Scripture: 1 Corinthian 1:18∼25

In whatever God does, He promises His absolute love and preservation of man. (Psalm 121:5-8)
What does the preservation mean for us? It is His will to make man to live an eternal life.
Man had once an opportunity of blessed life; he was first born to the grace of God, living in the supreme happiness in His preservation.
Because of his disobedience, however, he turned away from that happiness to desperation; he took the fruit of the tree forbidden to eat from, became the being doomed to the endless punishment for what he chose, sinning.
God however could not leave man under eternal destruction of death, the result of sin; but the Word became flesh and came to this world. (John 1:14) He came just to undertake the death of man. (Matthew 20:28)
Jesus Christ in order to redeem the sin of every human bled to die resolving the problem of our sin; His bleeding cleared up our sin forever. (Hebrews 9:22, 10:19-20)
We therefore owe the proof of atonement for our sin only to the blood of Jesus Christ, the grace of giving life to sinners and the everlasting happiness in that life only to His bleeding. For the life of a creature is in the blood, and I have given it to you to make atonement for yourselves on the altar; it is the blood that makes atonement for one’s life. (Leviticus 17:11)
What we believe in therefore is firmly based on the blood of Jesus Christ.
Jesus said to them, I tell you the truth, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you have no life in you. Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day. For my flesh is real food and my blood is real drink. Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood remains in me, and I in him. (John 6:53-56)
We know that the Israelite began the life among Egyptians as their slaves when they lacked of bleeding in their sacrifices; they in contrast could end that life of slavery for 430 years when they put on the doorpost of their house the blood of the sin-offered sheep. (Exodus 12:13)
Without the blood of Jesus Christ we humans are caught by sin, by eternal death; we are never able to avoid the fierce and terrible torment of hell.

As the Lord accepted the blood of the flock Abel offered, He persistently seeks for blood to clear up the problem of sin. John called Jesus while being baptized in the Jordan River The lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world, which meant the Lord? will to save humans by clearing up their sin through the one sacrifice of Jesus who became the flesh to make dwell among us and bled to death; like He made free from sin and curse the Israelites through the blood of sheep they offered.
Only by the blood of Jesus Christ sin of any person on earth can be cleansed and end up; without His blood however there is no holiness, without His blood there is no way for any salvation of sinners from everlasting destruction.
Without His blood no new birth as the children of God the Father; without His blood no eternal life; without His blood no path to the land of heavenly land: For since in the wisdom of God the world through its wisdom did not know him, God was pleased through the foolishness of what was preached to save those who believe. Jews demand miraculous signs and Greeks look for wisdom, but we preach Christ crucified: a stumbling block to Jews and foolishness to Gentiles, but to those whom God has called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. For the foolishness of God is wiser than man's wisdom, and the weakness of God is stronger than man's strength.(1corinthian 1:21-25)
We enjoy our life just through the graceful work of Jesus Christ, of His blood.
What is our belief from? It is just from His love He showed us through His life: but he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon him, and by his wounds we are healed. We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to his own way; and the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all.?(Isaiah 53:5-6)
Worship without the blood of Jesus Christ is a simple hypocritical ceremony kept customarily. Any work of service without the blood of Jesus will call only for self-righteousness, honor, boast and praise. Even thanks giving without the blood of Jesus is boasting among the world. Preaching without the blood of Jesus will fall down into the religious deeds just lifeless such as of gentiles.
Whoever without the blood of Jesus Christ that redeems and forgives sin, with however great deeds, will do nothing useful for his own soul.
If we do the work of service without true thanks-giving for His redemption and the grace of bleeding, we will not avoid complaining and grumbling, will become unlucky only being caught by and do things according to the sense of duties.
In whatever we do let us not do before people; let us not boast, make much of ourselves; let us not try to set up a monument among people of our own labors or contributions.
Only before His grace of bleeding to save us let us forever confess our thanks giving to Him and witness Him.
Before long we are to meet Jesus Christ our Lord; for someone it may be just today or tomorrow; and for someone else it may be the end of the world; no one knows the correct time.
What we know however is that the great Son of God took flesh to dwell in this world, put Himself on that worst humbleness: betrayed on the mountain of Gethsemane; beaten, mocked, spit on in the garden of Caiaphas: and crucified on that damned cross He Himself took on His shoulder along the way to the Golgotha.
We know that the Almighty God Himself took the cross, bled and put Himself on the death just so as to give life to the humankind including you and me.
We who know that all the troubles and bleeding Jesus Christ underwent was just for us, would never reward that in full in our days on earth even with every thanks-giving, praising and work of service, faithfulness and glorifying His name.
Oh my Lord, why did you take flesh for me?
Oh my Lord, why did You make Yourself flogged, struck and spit on for me?
Oh my Lord, why did You bleed that priceless and noble blood for me ?
Oh my Lord, why did You make me believe in Jesus Christ, be delivered from death?
Oh my Lord, what can I do for, how can I pay for what You have done for me?

You loved so much me who am simply humble that I am not able to repay for that with the most faithfulness even to the point of death. Please let me never forget the rest of my life the abundance of Your grace, the true work of bleeding on the cross by Jesus Christ.

Forgive me being indifferent to the grace of death on the cross. My Lord, let me be born again and renewed by the blood of Jesus Christ; let me live a life full of thanks-giving for that blood, of sincere faithfulness; let me keep preaching and praising You forever! (Amen)

/ Translated by Haangju Lee.

위 글은 교회신문 <52호> 기사입니다.