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Subject 24 : Sermons for Those Who Have Become Our COWORKERS

[24-12] Hoping for the Day When We Will Lead A Perfect Life (Romans 8:18-28)

(Romans 8:18-28)
“For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us. For the earnest expectation of the creation eagerly waits for the revealing of the sons of God. For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of Him who subjected it in hope; because the creation itself also will be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God. For we know that the whole creation groans and labors with birth pangs together until now. Not only that, but we also who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, eagerly waiting for the adoption, the redemption of our body. For we were saved in this hope, but hope that is seen is not hope; for why does one still hope for what he sees? But if we hope for what we do not see, we eagerly wait for it with perseverance. Likewise the Spirit also helps in our weaknesses. For we do not know what we should pray for as we ought, but the Spirit Himself makes intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered. Now He who searches the hearts knows what the mind of the Spirit is, because He makes intercession for the saints according to the will of God. And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose. For whom He foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren. Moreover whom He predestined, these He also called; whom He called, these He also justified; and whom He justified, these He also glorified.”
 
 
The Apostle Paul said in Romans 8:8-9, “So then, those who are in the flesh cannot please God. But you are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God dwells in you. Now if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he is not His.”
He is saying, “Do you have the Spirit of Christ or not? If the Spirit of God abides in you, you are not in the flesh but in the Spirit. Anyone who does not have the Spirit of Christ does not belong to Christ. On the contrary, if the Spirit does not live in you, you are not His.” The Apostle Paul draws a clear line of salvation like this. He confirms the Word of God that those who have the Holy Spirit belong to Christ, and they are God’s citizens and servants. However, those who do not have the Holy Spirit of Christ have nothing to do with God. Only those who have the Spirit are God’s people.
In Romans 8:10-11, the Apostle Paul states, “And if Christ is in you, the body is dead because of sin, but the Spirit is life because of righteousness. But if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who dwells in you.”
Even those who have been born again still can follow the desires of the flesh because they have the flesh. God’s people, too, sometimes succumb to the flesh and live according to it. Nonetheless, in the hearts of the born-again saints dwells the Spirit who has control over their hearts that are prone to satisfy only the desires of the flesh. Hence, thanks to the Holy Spirit in their hearts, people of faith fight their lusts to death and proceed to God by faith. God is saying that these kinds of people can become the servants of righteousness by faith.
 
 

What the Apostle Paul Tries to Tell Us Today Is “If Christ Is in You, You Are His”

 
We must be aware of the fact that even the born-again people like us often stumble in our weaknesses. When we stumble over the weaknesses of our flesh, that is, our thoughts, minds and deeds, we then become disappointed with ourselves. We then start doubting whether or not we have received our salvation, thinking, “How can I be like this when I have received the remission of sins by believing in the gospel of the water and the Spirit? Have I really received my salvation?”
