Establishing a System of Belief

A person's belief system is of utmost importance. Among us, why is it that some people excel in their studies? It is because they see not only the trees but also the forest. Why do some people perform poorly in their studies? Because they only see the trees and not the forest. This is not a quote from the Bible, but it is a useful wisdom gleaned from life. These wisdoms do not contradict the principles in the Bible.

There is a crucial point in the entire Bible, which is when Jesus said in His dialogue with the devil: Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God. (Matthew 4:4). Why did God not say some words, but every word? Because every word is a system.

If the entire Bible does not establish a system, but is a haphazard collection of ideas, it will be impossible for people to understand. People will become confused after reading it and be easily deceived by the devil, because the words from the devil are often deceptive, appearing true but not actually so. The devil said to Jesus: If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down. For it is written: He will command his angels concerning you, and they will lift you up in their hands, so that you will not strike your foot against a stone. (cf. Matthew 4:6). These are words of God, but they do not constitute a system of belief. It could not deceive Jesus, because the system of belief within Him was very clear. I also hope that our brothers and sisters have a complete understanding of the system of belief in Jesus Christ.

What is a system of belief? A system of belief is: some things are foundations, some things are pillars, some things are walls that can bear weight; or, some things are not so important and do not need to be load-bearing walls; some things cannot be changed, and some things can be casually changed. For example, when building a house, if the foundation is not laid well and you build on top of it, only to discover on the tenth floor that the foundation is not good, what do you do? Do you tear down from the tenth floor to the first floor and redo it? That would be troublesome. The foundation cannot be moved; the foundation must be laid well, and the pillars must be strong. Only then can the faith bear weight.

Jesus said: Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. (Matthew 7:24). Is it important to hear the words of God and put them into practice? Those who hear the words of God and do not put them into practice are like those who build their house on sand (cf. Matthew 7:26). Therefore, we must hold fast to the word of God and understand how to practice it after hearing it. We must ask ourselves how to put it into practice. Some people do not understand that this is a foundational word. There are many foundational words in the Bible, such as grace and salvation. You cannot build without these. Without building on these, you have nothing.

For example, someone said: Pastor, we need to have love. Why do you always talk about faith? Love is more important than faith. Does that sound right? If this love is not built on the foundation of faith, it is a love that caters to the flesh. Did you catch the key point? If I have a love that caters to the flesh, and this love is not on the foundation of faith and grace, it is a wrong love. Therefore, in the process of building the church, the system is very important.

If the house is built, but it is just a bare shell without any decoration, and you hang a painting on the wall, do you think the house will be beautiful? It will not be beautiful. Therefore, when a person reaches this stage, they must decorate the house before hanging the paintings. There is an order of priority. Differentiate between the main and the secondary, the big and the small. It is not wrong to hang a painting in the room; there is nothing wrong with it. Hanging a few paintings can add the finishing touch and make it look good. However, if it is a mud house, hanging paintings is of no use.

In a system of belief, you must distinguish between the big and the small, the main and the secondary, and the order of priority is very important. If one person lives better than another, it is because they have the correct priorities. When two people play chess, one wins and one loses because the winner has the correct priorities. Although you and I take turns making moves, the order in which we move is different. A person's life cannot be lived randomly; there must be an order of priority in everything we do. Which is the most important? Which is the second most important? Which is dispensable and not very important? If you understand these things, you will be remarkable!

How do you understand these things? Let me share my own experience. When I was in college, there was a group of people in my dormitory who loved to play Go. I thought playing Go was good, so I went to play with them. I got a booklet that ranged from zero level to five levels, not yet at the dan level, far from it. If I understood this booklet, I could reach level five, so I read it every day. After reading it, I didn't actually play much chess, but the one time I did play, all those who hadn't read the book lost, definitely lost.

The book explained many layouts very clearly, telling you how to play, how to end the game, and so on. If you read it many times, do you need to play chess? No, you don't need to. Understand it first, and save time. Don't think that losing every game will make you a chess master; it won't. Only by reading can you improve. If you can understand a book by a ninth-dan player, you can play Go at the seventh or eighth dan level.

