Good day, we will delve into 2 Corinthians, chapter 5 today. The original theme of 2 Corinthians 5 was Demolition and Construction, but if I were to upgrade it, I would title it No Longer Living for Ourselves, but for the Lord Who Died and Rose for Us. You might say this topic is bewildering right from the start – how does one live for the Lord? And such a statement feels rather hollow. Some say they want to live for the Lord but do not dedicate time to Him. They have time for business, to live for money, which is actually a very interesting topic.

Over the past few years, I have found humans to be quite detestable. They seek God when faced with trouble, but once the trouble passes, they cast God aside. Even when God looks for them, they make themselves scarce, hiding away as if God cannot find them. No matter where you hide, God will find you. Why play hide-and-seek with God? I do not understand this. Why can people not live for God, always attaching conditions? They can live for their businesses, their degrees, their children, or their jobs. They can live for anything, it seems, except when it comes to living for God – then it is a matter for discussion.

Once, the word of God came to me, asking if I would be willing to die for Him. I was incredibly moved, as I had longed for this moment. I eagerly wished to depart from the world and be with God. Of course, I would be willing to die for God; I certainly would not say, Let me go home and consider it. If this word comes to you, you are quite something, for God only asks this of those who are qualified. Had you responded with needing to consider it at home, God would not ask you again. Not to live for oneself, but to live for the Lord who died and rose for us – this is the mainstay of my life. I can let go of anything; you can take everything from me, but you cannot take my God. I must live for God. Having said that, it would still be painful to have everything taken away, but it does not matter; I know it is the love of God that compels us.

I. The Love of God Compels Us

For Christ’s love compels us, because we are convinced that one died for all, and therefore all died. And he died for all, that those who live should no longer live for themselves but for him who died for them and was raised again. (2 Corinthians 5:14-16)

Jesus died for all, therefore all died, and He died for all so that people would no longer live for themselves. Living for God does not sound profound at all, as it is the path to eternal life. Jesus died for us to pave a way of resurrection from death. Some desire to live a long life, wishing you a long life, but in truth, living to a hundred years is a curse. I do not even want a thousand years. What I desire is to live for the Lord, to die for the Lord, to have a path to eternal life. If living to 100 years is a blessing, go visit the elderly in hospitals, those in their nineties, whose legs swell, eyes fail, ears become impaired, and teeth fall out. Whenever I see people in nursing homes just eating and waiting for death, speaking in trembling voices, I am thankful for the care they receive there, for staying at home would be unbearable.

I have studied life deeply. When I was searching, I wondered how could Jesus be willing to die for me? Today, some brothers and sisters may be puzzled when they see idol-worshippers in their workplaces living very well, prospering seemingly without effort. Consider that Jesus was crucified at 33. Compared to that plump, prosperous Buddha with large ears, of course, Buddha seems to have a better life than Jesus. But Jesus died for us not because He deserved to die, but because we deserved to die. Therefore, it is not about living, but about eternal life.

You will realize that we should have borne our transgressions and suffered the curse, but Jesus took on our curse and bore our transgressions. He was wounded for our transgressions, killed for our iniquities, and died on the cross. My curse fell on Jesus. How can I not thank Him? How can I not love my God?

I was supposed to live under a curse. When I first came to the church, I knew nothing. I did not know who Jesus was, and Jesus did not really know who I was. Actually, no one knew anyone. Before coming to church, I had sought various paths, though not very rigorously. When I came to the church and heard that Jesus died for me, indeed bearing my curse, and that He wanted to give me a new life because the old life was one lived under a curse, I thought, This is good, this is great! My life really needed a change. Misfortunes kept befalling me, and living under a curse was truly unlucky. If you are prospering and successful, you might not feel the need to die for Jesus. But when you are in my situation, you would eagerly want to die for Jesus because He bore your transgressions.

