I. Introduction

Greetings everyone! Today, I will share on a rather difficult topic. What makes it difficult? It is challenging to articulate! Why is it difficult to articulate? Because it is simply hard to explain clearly. I have put in considerable effort, but I still feel somewhat lacking. The topic for today is: For all who rely on the works of the law are under a curse!

For all who rely on the works of the law are under a curse. You must understand that in current pastoral care, I told my colleagues today: Recent pastoral care must address those who rely on works! Understand that addressing those who rely on works can resolve many complex issues. Even today, it is so difficult to be a person of faith! It is very hard to be a person of faith!

Some people live under a curse, and then: Pray for me! I will pray for you. But it is completely ineffective! If you understand that all who rely on performing the law are cursed, what can you do? Because the problem itself is a matter of understanding. If this fundamental understanding is not unlocked, it is very troublesome. However, I will not respond to the messages and questions you are typing for now. Let me proceed with what I have to say, alright? I know you have experienced some things, but could you please listen to me first? If you are a believer, you can almost certainly see the curse brought about by relying on the works of the law. In fact, the gospel based on the works of the law is not the gospel at all; it is a modified gospel. Actually, the modified gospel is the mainstream of this generation. Did you know that? If it is the mainstream of the generation, then this modified gospel is not the gospel at all.

People are also easily misled by this, as it sounds quite good: I do good deeds, I practice virtue. Does the Bible encourage people to be good persons? If your last name is Liu, you are called Liu the Greatly Virtuous, if your last name is Li, you are called Li the Greatly Virtuous, how wonderful! Being a greatly virtuous person, but it is not the truth. Even if it sounds good, it is not the truth. The struggle between faith-based and works-based has continued from the time of the Apostle Paul until today, and it has been in the spiritual realm since people first existed.

The conflict and confusion between the Apostle Paul and James revolve entirely around whether to rely on the works of the law or on faith. Relying on works or on the law is like leaven that can leaven the whole batch, and then bring a very deep curse.

Be aware that last week we talked about guarding against the leaven of the Pharisees. How potent that leaven is! A little bit of leaven can leaven the whole batch. The church today is leavened throughout with just a little bit of this leaven. Even today, when I listen to some pastors preaching online, they often quote from the Book of James. Can what the Book of James says be listened to?

I must tell you all, the Book of James—I am not saying I have not read it carefully. I used to think the Book of James was written correctly, but after reading it, I read it for a long, long time, and still did not understand it. Why? Because I wanted to explain it clearly, but I could not understand it. So today, do you all know what it is about? That a person is justified not by faith alone, but also by works. There is no such statement in the Old Testament; there is no such statement in Genesis. It was invented by James himself.

It is this little bit of leaven, relying on the works of the law, this little bit of teaching, that immediately leads people into a curse. Like leaven, its contagiousness completely surpasses the COVID virus, and once a person is infected with this virus, they directly become a person who transmits it. People develop this attribute of relying on works. Very strange!

Let me tell you a joke: One year, I bought an old car. Do you all know what an old car is? Unable to afford a new car but still wanting to drive a luxury car. Don't you know about old cars? It is an old car with many years on the road. I bought this luxury car, an old car,二手的. It drove quite well, the exterior looked impressive, and it was comfortable to sit in, but it often broke down. If your car often breaks down on the street, aren't you annoyed? Annoyed! But I drove it until it was烂. As a result, I was cheated when I bought this car, right?

Then a good friend asked me: Is your car good? I said: It's pretty good. He also bought one! Later, others asked him: How is it? He said: It's pretty good. Pretty good what? I asked you,破车, 旧车, many problems. Just like when people get old, with many problems, old enough to need replacing parts. Buying an old car, it's not the person, it's the era. Wow, I thought this was very interesting! Why say pretty good? This reminded me of how many people in the church, how are they? Good? Pretty good. Good? Pretty good. Everyone says pretty good! Exactly like how I felt after I bought that 破车. Once people have this kind of thing, once they are affected by this thing, they get infected, and then they develop this attribute, and with this attribute, they will spread this virus.

Recently, I saw a film. Some people say: Don't you not watch them? I occasionally browse them. This kind of film depicts a type of ghost. This ghost looks very scary and chases people, which is very interesting. Why does it chase people? Once it bites a person, that person also becomes like it. Then it goes after others, trying to bite them, and that person becomes like it too. Do you all know what this is? This is called a zombie movie, 上尸片, 上尸病毒, it seems everyone has seen it.

I find this very interesting. It is like a leaven, and the effect of this leaven on people is terrible! People immediately possess that attribute, just like the 破车 I bought, pretty good. A virus! It's like relying on works, relying on the law, like a virus. So later, many churches that rely on works, pastors who rely on works, congregants who rely on works, are formed. Everyone says: How is it? Pretty good! Have you all noticed this? Pretty good! It can't be said to be bad.

When many people come among us, after a year passes, they tell me: Teacher, our pastor doesn't say it that way. Our pastor said, 'Not many should become teachers.' Not many should become teachers is written in James. And their pastors. I said, My goodness, how did I end up pastoring someone else's sheep? Once a person is infected, it takes many years to remove it. So, once a person plants the seeds of relying on works, it is as if they have planted a leaven that ferments inside. These problems become the source of curses.

Once a person lives in this curse, they live in deep confusion. Chinese Mingding Destiny saw so many confusing things and tried very hard to find the root of the problem, and they found it. What did they find? They found that these things are based on works. In the past few years, I have served many people in establishing churches, trying to bring them out of a false gospel, but they were already sick. I tell you it's like speaking to a cows. Even if you speak to a cows eye may blink, but When I played this gospel piano for him, wow, he thought the thing he believed in was orthodox.

