Faith Q&A

Q. When reading the Bible, there are many parts that are difficult to understand. How should we read the Bible in order to properly understand its meaning? A. Isaiah chapter 29 records the Bible as “a sealed book.” With the human spirit alone, one may understand the content of the Bible, but cannot discover the heart of God contained within it. As it is written, “But God hath revealed them unto us by his Spirit: for the Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God” (1 Corinthians 2:10). When the Spirit of God enters our hearts, that Spirit enables us to understand the world of God. Before the Spirit of God enters, Satan—the prince of the power of the air—rules over mankind, placing a darkened heart within people so that the light of the gospel of Christ cannot shine. Living by one’s own judgment of good and evil, rather than by the Spirit of God, is what is called “the life of a sinner.” When we accept into our hearts the gospel of redemption accomplished through the cross by Jesus Christ, our hearts are freed from sin and from Satan, and we receive salvation. Then we escape the life of a sinner, and the Spirit of God enters our hearts and teaches us the heart of the Lord contained in Scripture. At first glance, it may seem that anyone who reads the Bible diligently will understand it, but the heart of God cannot be read in that way. Only when one is saved and receives the Holy Spirit into the heart does the entire Bible mysteriously hidden begin to be understood through the wisdom of God.

Q. I find it difficult to believe that heaven and hell actually exist. How can we know that heaven exists? A. Most people tend to believe only what can be perceived through their senses, such as sight and hearing. However, heaven cannot be perceived through our extremely limited physical eyes and ears. Attempting to see, hear, or feel heaven itself is unreasonable. With our physical eyes, we cannot see things that are too small or too far away. Likewise, our ears can only hear within a certain audible range. Although the sound of the earth rotating is enormously loud, we cannot hear it. Similarly, the sound of an ant crawling is too small to be heard. Heaven can only be discovered through the promise of God, who cannot lie. Because our hearts themselves are deceitful and corrupt, we cannot perceive the spiritual world through our own hearts. Therefore, by denying ourselves and believing the unchanging Word of God, we are able to perceive the spiritual world by faith. As it is written: “Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him. But God hath revealed them unto us by his Spirit: for the Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God.” (1 Corinthians 2:9–10) It says that when we receive the forgiveness of sins, we come to see and know the spiritual world of heaven through the Holy Spirit. That is, without the Holy Spirit, it can neither be seen nor known.

Q. If I go to church and believe in Jesus, can I go to heaven? A. Simply attending church diligently, doing good deeds, and trying to live according to the Word does not mean that one truly believes in Jesus. Nor does it mean that one can go to heaven. First, one must discover the fact that he or she is a descendant of Adam—that is, born from the seed of sin—and that no amount of personal effort or good deeds can make oneself righteous. The very fact that Jesus came to this earth shows that humanity had already failed at living a good life. The Law was given in order to make us realize that we are sinners who cannot become good by keeping the Law. When people do not recognize this about themselves, they become believers bound to works, constantly trying to do something. Before long, they grow weary and exhausted and tend to drift into a hypocritical life that has only the outward appearance of faith. When one realizes that no good deed can make oneself righteous and turns away from oneself in true repentance, then the truth that the blood of Jesus has washed away one’s sins and made one righteous becomes believable in the heart, and liberation from sin comes. The heart justified by faith receives the Holy Spirit, who leads us into a righteous life and brings us to heaven. However, those who have not been saved still belong to the flesh. Not only are they unable to understand these things, but they also regard believers as foolish. Thus, they remain under sin, receiving guilt and condemnation. “But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.” (1 Corinthians 2:14)