If you ask me if I had this hope of eternal life on my first day of faith, I must say my understanding was not deep. It would be bragging to say I had a deep understanding, but I was certainly living without hope. Perhaps I had a connection with Jesus, and God's grace fell upon me. I thank God. Since then, my life's purpose has completely changed. If I were to live for myself, I would lead a despondent life, full of misery and wretchedness. You can imagine what that would be like. Back then, I saw the world in black and white, dimly lit and distressing. My eyes were not right, and I was on the verge of jumping off a building. But since knowing Jesus, I have felt that God is love, and His love has moved within me, allowing me to receive His love. I did not even know Him, nor had I done anything for Him, but He died for me. That is what the church taught.

He died for me, indeed bearing my pain and carrying my sorrows, paving a path to eternal life for me. Therefore, the love of Christ compels me, just as Paul was compelled by God's love, to live for the Lord who died and rose for us. As time passes and I know more and more about God and how wonderful He is, I begin to decide to live for the Lord. I did not have many dramatic experiences, such as being healed from cancer or some other serious illness. It was not that kind of earth-shattering testimony. I simply felt life was meaningless, I could not find a job, and everything I did felt awkward and uncomfortable. That is why I wanted to live for the Lord. Living for the Lord is driven by the love of God, and we become bold and fearless.

II. Bold and Fearless

We can be bold and fearless because we have the hope of eternal life in heaven. Although we cannot see or touch it, once you have this hope, it is extraordinary. You become someone the world is not worthy of, filled with power, no longer afraid or discouraged, and able to be bold and fearless. That is the key.

Why are people afraid of death? You have to die eventually so wouldn't being afraid be tragic? I was deeply struck by my neighbor's experience when I was young. He had power and influence but contracted cancer in his forties, not yet fifty years old. He would shout at the top of his lungs, Is there anyone who can cure my illness? He did not want to die and was filled with fear because no doctor was willing to treat him; they had all given up. I was frightened when I passed by their house and heard his agonizing cries. When a person dies, it is all over. There's no hope or eternity, only hell. Not long ago, someone dancing in the town square went to the western paradise. If I send you to the western paradise, it would be to kill you.

The Apostle Paul and others were so powerful because they were bold and fearless, having the eternal hope of heaven.

For we know that if the earthly tent we live in is destroyed, we have a building from God, an eternal house in heaven, not built by human hands. Meanwhile we groan, longing to be clothed instead with our heavenly dwelling, because when we are clothed, we will not be found naked. For while we are in this tent, we groan and are burdened, because we do not wish to be unclothed but to be clothed with our heavenly dwelling, so that what is mortal may be swallowed up by life. Now the one who has fashioned us for this very purpose is God, who has given us the Spirit as a deposit, guaranteeing what is to come. (2 Corinthians 5:1-5)

When we choose to live for the Lord and make such a decision, the hope of heaven becomes so real. This is an eternal topic because we have no hope or expectation in this world. Therefore, we seek hope in eternity. When we find it, we start with faith as small as a mustard seed, and the Holy Spirit is given as a deposit. When the Spirit of God dwells in you, the power of Jesus Christ's resurrection comes from the Holy Spirit, and you gain ability.

Almost everyone among us has experienced God. There was a 4-year-old child whose mother had a high fever. He prayed for his mother, imitating my sermons and prayers that he occasionally heard. After he prayed, his mother got better. That is because Jesus Christ died for us, died for our sins on the cross, and indeed bore our sorrows. When we begin to have the hope of heaven, the Holy Spirit dwells in our hearts. The power of God will be manifested when the Holy Spirit comes on us. We always carry the death of Jesus in our bodies so that the power of Jesus Christ's resurrection may also be manifested in our bodies. This passage sounds a bit difficult. Can everyone understand?