Why do the born-again face these kinds of spiritual problems? Simply speaking, they have hit the slump because of the weaknesses of their flesh. A righteous person falling into futility like this can be referred to as a spiritual slump. When we see a certain athlete still in his prime days failing to show his full potential, we say, “That player or athlete is in a slump.” Such things can also happen to people who have received the remission of sins by believing in the gospel of the water and the Spirit. In their minds, they can’t be sure that they have been saved when they reflect on their actual lives. “How can I live this way if I have been delivered from my sins? I can’t be saved.” They start to wonder even about their salvation.
During such doubtful periods, there arise questions in their hearts: “Am I really God’s? Am I a child of God?” At one point or another, they come to a moment to make a decision for themselves on whether or not they are God’s; whether or not they belong to Christ; whether or not they are citizens of God. Under such circumstance, they can’t give any credit to themselves. Then they lose heart and become helpless and incompetent. Then, they reach the point where they can’t do anything anymore; they really don’t know what to do. This condition is called ‘a slump of faith.’
Spiritual slump can be described as soul’s slipping into quicksand. As soon as people step on the quicksand presuming it to be firm ground, their feet sink down in the quicksand quickly. The harder they try to get their legs out of the quicksand, the deeper the rest of their body sinks down in the quicksand. The more they struggle to get out, the faster they sink and in the end they can’t get out. Becoming too depressed to do anything spiritual is called “being stuck in spiritual quicksand.” When the righteous fall into spiritual quicksand―weaknesses of their flesh, minds, and sinful nature―they will keep sinking deeper and deeper as they try to get out of it on their own. People who are in such a spiritual slump usually have a wrong sense of themselves. For this reason they even wonder whether or not they should keep leading a life of faith.
When a boxer is hit on the jaw or temple, the earth seems to spin around even though he feels his mind is alert. In his eyes, other people and the floor are moving. Then he starts to mumble as he sees stars; his mind goes blank; his body moves against his will. When he gets another blow, he won’t feel any pain lying down on his back, but he still can’t get up because the world around him is spinning. This is called a knock-down or KO. Have you ever been hit with a boxer’s glove? Have you been hit so hard that you were knocked out? You have probably seen boxers being knocked-down. We worry about the boxer for the pain he might have. The fact is that he can’t feel any pain after being so recklessly hit. He might even feel good from numbness. He just can’t get his body to move when even if he wants to. It is like a crippled man putting all his strength to get up; he thinks he can get up but in reality he can’t no matter how he tries to do this. He can’t do anything about it once he is in such a condition.
Like this, we can be knocked-down in the realm of spirituality. Then how can we get up? We can get back on our feet when we come to the Church of God and listen to the Word of God and have fellowship with the predecessors in the faith. We can recover spiritual sanity most promptly when we share fellowship with the workers of God who follow the Lord closely in His Church. You will experience the renewal of your strength and your soul along with the removal of all the weariness when you listen to the Word of God in worship and have fellowship with God’s people. You will recover by the gospel of the water and the Spirit and you will get back on your feet again by faith, pronouncing, “Indeed, the Lord has remitted all my sins. I am a child of God!”
 