Q. God says that human beings are always evil, yet in other parts of the Bible we see verses that tell us to do good. How should we understand this? A. All people have a nature that hates evil and likes good. Also, most people grow up hearing from childhood that they should live good lives. Therefore, everyone has a tendency to do good, and in daily life we naturally see ideas such as “encouraging good and rejecting evil.” However, the standards by which individuals judge good and evil are formed differently depending on the 시대, nation, region, and upbringing. Such constantly changing standards cannot be accurate criteria. Therefore, the true standard of good and evil must be found in the unchanging Word of God. Concerning “evil,” the Bible says, “Thine own wickedness shall correct thee, and thy backslidings shall reprove thee: know therefore and see that it is an evil thing and bitter, that thou hast forsaken the LORD thy God, and that my fear is not in thee” (Jeremiah 2:19). It also says, “And GOD saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually” (Genesis 6:5). In other words, the human heart is filled with evil thoughts, and no one can do good. God proved this fact through the Law. In Genesis 12, God said to Abraham, “Get thee out of thy country, and from thy kindred, and from thy father’s house, unto a land that I will shew thee.” Abraham did enter the land of Canaan by following God’s voice, but when a famine came upon the land, he soon abandoned God’s word and went down to Egypt. In Luke 15, there is the story of the younger son who, when fleshly desires arose in his heart, took the portion that would come to him and left his father. In this way, the Bible contains many stories of people leaving God. Through these passages, God shows that we too are evil beings who can abandon Him at any time. How often do we forsake God in our daily lives? Though we know God’s command, “Thou shalt not covet,” we still covet whenever we see something desirable. Though we know the command, “Be not angry,” when something unfair happens, we fail to restrain ourselves and quickly become angry. Because of this, God says that our very nature is “a seed of doing evil.” Just as planting a persimmon seed yields persimmons and a grape seed yields grapes, we were born as seeds of evil and therefore always bear evil fruit. Once, there was news about a woman in her seventies who donated five billion won that she had earned over her lifetime by making gimbap to a school. That amount is enormous—virtually her entire life’s earnings. No one would call such a woman evil. But God does not see as man sees. God says that such giving only “may profit a man” (Job 35:8). Thus, just as with all people, God says that even she is evil, because God sees the heart, not merely outward appearance. God says the heart is “deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked” (Jeremiah 17:9), filled with evil thoughts—sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery, greed, wickedness, deceit, sensuality, envy, slander, pride, and foolishness. That same evil is present in her heart as well. In Luke 18, a ruler asked Jesus, “Good Master, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?” Jesus replied, “There is none good but one, that is, God,” and then spoke of the commandments. The man answered, “All these have I kept from my youth up.” He had not realized his own evil nature and thought that he had done many good deeds and could do even more to gain eternal life. Jesus then said, “One thing thou lackest… sell all that thou hast… and come, follow me,” wishing to show him that he loved riches more than God. The man went away sorrowful. Before this story is the parable of the Pharisee and the tax collector. The Pharisee prayed boasting of his righteousness, but the tax collector cried, “God be merciful to me a sinner.” God justified the tax collector rather than the Pharisee, because human beings are always evil. Why, then, does God command us to do good? How can we, who are always evil, do good? God knows better than anyone that just as an Ethiopian cannot change his skin or a leopard its spots (Jeremiah 13:23), we cannot do good by ourselves. Therefore, God does not demand good from us. Instead, He allows us to remain in our filth so that we may realize our evil and turn our hearts to Him. Then He gives us the righteousness He has prepared, and with that righteousness He desires us to do good. Through Micah, God revealed what He requires as “good”: “To do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God” (Micah 6:6–8). This is the good God requires of evil people. God revealed His love for us through His only begotten Son, Jesus Christ. He placed our sins on Jesus, who knew no sin, and had Him die on the cross in our place, proving His love for us. Anyone who receives this love by faith can have a changed heart and walk humbly with God, doing good. Peter, who once denied Jesus, was also changed after experiencing that love. Though he denied Jesus three times, he later confessed, “Lord, thou knowest that I love thee.” This was possible because he discovered Jesus’ love apart from his own actions. Like Abraham, Peter did not boast in his deeds but in God’s mercy and love. Just as the moon cannot shine by itself but reflects the light of the sun, we cannot do good by ourselves, but only by receiving God’s love. Therefore, when God commands us to do good, He is not telling us to do good by our deeds, but to do good by faith. “We love him, because he first loved us” (1 John 4:19).