There was a couple, ten years ago the husband developed cancer. Ten years later, the husbands was still connected to tubes because he can’t eat the food normally. Since the stomach and esophagus are joined, everything the husband will eat enter the lung, so they need a path to pump in the liquid. For ten years, ten years later, his wife was also diagnosed with cancer. Then someone brought her to me, saying: Come, I'll take you to Pastor Liu, he is very powerful in prayer. I looked and it was over. Should I tell her the truth or lie? I thought I would tell the truth. I said: This is a curse. No, that's not right! You can't say it's a curse! I said it was a demon, and they said no, you can’t say there’s a demon. They can have cancer but cannot say the word demon, do you understand? The husband got cancer, so he cannot say the word cancer. It's quite interesting. Just let it slowly drag on.

So today, our brothers and sisters begin to ponder, ponder what exactly happened? It turned out to be a false gospel of relying on the law, unable to understand why it was like this until death. He believed in the Lord, believed in the curse. It's not believing in the Lord, it's believing in the curse. That's believing in the curse. This cancer couple is very suffering. Some time ago, I attended a funeral. The corpse was lying in the coffin, of course the corpse was lying in the coffin. I had also told him about Chinese Mingding Destiny, but it was like playing the piano for a cows.

Also, there are too many such examples. Then one sentence is exchanged: What? Are you the only one who thinks you are correct? My goodness! I am not completely correct either. I could only sheepishly retreat, tucking my tail between my legs. Alas, I like to tuck my tail between my legs and behave humbly. Receiving some disdainful looks and sarcastic words from people, just endure it. So I tell you, even today, this ineffective gospel, this powerless gospel, this false gospel, is still thought to be orthodox. Then people continue to evaluate a person's life based on their behavior: Ah, this person's life is very good.

Some time ago, a pastor called me, and I asked: What's the matter? One of their congregants had cancer. They have cancer, do you all know? Even today, I tell you: Those stubborn illnesses of patients I have served represent stubborn illnesses in the spirit. As a result, this pastor said: This sister of ours has a very good life. As soon as I heard this, I thought: Oh no, how can I minister? If I speak frankly, I will offend people. If I don't speak frankly, I will blame myself afterward. Alas, I steeled myself to tell the truth, but telling the truth offends people.

Later, I asked him: How is this life good? They come to church early on Sunday, stand at the door handing out flyers, and shake hands with whoever comes, saying: Jesus loves you, and I love you too. That's the only kind of good they know. They know nothing else. I tell you: I haven't even ministered to them yet, but I can tell their destiny. This person cannot be healed from the inside out. Among us, many people have one nose and two eyes, not even having upward-facing nostrils, and their eyes look quite normal, they all look like respectable human beings, not like animals. They look like respectable human beings, but the thing they carry inside is fatal.

Why? Putting on airs, going to church on Sundays to hand out flyers, and then saying: Lord Jesus loves you, and I love you too. This can be learned in five minutes, it's just forcing and faking. I can also pretend, but the inside is tied up and miserable. There are not few pastors who die like this, right? Later, do you know what? I thank God! I don't want to be such a person. If I were such a person, I would be so tied up inside. How contrived I would be. How I look on stage is how I look off stage.

Someone said: Hey, Pastor Liu, why do you still have this illness? I said: I am not a saint either. Why can't I get sick? But even though I am also sick, I can pray with you and it will be effective, do you believe? I rely on faith. Think about it, God works on me to deal with me, dealing with me thoroughly. Fortunately, there is no thorn, there is still no thorn to this day.

Chinese Mingding Destiny is set to bring about a new transformation. It is poised to fully restore the gospel of the Apostle Paul. It aims to fully address and completely negate the Book of James! Giving it a bad review! That is based on the works of the law. How does it speak? It doesn't need to say everything, it doesn't matter if a few things it says are correct, as long as there are a few sentences based on the law. How does it say it? Not by faith alone, but also by works. When spoken, ordinary people who do not study carefully cannot see the problem.

I must tell you that I read it hundreds of times and did not understand it, but later I understood it. Today I can slowly explain it to you. Like a cup of tea, is it tea? Yes, it is tea. Put a little bit of poison in it, it's called poisoned tea. A cup of wine, is it wine? Yes, it is wine, just put a drop of arsenic in it, and it can take a life.

It's set to bring about a revolution, to completely release our brothers and sisters from the curse. That reliance on works, that reliance on the law, does not need to be 100% reliance. Maybe 90% is faith, and 10% is works or law, so what can you do? That's poisonous enough. How much more do you want? Leaven does not need the whole dough to be leaven. If you put a little leaven in the dough, the dough can rise.

You must be aware that you must guard against the leaven of the Pharisees. This leaven of the Pharisees, the Book of James, is a model of the Pharisees. Understand that no one has the guts to do this, but some people have the guts to receive the curse. In the past few years, one reason many people left the church was because I spoke of the Book of James this way, I gave the Book of James a bad review, and as a result, they went away. I gave the Book of James a bad review, and then those people went away. I think it's pretty good too. But the problem is, if our brothers and sisters today disagree, we can sit down and chat slowly in private. If you think I am wrong, argue your point and see how I was wrong.

But today, do our brothers and sisters know this? Are there still curses in the words spoken in the New Testament? There are still curses. How could there not be curses? But the things said in the Book of James are simply too much. What is it saying? That curses and praises are spoken from the same mouth of a person, and it thinks it is strange. Why can't praise and curses be spoken from the same mouth? Isn't it often said in the mouth of Jesus Christ? Normal. Why does the New Testament say there are no more curses? Jesus has surely borne them, and that is for those who rely on faith, those who rely on believing in God's words. If you rely on performing the law, Jesus died for you in vain, then it has nothing to do with you at all, it cannot help you.