 

We Can Keep Leading the Life of Faith by Ruminating on the Gospel of the Water and the Spirit in Our Time of Spiritual Slump

 
Until we have fully recovered, we tend to doubt, “Am I not a man of Christ?” If we have such doubts, we need to dispel these doubts first. Such doubts don’t have any solutions in our thoughts or in the fellowships with anyone. They can be solved only in the Word of God. What does God say? Doubts will be solved when we check what God has said about this kind of problem. When the Word of God says to us, “You are a man of Christ,” our doubts will go away; faith will stand firm based on the laying on of hands and the baptism of Jesus; then our hearts will become strong again.
It is said in Romans 8:8-9, “So then, those who are in the flesh cannot please God. But you are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God dwells in you. Now if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he is not His.” According to this Scripture passage, we are the people of Christ if the Spirit of God lives in us. People who don’t have the Spirit of God, on the other hand, are most definitely not the people of Christ.
What then affirms our salvation after all? It is the gospel of the water and the Spirit. Is there are still doubts in our hearts even after believing in the gospel of the water and the Spirit? In times like this, the Holy Spirit confirms our salvation absolutely. It is the Holy Spirit that dwells in our hearts. We can confirm our salvation based on whether or not there is the Holy Spirit in us. This is why it is written, “But you are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God dwells in you. Now if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he is not His” (Romans 8:9). The Bible says that you are a person of Christ if the Spirit of God dwells in you; but you are not His if the Spirit of God does not dwell in you. Therefore, the presence of the Spirit of Christ in your heart is so essential to you.
Then who is the person with the Spirit of Christ and who is not? How can we discern the former from the latter? We might encounter such a train of thought: “In whose heart does the Spirit of Christ dwell? How do I know if the Spirit of Christ dwells in my heart?” We wonder about these things.
Before I was born again, I experienced many strange things while I was leading a religious life. I heard God speaking to my heart; I felt my heart swelling and the edges of my eyes filling with hot tears while I was praying. For this reason, I thought I certainly had the Spirit of Christ. Nevertheless, I still doubted. It was because I had moments like that but conflicting feelings used to arise soon after these moments. There were times when I was such a mess that I could not forgive myself. “Am I really a child of God?” I had misgivings about my salvation and could not feel sure of it.
Dear fellow believers, our minds can’t become settled properly until we return to the Word of God. When we heed to the Word of God, we come to have discernment in the gospel Truth of the water and the Spirit and things become very clear.
And the Word of God then says as follows: That the Spirit of Christ dwells in us means we don’t have sins intact in our hearts. Then you can be certain about the presence of His Spirit in your heart if you can say “Yes” to these questions, “Have you received the remission of your sins? Have you believed in the gospel of the water and the Spirit? Will you keep placing your trust in the gospel?” If you believed in the gospel of the water and the Spirit, all your sins would be remitted; if your sins were remitted, the Holy Spirit would dwell in your heart. This helps you get rid of the doubt whether or not you are a man or woman of Christ and you can then safely arrive at the conclusion that you are a person of Christ.
True faith starts from the moment of believing fully in the gospel of the water and the Spirit. Only when you stand firm on the gospel of the water and the Spirit can you begin the race of faith by realizing how wretched you are even as a man of Christ and by shaking off your weaknesses and insufficiencies of the flesh by faith in Jesus Christ. You then can start your race of faith.
In Olympic Games, athletes from each and every nation get ready for a long distance race such as a 3,000m, 5,000m and 10,000m by squatting at the starting line. They start to run after the ‘Bang!’ sound of the starting gun. Those who stand at the starting line must be qualified athletes for participating in the game. The Olympic Games have a strict preliminary before giving anyone the permission to participate in the real game; those who are not qualified cannot participate in these games.
Are we qualified by God? We can start to run the race of faith confidently when we are convinced that all our sins have been taken away by believing in the gospel of the water and the Spirit. Being convinced in our hearts and minds that we belong to Christ; we can start our race in faith. And we can run to the finishing line. In this regard, the Apostle Paul said in Romans 8:14-15, “For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God. For you did not receive the spirit of bondage again to fear, but you received the Spirit of adoption by whom we cry out, ‘Abba, Father.’” Those who are led by the Spirit of God are the sons of God. In other words, those who have received the Holy Spirit by receiving the remission of their sins and in their hearts are the sons of God. It is also written that they would never receive the spirit of fear.
You and I received the remission of sins the very moment we became born again by believing in the gospel of the water and the Spirit. Our souls have already been saved and are now free from sins and condemnation. Since we have received in our heart the gift of the Spirit, which is the Spirit of adoption, we can call God ‘Abba Father.’ Once we become the children of God through the gospel of the water and the Spirit, we address God as ‘our Father.’ We don’t feel doubtful or awkward about calling Him Father as we pray to Him or do cute things before Him.
As it is said in Romans 8:16, “The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God,” the Spirit becomes a witness to our faith. If the Holy Spirit dwells in you, He will give witness for your questions such as “Have I or have I not believed in the gospel word of the water and the Spirit?” saying, “The gospel of the water and the Spirit is indeed the Truth. Since I have placed my trust in the Truth, all my sins are remitted away. I believe this!” We have received salvation when the gospel preachers delivered to us the gospel of the water and the Spirit. But now, the Holy Spirit bears witness, “You are definitely a child of God since you have put your faith in the gospel of the water and the Spirit,” to our question on whether or not we have become the children of God.
 
 

We Who Believe in the Gospel of the Water and the Spirit Are the Children of God and His Heirs

