The Root of the Problem

Romans Chapter 7 captures the essence of the struggles inherent in human life. If you observe people's lives closely, from beginning to end, you will find that every family in this world has its own set of difficult problems. What are these problems? They are the problems of a body of death (取死的经), where everyone is desperately heading towards death with great effort. Why are there so many problems in the world? Romans Chapter 7 explains it well. I am not saying it is good because I do not understand it, but because I understand it, I know it is truly excellent. Paul explains all the problems of humanity so clearly. The theme of this chapter is the body of death.

The root of all human problems is being alive. Living means having to consider food, clothing, shelter, transportation, and consumption. You have to solve many survival problems. But if you die, death solves everything. People see my casual attitude towards death and say, It's easy for you to say, but what if your mother dies? I say, What else can happen when she dies? The problem is solved. Death is death! What kind of son am I? Actually, I know it's not nice to say that, but the problem is that we must grasp the essence of things while we are alive.

Let me give you an example. If you go to a bank to mortgage ten thousand pigs, the bank will not accept it. Why? Because pigs are living things. As long as they are alive, they need to be fed. After feeding them, they will produce excrement, and someone needs to take care of them. Anything alive requires feeding and costs. That is to say, all living things that breathe need to eat, drink, and excrete, which requires financial support. Therefore, the root of all human problems is being alive. Unlike robots nowadays, you can simply turn off the switch, and they stop operating without consuming anything. When you turn the switch on, they can work again without any impact. That's wonderful! But humans are complex, always having endless, bothersome things. Some people live in debt, while others live as assets. Some constantly create value, while others constantly consume resources.

Then, Christians have even more problems than ordinary people. Why? Because in the hearts of believers, we have already died to this world, meaning the things of this world are no longer that important to us. But what I observe is not like that. Believers just cannot die completely, resulting in being half-dead and half-alive. How can they not feel uncomfortable? If you talk to such Christians, there are many who are afraid of death and many who are afraid of living. There are also many who indulge the flesh to the fullest extent, caring only about the things of the flesh.

I can tell you frankly why I am not afraid of death or life. Because I understand one thing: I do not care about the trivial matters of human life. I basically do not indulge the flesh. Not only do I not indulge my own flesh, but I also do not indulge the flesh of my family. Some people do not understand and say, If you do not indulge the flesh, can you still be called a living person? Does not the Bible tell us:

We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life. (Romans 6:4)

Do you think a person who is resurrected from the dead is good or not? Is it good to be resurrected from the dead like Jesus? In fact, Christians are most afraid of believing in a half-dead and half-alive manner. Let me give you an analogy: Killing a pig halfway, and the pig runs away. The butcher has to chase after the pig to catch it again, blood flowing everywhere. The pig is in pain, and the person is in pain. The scene is simply indescribable. Therefore, whether you are a Christian or a pastor, I give you a suggestion: Die completely. Because only when you die completely will you have a new life in everything you do, just like our Lord Jesus Christ resurrected from the dead.

Some people say that when the Lord Jesus Christ is resurrected from the dead, he does not have to pay rent, various living expenses, or buy a house. I say, what kind of talk is that? Hearing this, you know it is the words of a body of death. You only care about the things of living. I do not care about these things. We should carefully observe what things we should care about and what things we should not care about, what things we should value and what things we should not value.

When I used to work at the university, I once served a brother. Today, when I met him, he told me about some of his recent hardships, almost to the point of collapse. After listening, I felt a heavy burden in my heart. Why is this happening to people? Is it for the sake of living? Is it good or bad to live for the sake of living? The facts tell us that it is not good to live like that. But I live for the Lord, and I feel that I am living well!

So, what does it mean to live for the Lord, and what does it mean to live for the sake of living? If people live for the sake of living, they eat and drink, and they are endlessly entangled in work, income, children, and family matters. Some people ask, Do you not have these entanglements? To be honest, I am not entangled in these matters. Because standing at different spiritual heights, people's views and thinking are different. I do not care about these worldly matters. I think whoever wants to die can die, whoever wants to live can live, whoever wants to live like that can live like that. I think I do not care much. My life is to live out God's calling and destiny for me, and I want to be a blessing to many people.