Can I explain it clearly today? Let me try. Today we will talk about a very complex issue. Once a person receives a set of things and does not often examine them, that is a great trouble. Do you know there is a term called comprador? I tell you that comprador conveys a doctrine. The establishment of that doctrine is actually because there is a pillar behind it, and they really think they are speaking of science, they really think they are speaking of the truth. Some time ago, I was helping a drug dealer develop software, which was quite interesting. But regarding drugs, I have my own little opinion. The capital behind this drug dealer is all big merchants and big capital, and they begin to support some experts and scholars, which is supporting a group of comprador. The brains of these comprador are completely brainwashed, receiving their set of doctrines. These doctrines are actually the secret to this drug dealer's profit.

You can't say you want to make money, you can't, but actually that's what they say. Then they speak like experts for the drug dealer. All industries have them. This is not their invention. The earliest inventor was Lü Buwei. Lü Buwei was remarkable, raising three thousand patrons. These three thousand patrons wrote a book called Lüshi Chunqiu, specially speaking for Lü Buwei, specially doing theoretical research. Today, we must have a little understanding of some things. Everyone should research the drug dealer's logical system and the hospital's logical system when they have nothing to do. Everyone has not researched it, but I have researched it. I am speaking blindly here, and after I finish speaking, I also have to be responsible. I won't tell you, if I tell you, I will secretly tell you below, I won't speak of it here. Why not speak of it? Speaking here will cause trouble, they will not come looking for you, you must understand!

Thank God! I myself am someone who likes to understand things first. After understanding things, I tell you. So today, our brothers and sisters, do you know? Many things are very interesting. After understanding them, I will tell you this: Anything that aims to make a profit must be treated with caution. Yesterday, I asked a q to ChatGPT, and ChatGPT's answer was quite objective, it also knew. Alright, we will talk about this here today. What I mean is the curse brought about by relying on the works. Isn't this still not explained clearly? I used to talk about the details, but today if I speak about it, I won't be able to clean it up. We will talk about it later. What did I talk about earlier? What is relying on the law? What is relying on works? It's still not explained clearly, let's continue. Let's read today's scripture, Galatians chapter 3, verse 10.

II. Scripture

For all who rely on the works of the law are under a curse, as it is written: “Cursed is everyone who does not continue to do everything written in the Book of the Law.” (Galatians 3:10)

III. Prayer

Oh God! Oh Holy Spirit! Open our minds today, let us return to the pure gospel preached by Paul; Oh God! Let Your Holy Spirit work in us today because of our faith, guiding us to walk this path of grace, guiding us to come before You, relying on faith, relying on the Holy Spirit, putting to death the deeds of the body, so that we can live out Your glorious image. In the name of Jesus Christ, I declare: My God! My Lord Jesus Christ has already borne the curse for me, and today I come before the Lord with faith, to be a son in God's house. In the name of Jesus Christ, Amen!

IV. Scripture Background

I actually cite Galatians many times for the scripture background. If you are tired of hearing it, it doesn't matter, I will add some freshness to it today. Here, someone is preaching another gospel. Who is that? I tell you, who is preaching another gospel? It is James. Peter and James are in the same group, and what they preach ultimately preaches the leaven of the Pharisees. I ask you, if a Pharisee preaches, will he say: Go kill someone, will he? Hearing that, everyone knows it's not right. Go rob a bank. Hearing that, everyone knows it's not quite right, everyone knows it's not right. What do Christians of the Pharisee sect preach? They preach the law. You must follow the law! But have they followed at all? They themselves have not followed, they cannot follow, it is impossible to follow. And they do not preach the entire law, this matter is very evil.

Why do they not preach the entire law? They preach only a little bit, do you not think this is evil? Very evil. What is it that they preach? What they preach is that a small surgery is done on the male genitalia, called circumcision. You say, they did this small surgery, so what? If you ask about the scene at that time, this is Jesus' brother, and you see that Peter is Jesus' top disciple. They said: These are all people who have followed Jesus. Moreover, it is indeed recorded in the law that Abraham was circumcised. How can they be like Abraham if they are not circumcised? This logic sounds very powerful.

They thought it was not bad preaching this gospel of circumcision. I also thought it was not bad; a minor surgery, and according to the teachings of many churches today, sex life is quite hygienic. What nonsense is this? This immediately angered Paul, who wrote an impassioned book called Galatians. What is Galatians about? It says that this thing is not called the gospel. Why is it not a gospel? Doesn't James also talk a lot about faith? About faith, patience, and humility, saying many good things. How could a small surgery infuriate Paul so much? The problem is not here. Once this thing opens a very small door, this small door is like a leaven that will rise in the church. In earlier years, this thing was quite powerful!

We have a little silly child among us, quite interesting, who read somewhere that you must not spend money on the Lord's Day. If you search for Baptism of Fire online today, you can still see: You must not spend money on the Lord's Day. Who started this? The Koreans. As a result, he resolutely refused to spend money on the Lord's Day. I said, if you don't want to spend, then don't. Later, I found that many people accepted his idea. Hey? He is not a pastor, nothing at all, how can he have such a big influence in the church? I found it very strange. I said, to what extent has this reached? You can't start doing your homework until after twelve o'clock on Sunday night. Waiting there on Sunday before twelve o'clock, because homework is due on Monday, waiting until after twelve o'clock on Sunday to do it, because I want to keep the Lord's Day.

