The one thing we must know
Matthew 16:13~20 Simon Peter answered, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” (16)
♬ Hymn for scheduled worship: Korean/English Hymnal #94 I’d Rather Have Jesus (#102 in previous version)
Jesus asked His disciples, “Who do people say the Son of Man is?” Many people think of Jesus as John the Baptist, Elijah, Jeremiah, or one of the prophets. Likewise, even in the present day and age, many people have the same misunderstanding regarding the nature of Jesus. If we know the answer to Jesus’ question, we can solve the spiritual problems that we simply cannot resolve by our own strength. What is that answer?
1. Start of the problem
Although science continues to advance and our living conditions constantly improve, problems like mental disease of which we cannot detect the source only seem to increase in number. That is why people live their lives without knowing what true happiness is. Why is this the case? Only the Bible, which is the Word of God, gives us the reason for this. Man who was created in the image of God was deceived by Satan and became separated from God. From this moment on, Satan continues to drive people into destruction, after having severed our relationship with God. And unseen to our eyes, Satan has conquered the culture of the world, and through that, keeps bringing destruction upon mankind.
2. The solution to the problem
The answer that God has given to us is the confession of Peter: “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” Do you know that Jesus is the Christ? Jesus came as the Christ, and upon the cross, He completely solved all the problems of our lives. He has given us the promise that those who believe in this fact and confess it will be set upon a rock that will never be shaken. He promised that the powers of Satan will never win over us. Not only that, He has promised us the keys to the kingdom of heaven. When we hold on to this covenant, disasters will be blocked wherever we go and the powers of Satan will be bound. God’s kingdom will also be established.
3. I have the answer to this problem
If we possess this answer, we can discover who we are. We used to be slaves to Satan in the past, but through Jesus Christ, our status has changed and we are now children of God. As children of God, we have the status and authority that God has given to us; for this reason, no matter what problem comes our way, we cannot fail. We will surely triumph. We just need to be aware of this blessing and find God’s evidence to us every day in our lives. God surely grants evidence to His children.
-Meditate on what Jesus being the Christ has to do with you. Then, apply Christ to all the problems that you are facing, every situation, and every meeting. Within that blessing, find the true solution.
Peru Conference Lecture 1 / 2010 5.6