 
Since we are the ones who will be glorified after inheriting everything from God, the Apostle Paul said, “If children, then heirs—heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him, that we may also be glorified together” (Romans 8:17). And he added, “For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us” (Romans 8:18).
I want you to listen to the Word of God the Apostle Paul is preaching. I am suggesting that we should suffer together. Let’s read Romans 8:23-25 one more time. “Not only that, but we also who have the first fruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, eagerly waiting for the adoption, the redemption of our body. For we were saved in this hope, but hope that is seen is not hope; for why does one still hope for what he sees? But if we hope for what we do not see, we eagerly wait for it with perseverance” (Romans 8:23-25).
This Scripture passage says that we were saved in this hope. This is what the Apostle Paul is talking about. He said, “For the earnest expectation of the creation eagerly waits for the revealing of the sons of God. For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of Him who subjected it in hope” (Romans 8:19-20). He continued on to say, “Because the creation itself also will be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God. For we know that the whole creation groans and labors with birth pangs together until now. Not only that, but we also who have the first fruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, eagerly waiting for the adoption, the redemption of our body. For we were saved in this hope, but hope that is seen is not hope; for why does one still hope for what he sees? But if we hope for what we do not see, we eagerly wait for it with perseverance” (Romans 8:21-25).
God said that the creation earnestly waits for the revealing of the sons of God. The creation in this passage refers to not only all things in nature, but also our physical bodies. So the creation can also include the body of the Apostle Paul. It is written, “The earnest expectation of the creation eagerly waits for the revealing of the sons of God.” What our bodies are earnestly waiting for is the day when the Son of God, Jesus Christ comes as the King to judge the world. On the Last Day the Lord Jesus will come again and resurrect the dead and rapture us, and then invite us to the new heavens and the new earth that He has built for us. We earnestly wait for that glorious day as it is said in Romans 8:21, “The creation itself also will be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God.” It is such an exciting thing to imagine that our mortal bodies will be delivered from this bondage of corruption and live eternally with perfect bodies.
How eagerly are we waiting for that day? How much are we hoping for that day as it is written, “The earnest expectation of the creation eagerly waits for the revealing of the sons of God”? Our body and mind earnestly wait for that day. As we look at our weak bodies, what we hope for is a perfect life that the Apostle Paul is talking about in today’s Scripture passage. We were saved in this hope. According to the Apostle Paul, we were saved just by believing in the gospel of the water and the Spirit and the indwelling Spirit bears witness to the fact that we were completely saved. The bottom line is that we the born-again will dwell with Jesus Christ forever in the new heavens and the new earth.
What are we longing for? As the sons of God, we long for the imperfection of our bodies and minds to be transformed into perfection on the day of our Lord’s second coming. Wholeheartedly, we hope to have this perfect body (that will never get sick, never become weary, and never feel any pain) and to be with God forever. Our hope is to lead a perfect and glorious life everyday with our minds, thoughts, bodies and everything else perfected. Our ultimate goal is to be as perfect as the Lord and to dwell with Him in the riches and glory for ever. This is what we eagerly desire.
You may have heard about the elixir of life that Emperor Qin Shi Huang of China had been looking for. He wanted to find such an herb that would supposedly keep him from aging and live forever. So he sent many servants to each and every country to bring this elixir of life. Nevertheless, all of his servants died and never returned. After all, he could not get this desired elixir of life.
Some herb doctors insist that the elixir of life the emperor was looking for might be Young-ji mushrooms. It has a strong bitter taste. As people say, “A good medicine tastes bitter,” therefore, the mushrooms must be good for health. However, no one can live forever by eating that kind of mushrooms even though it may help people live a healthy life. Even if the mushrooms were the elixir of life, there is not one person that would not die forever by eating it.