At first, I didn't take it seriously, but then something happened. Many people were very conflicted and uncomfortable. I said, how can believing in the Lord be like this? Isn't this a little fool? Who knows where he got it from? On the internet, is what the internet says true? The problem arises: a theory that is theoretically untenable has changed the true gospel. After the true gospel was changed, the Galatians found that this gospel was not working! In the past, praying brought healing, and repentance brought God's grace and mercy! This time, they suffered a lot. Was so much suffering in vain? They were infected with a works-based [theology], actually not 1%, I tell you, it's probably only 0.001%.

You want to do a small surgery on the male genitals, how much meat can you cut off? Let's put it this way, calculated in kilograms, go to the scale and weigh it. A thin person weighs a hundred pounds, a fat person weighs two hundred pounds, and an even fatter person weighs three hundred pounds. A small surgery at most is two grams. Two grams and a hundred pounds, that is, 50 kilograms and 2 grams, the ratio is 0.001%, just this little thing, but it changed the gospel! Why? Because once this thing opens a door, I ask you: if you keep the circumcision, do you have to keep the other things? Do you have to offer a bull? Do you have to offer a sheep? How do you do it? Once you open a small door, everything is open. But there is another problem: after opening one door, let's just change Christianity! Call it Judaism. Then didn't Jesus die in vain? This thing is strange, so Paul was very angry.

Now we can understand that the churches Paul worked so hard to establish preached a pure gospel, and people could receive grace from Jesus Christ. Now some people have made it like this. If you want to do it, let Peter, James, and those people do it slowly in the Jewish synagogues, we can't control it. But they have to go to the churches established by the Apostle Paul and make a mess, so many people start to get sick, and many people die. Why? They bear their own curses. In the past, Jesus bore them, but now they bear them themselves. They bear them themselves. You say, is this a big problem or a small problem? This is a fundamental problem. A fundamental problem cannot be compromised. It is an essential problem, and it cannot be compromised. Today you must know: Some things cannot be compromised. No matter what kind of discipline it is, as long as it is fundamental, something very fundamental in this discipline, it cannot be compromised.

As a result, Paul wrote this book of Galatians in a flamboyant style. Curse and blessing are the fundamental problems of the Christian faith. How to say it? He said: Christ Jesus crucified has already been vividly portrayed before your eyes, who has bewitched you? Why crucify? Why not sit there cross-legged, put your hands together, and then become a living Buddha? Why not? Why must He be crucified? Because Jesus truly bore our curses, so that we can come before God by faith, so that we can become justified by faith through Jesus Christ. You may not care much about justification by faith, but I tell you, you must care about this matter.

A person cannot become righteous. If he is a natural sinner, and his sins have not been washed away by the precious blood of Jesus Christ, the demons in him cannot be driven out. Why? You are a cursed person, and the demons are legally in you. Only the precious blood of Jesus Christ washes away, and you are justified by faith in Jesus Christ, then the devil becomes illegal. When the devil becomes illegal, then you can drive out the demons, and you can be delivered. After you are delivered, the Holy Spirit will constantly work in you, and you will gain power to live out the image of God. This is the gospel of Jesus Christ.

So, someone preaches another gospel, which is impossible to be the gospel. How can you rely on doing the law? This is how the matter of crucifixion is interpreted. So Paul asked: Having begun by the Spirit, are you now being perfected by the flesh? Are you so foolish? Foolish Galatians, did you receive the Spirit by works of the law or by hearing with faith? You heard in faith at the beginning, how can you now return to the law? You believed in Jesus at the beginning, why are you going back to Judaism today? Even if those things spoken by Judaism all point to Jesus Christ, now that we have Jesus Christ, why go back to Judaism? Isn't it strange? As a result, he said:

Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us, for it is written: “Cursed is everyone who is hung on a tree.” He redeemed us in order that the blessing given to Abraham might come to the Gentiles through Christ Jesus, so that by faith we might receive the promise of the Spirit. (Galatians 3:4-5)

Once you practice the law, you also lose the Holy Spirit. He is not walking the path of faith, he is walking the path of practicing the law. Not only that, but he feels good about himself for practicing a little bit of the law. This is also quite deadly. Two brothers sit together: Brother, have you been circumcised? I haven't. I have been circumcised. Oh! You have been circumcised? Oh, it seems you must be more holy than me. What is this? Brother, go get circumcised quickly. I can introduce you to one that is impossible to get inflamed, go get cut. After cutting, his brother also cut. All this, still worthy of boasting.

Everyone sits together and whispers, circumcised? Circumcised. Wow, good. Have you been circumcised? I haven't been circumcised. Oh, you are so LOW. What kind of mess is this? So, Paul sometimes gets angry. Huh, why didn't you cut the whole thing off? If you cut the whole thing off, what happens to that thing? Oh, it's annoying. If you really cut it like this, really get serious, cut the whole thing off, right? Just become an eunuch? It's good to be an eunuch. Now this medicine is so advanced, it can be changed to something else.

What's the result? As a result, Paul took out the law and Abraham to talk about. Why? Because Abraham believed in God at that time. How does the scripture say? Because the righteous will live by faith. Abraham believed in God, and God considered him righteous. See what this says? Actually, Genesis is a Genesis of faith. There was no law in the time of Genesis.

Do you know who wrote it? It was Moses who wrote Genesis. Moses wrote the other books of the law, and the books of the law include Genesis. I ask you, do the books of the law talk about faith or law? The books of the law talk about faith. Abraham was five hundred years before the law. Then God's promise to Abraham, God's grace to Abraham, was all because Abraham believed in God.