Therefore we are always confident and know that as long as we are at home in the body we are away from the Lord. For we live by faith, not by sight. We are confident, I say, and would prefer to be away from the body and at home with the Lord. (2 Corinthians 5:6-8)

It is regrettable if Christians are still afraid of death today. Recently, a sister who always professed to love the Lord was terrified when she discovered a small 6 cm lump in her breast. She did not feel it herself, but the doctor found it. I don't know why the doctor found it, but she was frightened. That is not how one should believe in the Lord. Believing in the Lord means knowing that while we are at home in the body, we are away from the Lord. We are confident and would prefer to be away from the body and at home with the Lord. Everyone must know that Christians who are afraid of death are surely doomed.

Revelation records that the cowardly will be thrown into the fiery lake of burning sulfur and experience the second death. If a person is cowardly, they must be controlled by demons and will be possessed. So when I see Christians who are afraid of death and afraid of pain, it troubles me. Why don't they know to live for the Lord? Why are they so eager to live? Is living so much fun? Actually, living is not fun. You must know that groaning and toiling in this tent, in the flesh, is very arduous. I really want to be clothed with the heavenly dwelling given by God. If you are afraid of death, you are more likely to die because many Christians are scared to death and most likely to attract ghosts.

Once, I asked a sister to stay at a place, and she turned against me because someone had died and passed away in that house. The dead person turned to ash; while they were alive, I was not afraid of them, so why would I be afraid of them after they died? I thought, If I didn't care when they were alive, why would I care when they are dead? You little thing, come on, bring it on. I just feel that Christians who are afraid of this and that do not want to die for the Lord. How can living be so interesting? Today, I am going to pour cold water on you. Do you like living so much? Have you not lived enough? Then you will surely live enough. Some people develop cancer and scream in pain, wanting to die but unable to and unable to live, what is the point of it all?

So can we be bold and fearless today? Because the love of God compels us to be willing to live and die for the Lord, and those who live will no longer be possessed by demons. Whether this thing is fake or not, it is worthwhile to live for the Lord nonetheless, let alone that it's true. How do I know it is true? Because the Spirit of God is upon me. I tell you, how many miracles have I performed? So many miracles! I have released so many people, driven out so many ghosts, exorcised so many demons, and caught so many little妖啊! How can this be fake?

Jesus Christ died for me, resurrected from the dead for me, put the Holy Spirit on me, and let me get the Lord. The power of Jesus Christ's resurrection tramples on the devil and the enemy. From now on, I will strut around in this spiritual world with my arms swinging wide, stepping on any ghost I don't like, telling it to get lost! It sounds pretty good when applied in northeastern dialect. The ghost says, What are you looking at? I say, I'm looking at you, what's it to you? Then Smash, smash, smash, and step on it. Once you are afraid of death, you are finished; you will be pinned down by the devil. Once you are not afraid of death, this life is so good! Do you want to live well? Do you want to live comfortably? Is that what you dream of? Then from now on, die for the Lord and live for the Lord. The power of Jesus Christ's resurrection will surely be manifested in you.

Why are many people not blessed today? It is because they do not truly revere God in their hearts; they revere money, hoping that God will help them make some money. One sister was actually quite foolish. She was scammed several times, owing a million in P2P loans. As a result, she came to our midst, in just a few years, she, an elementary school teacher, actually paid everything back. I don't know how she managed it, it is miraculous! Her husband is a fortune teller. You can imagine that fortune teller cannot be good. Turns out the couple got into more problems with the rented house. She really did not care, because she listened to my preaching and took it lightly. After paying several years of rent, she still owed more than 200,000. What kind of lease is this? As a result, she is going to sue the landlord. The landlord was afraid. Recently, we have been battling the spirit of Mammon, the landlord took the initiative to find her and gave her 150,000. Why? Because the spirit of Mammon was trampled under her feet, I thank God!

Today, those of you who are listening to me, those who are in debt and those who have been cheated, you have been tormented enough by the spirit of Mammon. You have been ravaged by the spirit of Mammon to this day. Make a choice today: live for money or live for the Lord? Actually, you will die even if you live for money, so live for the Lord today. This is not difficult to understand. If you really live for the Lord, will you have no time for Bible study? Will you have no time to attend Sunday service? Busy with business, busy with children… Business can be his Lord, work can be his Lord. You can live for business, for children, for husband, for work, for a degree, but you cannot live for the Lord. It is such a pity, what kind of things need to happen to see through the world?

