Matthew 26:39 Through good will
When we talk about the human personality, we often refer to 'knowledge, emotion and will'. Someone does not serve God hard because of lack of willpower even though he has much knowledge.
And someone is easily misunderstood by others because of bad expression of his emotion even though he has a good will. Moreover, someone is easily seduced by the false doctrines because of lack of knowledge even though he has good emotion.
If a man has much knowledge, good emotion and good wi11, we say, "He is a man of character." Likewise when we have much knowledge, good emotion and good will, we can be good Christians.
Especially, will is very important because we make decision by our will. So will is like a rudder, by which a ship is steered. Our life is also controlled by our will.
If we compare knowledge, emotion and will to an egg, emotion is like an eggshell, and knowledge is like the white, and will is like the yoke.
That is, will does not appear outwardly like emotion or knowledge. However, it is very important for our destiny. When we meet someone first, we judge him by the expression of his emotion or by his knowledge. However, later we judge him by his will.
That is, a person is represented by his will rather than by his emotion or knowledge? If he has a good will, he is a good Christian even though he has little knowledge.
However, if he has a bad will, he is not a good Christian even though he has much knowledge and good expression of his emotion.
In other words, a good Christian or a bad Christian depends on his will. If we have a good will, we can bear good fruit and we will be blessed and praised by our God. However, if we have a bad will, we will bear bad fruits and our end will not be good.
Many people ask me this question, "Why did God make the fruit of knowledge of good and evil? God caused humans to commit sin by eating the forbidden fruit, and God sent Jesus on earth to save the humans. Why does God give us poison and medicine together? I think it would be better if God did not make the fruit at all."
The answer to this question is God did not want to make humans like a robot or a machine. God gave humans free will like God.
Humans were created as the beings of willpower. Humans can love God or rebel against God by their free will.
If a man uses his free will for committing sins, it is a cause of tragedy. However, free will is a great gift and privilege of God.
However, Adam and Eve sinned against God by their free will, so that the Garden of Eden became the garden of thorns and thistles, and curse, diseases and death came to the humans.
That is, if we misuse our free will, it is a curse and tragedy to us. However, if we use our free will in a good way, it is a blessing and happiness to us.
Curse and blessing, happiness and tragedy depend on our free will. If we abandon God with our free will like Adam and Eve, it is a curse and tragedy to us. However, if we love God and keep his command with our will, it is a blessing and happiness to us.
Brothers and sisters, how about your will? Don't you want to check your will today, whether it is good or bad to God?
When we look at the Old Testament, Daniel was carried to Babylon as a captive. However, the king of Babylon treated him with the royal food and wine.
However, Daniel expressed a strong will against the royal food because the royal food was devoted to the god of Babylon.
Though he did not eat the royal food, Daniel became healthier than other men who ate the royal food. However, because of his strong will for God, he faced the big danger of being thrown into the lions' den.
However, God saved him from the lions' den and God lifted him up. If Daniel gave up his will for God under the bad situation, he would not be a man of faith.
Brothers and sisters, who is a great person? A man of emotion, a man of knowledge or is it a man of good will? Of course, emotion and knowledge are important. However, good will is more important.
The man without a strong will is like grass with no root that withers by the scorching heat. In other words, we cannot be the men of faith only with emotion and knowledge. In addition, we cannot overcome many troubles with only emotion and knowledge.
A strong will is absolutely necessary for us to do the work of God. God gives his power and grace to the men of strong will.
Even the Holy Spirit comes in our heart when we welcome him with our will. In revelation 3-20, Jesus said, "If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in."
Jesus never said, "I'll break the door and come in." It means Jesus works according to our will, not according to our emotion or knowledge.
If we have a strong will to quit smoking and drinking, God gives us the power to quit smoking and drinking. However, if we have no will to quit smoking and drinking, God does not give us the power.
It is the same evangelizing others. When we have a strong will to evangelize others, God works. However, if we have no will, God does not work.
That is, a will is like a generator drawing out the power of God. But from the old time, human will has been occupied by the devil, so that the human will welling out of the human heart is not good will but bad will, which is hatred, debauchery and lewdness.
We have to repent our sins to recover our lost good will. 'To repent' doesn’t mean to change our emotion or knowledge but to change our will. 'To repent' does not mean to weep but to expel the bad will and to return to the good will.
One day God told Jonah, "Go to the great city of Nineveh and preach the gospel." However, Jonah did not want to go there because Nineveh was the city of enemy.
Jonah went aboard and sailed for Tarshih to flee from God. However, he met a violent storm, and he was thrown into the sea and he was inside a great fish for three days. Because of this big trouble, Jonah's bad will was broken.
When he came out of the fish, God said to Jonah again, "Go to Nineveh and proclaim to them the message I give you," Then Jonah followed God's command.
Brothers and sisters, God commands or asks us to do things. In this case, it is our free will to obey God or disobey God like Jonah.
If we misuse our free will like Adam and Eve or Jonah, we will face violent storms, thorns and thistles. However, if we use our free will for good, blessings and happiness will wait for us.
Therefore when hatred comes out of your emotion, try to love even your enemy with your will. When your emotion says, "I cannot love that person," try to say with your will, "I will love that person."
When you do not feel like praying to God and coming to the church, try to pray and try to come to church with your will.
Try to quit smoking and drinking with your will if you think it is hard. Where there’s a will, there’s a way. God helps the man of will.
When Jesus prayed in the garden of Gethsemane, he did not want to drink the cup of death emotionally. So he prayed, "If it is possible, may this cup be taken from me."
However, Jesus changed his prayer, "Not as I will but as you will.” If his prayer leaned toward his emotion, salvation could not be given to us.
Jesus overcame his emotion and showed his will to God, "Father, I will carry my cross even if it is hard." Then God gave Jesus the power to carry the cross.
The will of Jesus recovered the Garden of Eden, and his will changed our unhappiness to happiness. And because of his good will, God exalted him to the highest place.
As a result God gave him the name that is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth. And every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
Brothers and sisters let me ask you a question. Do you want to glorify God? Have a good will and show your good will to God.
If your emotion blocks your good will, resist it. God will lead you to the way of happiness. Through your good will, the kingdom of heaven will brighten more and more. Amen!