I am a person who is tired of living. The world's houses, cars, and money cannot bother me. The things of the world are small matters to me. If someone asks, If your mother is dying, do you still think it's a small matter? I say that if it is a demon, I will destroy it. If it is the appointed time of death, God manages it, and I cannot control it. Therefore, I have very few things that entangle me.

Christians must be victorious Christians, and victorious Christians must live prosperously. Look at me, I do not love money, but I have money. I do not pursue a good life, but I live well. Is this not a strange thing? Why is this the case? Because I am determined to put to death the evil habits of my flesh. I do not want to be a carnal Christian because I know very well that if I cannot deal with a body of death, the problems will continue, and in the end, I can only live a tangled life.

Grasping the Essence of Living

Why do many Christians not live well? Because they are carnal Christians. Many people do not admit that they are carnal Christians. Then, how do you measure whether you are a carnal Christian? It is by looking at the things you care about. What things easily cause you to collapse? What you care about determines whether you are a carnal Christian or a spiritual Christian. We are baptized into the death of Jesus Christ, so that we may live a new life in everything we do, like Christ resurrected from the dead through the glory of the Father, having a glorious life.

You must know that this world is a spiritual world. The devil is not scary at all. The devil operates through people's bodies of death. The devil cannot do anything to a spiritual person, but for a carnal person, sin is in the carnal person, constantly doing corrupting work. Saying it is useless. We must put Christian life into practice. Christians who only talk are not very useful. Looking at the results people live out is looking at what they pay attention to and care about. If the things we care about are all worldly things, it means that our spiritual vision is not great enough, and we do not grasp the essence of things accurately enough.

If we find the root of living well, we cannot live badly because the root of living well is that we must be spiritual people. What does it mean to be a spiritual person? What does it mean to be a carnal person? It is measured by the things you care about. We care about the destiny and calling that the Lord Jesus has on us. Only these things can make us care, and we do not care about the rest. Neither life nor death can separate me from the love of God. I do not care about death, I do not care about life, I do not care about anything. Such people are truly powerful!

We must learn to observe carefully and grasp the essence of things. Once you grasp the essence of things, how can you possibly live badly? A person who is spiritually prosperous will surely be physically healthy and prosper in everything. I give everyone a suggestion: To see if a person is spiritually prosperous, look at whether this person is physically healthy? Is their finances prosperous? Are their interpersonal relationships good? Therefore, talking about the body of death means dealing with the carnal habits of people. Believing in the Lord and being baptized means being united with the Lord's death. Have you died? In fact, many Christians are half-dead.

For when we were in the realm of the flesh, the sinful passions aroused by the law were at work in our bodies, so that we bore fruit for death.(Romans 7:5)

Because we are carnal people, we care about carnal things. What law or no law, we simply do not follow these rules. Those who can keep the rules are basically carnal. You know in your heart that the law is good, but because there is a carnal logic system and evil habits inside, there is no way to do what is said in the law because the law is actually spiritual.

We know that the law is spiritual; but I am unspiritual, sold as a slave to sin.(Romans 7:14)

We know that the law is spiritual; the law does not belong to the flesh. But people are carnal, and the law will condemn you and cause you to die. Why? Because carnal people care about carnal things. How can carnal people live well? Think about it, if a carnal person is opposed by God, opposed by the devil, and also opposed by the law, how can they live well?

If you are living miserably today, I give you a suggestion: From now on, be a spiritual person. If you say no way! I have a family, old and young, and there are survival problems that have not been resolved! Then you live according to your way of living! If people do not live very miserably, how can they turn back? They still think that those things of living are their purpose of living. If the things of the world are your purpose of living, then are you not a carnal person? Therefore, we brothers and sisters must die to the law.