Once I went to Jeju Island located at the most southern part of the Korean territory. I really wanted to climb Mountain Halla; I had never climbed it before. Mountain Halla is the highest mountain in South Korea. I disembarked from the bus in Seoguipo City and went to a village called Hwasool. It had been raining so much that day that people dissuaded me from climbing that mountain. The villagers warned me that climbing that mountain on such a rainy and foggy day brings accidents. I couldn’t just go back because I squeezed my time for this moment. I told them that I had to climb Mountain Halla because I did not have enough time. So the local people told me, “We are not responsible if you do this. If you want to go, then go ahead.” Then I said in an imposing air, “You don’t have to take any responsibility. I am taking the risk myself!” I then cut through the crowd who were trying to stop me.
Although I was stubborn enough to fight the crowd and go to this mountain, of which I could not even see the top of it. The rain was pouring down like cats and dogs, so I was unable to see what was ahead. I hadn’t eaten anything for breakfast when I started climbing up that mountain, so I was starving. But I kept climbing with a strong determination to see the mountain top while it was raining so very hard and it was too foggy for me to see anything. It was like being stranded in the dark.
Right then, I saw something dimly. I couldn’t tell whether it was a human or a ghost. I heard “Ahem!” first and I a hemmed back. I found out that it was a man by hearing that sound. As soon as I felt relieved, a man showed up carrying an A-frame wooden carrier on his back. We were still cautiously checking each other out in the thick fog; when our eyes met, we burst into laugher. The situation we were in―not being able to tell what was right in front of us and being extremely watchful―was very funny.
The man asked, “Young man, where are you heading?” “I am trying to reach the top. How far is it from here?” He then answered, “You are nowhere near the top. You haven’t climbed half way yet.” And I asked him whether he lived nearby. He said, “Yes, My house is over there near that mushroom farm.” Then I asked him a favor, “I haven’t eaten breakfast yet and I am starving. Could I have a meal at your place?” I was such a daring person. “Of course,” the man said with a generous laughter. I then resumed my hike right after I was given a meal at his house. In the meantime, the rain turned into a rainstorm and I had to eventually give up climbing Mt. Halla.
That man I met on the mountain said that he had used to grow Pyogo mushrooms (Lentinus edodes) but he grew Young-ji mushrooms at that time. The trip to the mountain came to my mind when I was trying to tell you about Young-ji mushroom being the perceived elixir of life. As you can see, people are sometimes so stubborn and determined to accomplish worthless goals so recklessly. My goal to climb to the top of Mt. Halla on a stormy day was dampened, and so will all human futile wills.
It is certain that people cannot gain eternal life even after eating Young-ji mushrooms as they think. Everyone dies eventually. Even the Emperor Qin of China, who was longing for the elixir of life to be rejuvenated, died eventually in his late forties. Because of the fear that he might get sick and die, and because of the desire to live forever, he looked for the elixir of life in vain. As a matter of fact, everyone fears death. Even those who everyone admires for their highest positions become weary before death. Humans fear death since death strikes us without warning.
However, we the born-again do not fear death. Rather, we have hope for eternal life which is beyond death. The Apostle Paul said we were saved in hope. We have been eagerly expecting the redemption of our bodies. Dear fellow believers, what are we hoping and longing for? It is being delivered from this bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God (Romans 8:21). As God said, we are waiting for the day that we will be delivered from this bondage of corruption.
It is said that the Holy Spirit makes intercession for us before God with groanings which cannot be uttered. Romans 8:26 says, “Likewise the Spirit also helps in our weaknesses. For we do not know what we should pray for as we ought, but the Spirit Himself makes intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered.” When we live according to the flesh, the Holy Spirit in us groans and admonishes, “Those things will be corrupted. Since you will be living in the Kingdom of God where you will never perish or corrupt or be weary or sick, seek first His Kingdom and His righteousness, waiting for the coming of the Kingdom.” Who does this? The Holy Spirit who dwells in our hearts does this.
What do we and the whole creation suffer from? All creatures are imperfect, and they suffer from their imperfection. That they are being corrupted, dead, and permanently condemned brings agony and pains.
However, we have become the first fruit of the Spirit. As the first fruit of the Spirit, you and I, who have received the remission of sins, will take part in the first resurrection when the resurrected Christ returns to this world. Among all the people who were born and died, we, who have received the remission of sins by believing in the gospel of the water and the Spirit, will join the Lord at His second coming. When the time comes, we will be transformed into a wholesome, perfect body that will never be corrupted, and we will reign with the Lord forever. This is the first resurrection.
 