Isn't this interesting? As a result, today Paul eloquently discusses the descendants of Abraham. This matter of the descendants of Abraham, in the Bible, you know that we Chinese cannot read it. The descendants of Abraham. You know, your descendants will possess the gates of their enemies. Doesn't Genesis say this? Your descendants will possess the gates of their enemies. That doesn't refer to many descendants, it refers to one descendant, Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ is that one descendant of Abraham who possesses the gates of his enemies. Today, because we believe in Jesus Christ, we also possess the gates of our enemies and share in the victory of Jesus Christ.

Then it talks about why the law exists? What does the law do? Then what is the relationship between the law and the promise? It originally led us to Christ, so that we might be justified by faith. Because the law makes people know that they cannot do it. Actually, in the years of James, Peter, and Paul, the Israelites had become colonies, their country was destroyed, and their homes were destroyed. Why were their countries destroyed and their homes destroyed? Because although the Israelites had the law, they could not do it. Why couldn't they do it? Because they just couldn't do it. If they can't do it today, do you think you can do it? If you can do it, you are awesome, you are great, I will give you a thumbs up, if you can do it.

So, everyone is confined to sin, and then we can be saved by faith in Jesus Christ, gain power, this is the key. So, in the end, the doctrine of salvation by faith came, and then we received the Holy Spirit, and the Holy Spirit became our power, which is fundamental. The fundamental thing is not what you did or didn't do, that's not fundamental. The fundamental thing is that you trust in God, and God gives you the Holy Spirit, so that you gain the power of the Holy Spirit.

V. What does it mean to be based on works of the law?

What does it mean to be based on works of the law? Faith and works together as the basis is called being based on works of the law. They don't completely deny your faith. They know that you believe in that faith, and we also believe. You believe, and we also believe, but we have a little more belief. What's a little more? A little surgery, just a little more. How do I feel like it's a little less? Not less. Isn't it cutting off a little? Whether it's cutting off a little or adding a little, it's enough to suffer.

Faith and works together as the foundation, this is the theory of James. If you don't believe it, go back and read James yourself. James personally tells everyone that it is not only by faith, but also by works. I ask you, when Jesus came to this world and ministered in the world, what did He say? He said that people do not believe. Without faith, everything is useless. To think that works can support faith is completely confusing. So works and faith coexist is a lie, that is to be based on works of the law.

So, what is it to be based on works of the law? It is not a complete denial of faith, no. Your dough is still there, I just add a little yeast to it. Did everyone grasp the key? So it is deceptive. Isn't this dough? But this is risen dough. What about the original dough? The original dough has become risen dough. What about the original gospel? The original gospel has become a false gospel. What about the original Holy Spirit? You have destroyed the Holy Spirit and turned it into yeast, turned it into works. Isn't this troublesome?

People, I tell you, why is this so? The reason is very simple, it is because they think this thing is particularly reasonable. I can tell you that being based on works sounds very reasonable. Is it really reasonable? It is not in accordance with the Bible, it is not in accordance with the gospel. What sounds reasonable is not necessarily reasonable.

For example, two people, James's advertising is very good. Come, people roll up their knees, look at my knees. Oh, your knees are good. Your knees are the knees of an old camel. What are they doing? Showing off. Look at my prayer, look at how much I pray, look at the calluses on my knees?

Some time ago, I actually met one, didn't see it, on the phone. It is said that someone prays for seven hours a day, kneeling there, and calluses have grown on his knees, but he lives in a curse. Why? He boasts about his knees. A person who is based on works, who is based on performing the law, can boast about it, but he boasts about just a little bit. If he can do it, then he will do it completely. If you can't finish doing it, you just do a little bit and feel good.

Some time ago, I ministered to a cancer patient. I said, how do you feel about yourself? He thinks I am a good person. He feels that I have cancer and I have a hard time accepting it. I am a good person. I said, how are you a good person? He said, look, when someone crosses the road, an old person crosses the road, goes to the market to buy vegetables, I will help him carry it home. I said, have you done anything else? He said, still done something else. I said, anything else? Nothing. I said, you have done such a little thing, you are a good person? It's worth boasting about doing something. Therefore, when cancer came to him, he felt that he could not accept it. Later, he found out that his mother said something angry, and he seized the handle of his mother's words. This is troublesome. Just like this, just like this. I tell you, people who are based on works are very annoying!

Look, I have seen some people, if they do well, they are arrogant; if they do badly, they are dejected. Have you seen it? He judges everything according to his actions. And if others don't do well, he has a big temper. If others don't do well, he gets angry. Have you noticed? I can tell you that as a pastor, I look at you with the eyes of faith. Although you are not good, in my faith, you all have the likeness of Jesus. Without faith, you can't go on. Until today, many churches still judge people by their actions. What's in the bones? That doesn't matter.

In fact, I tell you, I specially look at what's in people's bones. What's in their bones? I often try it. The means I use to try it are still a bit limited, but you may not necessarily realize it. Then, without realizing it, you begin to expose your original form, so that's how it is. You can't stand being said, you can't stand being wronged, no way. Look, I have a demon-revealing mirror, I have a magic weapon. This is being based on works.

For example, I will give you many examples. You say, I am very spiritual. I said, why are you very spiritual? Look, I go every Sunday. I said, going every Sunday, is that spiritual? You say, I am very spiritual. Why? I give offerings. Ah, ah, give offerings. Why haven't I received grace after giving offerings? Look, people feel that they should receive grace after giving offerings, as if it were a matter of course. Why? Because he puts receiving grace and giving offerings together. Isn't this being based on works, being based on performing the law? You say, don't other people give offerings the same way? No, do you think everyone gives the same way as you? No. After you give, you feel it is worth boasting about.