I will tell you, this world will definitely not treat you well and will definitely show you some colors! So that your hopes in this world are completely shattered, and you definitely live in despair. If God does not want to save you, then that hope will end suddenly, and the theater no longer needs to perform. So today, be bold and fearless because we have hope in heaven and we have hope in eternity. Many things in the world are rubbish. Only Jesus Christ is our treasure.

III. We Live by Faith, Not by Sight

I tell you, if you are a person of faith, what will happen when you live by faith and not by sight? Miracles and wonders will follow you. When you decide to live for the Lord, I tell you, it is a path to prosperity in the spirit, health in the body, and success in everything. Living by faith is pleasing God. You say, Have we really been to heaven? No! Have you seen eternal life? No! But because I have faith, there will be miracles and wonders.

Many who leave the church, it is not that they have not performed miracles. They have all performed many miracles and followed me to drive out many ghosts, but then they left. Then went to do something else, these are so daring! When you rely on God with all your faith, miracles and wonders and the power of Jesus Christ's resurrection will be manifested. You will be ruined if living by by sight. Come on, do one for me to see. Jesus said that except for the sign of Jonah, no sign will be shown to you, nothing can be seen. Today, if you live by sight, you will see nothing and there will be no miracles. But by faith, believe in what? Believe in the eternal house in heaven, believe in what our God said that He will accomplish in us an eternal glory that far outweighs our present sufferings.

When you believe these things, you will see your own behavior change, and you will see your entire life change. Why? Because you are willing to die for God, because you eager to get all this sooner. Instead of waiting around in line, waiting and waiting, it's quite tiring, how come you haven't die yet? Why are you still alive? You are eager to depart from the body and be with the Lord, why is it so slow? Then some people have to go through chemotherapy, radiation therapy, this therapy, that therapy, right? They are tossed left and right, eating health products, and in the end, they are still miserably destroyed by the things of this world.

Living by faith is a remarkable basic principle! Living by faith and not by sight is that faith can enable you to see the faith of God and can see the glory of eternity. That is why I am so deeply convinced. That is what the some people who are in our midst have experienced. They were not healed after praying, and the came here among us and got well ah. I feel like, This is godly! and I think to myself, Is it because of me that God healed you? Indeed, it is, ah, why? Because the gospel I preach is to want to please to God! I live by faith, not by sight, so miracles and wonders are manifested in this way.

Later, I thought about it, Because the church I built is a church with God's presence, this is the temple of Jesus Christ, this is the temple of God, this is the body of Jesus Christ. So, if you touch the body of Jesus Christ, can he not be healed? If you touch this elephant leg, be careful it will kick you, that will also solve the problem ofcourse, that is the complete solution to the problem. Isn't that right? If you touch the elephant's butt, a pile falling down will be enough for you to drink, is it? No good, no matter how much you butter it up, is that you just kiss up to the wrong person! Only touching Jesus Christ works. This is the body of Jesus Christ, the church of God! Why? Because we live by faith in this place, and not by sight. You get it now?

Got it! You say, Do you owe me one favor, ah? Of course, I owe Jesus even more favors, alas, I thank God. Where did this come from? What virtue and ability do I have to receive such grace? Today, our brothers and sisters, if you say that coming in our midst is to want to have some grace, then you are mistaken. That is second-hand, which you received by me, I hope that you can receive from God, that you can have the likeness of Jesus Christ, that you can become people who build the church, that you also carry in your body the death of Jesus Christ and you carry in your body the power of the resurrection of Jesus Christ.

