He Who Have Ears to Hear, Let Him Hear the Good News of Christ Announced, Confirmed, Testified, and Distributed

“We must pay the most careful attention, therefore, to what we have heard, so that we do not drift away. For since the message spoken through angels was binding, and every violation and disobedience received its just punishment, how shall we escape if we ignore so great a salvation? This salvation, which was first announced by the Lord, was confirmed to us by those who heard him. God also testified to it by signs, wonders and various miracles, and by gifts of the Holy Spirit distributed according to his will.” (Hebrews 2:1-4 NIV)

Ought to Forgive One Another

“For to this end I also wrote, that I might put you to the test, whether you are obedient in all things. Now whom you forgive anything, I also forgive. For if indeed I have forgiven anything, I have forgiven that one for your sakes in the presence of Christ, lest Satan should take advantage of us; for we are not ignorant of his devices.” (2 Corinthians 2:9-11 NKJV)

How does the church of Christ function and operate in the world? Church is the bulwark of the truth of God, built and founded by the Lord Jesus Christ Himself. So, church functions and operates exactly the same as our Lord Jesus demonstrated during His earthly ministry and beyond. The climax of Christ’s ministry on earth is the death of the Son of God as the ransom sacrifice according to the promises of God. The cross of Christ Jesus is the proof and evidence of God’s unfailing and faithful love that has been promised to give to the patriarchs, the prophets, the apostles, the evangelists, the teaching pastors, and all the saints. The blood of Christ Jesus can cleanse and wash away all the transgressions and sins of humanity because it pleases the Father God who forgives and never remembers the sins of those who are in Christ the Son.

In the world, people forgive only with the condition that others first do something like making the sincere apologies. But authentic Christianity is exactly opposite that Christ died for us while we were still sinners. If not, no one can be saved. As a matter of fact, we were completely blind and ignorant in unbelief, being the object of God’s wrath. Every man comes into existence in time and space with the fatal wound and fault, suffering in fear, despair, and guilt. Man has been the hopeless victim of the ancient serpent of murder and deception since the fall of Adam. Until the ancient serpent, Satan the devil is punished, condemned and locked in the burning sulfur forever and ever, man will be remain as the helpless victim of the mastermind of deception and violence.

God is righteous and just, compassionate and merciful forever and ever! Just as He promised He sent His Son Jesus Christ that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life, being snatched once for all from the bondage of murderous and deceiving mind of the devil. Through the faith in Christ, we have been liberated and delivered into the freedom and righteousness of God. It is not because we deserve nor did something favorable to God but because we believed in the Son of God Christ Jesus. So, we have nothing to boast of ourselves but only Christ Jesus the Lord. The principle of reaching out to the world is true and unchanging forever. This is the way the church of Christ Jesus ought to function and operate, forgiving one another just as we have been forgiven from the beginning in Christ.

Forgiveness ought to be practiced just as our God has done to us all. “Come now, let us settle the matter,” says the Lord. “Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red as crimson, they shall be like wool.” (Isaiah 1:18-19 NIV) God blotted out our sins in the past, present, and the future and never remembers at all. “Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit who gives life has set you free from the law of sin and death.” (Romans 8:1-2 NIV)

Be Imitators of God, Walking in Love One Another As Christ Has Loved Us

"Therefore be imitators of God as dear children. And walk in love, as Christ also has loved us and given Himself for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet-smelling aroma. But fornication and all uncleanness or covetousness, let it not even be named among you, as is fitting for saints; neither filthiness, nor foolish talking, nor coarse jesting, which are not fitting, but rather giving of thanks. For this you know, that no fornicator, unclean person, nor covetous man, who is an idolater, has any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and God. Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of these things the wrath of God comes upon the sons of disobedience. Therefore do not be partakers with them." (Ephesians 5:1-7 NKJV)

Behold!