For example, sometimes, some churches have building funds. A friend of mine opened a church, and he also collected building funds. He later told me that it caused a lot of trouble, and there was internal strife. Why? After he announced the names and amounts of the people who gave offerings, my goodness, it was a mess. Because those who gave less didn't want to be there, and those who gave more liked to be there. Is there? Look, I give the most. Then? They feel that this thing is always worth showing off. This church, look, has the right to speak. Giving less feels shameful, giving more feels glorious.

That's not how it's done in the Bible. David doesn't do it this way, and Abraham doesn't do it this way either. Does everyone know? After David came back from the battle, those who didn't go to the battle still got a share. Do you know? Why? Because victory is given by God, not what they did. In the church, they feel that they have done a lot by serving a little. Those who don't serve feel that they have done nothing. In fact, I tell you, in our church, serving is grace. If you let me do human resources management, this work is grace. Can everyone understand?

For example, those who go in early in the morning to work come out in the evening and get one dollar. Those who just went in to work in the evening also get one dollar. Those who went in in the morning are unhappy. Why? Works-based. Do you understand? Based on performing the law. Look, I have been working from morning till now. It is a grace to work from morning till now, working is grace, understand? We are all useless servants, this is all we should do, OK? You serve a lot, you come to me to show off. I will give you a club, what are you showing off?

Teacher, look, I do this, I do that. Shouldn't you do it? Look, he hasn't done it yet. What does it matter to you that he hasn't done it? The act of doing things itself is a grace. People are wandering on the street outside, which is very boring. You entered the garden early in the morning, right? You ate in the garden, and I haven't even taken care of you yet. You ate for eight hours, and he just went in and hadn't even started eating when he came out. Isn't that grace? So, if I fix it like this, what problems are there in the church? Teacher, look, our pastoral district has so many people, and his pastoral district has very few people. I don't care about this, this is not your KPI. I only care about one thing, that we preach the gospel, God's grace, correctly.

VI. Why is being based on performing the law cursed?

Can everyone understand? Why am I cursed when I perform the law? It is not that you are cursed when you perform the law, you are cursed when you are based on performing the law. Everyone must be careful, performing the law is not cursed. Being based on performing the law, being based on performing the law, is cursed. Why? The reason is very simple, what you do is very different. You must perform the entire law, the entire law has more than six hundred articles. More than six hundred articles, I think you can do three or five articles at most, and then still show off.

It would be great to boast about what we haven't done, wouldn't it? But it's so difficult. And even if you do everything, you might not do it perfectly. Is the law given by God, which is supposed to make a person perfect, really about that? I tell you, it's only the Spirit of God, only the Word of God that can make a person perfect. It's not the law, not basing everything on following the law, but basing everything on faith.

There's one thing about people: once you make following the law your foundation, the devil has something to say. The devil immediately has something to say. Look at Sister Zhang, Sister Li, Sister Wang, Sister Zhao—they base everything on their actions, on following the law. Oh, she didn't do that one thing. Okay, I'll get inside her and stay for a good year or two. I'll give her cancer, or arthritis, or something like that. When people hear about it, they get scared to death.

Who told you to base everything on following the law? Because if you base everything on believing in Jesus Christ, on faith, that's the faith of Abraham, that's the path Abraham opened up. Basing everything on actions is not the path Abraham opened up. Because once you base everything on actions, if there's even one thing you haven't done, it's like a traffic violation: one violation, one ticket; two violations, two tickets; three violations, three tickets. It's not like you can say, I only followed one traffic law, and none of the others. I think your license will be suspended very soon, right? That's not how it works.

What's more, people don't do what they want to do, and they do what they don't want to do. People are born with demons in them. You probably can't accept the theory that people are born with demons in them. But if you think about it carefully, you'll see that there's something to it. If people are born feeling very holy, then you're in trouble. People are born with something that makes them not do what they want to do, and not be able to do what they want to do. What they want to do, they can't do; what they want to do, they don't do. And then? They do what they don't want to do, and they feel bad after doing it. This is what's called the inherent demon in people, called sin. And basing everything on following the law is being cursed.

The problem that Jesus Christ solved on the cross is what you can't do. Then, His precious blood washes it away. He truly bore your curse, and then the demons can be cast out. You can do what you want to do, and you can achieve what you couldn't before. You say, isn't this grace? Did you do it? No, the Holy Spirit did it. And the Holy Spirit makes you victorious, and then that victory is credited to you. Isn't that incredible grace? What do we have to boast about? We have nothing to boast about, only Jesus Christ can be boasted about, only God's grace can be boasted about.

So, from now on, if there's still even a tiny bit of garbage in our lives, let's clean it out. So, in recent pastoral care, including our pastors, everyone must listen carefully: deal thoroughly with the fact that the sheep you shepherd have that foundation in actions, that foundation in following the law. As soon as they open their mouths, you can hear it in seven or eight out of ten sentences.

So why is basing everything on following the law a curse? Because the Bible says that if you didn't do this, you're cursed; if you didn't do that, you're cursed. More than six hundred things, you can't do them all, right? What's more, what about what you did in the past? If you did it in the past, can't it be counted now? So why not take the path of grace? So, we believe in God, and God considers us righteous. This is said for us to hear.

Seven, The Purpose of the Law Is to Let Us Know We Can't Do It

The purpose of the law is to let us know that we can't do it. So why did God still give us the law? Because the law is spiritual, it really lets you know that you can't do it, so you don't boast. Even today, there are still many people who boast. So what are the confusing things I see? It's that many people can't do it, but they still think they've done something, they still think they've done it pretty well.

