Introduction

Let us turn to Luke Chapter 18. Do you recall the themes we have explored previously? Chapter 11, This Gospel is the Kingdom of God Come; Chapter 12, Seek Ye First the Kingdom of God, and All These Things Shall Be Added unto You; Chapter 13, The Kingdom of God is a Narrow Gate, Strive to Enter; Chapter 14, The Cost of Discipleship; Chapter 15, Being a Treasure in God's Eyes; Chapter 16, Preparing for Eternal Tabernacles; and Chapter 17, The Kingdom of God Lies in the Choices of Our Hearts.

The clarity of Luke's writing is evident. Were you Luke, what would you write in Chapter 18? We have read it once, and the themes you have identified are commendable, demonstrating an improvement in your ability to grasp the key points. This ability is critical; without it, reading the Bible becomes a futile exercise.

Chapter 17 concludes with The Kingdom of God Lies in the Choices of Our Hearts, and Chapter 18 continues to address the matter of inner choices. I would title this chapter Choosing to Believe in the Heart. In truth, choosing to believe is both easy and challenging. This chapter answers related questions about what constitutes belief and disbelief, gradually revealing God's will.

Faith: Perseverance Until the End

Luke explicitly describes the nature of faith as that which must persist until attainment. For instance, Jesus uses a parable to encourage persistent prayer without losing heart. People often wonder if their prayers are unanswered because it is not God's will. This is problematic, as it leads to premature abandonment. Failure often results from giving up too soon, just before success is within reach.

Then Jesus told them a parable to show them that they should always pray and not give up. He said: “In a certain town there was a judge who neither feared God nor cared what people thought. And there was a widow in that town who kept coming to him with the plea, ‘Grant me justice against my adversary.’ “For some time he refused. But finally he said to himself, ‘Even though I don’t fear God or care what people think, yet because this widow keeps bothering me, I will see that she gets justice, so that she won’t eventually wear me out with her coming!’” And the Lord said, “Listen to what the unjust judge says. And will not God bring about justice for his chosen ones, who cry out to him day and night? Will he keep putting them off? I tell you, he will see that they get justice, and quickly. However, when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on the earth?” (Luke 18:1-8)

The passage speaks of Jesus' coming, akin to the days of Lot and Noah, where one is taken and another left. The distinction lies in whether one has the faith to seek. Faith is continuous belief. I have observed that comfort arrives when one chooses to believe in God, while abandoning belief leaves one without answers. The answer resides in faith. What is faith? It is believing continuously until one receives.

God uses the parable of a widow seeking justice from an unjust judge, not to equate God with the unjust judge, but to highlight that our God is more just. If our persistence moves an unjust judge to grant justice, how much more will our God? Continuous prayer will surely lead to Him granting us justice. This is faith!

Having faith is not commonplace, but this scripture instills confidence, assuring us that God is good and will hear our prayers and cries. The key lies in seeking first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things will be added unto you. When Jesus returns, will He find faith on earth? God chooses those who consistently choose to believe, trusting in their attainment. It is crucial to seek the Kingdom of God, which only those with faith can inherit.

I once ministered to a sister who felt inadequate, believing she had to perform well to receive God's blessings. Faith is not about deserving favor from an unjust judge. The widow, lacking wealth or influence, could not impress the judge with riches. Yet, she believed she could obtain justice from him. This is faith.

Similarly, our belief in the God who resurrected for us and bore our stripes is not based on our merit but on God's inherent desire to deliver us from the power of darkness, from the dominion of the devil and corruption. If we can approach an unjust judge with such confidence, why lack faith in our just God? Is it necessary to perform deeds to receive God's promises and grace? That is not grace; it is exchange.

Today, choose to believe that God's promises and grace are freely given, not earned through exchange. If the widow were a person of influence, a friend of the unjust judge, would she need to plead? No.

With such connections, would faith be necessary? No, because she would rely on her relationships. God teaches us that even without connections, we can obtain what we seek through faith. This is the essence of faith.

When facing a just and loving God, what is required of us? We must have faith, believing that God will provide. We must walk the path of faith, not exchange. What can we offer God? What pleases Him? What can we exchange for His grace? Nothing! God loves us and desires to grant us grace. This is faith. Straying onto the path of exchange is perilous.