When I first entered the computer network industry, I worked in customer service, repairing computers, and then came back to study computer networks. I had a university textbook on computer networks. I read the first, second, and third chapters of the textbook many times, but I still didn't understand them. The first three chapters of that book were heavily marked up by me, and finally I understood them. My mind was very clear that this was the foundation of the network. If I didn't understand this, there was no point in doing anything else; it would all be in vain. As a result, I had the knowledge of computer networks in my head. Therefore, foundational things are very important.

In the Bible, Genesis is the foundation, although other parts are also important, but the foundation is Genesis. The first sentence in Genesis is the root of the foundation. If you can live out the first passage of Genesis, you will be extraordinary.

In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. Now the earth was formless and empty, darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters. And God said, 'Let there be light,' and there was light. (Genesis 1:1-3).

If you thoroughly digest these words, you will live a wonderful life. We often encounter a state of darkness and emptiness in our lives. What we need most is the Holy Spirit. When the Holy Spirit hovers over that place, you open your mouth and declare. Believe in your heart and declare with your mouth, and things will be accomplished. We are created in the image of God. If we operate in the way God operates, God will also operate through us. Jesus is God incarnate. Wherever He goes, He brings hope to people. Those who have no hope find hope in Him. A child is dead, what hope is there? But when you meet Jesus, there is hope. This is the importance of a system of belief.

I also taught at a polytechnic school. I found that many students could not grasp the key points in their studies. Schools have many teaching methods, and one important method mentioned is how to solve problems. What is this problem? It is a philosophical problem that enables you to know how to solve problems. If you master this very well, your ability to solve problems will be greatly improved.

The Pharisees' System of Belief

The Pharisees' system of belief was a mess, a hodgepodge, a chaotic state of affairs. Because the Pharisees' system of belief was a very strange one, they attached great importance to washing hands but not to washing the heart. Washing hands before eating is just a matter of hygiene. If a person lives under a curse, no matter how clean you wash your hands, you are still under the curse, and it won't solve many problems. A person's heart is more important than their hands, but they turned this upside down. They pursued things that were not very important.

After reading the Bible, the Pharisees missed the important things and clung tightly to the unimportant ones. Today, if you are a student and you don't grasp the important things but grasp the unimportant ones, you will definitely fail the exam. If you don't grasp the important things but grasp the unimportant ones, you will live a messy life. Today, we must be clear that the key issue is not about washing hands; for Jesus, what is important is the washing of the heart. The Pharisees were rejecting the word of God in favour of human tradition. This was Jesus' assessment of them. What did they say? Dad and Mom, I can't give you money this month. I can't support you because that money is dedicated to God on your behalf.

Sounds good, doesn't it? You should support your parents, but you are not supporting them, and instead you are dedicating the money to God. In fact, what you dedicate to God is what you dedicate to God, and what you use to support your parents is what you use to support your parents. You can't mix them up. Here, you will find that the Pharisees have a characteristic, which is that they think they can deceive people, deceive their parents, but they cannot deceive God, because honouring and supporting parents is God's requirement. One of the Ten Commandments is to honour your father and mother, so that you may live long in the land the Lord your God is giving you. (Exodus 20:12).

Did the Pharisees believe in the words of God? No, they made up a lot of traditions that were passed down from person to person and became like this. They did not act according to the words of God, but acted according to the teachings of men. Today, many churches are still in the midst of human traditions, including ourselves. There are still many human traditions that we ourselves have invented. If it is the word of God, we will act accordingly. The word of God is very important, it is foundational, and we will build on that foundation. If we are in that system, we will act accordingly.

Today, there is a problem in the church, which is that they have abandoned the idea that the church is the army of God. They say, The church is the house of God, there is love in the house, so let's put aside spiritual warfare. Everyone loves you, and I love you, and the loving never ends. In fact, the church is the army of God. These things have a very important place in the entire Bible; they are foundational things. The church is a place of spiritual warfare, and victory in warfare brings promises.

If people do not receive God's promises, they say, It's okay, these things are all allowed by God. Is that really allowed by God? Therefore, today we must remove these human traditions piece by piece and constantly restore the system of belief that God teaches in the entire Bible. This is a very important matter.