The purpose of the law is to let us know that we can't do it. Letting us know that we can't do it, that's the key. Actually, I tell you, I have to tell everyone the truth: I see that what you receive is often received in reverse, and it bothers me too. He says: teacher, as soon as I hear you speak, I think you're showing off. After listening to your words, you go your way and leave everyone with no way to go. I think: I'm going my way, how did I block everyone's path? Am I that fat? I'm not that fat, right? Our door is so narrow, two people can walk past, and my small body is quite thin when I turn to the side. I don't take up that much space. Don't wrong me.

Because I often say that I can't do it, so how can people hear me say that I can do it? Actually, I tell you, I knew long ago that I can't do it. If I could do it, I wouldn't have to jump off a building, right? Because I can't do it, so I have to jump off a building, but I don't even have the courage to jump off a building. Then I came back to find Jesus. Later, I found Jesus, and I thought, Ah, this is good! Do I still need to jump? No, I don't need to. Why? Because I don't need to rely on myself anymore. I knew long ago that I couldn't do it myself. Later, I thought: once a person knows Jesus, it's different.

I think it's very interesting. Look, I'm not a highly educated person, but I'm at least moderately educated. I'm not uneducated. I think I can't do it myself, but I know those people who don't have much knowledge, who are like a bucket that's not full, who are only half full. Oh, they think they're so amazing. They're so arrogant in front of me. So I think today our brothers and sisters need to know that the purpose of the law is to let us know that we can't do it. Actually, the law has another very important purpose, which is to lead people to the path of faith! To lead people to the path of trusting in God.

Whether in the Old Testament or the New Testament, if you walk the path of trusting in God, you will never be ashamed! The path of faith is the main axis of the Bible. Even the book of the law, the book of Genesis written by Moses, reveals absolute faith. The concept that everyone receives today is: no one and nothing can ruin you, only you can ruin yourself. Others did this and it's over, did that and it's over, they're all caught up in this. Isn't that ruined? I tell you: the purpose of the law is to let us know that we can't do it. If we can't do it but still think we can, then it's painful.

Some people say: teacher, I'm in pain. It's over, they're basing everything on following the law. How many years have they believed in the Lord? Twenty years, and it's over, they're basing everything on the law. Then I guarantee that it's 100% accurate. Some people are in pain, why are they in pain? Because if their children aren't doing well, they're in pain; if their job isn't going well, they're in pain; if their family isn't doing well, they're in pain; if their life isn't going well, they're in pain. Then they're in pain. So why are they in pain? They don't have faith. If they don't have faith, they don't have hope for the future. If they don't have hope for the future and have a negative judgment about the future, people will be in pain. If you're not in pain, who will be? Right? Then I can only say, let me lead you in prayer, may God have mercy and reveal Himself to you.

Eight, The Gospel of Jesus Christ Is by Faith Through the Holy Spirit

Believe! The demons become illegal, because you still can't do it well, you've always done terribly. Suddenly one day you believe in Jesus, and after believing in Jesus you're still terrible, aren't you? So what do you do? The demons become illegal. Because you're terrible, God still considers you a righteous person; if you're good, God still considers you a righteous person. Because God doesn't judge you according to what you do. If He judged us according to what we do, we'd all be sentenced to death! Really? Just seventy or eighty years, and if you live to be a hundred, it's cursing you. Do you understand? May you live to be a hundred years old. Do you think a hundred years is a long time? So I'm telling you, how can you make the demons illegal? Believe!

God believes by faith that we can become His sons in the future. We also believe by faith that we can become sons of God in the future. We can lay down the burdens in our hearts, cast out the demons, and we will be free. Because the problems on our bodies all belong to Jesus. Where can you find such a good gospel? Why do we have to abolish the gospel of Jesus Christ? Why do we have to let Jesus die on the cross for us in vain? We were saved to be free, but when Paul went to Jerusalem, the Christians of the Pharisee sect said: Huh? How can you do this? I tell you, there are many things like this. No faith, only actions.

Some people I served a while ago drove a long way to come to me. When they came to me, I treated them to a meal. Since they came so far for a meal, I said let's open a bottle of wine. Oh, they immediately became serious and said: Oh, our elders have said that we can't get drunk! I said: We're drinking wine, not getting drunk. He said: Drinking wine is getting drunk! I said: What kind of logic is that? Jesus can't do what you're saying. Jesus really can't do it. Look, at the wedding feast, Jesus drank a lot. Not only did Jesus drink a lot, but He also turned three jars of water into wine. How many people would have gotten drunk from that? My goodness, but brothers and sisters don't have to worry, I didn't drink too much. I've never gotten drunk to this day, because I don't drink too much.

We were saved to be free, not to be made unfree by this or that. I tell you, you can only have a correct judgment about things if you have an elevated view of things, and then you won't live under bondage. To be free, God created man to be free. Why be a son of God? Because a son is free. Why not be a servant? Because a servant is not free. The gospel of Jesus is by faith through the Holy Spirit, which finally solved the problem of the curse. Now that the problem of the curse has been solved, we have become free people. Since we have become free people, do we rely on the Holy Spirit or the law? No, we still have to continue to rely on the Holy Spirit. When talking about this, many people bring up Abraham, including the book of James and Paul. Why is Abraham always brought up?

Nine, The Descendants of Abraham Refer to Jesus

You must know that if we want to return to the foundation, we must return to Genesis. When did the law come into being? It was written by Moses more than four hundred years after Abraham. Because Moses was very clear that the promise God gave to Abraham could not be abolished by the law more than four hundred years later. So Abraham's faith, the promise Abraham received, and the covenant Abraham received from God, that is the foundation. How did he get it? It was because he was considered righteous because of his faith, not because Abraham did anything right. Even today, many people criticize Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and Joseph, because they all made the mistake of basing everything on their actions.

