Introduction

Having listened to the sharing of our brothers and sisters on this chapter, it seems that everyone has grasped the essence to some extent. This is a significant progress, and I feel good about it. Today's topic is that God judges people according to what they believe in their hearts. We started the first chapter by saying that the gospel of Jesus Christ is a powerful gospel. According to the flesh, Jesus is a descendant of David, but according to the Spirit of holiness, He is declared to be the Son of God through His resurrection from the dead. From the beginning, it speaks of both the Spirit and the flesh. Therefore, Paul also speaks of faith from first to last, for this gospel is the power of God that brings salvation to everyone who believes: for in it God's righteousness is revealed.

All of Man's Problems Stem from Unbelief

From faith to faith, this is a crucial concept. Last week, we spent an hour discussing faith from first to last; the week before last, we spoke about the powerful gospel of God. Today, I want to say that ultimately, all problems arise from man's unbelief, because faith is a very spiritual thing, and people do not believe in what they cannot see with their eyes. Today, we often say that hearing is hollow, seeing is believing. Actually, not only is what the ear hears unreliable, but what the eye sees is also unreliable. So, what is real? It is what you think in your heart, that is truly real.

Yesterday, a sister called to tell me that her mother hung up on her because this sister really wanted her mother to receive the benefits of the gospel she believed in, but her mother just wouldn't believe it. In fact, when I was helping this sister cast out the demon of mental illness, her mother was present and witnessed the demon being cast out of her daughter. As we would imagine, this sister's parents saw the demon speaking beside them and saw the great transformation of her life in a very helpless situation. At least they would have some understanding of the benefits of the gospel, right? But people just don't believe.

Later, this sister was completely healed and no longer entangled in depression and frustration. In this sister's office, a teacher committed suicide by cutting his wrists and jumping from the building. To this day, the seat next to her office is still empty. But her parents said: You believe well, we have our way of life, we have what we believe, we do not interfere with each other. This sister said to her parents: You want to take care of your body, can you take good care of it? This sister's mother had seen her own parents experience the torment of illness and then pass away helplessly. Our sister said to her parents: What do you have to resist with? Her parents said: Why are you cursing me during the New Year? People are really interesting. If you don't believe in the spiritual realm, then take good care of your body. These parents were angered by what the sister said during the New Year and couldn't even understand what a curse was. It is very difficult if a person does not believe in their heart.

That is to say, all our problems stem from unbelief. The parents of our sister witnessed their daughter being freed from the bondage of mental illness, but they still did not believe. Why didn't they believe? Because she is a carnal person, she lives according to a carnal logical system. A sentence we are very familiar with today is that I want to take good care of my body, living healthily is the most important thing, and everyone says so. But they don't know how health comes, nor do they know how disease comes. But these people clearly know God, but they do not glorify Him as God. As a result, they live according to the flesh. An unbelieving person lives according to what the eyes see. This person may be a good person, keeping the rules of the law, but this person has no ability to resist anything.

The powerful gospel preached by Paul is a spiritual matter, releasing the power of God according to faith. Today, many of our brothers and sisters come from traditional churches. We all talk about faith, but we don't know what faith means. Our faith today must understand that the spiritual world is real. The entire Bible speaks of the spiritual world and spiritual laws. But many people, although they are Christians, do not believe.

A few days ago, I met a pastor who is a good friend of mine. When I treated him to a meal, he told me that a pastor's friend had cancer, was very skinny, and was in a very miserable state. In fact, I had met him not long before. Why did he get cancer? Because he believed in a powerful gospel but made it powerless. What is faith? Those who believe will have signs and wonders following them, that is, casting out demons and speaking in new tongues in the name of Jesus Christ. A spiritual person will release God's power. A spiritual person lives truly in the spiritual realm. A carnal person lives only for the flesh.