It is easy for people to introduce human traditions, because people are not willing to understand God's will, but prefer human rules. For example, someone told me, Pastor, don't tell me so much. My head is small and can't hold it all. Just tell me what to do. Then, I told him what to do, but it was useless. I told him to do one, two, three, four, five, and six, and it became a human tradition. When I gave him this concept, it was a system within me. However, you cannot receive it. What you receive within you is a human tradition. Maybe this is a bit difficult to understand, but it doesn't matter. No matter who you are, you must establish a system of belief within yourselves.

The Faith System of Jesus

It is crucial for everyone to understand an important concept: Can human traditions solve human problems? Can the traditions kept by the Pharisees solve human problems? No, they are ineffective. Something that is ineffective must be wrong. For example, if an airplane cannot fly, it is completely ineffective. The most important aspect of the faith system of Jesus Christ is its effectiveness, its ability to release God's great power.

God's power is not limited to the New Testament. Among all the prophets in the Old Testament, Elisha performed almost as many miracles as Jesus. Elijah and Samuel also performed remarkable miracles, and Moses performed unprecedented and unparalleled miracles. We must understand that if God's faith system is established within us, our lives can become effective and solve problems.

The faith system of Jesus is about solving the problems within one's heart first. If the issue of faith within a person is not resolved first, if the heart is filled with unbelief and impurity, evil thoughts, fornication, theft, murder, adultery, greed, wickedness, deceit, licentiousness, envy, slander, pride, and foolishness, these things will defile a person once they arise. Washing or not washing hands only defiles the food, which is then excreted into the latrine. Jesus spoke plainly, What can food do? It only allows us to eat it. But the things in a person's heart belong to a spiritual realm, which can determine a person's entire life.

Today, we must begin to deal with what is inside. Do we have these things inside us? Are there contentions, evils, and deceits? Are there envy, pride, and arrogance? If a person has lustful thoughts, isn't that committing adultery? (See Matthew 5:27) This is what Jesus taught. If a person has greed but hasn't acted on it, it's because they haven't dared to.

The faith system of Jesus is a system that works from the inside out. Solving the issue of a person's faith is most important. In contrast, solving external behavioral issues is not what Jesus desires. When your actions follow from your faith, such actions are effective. In other words, faith is the foundation; what is in the heart is the foundation. Do you understand? What exactly did Jesus say?

He said: “The word is near you; it is in your mouth and in your heart,” that is, the message concerning faith that we proclaim: If you declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. (Romans 10:8-9)

Building a faith system in our hearts is what Jesus Christ wants. We must ponder whether we have established that faith system. Try it today; how much faith do you truly have in God? If I say I am a dog, perhaps no one will say anything. But if I say you are a dog, what will you do? Is a person's heart a dog's heart, a wolf's heart, a sheep's heart, or a human heart? A test will reveal the answer.

A Clear Objective Is to Resolutely Solve Problems

God incarnate came into the world, testing what people truly have in their hearts. The Canaanite woman was truly remarkable because her objective was very clear. Do you have a clear objective? I have a clear objective: to live out God's glory in this life. If you have this objective, you must run straight towards it, and nothing can stop you. If someone insults you, kicks you, punches you, or slaps you, do not care; continue running towards this goal.

The Canaanite woman was focused on solving her problem. Today, we must seek God with such a heart, recognizing Him as the God who solves your problems, and your problems will truly be solved. Solving problems is not the key; the key is to recognize the God who loves us through the problem. If you truly know that He is the God who loves us, you will be completely different. The Canaanite woman's child was severely tormented by demons, and she had never heard of anyone who could solve the problem of demonic possession. When she heard that Jesus could solve this problem, she did not care whether He was Jewish, Canaanite, or any other nationality; she wholeheartedly believed that as long as someone could solve her problem, she would seek Him.

Jesus said to her, “Let the children be fed first, for it is not right to take the children’s bread and throw it to the dogs.” (Mark 7:27)

Jesus was merely testing her; He did not treat her as a dog. The Bible says, “God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us” (Romans 5:8). Did He not die for this Canaanite woman? Yes, He did! However, some people are unwilling to be mildly rebuked by Jesus. In fact, a rebuke is just a rebuke; nothing can shake our objective.

Today, if we have such an objective in our hearts, you do not need to care what the pastor, small group leader, or family members say to you. No matter what they say, we run straight toward this goal. What was inside this Canaanite woman? She had a clear objective: to come before Jesus and solve her problem, no matter what Jesus said.