This is called faith. A person living by sight can only see real precious 真金白银. Someone told a joke about a person who went into the deep mountains and old forests and saw a lot of gold. As a result, he picked it up and took it home. When he looked at it, it was the 妖精粑粑妖精粑粑! He was so excited when he picked it up, isn't this what you call living by sight? Right? So, what can we see today living by sight? What we see is real 真金白银, but what I see is the 妖精粑粑. You picked up a large pile of妖精粑粑, and you think it is real 真金白银, but I think it is妖精粑粑. Because within faith, this is nothing.

IV. Aspiring to Please the Lord

Therefore we make it our aim, whether present or absent, to be well pleasing to Him. For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive the things done in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad. (2 Corinthians 5:9-10)

Since we know that God is to be feared, we persuade men. Does this seem straightforward to me? If it is straightforward, having experienced so much, aspiring to please the God of wealth, and you have been bullied so badly by the God of wealth, haven't you? Today, are we turning to God, or to that God of wealth? Aspiring to please the Lord, the Lord is far better than the God of wealth, isn't He? Being turned into what you are today by the God of wealth, isn't that all the God of wealth's doing?

Once we know that whether we are in the body or out of the body, we are determined to please the Lord, to live for God. Once you have this mindset, do you need to discern good and evil with students in ministry? No need. Do you need to discern good and evil with those you shepherd in pastoral care? No need, why? Because you want to please the Lord. If you don't have this concept, this concept of dying for God, living for Jesus Christ, because Jesus Christ rose from the dead for us, living for Him, you will receive the crown of glory in eternity, isn't it simple. Some brothers and sisters say when I speak, look, my pastor discerns good and evil with me, I am not making excuses for you, I say you should take a good look at whether you are discerning good and evil with others.

Brothers and sisters, you must be determined to please the Lord. I ask you, is persuading people to repent pleasing to the Lord? Is letting people receive the benefits of this gospel pleasing to God? Serving people as if serving God, why? Because it is to please the Lord, this is grace. Because one day we will all stand before the judgment seat of Jesus Christ to be judged, the day of judgment, that is quite deadly!

Why did some become corrupt officials? Because they did not know there would be a day of judgment. When judgment comes, they regret it, they forget. They walk by sight, not by faith, seeing real gold and silver they want to take it home, forgetting their position. Their position is to serve the people, not to collect official and civilian wealth, so in this generation, who people want to please is crucial. Some people are selfish to an outrageous extent, selfish to the point of fearing death, selfish to the point of getting cancer, selfish to the point of getting depression. If you have had depression, you must be careful today, because people with a history of depression are quite selfish, they love themselves very much.

So if today you are determined to please the Lord, ah this depression will be completely healed without treatment! There is a very painful disease in this world called depression, having food and drink, but feeling uncomfortable and painful inside, extremely painful. Are there any among us who have depression, look at their appearance, they are all fine, not missing arms or legs, not missing eyes or noses, but they are very painful in their hearts, very painful. Describing this, I am definitely an amateur, because I have not figured out why they are suffering, just uncomfortable.

Living in this world, you either live for God, or you live for yourself. If you live for God, you have fewer troubles. A sister takes care of her mother with Alzheimer's, then her husband needs to be hospitalized, then her mother wants this, going back and forth! A sister among us lives very hard, what can I tell her? I can only say that her spirit is not prosperous, because she takes these things very seriously, and when I say pray well, she has no time! I say then, see when you have time, I can lead you in prayer. She says these days are not good. When you are available, I am not available again, what do you say?

Would it be good if we brothers and sisters all listen to my advice, what advice? Be determined to please the Lord. Because there will be a day of judgment. Do not wait until the day of judgment to gnash your teeth, it will be too late, today it is best to gnash your teeth quickly, the Lord is to be feared. Do not think that God died for us, and then we can continue to live in sin, that is not grace. I urge everyone to be reconciled to God.