Man Lives in Vanity, and the Core Interest is to Live

The God in the Bible has dug a big pit for us, that is, if people live according to the flesh, they will fall into a big pit. The nature of the flesh is to live for the flesh. They believe there is no God, they believe there is no judgment. But strangely enough, the parents of the sister I just mentioned got a string of beads from a temple on the mountain and put them on the sister's hand when she was in middle school. Suddenly one day, the beads broke, and then the sister became mentally ill. If they only live for the flesh, why did they get a string of beads from the temple? Carnal people live in a very strange state, and that state is vanity. Some things they live according to their own temperament, and when they can't do it themselves, they will find an idol.

Man lives in vanity, and the core interest of living is to live. Someone wrote a book called To Live, which discussed for a long time that the purpose of living is to live, which is like saying nothing. Until today, can any of our brothers and sisters clearly say what the meaning of your life is? So, when a person lives according to the flesh, his core interest is to live. As soon as someone threatens his core interest, the following will appear:

All kinds of wickedness, evil, greed, and malice. Full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, and hatred. Slanderers, backbiters, God-haters, insolent, arrogant, and boastful; inventors of evil; disobedient to parents; senseless, faithless, heartless, ruthless (Romans 1:29-31).

When a person lives for the sake of living, his core interest is to live, and whoever threatens his living, his bestiality will break out. So today, our brothers and sisters must begin to understand one thing, that is, if you want to judge a person, you must look at what his core interest is. If this person is a businessman, then his core interest is profit. If you threaten his ability to make money, then you are in trouble. So, to judge a person, look at his core interest, and you will know what his logic is.

God Looks at the Heart, Man Looks at the Appearance

If you see a tiger and you want the tiger's skin, the tiger will bite you to death. In vanity, if a person's core interests are not satisfied, they will produce judgment. We live in a distorted generation today. Let me give you an example. Some people do not get many opportunities. For example, they have no opportunity to be corrupt, so they are very envious of corruption and judge those who are corrupt. As a result, one day they have the opportunity to be corrupt, they will definitely be corrupt, because that is their core interest. So, the key things of a person are in his heart, don't look at his surface.

So, God looks at the heart of man, and man looks at the appearance of man. Don't be deceived by the appearance of others. So how do you look at the heart of man? I will teach you a lesson: how to look at the heart of man. You must look at what he does. What he is inside, that is what he does. Everyone must know that the inner things cannot be hidden. So if you touch a person's core interests, if he cares very much, the essence of the matter will be revealed. We must know that some people hated unscrupulous merchants very much before they became merchants. When they became merchants one day, they became unscrupulous merchants. Why? Because the pursuit of interests is their core. So, we must know that the function of the law is engraved in the hearts of people. What a person thinks in his heart, that is how his core interest is. God judges people by looking at their hearts.

Why do people judge others? Because they feel that what others are doing is wrong. When they recognize this, they will judge others. But why don't we judge? Because we feel that doing so is meaningless. Even if someone is corrupt, we cannot interfere. Even if someone is an unscrupulous merchant, we cannot influence him. We only know that those things are worthless. What is our core interest?

It is to please God, so that one day when God judges us, He will give us a crown of glory. Our pursuit is not in this world, but in the kingdom of God. We regard the things of the world as non-core interests, dispensable. Even if we are taken advantage of, it doesn't matter. Even if you have not done that thing, you are slandered and defamed, it doesn't matter, because the things of this world are vanity of vanities. So you see what you care about, and that is what you live out. Therefore, the effects of a person's life are produced by the heart.

So we know that the reason why people judge others is because they take that matter very seriously. They feel that others are doing badly, so they will judge these people. Those who judge others will also be judged. So we know that the function of the law is in the hearts of people. Judgment, law, and circumcision are all spiritual matters. Today we know that many things in this world are spiritual matters.

God Judges in the Land of the Living

These are all things that come from our hearts. So once a person is based on behavior, he falls into a curse. He often judges others, even if he himself is not doing very well. God will judge people according to their judgments. God's judgment of people is not necessarily after death. In fact, God judges people while they are alive.