Paying the Price for the Kingdom of God is What We Ought to Do

I have learned a meaningful phrase that I often repeat: I am an unworthy servant; this is what I ought to do. Saying this brings clarity because serving God is a privilege, not something I deserve. Why boast? Boasting should be reserved for our faith, which is the greatest honor to God.

To some who were confident of their own righteousness and looked down on everyone else, Jesus told this parable: “Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. The Pharisee stood by himself and prayed: ‘God, I thank you that I am not like other people—robbers, evildoers, adulterers—or even like this tax collector. I fast twice a week and give a tenth of all I get.’ “But the tax collector stood at a distance. He would not even look up to heaven, but beat his breast and said, ‘God, have mercy on me, a sinner.’ “I tell you that this man, rather than the other, went home justified before God. For all those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.” (Luke 18:9-14)

I am an unworthy servant, and what I do is my duty. There is nothing to boast about. The outcome is that those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted. Is there anything I do that God needs? No! God did well without me. When I serve, is it not my duty? After serving, I grow and understand God's will.

During a seventy-two-hour prayer meeting, a co-worker shared something during her prayer. She did not intend to say it but to express an idea that revealed her value system: I started earning money to support my family at age 16!

This statement implies two meanings: I could earn money to support my family at 16, what a blessing! or Oh, my life is so hard! I had to support my family at 16. I wondered, is this not what you ought to do? Should you still be eating for free at home at 16, and until what age?

Is growing through work not our inevitable path? There is nothing to brag about. If this becomes our boast, are we not like the Pharisee? I am not a robber, evildoer, or adulterer. I fast twice a week and give a tenth of all I get. But what is there to boast about? This is what you ought to do. Have you not already received your reward?

Brothers and sisters, the church does not need you to attend Bible study, Sunday service, or prayer meetings; rather, you need these. Why? Because you need prayer, Bible study, and to give in the church. Has God not blessed you as a result?

What is there to brag about when one does something meaningful and rewarding? Why do we act as if we are at a loss? Some say with tears, I must serve this way and that way... as if these are not things we ought to do. This logic is deadly.

Luke is an excellent Gospel. From Chapter 17 onwards, it is exceptionally well-written. Chapter 18 continues this logic, which is: everything is grace, even working is grace. If working, praying, and giving are grace, we will receive a hundredfold in this life and eternal life in the age to come.

Whether you receive a hundredfold in this life and eternal life in the age to come depends entirely on your choice. Do you believe in the abundant rewards and grace in the Kingdom of God? These are things we ought to do because the reward is within yourself. There is no one who will not receive a hundredfold in this life and eternal life in the age to come. What is there to boast about?

You say, God, I have left my house, wife, brothers, parents, and children for you! as if you have done something extraordinary. But is it not you who will gain in the end? Does that not count as a gain?

Many see it as a loss, so they boast. What you gain is what you believe in your heart. If you believe it is a loss, God will let you experience a loss. If you believe it is a blessing, God will grant you a blessing. Isn't it normal to forsake everything for God?

What values do we hold, and what are our choices based on? In this life and eternal life, what do you choose? I want eternal life. If we want to gain eternal life, is there any problem with letting go of these worldly things? No problem at all. Why do some not understand? Because they always feel they are at a loss, not believing in the abundant grace of God's kingdom, which exceeds what we ask or imagine.

God has abundant grace and mercy. If we make the right choice, which is to believe, God will pour out abundant grace upon us. This includes financial blessings, which are part of God's kingdom grace. Do you believe our health is part of God's kingdom grace? Do you believe we will receive a hundredfold in this life and eternal life in the age to come? If we know that God's kingdom is full of grace and glory, the most precious thing in the world, would we not forsake the things of this world? Certainly, we can forsake them.

Today, people are strange. For example, a wife asks, Can we have dinner together tonight? The husband says, Okay! But at 6 p.m., his work is not finished, and his boss tells him to work overtime. He calls his wife, Honey, I have to work overtime. The boss won't let me leave because the work is not finished. Then, he is forsaking his wife, but she says, Work hard, it's okay.

