[Shepherding the sheep with One heart] Repentance is the best opportunity

  • 2017.12.18 19:52

People think that their whole existence will be spent in the time of the flesh.  That’s why they spend their days sinfully, satisfying their sinful desires according to their own wisdom.  However, they don’t know that this is sin against God, and that God hates sin.

 

When their lives, filled with repeated days of sinful desire, end, they will face the time of soul when they cannot avoid the punishment from God.  At that time, it will be too late for regret because they will have totally lost the opportunity to repent of the sins that they committed during the time of the flesh. 

 

If they knew that they would be punished forever for their sins after death, and if they knew that they could be saved by repenting of their sins through the blood of Jesus because Jesus Christ died for their sins, they would repent of their sins and would enjoy everlasting happiness.  But God doesn’t allow them to know this. 

 

Some people think that they can save themselves.  However, it is impossible for any human to turn away from their sins by themselves.  The only way to turn from sins is to repent by the blood of Jesus Christ.  Repentance is the only way to escape sin completely. 

 

When we have been saved, we must desperately try to win by fighting against sins. It’s foolish that we long for the grace of Jesus Christ while we still live under the control of sin.

 

Our flesh is a mass of sinful desires. We must ask for the grace of Jesus Christ by turning completely away from sin while admitting that we are a mass of sinful desire. We can’t turn away from sin by our own power. Only by the Holy Spirit can we overcome the sinful desires of the flesh (Galatians 5:16-18)

 

To live by the Holy Spirit is what God wants for us. (Galatians 5:22-23) Living only by the Holy Spirit is the only key to save us from being deceived by human wisdom.

 

Therefore, do not ignore the inspiration of the Holy Spirit. The work of the Holy Spirit is the power to overcome carnal desire. If you want to overcome committing sins and avoid punishment, I bless your hope of having the grace of redemption of Jesus Christ. The best key to living well that Jesus Christ has given us is to live according to the Holy Spirit. 

 


Pastor Seok-Jeon Yoon
Extracted from Yonsei Newspaper #551 (November 11, 2017)