But now, by dying to what once bound us, we have been released from the law so that we serve in the new way of the Spirit, and not in the old way of the written code.(Romans 7:6)

Why is living a deadly problem? Today, pat your chest and ask yourself, why do I live? What am I doing living in this world? Is living just for this little thing, eating and drinking every day, eating and excreting, and then eating again after excreting, and earning money to eat and excrete again, no different from the animals in the zoo. Is this the glorious image of human life? Is this not carnal? What exactly do we live for? We must have a complete change in our understanding of the purpose of our life. If you live just to live, you will live miserably. Who is to blame? Is this not your own choice? Therefore, Romans Chapter 6 talks about everything depending on your choice.

A few days ago, I took a sister to see a pastor. This sister is single, and she is very clear that she wants to choose to be single. She lives happily and brightly. As a result, the pastor asked this sister, Then what will you do for retirement in the future? Oh my God! You see, this pastor is full of carnal thoughts. How can he be a good pastor? Carnal people bring people into carnal thoughts. Can getting married solve the problem of retirement? People make many arrangements for the flesh, but what is the fundamental purpose? They have not thought very clearly.

The child of a sister in our church looked very smart before the age of 6. After starting school at the age of 6, she found that the child was not normal. After going to the hospital for an examination, the conclusion was that the child had learning disabilities and intellectual development delays. At that time, the mother felt very uncomfortable with such a result but could not change anything. She later tried everywhere to find a solution but could not solve the fundamental problem because she could not grasp the essence of the matter.

Later, we prayed with the child, drove out many demons from him, and the child gradually began to recover. Now he is already 20 years old. This sister used to come to the church because of her child, but later she wanted to leave the church many times, but she did not dare to leave because of her child. She felt very uncomfortable staying in the church. Why did she feel uncomfortable? Because her carnal self was constantly fighting with this choice. When a person's purpose of living is for the flesh, then staying in the church is very suffering, like sitting on a tiger bench.

If you are a carnal person, I beg you not to suffer here. I talk about this every day, and then you apply it to yourself, and then you feel uncomfortable when you go back. I did not say it before, and you felt uncomfortable. Now that I have said it, you feel even more uncomfortable. Because a carnal person lives for these few decades of this life, and what he pays attention to is today's eating, drinking, and playing.

How to Break Free from This Body of Death?

Life is generally seventy to eighty years. Frankly speaking, we are living one day less each day. If we live in entanglement, and this entanglement leads to cancer, that would be troublesome. It's very arduous! Today, I am testifying to everyone with great fervor. Sometimes my testimony seems materialistic: the spiritual ones are thriving! Today they bought a house, tomorrow they bought a car, living very well. But that is definitely not manipulation. If you want to live well, you must be a spiritual person. To be a spiritual person, you must first know why you are living. Before, this sister of ours lived for her children. Gradually, her inner concept changed. She is no longer uncomfortable among us. She has become a spiritual person, living to serve God, according to the new way of the Spirit, not according to the old way of the written code.

Today, we must thoroughly ask ourselves deep in our hearts: What exactly am I doing in this world? Is it just to sit and wait for death? This world is actually a tragic world. Think about it: Do you truly understand what it means to be alive? Do you truly understand why people live tragically? I tell you, people cannot live without the spiritual realm. Although you cannot see the spiritual realm, it can see you. If it gives you a shove or a punch, you have to endure it because you cannot hit it. Evil spirits work through the flesh. This way is the key to why people don't live well. If we put to death the deeds of the body and no longer live for the flesh, how can we not live well? But as a Christian, being baptized and归主 is only the beginning. Christians who live for the flesh are carnal. Although they have read the words in the Bible, they do not believe God's words. Like that two-cent teapot, the mouth is good, but the rest is broken, just Christians who talk the talk. In this generation, there are many half-baked Christians. Although they have the law, they still deliberately violate it because they do not believe in their hearts.

Romans proposes that faith is the foundation, from faith to faith. In fact, you may not believe many things at the beginning, but you already believe a little. Then there will be two points, three points, many points, more points, and then keep believing. People will keep running on the spiritual road, and as they understand the truth, they will constantly deal with their flesh. Today you must know that sin works through carnal things, enticing you to be a carnal person. Carnal words sound very realistic: you must have money to live. But we must know that we must have God to live!