Knowing, therefore, the terror of the Lord, we persuade men; but we are well known to God, and I also trust that we are well known in your consciences. (2 Corinthians 5:11)

What does it mean? That is, the words I tell you are very straightforward, after speaking, have our brothers and sisters heard? That you may boast on our behalf, Paul wrote this, Paul really wrote this, didn't he? Fortunately, those Corinthians knew Paul, didn't they? Otherwise, wouldn't they all have perished? Why was Paul effective in preaching the gospel in Corinth, because there were many people there who were about to perish? Many miracles and wonders happened there, many healings and deliverances, and then the Corinthians said, wow, this is amazing, you know Paul carries a powerful ability, many people have been healed by touching him. So sometimes I say you are lucky to have met me.

V. That You May Have Something to Boast About

For we do not commend ourselves again to you, but give you opportunity to boast on our behalf, that you may have an answer for those who boast in appearance and not in heart. For if we are beside ourselves, it is for God; or if we are of sound mind, it is for you. (2 Corinthians 5:12-13)

You know what Paul wrote is actually very serious, why? Because some people told the Corinthians, ah, Paul is crazy from believing in the Lord, don't believe him. If you follow him like that, he lives for the Lord, and you also want to live for the Lord, how can people live then? Doesn't it? He is crazy, he has gone to extremes, he is insane. Paul said if I am insane, I am insane for God. Because the love of God motivates us, letting us really go crazy for God, become obsessed with God. Loving God to an outrageous extent, willing to live for God, willing to die for God.

The Corinthians didn't understand, can you understand? You may not understand either, the Corinthians listened to those people, there is no such thing, in this world, people who don't live for themselves will be condemned by heaven and earth, he is just swindling your money, did Paul ever take advantage of them? He didn't take a penny. But those people judge the heart of a gentleman with the mind of a villain.

In fact, there are often such things in the church, what don't listen to him, that is a lie. Today our brothers and sisters must really know, how many cases of depression have been healed among us? How many eyes that were about to go blind have been healed among us? How many people who were dizzy have been healed among us? How many people with this pain and that pain have been healed among us? There are so many, miracles, wonders, healings and deliverances are everyday occurrences for me. I have become accustomed to it, I can't sleep in the middle of the night, usually after two or three o'clock. Why? Because there is always this ministry and that ministry. Thank God, there was a short period without these.

That you may have something to boast about on our behalf, am I talking about Paul? No, I am talking about myself, we are people who others can boast about, because our hearts live for the Lord. If you are also people who live for the Lord, I tell you that meeting you is a blessing, isn't it? Are you willing to live for the Lord today? There will also be people who have something to boast about because of you. We do not boast ourselves, but God is clearly with us.

There is a very interesting sentence here, so that those who boast in appearance and not in heart may have an answer, that is, have words to reply to them. After those people said those things in the Corinthian church, the people of the Corinthian church listened to their arguments and did not know how to respond, they were stunned, following Paul, how can they live as believers? Now there is an answer.

What does it mean to boast in appearance? This appearance is a bit difficult, it refers to those who preach circumcision, that is, those represented by Jacob and Peter. What is appearance? I once followed Jesus, oh, you once followed Jesus, but Judas also followed, but betrayed Jesus. So following Jesus is useless, there is no substance inside, there is no heart willing to die for Jesus, is there? There is no heart to build God's glorious church. Boasting in appearance, aren't you talking about circumcision? Take out your genitals and let everyone check if you have circumcision?

What is circumcision, right? What is the use of people who are not circumcised in the heart? Aren't you just talking about circumcision? Talking about the law of Moses? Everyone knows that although Jacob was Jesus' brother, Jesus' brother may not look like Jesus. Jesus' brother came to Corinth, look at my knees, they are all calloused, why? Because I kneel and pray for seven hours every day. I have also seen a mother who prays in church for seven hours every day, but forces her daughter to take out high-interest loans to pay off her debts, what is that all about?

