The most noble thing is life. There is nothing more precious than life. It is truly amazing that a life is born. One life contains infinite potential. It's like a big tree in a small seed. It is like having a huge forest in a small seed. All huge forests started with small seeds. They started from a small tree. In such way, when a young life is born on earth, there is an infinite future in that life.
When a life is born on earth, no one knows the specific future of that life. Only God, who sent the life to this earth, knows. Though we all were born of our parents, God is the source of all life. The power of life is immense. One life is born and grows. Every human being has an instinct of growth. Raise a child. He or she starts growing from the moment he or she is born. We strive for growth on our own. Also every time we grow up, we feel incredible joy.
The life of a human grows and matures. Being mature means being ripe. It is like a green apple becoming a red apple when it is ripened. It is like the taste of an apple as it turns from sour to sweet. Also when a life ripens, it becomes fruitful. Through the abundant fruit, another life is reproduced. Therefore, being alive is great. Being alive means that we have infinite possibilities to bear much fruit in the future.
There is the life of the flesh and the life of the spirit in the life of a human. The life of the flesh is given through our parents when we are born. The life of the spirit is given when we receive Jesus. Through the original sin of Adam, man is born with the spiritual deadness. Death in the Bible means separation. It is sin that separates us from God. The sin began with human greed. There was evil in the background, and came to steal life. The reason that Jesus came to this earth was to give us the life of the spirit. "The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full." (John 10:10).
Jesus came to this earth and resolved the problem of sin that separated us from God on the cross, and He reconnected the gap between God and us. In that moment, the life of God came into us. Once we believe in Jesus, our problem of sin is resolved. Also, when we believe in and receive Jesus, the life of God in Jesus, the eternal life, comes into us. At that moment we are born again through the Holy Spirit who is working in Jesus. In that moment we are born of God (John 1: 12-13). This new birth is called being born again (John 3:3-5). The moment we are born again, we become a new creation (2 Corinthians 5:17). At the moment of being born again, we receive a new spirit. We have a new heart -- that of Jesus Christ. We experience the Kingdom of God working within us. A new spiritual sense will come to life.
The reason Jesus came to this earth is to give us eternal life. He came to revive those who were spiritually dead (Ephesians 2: 5-8). This is mission. Mission is reviving the dead souls. Our Heavenly Father sent Jesus, the only begotten Son, to the earth as a missionary. In this way He saved our souls. Jesus died on the cross to save us. Jesus died on the cross because He loved us. The root of God's mission is love. It is the love to save and enrich the life of mankind.
The life of man is enriched by love. It is revived through love. There is no strong power like love. If you love, it overcomes everything. The dead life also comes alive when they receive love. The sick life is also restored. It is said that the most powerful force to conquer cancer is love. Pastor Han, Ki-chae said, "Love and life are the essence of Christianity. Evil is against life. There is no life without love, and everything which has life is supposed to love." Sin and evil destroy life. But the love of God saves life and enriches life. Living in such a way is loving, and only through love is our life enriched. Mission is to preach the gospel of love. The gospel is the story of Jesus' love. Next Sunday will be observed as Mission Sunday at our church. For next Sunday's service, we will have time to support and pray for the summer mission team this year. I ask for your love, prayer, and dedication. I currently am leading a pastoral seminar and united rally in Chicago. Thank you for your continued intercession.
Reverend Joshua Choon-Min Kang is the senior pastor of New Life Vision Church, located in Los Angeles. This is one of the weekly letters he writes to his congregation. For the original, visit www.nlvc.org.