Why is there no problem forsaking his wife in this situation? Because his wife has calculated, I cannot offend my husband's boss. If I offend him, my husband's money will be affected. If the money is affected, even if we can have dinner together tonight, I will still suffer a loss. Having dinner with me is not important; he can leave me for a while.

Strangely, if this person says to his wife, Honey, I need to go minister, his wife might respond, Minister what? Come back now! People assume that ministering yields little reward. Few fear God, but many fear their bosses. If people knew that serving God is gain and blessing, they would not think this way.

I am serious in everything I do. My service to God is authentic, but not all pastors are like me. I know a pastor. When I was with him, his brother told me, Pastors have it so good! I envy my brother, who only works two hours a week! I asked, What does your brother do the rest of the time? He said, He stays home to take care of the kids!

I thought about it; this pastor indeed only worked two hours a week, delivering a lackluster sermon on Sunday, often unclearly! I cannot understand this mentality. Can God be pleased with such a person? Certainly not!

By forsaking God for family and children, he assumes it is a worthwhile trade, but he is greatly mistaken. We must never make deals with God. Even if you forsake everything, you still gain. What is there to boast about in prayer and service? What is there to boast about in attending Sunday service? Few believe in the exceeding glory and abundant grace in Jesus Christ. Not only that, the glory and grace in Jesus Christ will bring us praise! Why? Because they are fulfilled in us!

The Kingdom of God is Our Most Precious Asset

Some do not understand, always feeling that the money in their hands is their asset. The previous chapter talked about unrighteous wealth, but in reality, all wealth in the world is unrighteous wealth.

A ruler asked Jesus, Good teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life? Why do you call me good? Jesus answered. No one is good—except God alone. You know the commandments: ‘Do not commit adultery, do not murder, do not steal, do not give false testimony, honor your father and mother.’ All these I have kept since I was a boy, he said. When Jesus heard this, he said to him, You still lack one thing. Sell everything you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me. (Luke 18:18-22)

How many of us believe this is a good thing? Many people react like this rich ruler, saddened because he was very wealthy. Can you be richer than God? Can you be richer than God's grace? Seeing him, Jesus said, How hard it is for the rich to enter the kingdom of God! Indeed, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of God.”

Those people value money very much, but money will become useless one day. When money is useless, what can you do? When you kick the bucket, even if you have written a will, what does that money have to do with you? Money in this world can do very little and is not very useful. We must know that the Kingdom of God is the most precious, more precious than our money. Selling our money to follow Jesus will prevent us from being hindered by money.

Jesus' words do not necessarily mean that people should sell their property. Today, those who follow Jesus have not sold their property. They follow Jesus wholeheartedly without becoming poor or worrying. If the disciples were filled with worldly logic and did not know that this was worthwhile, they would be too foolish.

If people do not know which is bigger and which is smaller, which is valuable and which is not, their judgment often goes wrong. If people know that the Kingdom of God is more valuable than everything else, would they still covet other people's property? No! Would they still build their faith on money? No. If you have been among us for a long time and still do not understand the principles taught today, then you have been in Chinese Mingding Destiny in vain.

A very important concept taught by Chinese Mingding Destiny is that the Kingdom of God is our most precious. Even if we really sell all our property and only follow Jesus, what will happen to you? Actually, you will not become poor. We must not do anything foolish. Some people say that if all the money in the world is put together and divided equally among everyone, the rich and the poor will get the same amount. But in five to ten years, those who are meant to be rich will still be rich, and those who are meant to be poor will still be poor.

If we have God and we give up everything for the Kingdom of God, we will not be poor, and God will not like us to be poor. It is not difficult for God to bless us. If we really believe, can you make the wrong choice? I have personally experienced this, and all my experiences are graces that amaze me.

I once did an experiment. I donated all the money in my account, leaving only a few hundred dollars. To this day, I am not poor. You may say, how did this happen? What is impossible with man is possible with God. Do you believe it? I tell you, the most foolish thing a person can do is to think that our small abilities are the same as God's; that we are as bad as God. That is not right. What are your small abilities worth? Not to mention comparing them with God, but even comparing them with other people, you must know that there are people beyond people, and heavens beyond heavens.