God “will repay each person according to what they have done.” To those who by persistence in doing good seek glory, honor and immortality, he will give eternal life. But for those who are self-seeking and who reject the truth and follow evil, there will be wrath and anger. There will be trouble and distress for every human being who does evil, but glory, honor and peace for everyone who does good (Romans 2:6-10).

So one day when I met a pastor, I told him that many people who get cancer have a very nasty character. Why do people get cancer? That is God's judgment. Why does God judge them? Because when people disobey the truth and obey unrighteousness, God will repay them with anger and wrath, and He will add trouble and distress to everyone who does evil. You ask, if a person is a pastor, what is going on with his cancer? In fact, it is related to the state inside the person. The things in the heart will definitely be revealed. In the future, I will share a topic with you, that is, God will reveal the hidden secrets in people's hearts.

Pharisees and Surface Work

Because what people believe in their hearts is how they will act. If people value serving in the church very much, more than other things, they are not spiritual people. They cannot see through things, so they often form factions, disobey the truth, and provoke God's anger. If you obey the truth, you will believe that God is in control and will completely entrust yourself to Him. Brothers and sisters, do not do superficial work, it is a very deadly thing.

The Jews did superficial work for hundreds of years, and as a result, their country was destroyed. Everyone, do not do superficial work. I am very worried about the brothers and sisters. I want you to do practical things. Why? I am afraid that you will become Pharisees in the future. How are Pharisees formed? Because they do superficial work and are hypocritical. With faith and religion, it is very easy to play superficial games. I have seen some people holding staffs, wearing robes, and giving speeches on the stage. That kind of superficial work is very easy to do, but it is not easy to believe in God in one's heart and do practical things, following the example of Abraham and Jacob. We see that there are several jobs that easily lead people to do superficial work, one is a teacher, and the other is a pastor, and these all require conscience. If you are a teacher, you can stay up all night and give lectures the next day, or you can watch TV dramas all night and then give a random lecture the next day, so these are all conscience jobs.

What is inside a person is not easily seen on the surface. The Jews were like this, playing superficial games for a long time. They did not practice the law, but they knew the law and could distinguish right from wrong, but they only did superficial work. If the superficial work is done well, people cannot easily see it, but God judges people according to their hearts. God judges according to what people believe in their hearts. Just like the previous chapter said, from faith to faith. But some people, from unbelief to unbelief, will experience very severe judgment.

On Faith in Authority and Power

But in the church scene, there are many who do not believe in the spiritual realm. Believing in the spiritual realm is fundamental to the Christian faith. If you do not believe in the spiritual realm, you essentially do not know what to believe.

If the spiritual realm is real, then spiritual authority and power are key. Then we will have reverence, and we will seek glory, honor, and imperishable blessings. Therefore, our brothers and sisters, everyone must begin to know, what is your core interest?

If you are pursuing eternal life, pursuing glory, honor, and imperishable blessings, you will live according to the Holy Spirit. Because you believe in eternal life, believe that a crown of glory and honor will be reserved for you in the future. If you believe, you will receive. If you do not believe in the spiritual realm, but only believe in living life to the fullest, living well, eating and drinking well, and not allowing anyone to influence you, and fighting anyone who does, you will only gain a vain life. Therefore, as a man thinks in his heart, so is he.

The Jews received the law from God. This law was originally written on their hearts, but they wrote it on the surface. Their hearts were still carnal, and they became examples of vanity. The Israelites and Jews experienced national destruction and exile. Although they received the law, they had not fallen to such a state in Paul's time, but in later years they experienced many upheavals.

If you call yourself a Jew and rely on the law and boast in God; if you know his will and approve what is excellent, because you are instructed in the law; and if you are sure that you yourself are a guide to the blind, a light to those who are in darkness, an instructor of the foolish, a teacher of children, having in the law the embodiment of knowledge and truth— you then who teach others, do you not teach yourself? (Romans 2:17-21)

Let me give an example. A couple always argued. When they came to me, the wife complained: You know, my husband looks at his own strengths with a magnifying glass, but looks at my weaknesses with a microscope, magnifying them thousands of times. I said this was worth pondering. I found that people are very good at seeing the problems of others, but not good at teaching themselves, because they do not believe in their hearts.