If you go for a job interview, never forget that you are there for an interview because everything they do is part of the interview. They may have you wait outside on a small stool, scheduled for ten o'clock, but no one comes to find you until ten-thirty or eleven o'clock; this is merely part of the interview. They are watching your reaction on camera. If you are anxious, complaining, and grumbling, the interview will surely fail. Conversely, if you sit there quietly, full of faith, knowing that it is a test of your patience, your mind will not be disordered. If you know it is a test, you will not answer incorrectly. Only when what is inside you is not right will you complain.

What did God do when He led the Israelites into the wilderness? He tested them to see whether they were complaining people or people of faith. Today, no matter what we encounter, we must give thanks in all circumstances because everything is a test from God for you and me. If you can overcome the test, you will surely receive benefits. When the Canaanite woman faced Jesus, what was Jesus thinking? Would He be afraid of others criticizing Him, saying that the Canaanite woman was a dog? Jesus did not care at all. Today, if I say someone is a dog, and this spreads, I estimate that half the church would leave.

Jesus did not care what others said; He was very clear about the goal to be achieved. He wanted to bless those who could withstand the test. He is God; He lacks nothing and fears nothing. Today, we must know one thing: those who serve God cannot have fear in their hearts. Once you have fear, you cannot serve. When you serve people, do it according to the inspiration God gives you. I increasingly realize that the building of the church must be done according to Jesus' method. If we encounter a Canaanite woman whose child is severely afflicted, and you say, It is not good to take the children's bread and throw it to the dogs, and she leaves, then she lacks the faith to achieve the goal, and it does not matter if she leaves.

Did Jesus take a risk? What if the Canaanite woman turned and left after Jesus said this? If the Canaanite woman thought, He even calls me a dog; I'll just walk away. What can he do? We begin to learn the purpose of Jesus' words. In the process of serving, we can often try it out. Today, if I rethink my service model and imitate Jesus, saying that this Canaanite woman is a dog and after the test she just leaves, then so be it, because she has no faith in her heart. I also save myself the trouble of spending the whole night praying for her. If you leave earlier, wouldn't I save a lot of time? My time can be used for more effective service.

Jesus Serves According to the Holy Spirit, Not Human Traditions

Jesus served the deaf and mute person not according to human traditions; He did not care much about human traditions. Jesus said something very important in His service: I do only what I see my Father doing (John 5:19). Jesus did not do what He wanted to do but did what the Holy Spirit revealed to Him. Such service is somewhat difficult. Consider: if I spit and smear it on a person's eyes, and the eyes do not get better, and this spreads, then Pastor Liu can stop doing this work. Breaking through human traditions, breaking through human value systems, and breaking through human habits is very difficult.

The Old Testament of the Bible records that God told the prophet Hosea to marry a prostitute (see Hosea 3:1-2). For a prophet to marry a prostitute is a very difficult thing. The prophets recorded in the Bible were truly not simple, because whatever God told them to do, they had to do it. Our God is a very creative God. Do you truly have great faith in God? If you have faith in God, then break through human traditions. If we hear God speaking to us and we doubt in our hearts, we immediately fall into confusion.

When Jesus saw this man who was deaf and could hardly talk, He put his fingers into the man’s ears, spat and touched his tongue. Then he looked up to heaven and with a deep sigh said to him, “Ephphatha!” (which means “Be opened!”). At this, the man’s ears were opened, his tongue was loosened and he began to speak plainly.(Mark 7:31-35) I think Jesus was very creative. He did many things with saliva, and He also used mud to smear on people's eyes, often doing such things. I truly admire Jesus. The Holy Spirit has not given me such a prompting. If the Holy Spirit gave me such a prompting, I would not be able to do it because I would first filter out the prompting using human traditions. If you truly serve God, obeying the Holy Spirit is an immense faith, full of challenges.

If you ask me to pray for someone with a sprained ankle, I have such faith. But to smear saliva on a person's tongue, I truly cannot do it. Therefore, we must continue to work together to break through human traditions because God still wants to do greater things among us. Brothers and sisters, we must be of one heart and mind to build the church, constantly removing human traditions one by one, constantly bringing in the word of God, and constantly implementing it sentence by sentence. I believe this is the will of God.