What can appearance prove, show it to me! Show it, it doesn't look like Jesus, why doesn't it look like Jesus? He is Jesus' brother, so he must look like Jesus? So brothers and sisters can no longer boast in appearance, superficial things are useless, we must see if the heart is really living for the Lord. So today's Bible study theme is No Longer Living for Ourselves, we no longer say that we are very pious because we have prayer calluses on our bodies, in fact, pious bullshit, right? What can that thing prove? It can't prove anything! Cursing again, these people are hateful, aren't they? Very hateful! Misleading people!

These people have smeared Paul terribly! I believe they must have read Galatians, after reading it, oh my God, that is simply hitting their sore spot. People say, ah, look at Paul's Galatians, it is pointing at you. Actually, it is not, Paul said it wrong, in fact, he is very angry inside.

Today our brothers and sisters begin to be a new creation in their hearts, do not boast in appearance, if we boast, we boast that we have faith inside. We believe that there is already a crown of glory reserved for us in heaven; in faith, we know that God has prepared houses for us in heaven; in faith, we know that leaving this world, leaving the body to be with the Lord is incomparably good; in faith, we no longer fear; in faith, we want to please God, we do not want to take advantage, we just want to give. People will ask me, where do you get so many things to give away? Because I want to give away everything I have, the most precious is Jesus Christ.

I want to urge everyone in the name of Jesus Christ to live for Jesus and die for Jesus, because He rose from the dead for us, there are really not many people who have such thoughts in their hearts. There are not many people who preach the gospel this way either.

VI. A New Creation

What is a new creation? It is that the inside is completely renewed by the word of God, and the spirit is completely renewed. From now on, you are no longer living that shriveled, distorted look, are you? When you speak, you are stuttering, are you? Because what you are filled with is the word of Jesus Christ. From now on, you must live for God in your heart, and there is that kind of motivation from God's love. This word is so real, we long to leave this world and be with the Lord. Such people are people the world is not worthy of, they are new creations. New creations in heaven, in our spirits, have such an awakening, I tell you, it is difficult for you not to prosper!

In your work, you will not be able to suppress that kind of power from God, and God's power will flow out of you. Because you have made a new choice on the foundation, from now on, you will no longer live for yourself, but for the Lord who rose from the dead for us. This one decision can shake heaven and earth, this one decision can make you a new creation. Not the appearance, but the heart, look in the mirror, there is one more wrinkle than yesterday, normal! Oh, I did a facial mask yesterday, how come there is another wrinkle? But the heart is renewed day by day, more and more like God, more and more wanting to give away, more and more wanting to please God, more and more knowing that Jesus Christ truly bore our transgressions.

VII. Jesus Christ Bore Our Transgressions

That is, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not imputing their trespasses to them, and has committed to us the word of reconciliation. (2 Corinthians 5:19)

Jesus Christ bore our transgressions, God in Jesus Christ forgave our transgressions. This is why we want to build God's glorious church. Building God's glorious church is the body of Jesus Christ, the body of Jesus Christ is in Jesus Christ, your transgressions have been washed away by the precious blood of God Jesus. What about the new sins I committed, repent and they will be washed away again. But why do you sin? Because you live for yourself, if a person lives for the Lord, only pleasing the Lord, would you commit sin? You will not commit sin, what sin will you commit, always wanting to give away, right? Not wanting to live in this world, always wanting to die, always wanting to leave the body and be with the Lord.

Isn't it that people in this world always feel that there is not enough money to spend, so they are greedy, and after being greedy, they die even faster! People in this world are deeply controlled by the spirit of Mammon, thinking that only with money can they survive, but in the end, they die even faster with money, isn't that the case? So today our brothers and sisters must know that we are reconciled to God together, and people who are reconciled to God together build the body of Jesus Christ. Together building the body of Jesus Christ means living in Jesus Christ, this is the position we have received. Today, the fact that we receive this position is itself a grace.

Why do I earnestly advise everyone, because this is the way to live, this is the way to live!

