People Who Are With the Lord Where He is

2003-11-03 13:44

The kingdom of God, that is, the kingdom of the Son he loves is the place where the Lord is. It is written, "For he has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves (Colossians 1:13)."

The wife of the Son who loves God will be in the kingdom of the Son God loves. The Son's wife loves him, obeys him, submits to his authority, and serves him as her head.

Faith is obedience, as it is written, "Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life, but whoever rejects the Son will not see life, for God's wrath remains on him (John 3:36)." Faith without obedience has nothing to do with the kingdom of God. Faith with obedience is the eternal covenant between husband and wife. It is "faith working through love (Galatians 5:6)."

Jesus, who came into the world to look for his bride, said, "Whoever serves me must follow me; and where I am, my servant also will be. My Father will honor the one who serves me (John 12:26)." And again, he said to his Father, "Father, I want those you have given me to be with me where I am, and to see my glory, the glory you have given me because you loved me before the creation of the world (John 17:24)."

Therefore, the bride whom God prepared for his Son will be crazily in love with the Father and his Son, just as it is written, "If we are out of our mind, it is for the sake of God (2 Corinthians 5:13)."

Man and woman--Christ and the church--are what God has joined together as one. The Bible says that the head of the woman is man. And again, it says, "For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh. This is a profound mystery--but I am talking about Christ and the church (Ephesians 5:31-32)."

The man Christ gave his body up for the woman, the church. And so the woman will have herself beheaded for the man. They will become one flesh when the man Christ becomes her head. This is a great mystery: A man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh.

It is written, "And he is the head of the body, the church; he is the beginning and the firstborn from among the dead, so that in everything he might have the supremacy (Colossians 1:18)." If a woman is not united to her husband and is only greedy for his glory, she is a thief and a robber, and a fox that ruin the master's vineyards.

Today there are a multitude of foxes who leave the husband behind and are only greedy for his glory. They are those who go in to the wedding banquet without a wedding garment. The wedding garment means a new commandment, a garment of love which God will put on the bride of his Son. The Son, the Word who became flesh, are looking for his bride who becomes flesh through the commandment of love.

The Lord said, "Whoever has my commands and obeys them, he is the one who loves me. He who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I too will love him and show myself to him (John 14:21)." And again, he said, "If anyone loves me, he will obey my teaching. My Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him (John 14:23)."

Whoever obeys the Son's commands will be taken as his bride to the kingdom of the Son God loves, just as it is written, "As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love. If you obey my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have obeyed my Father's commands and remain in his love (John 15:9-10)."

Ephesians 4:15 says, "Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will in all things grow up into him who is the Head, that is, Christ." And also, Jude 1:21 says, "Keep yourselves in God's love as you wait for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ to bring you to eternal life."

When we become one flesh through this love and the word of mystery is fulfilled, this prayer of the Son will be finished: "I in them and you in me. May they be brought to complete unity to let the world know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me (John 17:23)."

Therefore, the Bible testifies, "But if anyone obeys his word, God's love is truly made complete in him. This is how we know we are in him (1 John 2:5)." And it also says, "No one has ever seen God; but if we love one another, God lives in us and his love is made complete in us (1 John 4:12)." His command is that we love each other as he has loved us.

The Truth says, "But I tell you: Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be sons of your Father in heaven. He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous (Matthew 5:44-45)." And again it says, "Make every effort to live in peace with all men and to be holy; without holiness no one will see the Lord (Hebrews 12:14)."

"He who has the Son has life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have life." 1 John 5:12. Amen. Thank you, Lord.

The least brother, Kim Yun-gu