul worked hard for the unity of the church through his preaching and action. He was willing to identify himself with Gentile believers in the church, using the first-person plural “we.” In vv. 7-13, Paul uses the first-person singular “I” to describe his gospel ministry. But he uses the first-person plural “we” in v. 11 to describe the unity of all believers in the church. In this “we,” Paul includes “himself” and all Gentile believers in the Ephesian congregation. He never makes any distinction between himself, a Jewish believer and all Gentile believers. Here Paul shows the togetherness of the church in Christ in enjoying free and confident access to God. Paul has never pitted Jewish people against Gentile people. He humbly served them through the gospel. He has never excluded himself from the fellowship with Gentile believers. He has enjoyed the fellowship with both Jewish Christians and Gentile Christians. He treated both groups of Christians fairly because all of them formed the same family of God.

Indeed, Paul loved all souls in the love of Christ on the cross, whether they were Jews or Gentiles, whether they were free or bonded, whether they were men or women, whether they were learned or unlearned, or whether they were rich or poor. He never divided the church into a “we” inner group and a “they” outer group. Some Christians call themselves “we” and other Christians “they” in the same church, dividing people according to their political orientations, hometowns, ages, or cultures. Such distinction leads to discrimination. Paul endeavored to remove such discrimination from the church of Christ. Paul followed the example of Jesus Christ who loved all people through His life and death. He loved all sinners. His death on the cross is evidence of God’s unconditional love for sinners. Because we experienced this love and have peace with God, we must work for peace with each other so that they can maintain the harmony and unity of the church. We must learn to cooperate with others for unity in the church.

Second, let’s practice our union with Christ. In v. 12, Paul begins with the phrase “in Him,” whose antecedent is “Christ Jesus our Lord.” This antecedent is the full title of Jesus. Jesus is the personal name. Christ is the messianic title meaning “the anointed one.” And another title “our Lord” refers to the commonality of Christ’s lordship over Paul a Jewish Christian and the Gentile Christians in the Ephesian church. Paul here conveys the truth that Jesus is the promised Anointed King and Lord over the church. Paul here uses the first-person plural “we” as a reference to the church of Ephesus. Paul and his readers constitute the church he mentioned in v. 9. The church belongs to the Lord Jesus Christ and honors the lordship of Jesus Christ.

Paul ties this full title with his favorite prepositional phrase “in Him.” The last phrase in v. 10 is connected to the first phrase in v. 11. Paul’s mind is filled with the Lord Jesus Christ. Salvation is impossible without Christ. God the Father planned; God the Son fulfilled the purpose of God planned by the Father; and God the Holy Spirit applies the redemptive work of Christ to believers of Christ. Salvation is of the triune God. For Paul, the unification of all believers in the church is impossible apart from Christ. And it is achieved through union with Christ. The prepositional phrase “in Him” carries the idea of an inseparable, eternal, and vital union with Christ. As Christ said, Christ is in the church and the church is in Him. Christ and His church are one. Christ is the Bridegroom and His church is the Bride. Christ is the Head and the church is His body. This vital union is a theological truth. However, not every believer lives in that theological truth.

The key to unity in the church is found in our union with Christ. In a practical sense, the unity of the church depends on whether we practice our union with Christ in our everyday lives. Jesus compares our union with Christ to the relationship of the vine with its branches. The fruitfulness depends on the branches connecting to the vine. When the branches reach the sap of life from the vine, they bear much fruit. Listen to the following passage: 나는 포도나무요 너희는 가지니 저가 내 안에, 내가 저 안에 있으면 이 사람은 과실을 많이 맺나니 나를 떠나서는 너희가 아무 것도 할 수 없음이라. I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing (Jn. 15:1).

This verse suggests the idea that we daily walk closely with Jesus Christ our Lord. When we live in obedience to Christ’s lordship, we can bear the fruit of the Holy Spirit. The unity of the church can be achieved when each of us walks in union with Christ. When we listen to the voice of Christ speaking to us within our hearts through the Spirit and the Word, we will be able to be reconciled to those in the church who may be different from us in many ways. We may be able to accept other believers in the church as they are rather than trying to change them in the way we wish. We may be able to resolve petty and personal issues with others in the church. We see other believers belonging to the same vine. We see ourselves and them as part of the same church rather than making ourselves different and superior to them. Our daily practice of union with Christ will lead us to unity in the church, whereby we will display the real presence of God to a lost world.