Many people think: who would not be like me if they encountered something like me? They think they are the standard for the world. To what extent is this self-righteousness! I said: Jesus would not be like you. He said: Then I cannot compare myself with Jesus. I said: The Apostle Paul would not be like you either. He said: That’s right, but the Apostle Paul is the Apostle Paul. I said: I would not be like you either! As a result, he looked at me and was speechless.

Do not think that everyone thinks like you, that is a very foolish idea. People think that if they cannot do it, then God cannot do it either. We must know that it is absolutely worthwhile to give up everything and offer everything for God. If you have this kind of aspiration, will it be difficult for God to make you rich? The fear is that we do not have this kind of aspiration!

Drawing on God's Grace Can Only Rely on Faith, Not an Exchange Mentality

Jacob is recorded in the Bible. I am not talking about Jacob in the New Testament, but Jacob in Genesis. He went to his uncle Laban's house with a cane. For the first fourteen years, he was extremely poor because he had to work for his uncle, mainly to pay off debts. What debts did he pay off? Laban betrothed his two daughters to Jacob, and Jacob had to work for fourteen years to pay off the debt.

Jacob was in Laban's house for twenty years. The first fourteen years were spent paying off debts, and he had nothing. But in the last six years, he earned a lot. How did he earn it? God blessed him. He arrived at his uncle Laban's house with nothing but a cane. Twenty years later, he became a very wealthy party and a very influential patriarch. We must think about it and not miscalculate. What will happen if we sell everything and follow God? You will get a hundredfold and eternal life, which is definitely worthwhile!

Some people say, look at the price I paid. Does God need you to pay the price? Does the church need you to pay the price? You have made a smart choice, why are you frowning? There is no need, this is all grace. We are useless servants, we are all supposed to do this, what are you aggrieved about? You are aggrieved because you do not believe that God will surely bless you when the time comes.

Therefore, everyone should observe carefully that those who trust in God will not be poor and will prosper in everything they do. Take the Apostle Paul, for example. His tents sell very well. Later, I discovered that I also have a characteristic. Wherever I am, it prospers. It is not an exaggeration at all, it is simply miraculous.

I just moved recently. Before I moved, that place was very broken. After moving here, the government did some restoration work below. Tiles were installed and the ceiling was done. The entire public environment has become very good. Then, my colleague said that this was done for you. Oh, my God is so good. I really believe that God did it for me. Wherever I go, that place prospers, and those who are close to me are blessed. Why? I found the basis in the Bible that those who bless Abraham will be blessed, and those who curse Abraham will be cursed. If you are Abraham, you will be amazing.

Therefore, people's faith in God is a very wonderful thing. Later, I concluded that if a person is a person of destiny, a person who is after God's heart, he must be a wealthy person! I have not found a case in the Bible of a person who is poor. There really are none who are extremely poor. My conclusion is not necessarily correct, but from the Old Testament of the Bible, we can indeed find that this is the case.

Daniel served as prime minister for three dynasties and served four emperors; Nehemiah served as a cupbearer in front of the emperor, and then as the governor of the province of Judah. He donated all his wealth and was not poor in the end. He was very powerful. David, Solomon, and Moses need no further explanation. Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and Joseph were not poor. Even if one occasionally finds a poor person, from the perspective of proportion, those who are after God's heart are prosperous, successful in everything, and thriving in everything.

Why? Because prosperity is God's will, and it is easy for God to make us prosper. What hinders our prosperity is our faith. Do we really have faith inside? What do we trust in? Do we trust in our own abilities, in what we do, or in God? Being based on actions is a very evil thing!

Some people feel that because I have done this and that, I should receive grace. Is that receiving grace? That is receiving a curse! All who rely on the works of the law are under a curse, because no one can fulfill the entire law, but only act by faith. Therefore, people should be like children, with a simple faith.

Someone was holding a baby, and the disciples said, don't bring the child over, it's too noisy. As a result, Jesus said: Bring the child to me. Jesus said: Those in the kingdom of God are like children. I ask everyone, what can a baby do for his parents? What he can do for his parents is to pee and poop, and then tell his parents regularly: I am hungry, I want milk.