“And behold, I am coming quickly, and My reward is with Me, to give to every one according to his work. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End, the First and the Last.” Blessed are those who do His commandments, that they may have the right to the tree of life, and may enter through the gates into the city. But outside are dogs and sorcerers and sexually immoral and murderers and idolaters, and whoever loves and practices a lie. “I, Jesus, have sent My angel to testify to you these things in the churches. I am the Root and the Offspring of David, the Bright and Morning Star.” And the Spirit and the bride say, “Come!” And let him who hears say, “Come!” And let him who thirsts come. Whoever desires, let him take the water of life freely. (Revelation 22:12-17 NKJV)

Eternal KING on Zion

"Why do the nations conspire and the peoples plot in vain? The kings of the earth rise up and the rulers band together against the Lord and against his anointed, saying, “Let us break their chains and throw off their shackles.” The One enthroned in heaven laughs; the Lord scoffs at them. He rebukes them in his anger and terrifies them in his wrath, saying, “I have installed my king on Zion, my holy mountain.” I will proclaim the Lord’s decree: He said to me, “You are my son; today I have become your father. Ask me, and I will make the nations your inheritance, the ends of the earth your possession. You will break them with a rod of iron; you will dash them to pieces like pottery.” Therefore, you kings, be wise; be warned, you rulers of the earth. Serve the Lord with fear and celebrate his rule with trembling. Kiss his son, or he will be angry and your way will lead to your destruction, for his wrath can flare up in a moment. Blessed are all who take refuge in him. (Psalm 2:1-12 NIV)

Forgive One Another, Says the Lord (Matthew 18:15-18)

“Moreover if your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault between you and him alone. If he hears you, you have gained your brother. But if he will not hear, take with you one or two more, that ‘by the mouth of two or three witnesses every word may be established.’ And if he refuses to hear them, tell it to the church. But if he refuses even to hear the church, let him be to you like a heathen and a tax collector. “Assuredly, I say to you, whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.” (Matthew 18:15-18 NKJV)

Why are we living here on earth? No one can argue the fact that life is full of struggles. Is there any meaning and purpose of thinking and doing all the life pains and heartaches? What do we want really? Humans yearningly and longingly want to be forgiven, which leads to righteousness that is wholeness and the unshakable and unmovable sense of worth. The real mountain-like burdens for humanity are not on external things but on internal minds and hearts like guilt, despair, and fear. That’s the reason God sent His begotten Son that whoever believes in Him shall not perish in guilt, despair, and fear and fall into eternal judgment but have eternal life.

What we are commanded to do as the forgiven saints in Christ is to forgive one another. This is the new command that we ought to love one another as Christ has loved us. No one can argue that all is in trouble to forgive others. Ah, it is not difficult to forgive those who admit and change their attitudes. But when a brother sin against you it is a different story. For that, Jesus gives us the perfect prescription in Matthew 18^th Chapter. Three steps are listed out to follow carefully. In each step, the key is forgiveness if other party listens to the truth and repents. Christ died while we were still sinners. That’s the unwavering foundation that we ought to forgive one another. Christ blotted out all our transgressions and sins by the cleaning blood of His own when we received Him, admitting and repenting our faults and failures honestly and humbly. There is no more condemnation for those who are in Christ.

“Come now, and let us reason together,”

Says the Lord,

“Though your sins are like scarlet,

They shall be as white as snow;

Though they are red like crimson,

They shall be as wool.

If you are willing and obedient,

You shall eat the good of the land;

But if you refuse and rebel,

You shall be devoured by the sword”;

For the mouth of the Lord has spoken.” (Isaiah 1:18-20 NKJV)

“If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say that we have not sinned, we make Him a liar, and His word is not in us.” (1 John 1:9-10 NKJV)

“Blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven,

Whose sin is covered.

Blessed is the man to whom the Lord does not impute iniquity,

And in whose spirit there is no deceit.

When I kept silent, my bones grew old

Through my groaning all the day long.

For day and night Your hand was heavy upon me;

My vitality was turned into the drought of summer. Selah

I acknowledged my sin to You,

And my iniquity I have not hidden.