Preach the Gospel Truth Preached by Paul

In fact, autism is a demon, and Alzheimer's is a demon, and they are quite powerful. I know a pastor who recently visited his brother-in-law's father. This old man lived at home and played with feces all day long, making their home a mess. When my mother had Alzheimer's, she also often played with feces. Now the evil spirit still comes occasionally, but it is much better today. If someone in the family plays with feces and makes a mess everywhere, it will be very distressing!

One day my mother saw groups of dung beetles rolling dung balls. Through her behavior, I thought that there should be a spirit of dung beetles behind it. One day, I put a picture of a dung beetle on my phone and asked my mother: Which one do you see? When I put the picture of the dung beetle, my mother said: That's it. A dung beetle is a kind of beetle that likes to roll dung balls. I also found that this evil spirit likes to live in people's chest. As soon as I grabbed my mother's chest, the evil spirit screamed. Soon I drove out the evil spirit of the dung beetle. After driving it out, playing with feces was much less. This evil spirit still comes occasionally, and I rely on faith to drive it out every time it comes.

Therefore, our understanding of the spiritual realm must be very clear. If we do not understand the spiritual realm ourselves, teach these rituals to others, read the Bible, but do not believe in the spiritual realm, and read the Bible as a book of morality, it will be troublesome. Why do people lose their power once they read the Bible as a ritual? Why are some people not very powerful in their faith? For example, the same is true of pastors. When he went to his brother-in-law's house and saw the old man like that, he felt powerless and almost brought his own mother with high blood pressure to me for healing and deliverance.

Today we need to know one thing, believing in the Lord to the point of being full of power is a grace, this is the gospel that Paul believed in. If you do not believe in Paul's gospel, but in another gospel, that is not the gospel. If the gospel you preach is not the gospel, according to the Book of Galatians, if you preach the wrong gospel, you will be cursed.

Divine Power Can Be Released Through Faith

The Jews like to talk to others, but they do not believe themselves. Therefore, God will judge people according to what they believe, not according to your outward behavior, but according to your inner faith. As you believe in your heart, you will do. Everyone must know that behavior can never be mentioned in the same breath as faith. Some people say: Behavior without faith is dead. This is actually not quite right. Faith and behavior are not on the same level at all. Faith is the foundation, and behavior is a later thing. Only at a very low level is behavior mentioned.

Therefore, we all need to know that only faith can engrave God's law on our hearts. Faith can release God's power even before we have behavior. If we have to wait until our behavior is good before our faith can live out, that is not starting with faith and ending with faith. Therefore, our brothers and sisters must get rid of this lie, that is, faith with behavior is alive, and faith without behavior is dead. This sentence is not appropriate. We all need to know that when we have faith, God's Spirit can manifest God's power in us. Taking faith as the foundation in everything, we believe in the reality of the spiritual realm, and we believe that God has given us the authority of the spiritual realm. Then we see that the spiritual world is so real, and we believe even more and pursue eternal life, honor, glory and imperishable blessings with greater joy. If we pursue even more, we will despise worldly and carnal gains. When our spiritual life enters a certain level and our faith increases to a certain level, you will say:

I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. (Galatians 2:20)

What is more, I consider everything a loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them garbage, that I may gain Christ. (Philippians 3:8)

If people do not believe, God will add tribulation and distress to all who do evil. What is an evil person? An evil person is an unbelieving person; what is a righteous person? A righteous person is a believer. This belief and unbelief divides people at once. Therefore, the law is spiritual, and the function of the law is to be engraved on people's hearts.

