"And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins. Then those also who have fallen asleep in Christ are lost. If only for this life we have hope in Christ, we are to be pitied more than all men." (1 Cor 15:17-19) Our faith is the faith that has the hope of resurrection. If there is no resurrection, our faith has no hope. False prophets and the antichrist still deny the resurrection of Jesus Christ. The devil tries to deceive many people and tear down faith saying that there is no resurrection. However, as there is the resurrection, our lives and faith lives are not futile. If we do not have any hope of resurrection, why do we walk by faith? The world will change, fade away and be gone, but Christ is the solid foundation and is our never-falling faith. Those who tear down their faith are being deceived by the world and are cursed. Nicolas was one of the seven who was full of the Spirit (Acts 6:5). However, Nicolas was changed and enticed the Israelites to sin by eating food sacrificed to idols and so they were cut off from God's care. This happens today also. Even in church, people eat food sacrificed to idols and make it seem as a matter of course, occurs very often. Though, people even do not realize that it is the work that kills their souls. As the Bible says "Catch for us the foxes, the little foxes that ruin the vineyards" (Song of Songs 2:15), we should discern, fight off and win the evil work of the devil which makes us distant from God by disrupting our faith lives and makes us corrupt by using human thoughts. Do not be afraid of present sufferings and distress and continue deployment of your faith life which will make us attain the eternal kingdom.
Pastor Seok-Jeon Yoon
Extracted from Yonsei Newspaper #458 (November 7, 2015)