 

We Should Hope for the Kingdom of Heaven

 
Even we, who are the first fruit of the Spirit, groan within ourselves eagerly waiting for the adoption, the redemption of our bodies (Romans 8:23). Romans 8:24 says, “For we were saved in this hope, but hope that is seen is not hope; for why does one still hope for what he sees?” We were indeed saved in this hope. We then should look forward to the day we will be living with the Lord. On that day, we will say goodbye to the corruption of the body, to its sicknesses and death. That is when we will become the new perfect creation. Our last day on earth is the day that our mortal body will be transformed into a new body that is immortal and lacking nothing. On that day our bodies will be reborn and we will live with God in freedom forever since our souls have already been made perfect. We eagerly hope for the day when we will dwell with the Lord with our perfect bodies that will not stumble out of weaknesses.
We are preaching the gospel to the entire world with such a hope. We wait for the Lord to return and transform us into immortal bodies in which we will live a perfect life enjoying the heavenly riches and glories with Lord. This is why we are leading our life of faith with the purpose to preach the gospel of the Lord as we wait for that day. Do you understand?
What is the genuine life of faith? The ultimate purpose of faith is salvation and salvation leads to eternal life. Eternal life is leading a perfect life with wholesome and immortal bodies. Living the life of faith genuinely is living for eternal life.
Then what do we anguish over? Don’t we anguish over things such as things that don’t go well as we wish for, our weaknesses, our vulnerability to diseases, imperfection of our bodies and minds? This is right. How much do we agonize because of our physical weaknesses? Concerns on being handsome or ugly, being tall or short are secondary. Our primary concern is “Why am I so full of lacking? I wish I were free from diseases like other people. Why am I covered with insufficiencies?” Our last concern is on whether or not we will be free from death. Our hope is to reach the perfection from such imperfection. People come to place their hope in becoming perfect after agonizing over the imperfection of their flesh. You and I really want to enjoy such perfect lives.
How imperfect are we? This is why we eagerly desire to become perfect. Even as I speak, I hope to serve the gospel without getting sick, but I know that it will come true on the day I enter the Kingdom of God. Such a perfect life is granted to us at the very moment of the remission of our sins. Do you believe like this too? As far as the realm of our faith is concerned, we should live by perfect faith. This is genuine faith.
Romans 8:25 says, “But if we hope for what we do not see, we eagerly wait for it with perseverance.” According to the Apostle Paul, hope that is seen is not hope at all (Romans 8:24). Who hopes for what is already achieved? But the Lord told us to wait for something that is not seen with perseverance. Although we can’t see it with our physical eyes, we can hope for it by faith. By faith we will endure our insufficiencies and pains and wait for the day when we will live a perfect life. Why do we live out our faith? We live for the day when all of mankind is saved from its sins and made perfect to live wholesome life. Do you believe this?
Not only we but also everyone in this world wants to get away from imperfection. As a matter of fact, all the creatures on earth dream of freedom from imperfection. Thankfully, God has given us such a life. God saved us by the gospel of the water and the Spirit and granted us a perfect life. Some people lament or even commit suicide over their appearances; others spend all their life in hospital for treatments and plastic surgery, which causes them so much pain that they would rather die. We, who are born again, do not anguish over fleshly things, but we live with sound mind by believing in the day we will enjoy the genuine freedom through perfection.
A certain parent who could not bear to see their child suffering from a life-long illness asked the court to legalize euthanasia. The Congress announced that they could not pass such a law. The parent then said, “I saw my son in his eyes. He couldn’t speak but his eyes were telling me that he doesn’t want to be in pain any more. He was pleading to free him from this endless fight that he cannot win, this fight that is full of pain. He was begging me in tears to end his life, for he doesn’t have the strength to do it for himself.”
Dear fellow believers, I am sure that son eagerly wanted to be transformed into a perfect body. All the sick people who are suffering from terminal diseases want this. People are imperfect but desire for perfection. As it is said, “Those who wait on the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles, they shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint,” (Isaiah 40:31), people long for such a perfect life.
Don’t we get tired after running? Don’t we feel pain in our legs and feel like our hearts will burst and we’ll become breathless? Humans are so limited and imperfect. That is why we look forward to a perfect life. Knowing that such life is waiting for us, we are living out our faith on earth. We live for the gospel in a body that is not perfect, firmly believing that the Lord will give this perfect body to us the born-again. As time goes by, our outer man perishes away; yet the inward man is being renewed daily (2 Corinthians 4:16). We can see the day of our perfection getting ever closer. Dear fellow believers, let’s all live in hope, for the day of our perfection is approaching.
God said to us through His servant: “And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose” (Romans 8:28). Through our weaknesses, God has given us salvation; through our imperfections, God grants us this perfect life. God transformed us, His creation, into spiritually perfect beings and adopted us as His children from the children of Satan. God said to us, “All things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose” (Romans 8:28). This means that we have accepted salvation God has accomplished and we have attained this perfect life that God has granted us by hoping and believing in His promise. This is how all things work together for good. The good is the salvation and blessings that God gives us.
You and I are now living in imperfect bodies and with imperfect thoughts but we will soon live a perfect life which God promised when the Lord returns. Our imperfection will become perfect on that day, and we will be perfect.
It seems that we see Jesus Christ vaguely from a far distance. However, on that day, we will see Him face to face as we see ourselves in a mirror. God grants such a life to us. I believe that you and I will live such a perfect life with God. I hope and wait for that day. I wait for this day not because I am aged or sick but because the final goal of our salvation is our perfect and everlasting life. This is the blessing from God.
God not only saved us from sins, but He also granted us to lead a perfect life. We should understand this and thank God for this by faith. We are truly thankful.
 
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