What does the New Testament say? God will engrave His law on our hearts, so that we can act according to His will, obey the Holy Spirit, and put to death the evil deeds of the body. If we follow the flesh and act according to our behavior, we will surely die. Therefore, judgment is spiritual, and judgment is according to people's hearts, according to what people believe in their hearts; criticism is spiritual, how you criticize others also represents your values, and people will judge you according to your values; circumcision is also spiritual, circumcision is not about cutting off the foreskin on a man's reproductive organ, but about cutting off the evil desires in people's hearts.

Liking the praise of people is carnal, and they will play the surface kung fu; if a person likes the praise of God, he will be circumcised in his person, spirit and heart. The flesh is empty, a pretense, a shadow, and the human spirit is the essence. Why do so many people form factions today? Forming factions is to preserve their strength and rights in carnal matters, and it is still a logical system based on this life. Therefore, tribulations and difficulties are also spiritual.

Recently, I discovered a very interesting thing, that is, many people have a religious flavor, that is, the ideas in people's minds are very religious and rigid, and such people find it difficult to be blessed financially. What is religion? It is based on behavior, not on faith. I hope that what I said will not cause trouble to everyone. What is the essence of what is in you? Only doing the surface kung fu, wearing the appearance of religion, but in essence, they do not believe.

Therefore, all our brothers and sisters must carefully examine themselves. If you find it difficult to be blessed in your body and finances, you really need to adjust. For example, if a person believes in the flesh, he will live a petty life and pursue carnal enjoyment. But if a person believes in God and pursues honor, glory, and imperishable blessings, the faith in their heart will despise many things in this life, rather than doing some surface kung fu. You do it for me to see, what is the use of me seeing it? It is useless for you to please me and seek my praise, because I cannot give you anything; it is useful for you to please God and seek His praise.

Reject the Idea of Playing Surface Kung Fu and Engrave the Law on Your Heart

Therefore, true circumcision is of the heart, in the Spirit, not in the letter; not in appearance, but in essence. Therefore, our brothers and sisters must come out of the surface kung fu. As for circumcision or uncircumcision, it is not important; as for keeping the law or not keeping the law, it is not important. None of these things are important. The only important thing is what is in your heart? If what you have in your heart is eternal life, glory, honor, and imperishable blessings, God knows it, and the demons know it. If what you have in your heart is a carnal logical system, it is useless for you to do any surface kung fu, you cannot deceive God.

Therefore, everything depends on the Spirit. Those who believe will keep the whole law. Those who believe do not keep the law for the sake of keeping the law, but those who believe naturally keep the whole law. If a person does not have God in their heart, their heart is not spiritual, and their heart is a carnal nature, God will judge you according to what you believe in your heart. Our brothers and sisters must completely eliminate hypocrisy and the thoughts and intentions of playing surface kung fu, completely deal with our petty life and carnal nature, and completely deal with the things in us that do not conform to God's will. Our brothers and sisters must ponder what I said, and then constantly pursue spiritual things and engrave the law on our hearts.

Because of faith, you must begin to walk the path of faith. When you believe, you will do what it says. If you say I believe, but I still do not do what it says, that is called unbelief.

I once told you an example, I said, if someone comes to the church here at three in the morning, I will give him ten thousand dollars. I used to say one thousand, but now one thousand is not attractive anymore. As a result, when I waited until three o'clock, only one person came. What about the people who did not come? The people who did not come did not believe. As a result, the person who came really got ten thousand dollars. The next morning, everyone looked at it and said with a regretful look: Oh, really? So those who believe will do what they believe and then achieve it. If you do not believe and think it is a lie, you will not come.

Why do people do what God says? Because they believe; people do not do what God says because they do not believe. Therefore, belief and unbelief are the foundation, and doing and not doing are not the most important. You believe a little, then you do a little, you believe a little more, then you do a little more, and then a little more, and then a little more. This is the function of faith, which is starting with faith and ending with faith.

Can we come out of the flesh today? Start to become a spiritual person. God will reveal the secrets of people's hearts. Whether you believe or do not believe can be seen. Therefore, our brothers and sisters, start to stop playing games and start to get serious! No matter what happens, just believe in God, and God will judge you according to what you believe in your heart. May God bless everyone!