VIII. I Beg You to Be Reconciled to God

Now then, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were pleading through us: we implore you on Christ’s behalf, be reconciled to God. (2 Corinthians 5:20)

Paul's letters are very exaggerated, I beg you on behalf of God, as if God were pleading through us, I implore you on Christ's behalf, be reconciled to God. Doesn't it sound a little bit wrong to everyone? That is, to let people receive the benefits of Jesus Christ, receive the benefits of this gospel, Paul is even willing to kneel down, I beg you, okay? Ah, why is it called begging? Because these Corinthians did not treat God as God, but as a broken piece of junk, throwing it away at will, and then picking up those useless things again, very helpless, really helpless!

So I beg you on Christ's behalf, be reconciled to God, this is not something else, is it? This is a treasure, right? Please accept such a grace, God has given you Jesus Christ, God's only begotten Son, who truly bore our transgressions, so that we can become a new creation. But this still requires me to beg you. Very ironic, very helpless! Because people do not know, so God is really a great grace, God has great grace, has such patience, according to the patience of some small pastors among us, they would have pinched an ant to death long ago, right? This is great patience, the love of our God is manifested here, I beg you to be reconciled to God. From now on, live for Jesus Christ, this is the way to live, this is the way of grace.

Some people ask me, Teacher Liu, is this the gospel of grace? No, this is the gospel of living for Jesus Christ and dying for Jesus Christ. Really? Try it, live for Jesus Christ. Because He died for us and rose for us, this is the way to live, there is no other way to go, not only that, but in this world, relying on Jesus Christ, you can live prosperously. Relying on Jesus Christ, not because of relying on money, nor because of that love of money, but relying on Jesus Christ, you can live out the image of God, this is called being reconciled to God, do you understand? Being reconciled to God means having the image of God, no longer having the image of a demon.

Look at the people we have now, so many people are living neither human nor demon! You look in the mirror, see what you look like when you are alive, if you start to discern good and evil, if you start to be anxious and angry, right? Today, if you are reconciled to God, live out the image of God, would you be deceived in this world? Would you lack money in this world? Would you lack health in this world? Would you lack the courage to live in this world? Would you be afraid of death in this world?

Today our brothers and sisters must know that many times we really lack the image of God. Some people's daughters do not have a good relationship with their mothers, some mothers do not have a good relationship with their daughters, or they are controlled by the things of this world. When they start to deal with things, they are always anxious and angry, that is not the way to live, that is the way to die.

IX. God Made Him Who Knew No Sin to Be Sin

For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him. (2 Corinthians 5:21)

The ninth point is also a summary, God made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him! That we, that is you and I, might become the righteousness of God, what does it mean? It means that we can live out the image of God, what can we see on our bodies? There is nothing hidden, all of them are things that can be brought out into the open, right? Because we live for God and are willing to die for God, this is the righteousness of God, living out the image of God. We becoming the righteousness of God, this was originally God's will, this is God's will.

Do you want to live out the image of God? If you want to live out the image of God, deal well with those three things inside: discerning good and evil, catering to the flesh, and loving the world, these are not the righteousness of God. Today, let us live like Jesus, and walk坦然 on this road of the cross. Our hope is not in this world, our hope is in Jesus Christ, our hope is in God. This is why we long to leave the flesh and be with the Lord.

The wealth of the world, who are you earning so much for? When you get to Jesus Christ, you look down and see that they are all妖精的粑粑, hoarding a pile, ah, it's too臭了, right? Some people love money, they live in this life, maybe you are in your twenties, you have no experience, I don't blame you. But you have gone so far, what have you gained? Because we will die sooner or later in this world, living one more day or one less day is the same. Moreover, we do not know if we can live tomorrow, and we do not know what this world will be like next year, so it is better to start from now, no matter what we do, do it as if doing it for God.

Today I spoke eloquently for an hour, the logic sounds pretty good. Originally I was going to talk about Paul, but in the end I talked about a lot. But it doesn't matter, I am speaking from the heart, from now on live for God.
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