Do you know Christ is in you and you are in Christ? Do you live in the reality of your union with Christ? Or do you live in separation from Christ? If you live in isolation from Christ, you will live in isolation from other believers in the church. Then, you won’t enjoy a fellowship with Christ and your fellow believers. You are vitally connected with Christ and His church. When you are separated from the church, it implies you may be separated from Christ, the head of the church. Today, too many Christians fall into selfish individualism. They believe they can have a triumphant, vibrant Christian life without being part of a local church. They are afraid they may be hurt in their relationship with others in a local church. But God designed us to be part of a local church. God wants us to show forth His glory to the world through our union with Christ and our unity with others in the church. If a log is taken out of the burning pile of logs, it will soon lose its fire. It will die out. Likewise, when we belong to a fervent body of believers in the local church, we will serve our roles in displaying God’s manifold wisdom to the entire cosmos through our loving harmony.

Third, let’s enjoy God’s presence in worship by faith in Christ. One of the privileges of our union with Christ is free and bold access to the holy presence of God. In v. 13, Paul puts it this way: 우리가 그 안에서 그를 믿음으로 말미암아 담대함과 하나님께 당당히 나아감을 얻느니라. “in whom we have boldness and access with confidence through our faith in him.” The Greek word “parresia” conveys openness, speaking freely, concealing nothing, boldness or candor, and confidence. The idea is the freedom to speak without restraints. Lack of restraints encourages confident and intimate speech. In the present context, we, who are united with Christ and reconciled to each other in Christ, can speak freely, boldly, or openly to the Father. Without any restraints, we can approach God with confidence. We can stand free and erect before God who created all things, rules over all things, and judge all things, not lowering our heads, able to bear God’s holy presence. Moses’ and David’s candor with God, and Jesus’ honesty at Gethsemane (Matt. 26:36-44) are illustrations of boldness and confidence before God.

Of course, this boldness before God is not presumptuous or arrogant but humble and with a sense of awe. Without Christ, we may shout rashly at God and go unheard but with Christ we can speak with God freely, knowing God hears us lovingly. Can you imagine how blessed we are in Christ? Who can speak freely before a holy God who knows all things and judges all things according to His perfect knowledge? We are all sinners worthy of His righteous anger. No sinner can stand the holy presence of God. We find numerous instances in the OT. When Yahweh spoke the Ten Commandments, the Israelites couldn’t stand His infinite glory and holiness. They asked Moses to listen to God’s word and deliver it to them. Anyone who violated the holy presence of God was to be killed. Aaron’s two sons Nadab and Abihu were killed when they offered a strange fire to God. The Israelites were barred from entering the Tabernacle.

Only the high priest was allowed to enter the Holy of Holies once a year on the Day of Atonement with the blood of a sacrificial goat. The presence of God was among the people of Israel, which was evidence of God’s grace and allowed God-chosen mediators to mediate between God and His people. Without the blood of sacrificial animals, no priests were allowed to enter the most holy place of the Tabernacle. The Jews knew this well. In Paul’s day, some Jews still relied on the sacrificial system to approach God with a lot of restraints. The Gentiles were allowed to the court for Gentiles in the temple complex. The women were allowed to stay in an allotted place for them in the temple complex. There were restrictions to bar people from the holy presence of God. Paul, who grew up in this Jewish tradition, declares that all believers, who are united with Christ and reconciled to each other through the blood of Christ, are allowed to come to the presence of God freely and confidently. They are allowed to commune with God freely and boldly.

What a blessing we have in Christ! The author of Hebrews emphasizes the preeminence, superiority, and sufficiency of Jesus Christ our High Priest. Let me quote some verses to remind ourselves of our privileges to come to the presence of God: ¹⁵ 우리에게 있는 대제사장은 우리 연약함을 체휼하지 아니하는 자가 아니요 모든 일에 우리와 한결 같이 시험을 받은 자로되 죄는 없으시니라 ¹⁶ 그러므로 우리가 긍휼하심을 받고 때를 따라 돕는 은혜를 얻기 위하여 은혜의 보좌 앞에 담대히 나아갈 것이니라. ¹⁵ For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin. ¹⁶ Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need (Heb. 4:15-16). We don’t need to bring the blood of goats and bulls to approach God. We have our High Priest who offered Himself for us to approach the holy presence of God with boldness.

The Christian has the great blessing of being able to approach God through Jesus Christ. Those who serve other gods do not have it so good. Oswana lives with her tribe in Africa. Her god is not approachable at all. Being an animist (one who believes that god is in everything), she spends the majority of her time appeasing the good and bad spirits. She fails most of the time. Prima is a good Hindu. Her access to her god is framed by three ways to salvation: 1) the way of works, 2) the way of knowledge, and 3) the way of devotion. Just in case one god is unapproachable, there are a million others from which to choose. And if she does not like the way this life is going, she can always come back as a cow.