People think that if they don't have money, they have to make money. What if they can't make money? Then they get into a vicious cycle and live very hard! Seeing their family members sick, they need money! If they can't make money, they get entangled and don't know that money is also spiritual. That is to say, if you are spiritually prosperous, your finances will surely prosper. If you make choices according to carnal things, the devil will mess with you, and God will also mess with you. How miserably you live! Setting your mind on the flesh is death, setting your mind on the flesh is hostile to God. Today, if you want to be a spiritual person, you must deal with your flesh, that is, the struggle between the mind and the flesh. Therefore, Paul said: “What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body of death?” (Romans 7:24) Paul exclaimed from the bottom of his heart. When our mind and flesh are at war, Paul gives us the answer: “Thanks be to God—through Jesus Christ our Lord!” (Romans 7:25)

Today you must know that as a Christian, we must rise up and fight, on the one hand, fighting with the devil, and on the other hand, fighting with our carnal desires. If we win the battle, we will receive the promise, win one battle and receive one promise, win two battles and receive two promises... Constant victory means constantly drawing on God's promises. Christians fight against the carnal desires throughout their lives because evil spirits corrupt people through our carnal desires. It is easy for us as exorcists to drive out demons, but it is also easy for demons to return! Because demons operate according to people's flesh. If we are carnal people, we will often repeat the cycle, demons driven out and then returning, driven out and then returning, tossing us around! So I am determined to transform all our brothers and sisters into spiritual people.

Our knowledge and implementation of spiritual things determine our state of living. We can live not according to the flesh. We do not owe the flesh anything because Jesus Christ has died for us, and Jesus Christ has redeemed our sins. If you say: I am 10% spiritual and 90% carnal, what should I do? It doesn't matter. As long as you know in your heart that you are living for the Lord, as long as you know that there is still much land to be possessed and you must continue to fight, the grace of redemption of the Lord Jesus is sufficient for you. You will change from 10% spiritual to 20% spiritual, from 20% spiritual to 30% spiritual... until complete sanctification, like the Lord Jesus. This battle after battle is really too arduous! Although the battle is arduous, it is even more arduous not to fight. Our struggle and service are the arduousness of victory, but those pastors who do not serve are even more arduous, playing fake with God, the consequences are very terrible.

Genuinely Face Yourself and Triumph in the Spirit

These days, our brothers and sisters have been serving those in need day and night, wishing to dedicate themselves 24 hours a day, which is truly moving! Who can understand the mystery in this? Who knows that a spiritual person will live very joyfully.

I have seen many pastors who are different on and off the stage. Sometimes they are very excited on the stage, deceiving the audience; but off the stage, they are very entangled. Seeing this phenomenon, I am deeply puzzled: How can pastors become such two-faced people? I don't want to be like this. Among the many pastors, I am very different from them. Although I am very tired, I enjoy my pastoral work very much. Because I must constantly fight, I am unwilling to retreat, and I don't want to live for myself. I just want to live for Jesus Christ who died on the cross, because this is a great blessing.

Everyone should not think that we have no choice. Today's situation is the result of our choices over the past many years. Today we must make a new choice: to be a spiritual person or a carnal person? To live according to our body of death or to put to death this body of death? If you can constantly break carnal habits and constantly fight until victory, you will surely see God's promises gradually fulfilled in your life.

Today I tell you: Through our Lord Jesus Christ, we can break free from this mortal body, because all our needs in life, whether spiritual or carnal, can be met in Jesus Christ. You may doubt: Really? Look, which of us is begging for food? Which of us is not thriving? Don't be foolish. Someone says, If I don't make money, will you give me money? I won't give you money. If you trust in our God, He controls the universe, the heavens and the heavens, the earth and everything on earth belongs to God. Can you live a poor life relying on Him? If you still live a poor life relying on Him, go settle the score with the Lord Jesus. I believe that through the Lord Jesus Christ, all our needs in life can be met, great!