They thought actions were important, but if you look at their actions, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and Joseph are questionable. The problem is, are these the descendants of Abraham? It's not referring to them, it's referring to Jesus. The descendants of Abraham refer to Jesus, so Paul in Galatians chapter 3 is talking about that one descendant. Since that descendant of Abraham refers to Jesus, it's so that we can receive the blessings that Abraham received through faith in Jesus by believing in Jesus. That's the logic, not because of what you did or didn't do. Are you all free now?

Think about it, I've been very free since I was little. If I had competed with others in studying since I was little, I wouldn't be able to compete anymore today. But why? I've been very free since I was little. I was kicked out of the choir, but I wasn't hurt. That's good! They sing theirs, and I can't sing. Even today, I still sing out of tune. I didn't kick the soccer ball, so I didn't kick it; when I got first place in the exam, I didn't think it was a big deal when I got home. When I got tenth place, I didn't think it was a big deal either. If you went from first place to tenth place, that would be terrible, right? You'd have to check and review it, but I didn't think it was a big deal. The worst thing was when I dropped to more than twentynd place, but more than twentynd place was normal.

I have to thank my mom. My mom never cared much. My mom said: Son, don't get tired, don't study. Oh, my mom is so amazing, I received freedom. So that freedom is the freedom that Jesus Christ released us to have. So today, brothers and sisters must know that Abraham was very free. When have you ever seen Abraham struggling and feeling bad about what he did or didn't do? There's none of that. Ah, okay, this is okay, that's also okay, everything is okay. Isaac and Jacob were all like that, all four of them were like that. So I'm telling you, the descendants of Abraham refer to Jesus, so that they can become free people through Jesus Christ, that is, become sons of God.

Ten, Beware of the Yeast of the Pharisees

Beware of the yeast of the Pharisees. If you add even a tiny bit—0.0001—of basing everything on actions to the foundation of faith, it will rise up. What will rise up? Sin will rise up, demons will rise up. Then people will have no way to resist. Only by relying on God, only by relying on the power of the Holy Spirit, by faith, can we put to death the evil deeds of our bodies. Put them to death little by little; deal with them little by little; and little by little begin to live out God's glorious image. Don't ever think that the book of James's reference to Abraham means that Abraham based everything on his actions. No. The Bible never said that Abraham based everything on his actions. Even Moses didn't think that Abraham based everything on his actions. Because actions are not the foundation at all, they are the fruit of faith. Only the fruit of faith is meaningful; outward appearances made without faith are useless.

If a person bases everything on their actions, it's easy to fall into hypocrisy. How did Peter's hypocrisy come about? It came from basing everything on actions. Why did Peter act hypocritically? Did Jacob act hypocritically? He was very capable of acting hypocritically. Right, one was a big hypocrite, and the other was a second-rate hypocrite. They were so hypocritical, they put on such a good show. But it was definitely hypocrisy. If you act hypocritically today and act hypocritically tomorrow, what will you do when you get to Jesus? It's a very troublesome thing. Be careful! Even a tiny bit of basing everything on actions will cause you to fall into the curse. So today, brothers and sisters must know that those who base everything on their actions and on following the law are cursed.

Summary

Today's message was a bit long, and the topic is a bit big, but I must tell you this: those who base everything on following the law are cursed. It's not that following the law is cursed, but that basing everything on following the law is cursed, because following the law emphasizes your flesh, emphasizes yourself. But by faith, there's nothing to boast about. How do you say it by faith? By faith, you say, This is all we should do. So there's often a saying. After I finish serving someone, they say, Teacher, thank you. I say, You're welcome. I give them a most classic response: This is all I should do.

If I've done what I should do, will I struggle? I won't struggle, this is what I should do. I won't feel like I have to get something from you because I did it. I don't have that problem. Because I serve you as if I'm serving God! Always remember, once a little bit of leaven comes in, basing everything on actions and on following the law, it sounds good, but be careful. So I think I'll stop here today. Next, we'll have a Q&A session.

Before the Q&A session, let's sing a hymn and collect today's offering. If you don't understand the meaning of giving, please don't give. If you don't understand the meaning of giving and think that giving is a very great thing, you're wrong. You should thank yourself for giving. Because you made a very good choice. You made a very good choice by faith. If you don't understand the meaning of giving, please don't give. Because giving will bring a curse. There are many cases of giving that bring a curse, it's very common.

Many people say: I gave, why can't I still see God's grace? After a while, they still can't see it. After a while, they say: I still can't see it. Why? Because people have made giving a foundation. Because everything we receive is grace, okay? Today, let's start knowing that it's our duty. Working is what we should do, serving is what we should do, giving is what we should do, because we are sons of God. We give to God what we have freely received. This logic is very straightforward.

Today, let us be renewed again by the Holy Spirit, let us return to the grace of God. Anything that is still based on actions, let's start dealing with it today. Reflect on how much you can understand. Many brothers and sisters often ask me: Teacher, why is it still like this? It's all based on actions, it's all based on following the law. They think that if we do this one thing, another thing should happen. It's not like that. Only faith can move the hand of God. Only by coming before God with faith, acknowledging that we are sinners and that we need God.

At this time, raise your hands and pray with me: God! Accept my offering, so that I can give back to You what came from You. May You accept it. God! I also offer myself to You. May You accept my offering. I want to give my whole being, my whole body, and my whole heart to You. May You be the Lord and King in my life and guide me on the path of faith. Remove the fault-finding in me, remove that habit of basing everything on my actions, so that I can have wisdom and understanding and no longer be ignorant. God! Open my mind today so that I can be a blessed person. In the name of Jesus Christ, Amen!

Our Father in heaven, hallowed be Your name, Your kingdom come, Your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For the kingdom, the power, and the glory are Yours, forever and ever. Amen!