Ask Dalai Lama. He was convinced that “the eightfold path” would get him to Nirvana: simple for a god; impossible for a mortal man. In order to get to Nirvana and have access to the gods and become a god, he had to: 1) have right views, 2) have right aspirations, 3) have right speech, 4) have right conduct, 5) have the right livelihood, 6) have the right effort or endeavor, 7) have the right mindfulness, and 8) have the right meditation or concentration. 1) 올바른 견해, 2) 올바른 열망, 3) 올바른 말, 4) 올바른 행동, 5) 올바른 생계, 6) 올바른 노력 또는 노력, 7) 올바른 마음 챙김, 8) 올바른 명상 또는 집중입니다.

Do you keep all of them to approach God or become God? None of us will reach these goals. We can't reach moral perfection. But Christ has kept all of them for us through His life and death. All who believe His meritorious work of Jesus on the cross can boldly come to God and enjoy speaking with Him freely. What a glorious privilege Christians have, for our goal in life is to live in the presence of our Heavenly Father both now and forever! That guarantee does not depend on how effectively we can work out the details, nor does it depend upon our becoming gods. We have access to the Father as a result of one thing and one thing only: the shed blood of Jesus Christ.

Jesus Christ is the way to the presence of God. The author of Hebrews puts it this way: ¹⁹ 그러므로 형제들아 우리가 예수의 피를 힘입어 성소에 들어갈 담력을 얻었나니 ²⁰ 그 길은 우리를 위하여 휘장 가운데로 열어 놓으신 새롭고 산 길이요 휘장은 곧 저의 육체니라 ²¹ 또 하나님의 집 다스리는 큰 제사장이 계시매 ²² 우리가 마음에 뿌림을 받아 양심의 악을 깨닫고 몸을 맑은 물로 씻었으니 참 마음과 온전한 믿음으로 하나님께 나아가자. ¹⁹ Therefore, brothers, since we have confidence to enter the holy places by the blood of Jesus, ²⁰ by the new and living way that he opened for us through the curtain, that is, through his flesh, ²¹ and since we have a great priest over the house of God, ²² let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, with our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water (Heb. 10:19-22).

To approach the presence of God, we don’t need to do anything but rely on Christ. The Greek word “prosagoge” translated as “access” has the idea of freedom of approach. Only one article governs both parresia and prosagoge, which may indicate it is a hendiadys, emphasizing the idea of free access to God. Another Greek word “pepoithesis refers to confidence. The prepositional phrase modifies both nouns. It reinforces the idea of free speech and free access. What a blessing again in Christ we have! However, how many Christians today enjoy their free access to God and open communion with God in His holy presence? Our main problem is not our way to God is restricted, but our failure to utilize our access to God or our failure to appreciate our privilege to have free access to God. The cause of all this is our failure to be spiritually alert in Christ. So, we don’t strive to practice the presence of God in our daily lives. We live as if we were isolated from the presence of God. So, we too easily fall into habitual sins without having a sense of awe before God.

In v. 12, Paul is trying to say, “Now, your Gentile Christians, let’s come to the presence of God in worship with all our Jewish Christians. Christ has removed all hindrances to the presence of God through His death. Now, we, who were formerly opposed to each other, can come to the holy presence of God by relying on our faithful Christ.” It is a miracle for Gentile believers to come to the presence of God in worship along with the Jewish believers in the same church. When two formerly opposing people or groups come to the presence of the Father in the Son through the Holy Spirit, they are showing the manifold wisdom, power, and love of God to the world. They display the transforming power of God that changes animosity into amicableness, hatred into love, discord into harmony, or war into peace. Christ is the Prince of peace who can make such change for you.

The miracle Christ wrought on the cross is to bring all classes of believers into the same body of Christ which worships the same Father in harmony. Though there are White churches, Black churches, Hispanic, Asian churches, etc., in the world, they belong to the same body of Christ which worships the same God in love and harmony. When they get together in their union with Christ, they can triumphantly worship God in peace, which will bring glory and honor to God. What can we do for such reconciled worship of God? We must rely on Christ’s faithfulness. Paul says we have free and bold access to God through our faith in Christ. As I mentioned above, our problem is a failure to use this privilege for God’s glory and our good. Christ is the only way to God. 예수께서 가라사대 내가 곧 길이요 진리요 생명이니 나로 말미암지 않고는 아버지께로 올 자가 없느니라. Jesus said to him, "I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me (Jn. 14:6).