Today I will give you a few examples to listen to. First, a child who went to school at the age of six and all the way to junior high school, learned very poorly, unable to do addition and subtraction within ten. I fixed it through Jesus. This child is very powerful now! He can teach another child to learn mathematics. Through the Lord Jesus, don't worry about anything! I want to do good marketing for our Lord Jesus. If it weren't for the Lord Jesus, my mother would be suffering from Alzheimer's disease today, a person who is often confused. She doesn't know where she is, doesn't know where she is going, doesn't know how to go to the toilet, and there is poop everywhere. If it weren't for the grace of the Lord Jesus, the grandfather of this sister of ours would be the same, but today her grandfather has become very healthy and very happy.

From our own experiences, we deeply know that all needs are in Jesus Christ. We have completely solved a fundamental problem. If we are all spiritual and victorious people, all are victorious soldiers in Jesus Christ, then the medical problem is solved because our bodies are very healthy. If we don't get sick in our lives, we will save a lot of money. How much money can you spend on eating and clothing? That one illness can be one hundred thousand, or even two hundred thousand. How many one hundred thousand or two hundred thousand do you have! It's very hard. Money is earned bit by bit, but it is spent ten thousand at a time in the hospital. If you are willing to rely on doctors, I can only wish you good luck. As for me, I will rely on my Lord Jesus. He not only satisfies all my choices in these things but also satisfies me in all other things.

We must regard everything as rubbish, so that we may gain Christ. More than that, I consider everything a loss compared to the surpassing greatness 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). This is by no means an exaggeration, and it is definitely not boasting. If you are someone who trusts in the Lord Jesus, all your needs will be met in the Lord until you leave this world. Even the things after death are satisfied.

If you do not consider everything as rubbish, God will consider you as rubbish. Then you say: My flesh is weak, what should I do? Just like my heart obeys God's law, but my flesh obeys the law of sin, what should I do? If that is the case, then it doesn't matter, the Lord Jesus can help you, become your strength, and put to death the evil deeds of your flesh. This is the grace of God. Never believe some churches that preach that you don't need to put to death carnal desires. Let's read Romans carefully. Can it be done without putting it to death? We all read the Bible in black and white, how can you read it that way? Paul said: What a wretched man I am! Do you still insist that you don't need to put to death the flesh? Constantly relying on the Lord Jesus to put to death the evil deeds of the flesh is a spiritual battle.

In this process of battle, if I am weak, the Lord Jesus has redeemed the price of all our sins. Isn't this good news? The law can no longer control us! The law cannot require us according to the rituals of the law, as long as we obey God's law from the heart, the problem is solved. One day, you can stand before the Lord Jesus and say: God, I have relied on you to be victorious throughout my life and have put to death the evil deeds of the flesh. If you do not put it to death, God will surely discipline you.

The reason why we can put to death the evil deeds of the flesh is not by relying on ourselves, but by relying on the Holy Spirit. In understanding, we must be fully aware of God's will. In the process of battle, we must recognize the devil's schemes. What you are willing to do, you do not do; what you hate, you do, that is done by the sin in you, that is done by the devil. By relying on the Lord Jesus to drive out the devil, you can become a free person. A free person is someone who does what he is willing to do, and does not do what he is unwilling to do.

When every brother and sister comes among us, I tell you the most important thing is to cast out demons, cast out demons through the Lord Jesus, and make a smart choice in understanding: from now on, I will live for the Lord Jesus; from now on, I will rely on the Lord Jesus to be a victorious soldier; from now on, I will be a person with Mingding Destiny; from now on, I will no longer live for the flesh, but I will live in eternal life and be a blessing to all nations and names on earth. When I come into this world, I don't care how I live for these seventy to eighty years. I want to make these seventy to eighty years a part of eternal life and a part of my manifestation of God's glory.

Summary

Today, start making a choice in your heart: God, I want to rely on the Lord Jesus who loves me, from now on to be a spiritual person, a victorious person, rely on you to be victorious, until I come before you. May God bless everyone!