When Human Beings Declare Spiritual Bankruptcy by Saying, “We Cannot Save Ourselves,” God Performs the Miracle of Salvation by Passing Camel-Like Sinners Through the Eye of a Needle “Jesus looked at him and said, ‘How difficult it is for those who have wealth to enter the kingdom of God! For it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God.’ Those who heard it said, ‘Then who can be saved?’ But He said, ‘The things that are impossible with men are possible with God’” (Luke 18:24–27). (1) As I read today’s passage, Luke 18:24–27, first in the Korean Bible and then in the Greek New Testament, the very first thing that caught my attention was the phrase “ὁ Ἰησοῦς [περίλυπον γενόμενον]” (ho Iēsous [perilypon genomenon]), which is not translated in the Korean Bible. What does this expression mean, and why was it omitted from...
God’s presence
[Acts 7:30-35]
1. When
we are in distress, we must seek God's presence.
God
descended amidst the burning bush on Mount Sinai, which was covered in thorns. Considering that the word "thorn" is
mentioned twice, it implies that God is not indifferent to our suffering, but
rather, He sees our distress and hears our cries. Therefore, He comes down to rescue us.
2. Those
who seek God's presence will hear His voice.
When
Moses approached the burning bush in the wilderness of Mount Sinai, he heard
the voice of the Lord. We should always
seek God's presence, especially when we are in distress. Therefore, we should draw closer to the Lord
and seek to hear His voice.
3. In
the sacred presence of God's refuge, we must repent of our sinful deeds.
The
voice of God that Moses heard was, "Take off your sandals, for the place
where you are standing is holy ground" (Exod. 3:5). God's sacred refuge always exposes our sins. Therefore, like Moses, we should humbly obey
God's word in fear, and repent of our sinful deeds before the holy God.
4. As
we repent of our sins, we must embrace God's heart.
Just
as God saw the suffering of the Israelites in Egypt and heard their cries, when
we repent of our sins in the sacred presence of God's refuge, we too must see
and hear what God sees and hears.
In this way, Moses, who
experienced God's presence, embraced God's heart and eventually received the
commission to go to Egypt, as God saw and cared for the Israelites with
interest. Similarly, I also desire to
receive a commission in the presence of God. I want to be sent with the heart of Jesus
Christ. And I want to share the gospel
and love of Jesus Christ.
Desiring to fulfill the will of the
Lord who sent us with the heart of Jesus Christ,
James Kim
(Who seeks God's presence)
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