Some argue that we can come to God through other religions in the world. But Christ says He is the only way to God. Some say they can’t come to God because of their guilt. Because of a sense of guilt, some of us are reluctant to come to the presence of God. We should come to the Father in Christ as we are. If we are heavy-laden, we should bring all our burdens to Christ. He will give us rest. Christ is faithful. He doesn’t let us down. He has loved us to the extent that He gave Himself to us through His life and death. Now, the way to God is widely open. Then, why don’t you come to Him with joy and gratitude? The more we spend time with God in Christ, the more we will be like Christ. The more we exalt God in worship, the more we will be likely to be peacemakers for the glory of God in this broken world. So, rely on Christ’s faithfulness to work and worship together for the unity of the church in Christ.       

Conclusion: On January 26, 2001, Seiko Sakamoto, a plasterer working in a Tokyo subway station, fell into the path of an oncoming train. Lee Su Hyun, a Korean student in Japan for language studies, leaped down on the tracks to save Sakamoto. Both Hyun and Sakamoto were unable to exit the path of the oncoming train and were killed. This selfless act by the Korean student on behalf of the Japanese laborer has caused many people in Japan to reconsider their long-held prejudices directed toward Koreans. Strong feelings of distrust between the two countries go back to World War II atrocities inflicted upon Koreans by the Japanese. Many Japanese people, including the prime minister of Japan, have openly expressed sorrow over their previously held stereotypes of Koreans and have begun to talk about reconciliation. Nobuaki Fujioka, a 62-year-old Japanese, said, "일종의 수치심을 느꼈습니다. 한 젊은 외국인이 일본인을 위해 목숨을 바쳤으니까요. 쉬운 일이 아니죠." “I felt a kind of shame. A young foreigner sacrificed his life for a Japanese. This is not an easy thing to do.” Reconciliation rarely occurs without sacrifice. By giving Jesus Christ His only Son, God took the initiative in healing our broken relationship with Him. He made the supreme sacrifice for us so that we might be reconciled to Him.

                  Have you been reconciled to God through the death of Christ? If you have, then you have freely come to the holy presence of God and have intimate fellowship with Him by faith in Christ’s faithfulness. You can truly enjoy the Father’s love and grace in Christ. Our heavenly Father always welcomes us and wants to enjoy us in His Son. Do you picture your heavenly Father as too busy running His Kingdom for you to interrupt Him? Do your needs really matter to Him? Kay Arthur, the founder of Precept Ministries, shared this insight with a group of Bible college students concerning access to God by the believer. A little boy bruised his knee and needed his Daddy to fix it up. With tears streaming down his face, he ran to see his Daddy. Seeing him coming, the [secretary] quickly opened the massive doors and let him into his Daddy’s office. His father was busy managing his business and was surrounded by his assistants. But in the midst of all of this, the little boy ran up to his father and climbed onto his waiting lap. What do you think his Daddy did? Push his son aside and have him removed from the room? No! Daddy’s first response was “where does it hurt and how can I make it better?” And so it is with our Heavenly Father and us, His children. When we need our Father, we have direct access to Him through Jesus Christ. And in the middle of His managing the Kingdom, He invites us to sit in His lap to tell Him where it hurts.

                  All of us can come to God the Father by faith in Christ. We can worship Him all together regardless of our petty differences of opinions, races, cultures, nationalities, etc. Though we are all different, we can be in the same household of God through Christ and enjoy peace with God and each other in Christ. Let me leave you with the following text: ²² 우리가 마음에 뿌림을 받아 양심의 악을 깨닫고 몸을 맑은 물로 씻었으니 참 마음과 온전한 믿음으로 하나님께 나아가자 ²³ 또 약속하신 이는 미쁘시니 우리가 믿는 도리의 소망을 움직이지 말고 굳게 잡아 ²⁴ 서로 돌아보아 사랑과 선행을 격려하며 ²⁵ 모이기를 폐하는 어떤 사람들의 습관과 같이 하지 말고 오직 권하여 그날이 가까움을 볼수록 더욱 그리하자. ²² let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, with our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water. ²³ Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for he who promised is faithful. ²⁴ And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, ²⁵ not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near (Heb. 10:22-25).    

Benediction: ²⁴ 능히 너희를 보호하사 거침이 없게 하시고 너희로 그 영광 앞에 흠이 없이 즐거움으로 서게 하실자

 ²⁵ 곧 우리 구주 홀로 하나이신 하나님께 우리 주 예수 그리스도로 말미암아 영광과 위엄과 권력과 권세가 만고 전부터 이제와 세세에 있을지어다 아멘. ²⁴ Now to him who is able to keep you from stumbling and to present you blameless before the presence of his glory with great joy, ²⁵ to the only God, our Savior, through Jesus Christ our Lord, be glory, majesty, dominion, and authority, before all time and now and forever. Amen. (Jud 1:24)