People must trust God like little children. It is not that you have done something for God. You must not exchange with God. You are just a baby in front of God. What portion do you have besides receiving? Everything you do is just receiving. You must be like this baby, completely looking up to the love of your parents. Only this kind of faith can enter the Kingdom of God. Never make deals with God. Believe that everything is grace and everything is good!

Brothers and sisters must know that receiving a hundredfold in this life and eternal life in the afterlife is God's most wonderful promise. Only we choose to believe in our hearts, like the widow who relentlessly pestered the unjust judge, let alone us towards God? We do not hug our God tightly like a baby, who else can we hug?

Therefore, it is not difficult to give up wives, brothers, parents, sons and daughters for the sake of the Kingdom of God. I was born for this, I live for this, and I came into this world for this. This is my destiny. Did I come into this world to live for my wife, parents, brothers, sons and daughters? No! If I live for these, how can I have so many rewards! Living for God and getting a hundredfold means that you will definitely get a hundredfold in spiritual blessings. The problem is that many people do not believe it.

Next, it talks about a blind man in Jericho who was sitting and begging, which was very hard work and had no dignity. He had nothing to give to Jesus. He thought: I cannot do anything for Jesus. Jesus is a noble king, the Savior, and the God who saves me. He did not have an exchange mentality, not that he did something for Jesus, so he shouted: Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!

Others rebuked him, but he still called out to Jesus, and Jesus ordered him to be brought over. If he spoke in a low voice, Jesus would not hear him; or if he thought that he had not done anything for Jesus, he would be embarrassed to call out, then it would be impossible to receive it. A baby does not hope to give his parents something, but hopes to receive something from his parents. This blind man did not expect to give God something, but expected to receive something from God. Jesus said what do you want? He said he wanted to see, and as a result he saw, isn't that a simple thing?

We must never make deals with God. What can we give to God? It is best to come with faith and then say: God, I have nothing to give you, I just want to receive from you! You are the God who loves me. If I don’t take it from you, where else can I take it from? God likes people with faith, and doesn’t give up until he gets it! Like Jacob in Genesis who hugged God's thigh and wouldn't let God go without blessing him, that's the attitude! I just want to receive grace from God for free!

That's how Jesus died for us and rose again for us! Jesus said to his disciples: Behold, we are going up to Jerusalem, and everything written by the prophets about the Son of Man will be fulfilled. He will be handed over to the Gentiles, and they will mock him, insult him, spit on his face, scourge him, and kill him, and on the third day he will rise again. The disciples did not understand any of these words. Why didn't the disciples understand? Because they are all worldly logic systems and feel that there is no free lunch in the world! If they suddenly meet it, they are afraid to accept it, so they cannot understand it.

Actually, this is not difficult to understand. How deep is God's love for us? The key lies in whether we believe it or not. If we believe it, we will receive it. We do it for God, not because God needs us to do it, but because we need to do it for God. This is also grace. Therefore, brothers and sisters must stand on grace again. Some people will say: Isn't it about paying the price? Paying the price is also right, but paying the price is not exchanging anything with God. Paying the price is a response of faith. We do everything by faith.

Conclusion

Therefore, the Apostle Paul tried his best to resist things based on works! Some people teach that faith without works is dead, which has confused many people. What is this? What kind of behavior is needed? This is not the teaching of the Apostle Paul, nor the teaching of Jesus Christ, it seems to be the teaching of the Tao Te Ching.

We obtain grace not by works, but by faith, that is, believing that God is a good God, a God who gives grace, a God who has abundant grace and mercy, a God who wants to save us, and freely gave up his body to accomplish the grace of redemption. We obtain grace by faith, how can we walk and walk again by works? Don't be deceived by the devil.

All our things are unworthy, but God wants to give them to us. Although we are unworthy, we just believe that although we are unworthy, God is a God who loves us. God wants to give to us, so we completely dedicate ourselves, not to make deals with God, but to make a smart choice in faith. This choice is a choice that nothing in the world can compare to.

This chapter is about choosing to believe! Believe in everything, walk the path of faith, and there is no way not to prosper. Everyone can investigate! Those who are based on works and those who are based on following the law all live in a curse. All those who are based on faith have received grace. This is also revealed from Genesis to Revelation, which is based on faith!

May God bless everyone!