I said, “I will confess my transgressions to the Lord,”

And You forgave the iniquity of my sin. Selah (Psalms 32:1-5 NKJV)

Uncountable Number of People Saved During the Great Tribulation

"After these things I looked, and behold, a great multitude which no one could number, of all nations, tribes, peoples, and tongues, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed with white robes, with palm branches in their hands, and crying out with a loud voice, saying, “Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb!” All the angels stood around the throne and the elders and the four living creatures, and fell on their faces before the throne and worshiped God, saying: “Amen! Blessing and glory and wisdom, Thanksgiving and honor and power and might, Be to our God forever and ever. Amen.” Then one of the elders answered, saying to me, “Who are these arrayed in white robes, and where did they come from?” And I said to him, “Sir, you know.” So he said to me, “These are the ones who come out of the great tribulation, and washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb. Therefore they are before the throne of God, and serve Him day and night in His temple. And He who sits on the throne will dwell among them. They shall neither hunger anymore nor thirst anymore; the sun shall not strike them, nor any heat; for the Lamb who is in the midst of the throne will shepherd them and lead them to living fountains of waters. And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.” (Revelation 7:9-17 NKJV)

Under One Teacher We Are All Brethren (Matthew 23:8)

“But you, do not be called ‘Rabbi’; for One is your Teacher, the Christ, and you are all brethren.” (Matthew 23:8 NKJV)

What does it mean that Christ is our Teacher and we are all brethren? We are all classmates in learning the Person of Christ Jesus who is the ultimate reality of life. Apostle Paul aptly wrote in his letter to the Corinthians the meaning of Christ is our Teacher and we are all brothers. “Not that we have dominion over your faith, but are fellow workers for your joy; for by faith you stand.” (2 Corinthians 1:24 NKJV) Under the Chief Shepherd all Christians including Peter, Paul, John, and many others are fellow workers and brothers. There is no hierarchy in Christ who is the head of His body. No one is higher or nobler than others in Christ, so Paul said that he didn’t have dominion over their faith.

This is so significant to understand because the weakness of church is caused by the lack of understanding of this truth. Every individual in Christ follows the Chief Shepherd Christ Jesus, not man. You could be used to introduce, motivate, strengthen, teach or help someone to come to Christ Jesus and be saved. That’s all what you can do. Salvation can be done and sealed by the Father God of Jesus Christ only. In Romans Chapter 9 Apostle Paul asserts that He will have mercy on whomever He will have mercy, and He will have compassion on whomever He will have compassion. It’s totally and entirely up to the hand of God.

“What shall we say then? Is there unrighteousness with God? Certainly not! For He says to Moses, “I will have mercy on whomever I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whomever I will have compassion.” So then it is not of him who wills, nor of him who runs, but of God who shows mercy. For the Scripture says to the Pharaoh, “For this very purpose I have raised you up, that I may show My power in you, and that My name may be declared in all the earth.” Therefore He has mercy on whom He wills, and whom He wills He hardens.” (Romans 9:14-18 NKJV)

We still need to teach and edify our brothers according the gift which each has received from the Lord Jesus Christ. All gifts are supernatural and given from the heaven above to use for the glory of God not for our own benefits. Whatever we do, teaching, serving, administration, or prophesying, do all unto the Lord and His glory. All Christians stand on their own faith, not by the faith of any teacher or pastor. Salvation comes from the hand of the Lord and growth also does.

Jesus Christ gives us a new command that we love one another just as He has loved us. Paul admonishes the saints as the church of Christ Jesus, do everything in worthy of the calling, following the example of the Lord. With humility, meekness, and longsuffering, we ought to bear with one another in love and make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. “I, therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you to walk worthy of the calling with which you were called, with all lowliness and gentleness, with longsuffering, bearing with one another in love, endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.” (Ephesians 4:1-3 NKJV)

Christ though He was equal with God emptied Himself and became just like one of us. Moreover, He obeyed to the Father even death on the cross. He completely denied Himself and fully and perfectly gave His body to the Father as the ransom sacrifice for the redemption of the elect before the creation of the world. God never forces anyone to love Him but shows the ample and infallible evidence that He loves all. When the Son obeyed the Father even to the point of death, God the Father exalted Him above all names in heaven and on earth and under the earth. That’s the example we ought to follow. That’s we are called to do now and forevermore.

“Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus, who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God, but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men. And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross. Therefore God also has highly exalted Him and given Him the name which is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth, and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.” (Philippians 2:5-11 NKJV)

The Throne of God in Heaven

"After these things I looked, and behold, a door standing open in heaven. And the first voice which I heard was like a trumpet speaking with me, saying, “Come up here, and I will show you things which must take place after this.” Immediately I was in the Spirit; and behold, a throne set in heaven, and One sat on the throne. And He who sat there was like a jasper and a sardius stone in appearance; and there was a rainbow around the throne, in appearance like an emerald. Around the throne were twenty-four thrones, and on the thrones I saw twenty-four elders sitting, clothed in white robes; and they had crowns of gold on their heads. And from the throne proceeded lightnings, thunderings, and voices. Seven lamps of fire were burning before the throne, which are the seven Spirits of God. Before the throne there was a sea of glass, like crystal. And in the midst of the throne, and around the throne, were four living creatures full of eyes in front and in back. The first living creature was like a lion, the second living creature like a calf, the third living creature had a face like a man, and the fourth living creature was like a flying eagle. The four living creatures, each having six wings, were full of eyes around and within. And they do not rest day or night, saying: “Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty, Who was and is and is to come!” Whenever the living creatures give glory and honor and thanks to Him who sits on the throne, who lives forever and ever, the twenty-four elders fall down before Him who sits on the throne and worship Him who lives forever and ever, and cast their crowns before the throne, saying: “You are worthy, O Lord, To receive glory and honor and power; For You created all things, And by Your will they exist and were created.” (Revelation 4:1-11 NKJV)

Yes and Amen in Christ (2 Corinthians 1:20-22)

“For all the promises of God in Him are Yes, and in Him Amen, to the glory of God through us. Now He who establishes us with you in Christ and has anointed us is God, who also has sealed us and given us the Spirit in our hearts as a guarantee.” (2 Corinthians 1:20-22 NKJV)

God is light. In Him, there never be found anything crooked, bent, warped, and twisted, but always straight. In Him, there is no darkness at all. In Him, there are no hidden things but all is naked and bare. In Him, there is no shadow of turning. He is the same yesterday, today, and forever. In Him, an iota of variation cannot be ever found. For example, God is love which means He always loves eternally. He is always in love no matter what. While pouring out His wrath, God is still in love. He cannot lie.  

But it seems not so if you see things on the surface and shallow level. The world seems like full of chaos, injustice, decries of the helpless, discrimination, unbalance caused and affected by different ideology, economy, religion, race, and culture. However, it is not true for all the promises of God in Christ are Yes and Amen to the glory of God through the saints like Paul, Silas, Timothy, and us. For all scriptures shall be fulfilled in due time. “For assuredly, I say to you, till heaven and earth pass away, one jot or one tittle will by no means pass from the law till all is fulfilled.” (Matthew 5:18 NKJV)

All things in heaven and on earth will be gathered together in one in Christ Jesus. “…that in the dispensation of the fullness of the times He might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven and which are on earth—in Him.” (Ephesians 1:10 NKJV) The world is not in chaos nor in disharmony but in the perfect control of the hand of God. He is the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End. There is no rivalry in the league with God.

“…and what is the exceeding greatness of His power toward us who believe, according to the working of His mighty power which He worked in Christ when He raised Him from the dead and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly places, far above all principality and power and might and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this age but also in that which is to come.” (Ephesians 1:19-21 NKJV)

Think about the life of Abraham. He was old and weary when he was called at the age of seventy five. The promise of God was mighty and powerful but the possibility of fulfilling it looked very thin for he was old enough to have a son, let alone being a great nation. Nevertheless, he believed and trusted in the promise of God. He didn’t know how God would fulfill His promises. Regardless of all the impossible circumstances, he didn’t back down the adventurous faith upon God in heaven who swore by Himself to keep His promises.

“…who, contrary to hope, in hope believed, so that he became the father of many nations, according to what was spoken, ‘So shall your descendants be.’ And not being weak in faith, he did not consider his own body, already dead (since he was about a hundred years old), and the deadness of Sarah’s womb. He did not waver at the promise of God through unbelief, but was strengthened in faith, giving glory to God, and being fully convinced that what He had promised He was also able to perform. And therefore “it was accounted to him for righteousness.” (Romans 4:18-22 NKJV)

How can we be sure of all these? We can absolutely sure of all these things because we have been sealed by the Holy Spirit whom He promised to send to His children of light. The risen Christ from the dead ascended into heaven and seated in the right hand of God and sent out His Spirit in the hearts of His people according to the promise. “To them God willed to make known what are the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles: which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.” (Colossians 1:27 NKJV)

“Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight.” (Proverb 3:5-6 NIV)