Q. Some say, “I still have sin in my heart, but because I believe in Jesus, I will go to heaven.” I believe this is not biblical. What exactly is wrong with this belief? A. This is a point where many churchgoers who have not received salvation are confused. Jesus clearly accomplished the work of saving us from sin, yet many think they believe in Jesus while still holding sin in their hearts. This is because their understanding of faith itself is distorted. The hymn says, “Crying won’t do, striving won’t do… only believing will do.” Effort, goodness, endurance, or zeal are not faith. Yet many people mistake religious effort or law-keeping for faith. Because of this misunderstanding, they are far from true faith. Many cling to the idea, “Though I have sin, I believe in Jesus, so I will go to heaven.” But Scripture urges us to examine our faith (2 Corinthians 13:5). The Bible is the true standard by which faith must be tested, not selective verses that suit one’s own thinking.

Q. In John 13, Jesus said, “He that is washed needeth not save to wash his feet, but is clean every whit.” What does washing the feet mean? Does it mean that although all sins are washed by Jesus’ blood, daily sins must be cleansed repeatedly through prayer? A. “Washing” refers to the complete cleansing of all sins through the blood of Jesus Christ once and for all (Hebrews 9:12). There is no sin that His blood cannot cleanse—past, present, or future. Therefore, there is no need to ask again for forgiveness of sins once we believe this truth. “Washing the feet” does not mean repeatedly receiving forgiveness for sins committed after salvation. Rather, it refers to the work of the Holy Spirit, who cleanses our hearts and thoughts as we live in this world. When sinful thoughts arise, the Holy Spirit removes them through the Word and replaces them with the heart of Jesus. Only those who have been fully washed—those who have received salvation—can experience this work. Jesus washes the feet of those who already belong to Him. This shows that Jesus, who loved us to the end, takes responsibility not only for our salvation but also for our remaining life.

Q. The confession in 1 John 1:9 clearly refers to confession of sins committed even after being born again. How, then, should we confess? A. How should we confess? The words themselves are not that important in confession. What matters is the change or condition of the heart. It means acknowledging one’s fundamental evil. For example, if one used abusive language, it is to acknowledge in the heart that one is a person who cannot help but speak that way, and to recognize the root motivation that led to it—namely pride, a lack of the Word, and a soul that is deficient in spiritual supply. In other words, it is to acknowledge that the absence of God’s Word was the real problem. In the case of David’s sin of adultery, for instance, the fundamental wrongdoing was despising the Word of God (2 Samuel 12:8–9), and this must be acknowledged in the heart. When wrongdoing is acknowledged in the heart, confession naturally follows. At the same time, one is no longer bound by that sin. And one believes that the sin has already been dealt with at the cross. There may be expressions such as, “Lord, I am sorry,” “I acted foolishly,” “I was proud,” or “I was wrong.” However, more important than the expressions themselves are the awakening and repentance of the heart. This is because God receives the heart rather than the words.

Q. I would like to know the true meaning and origin of Easter. A. Easter is the day of victory on which Jesus Christ, three days after dying on the cross to atone for the sins of the world, overcame death and the power of Satan and rose again. Through His resurrection from the dead, Jesus taught that death is not the end for mankind, but that there is an eternal kingdom of God. Therefore, Easter is a day that gives hope that sin and death have been driven away and that we may be with the Lord. It is a season that proclaims joyful news of victory to all who believe in Jesus Christ—indeed, the greatest gospel on earth. In the early church, Easter was called Pascha. This word comes from the Hebrew Pesach, meaning Passover. The believers of the early church commemorated the resurrection of Jesus Christ during the Passover, because Jesus rose again during the Passover season. On the other hand, the English word Easter is a compound of the ancient Anglo-Saxon words Eastre (dawn) and Ostara (spring). Dawn has the power to drive away darkness, and the energy of spring enables life to overcome winter and emerge from the hard ground—this is the meaning from which the term originated. The Easter observed today was determined at the First Council of Nicaea, convened in A.D. 325 by the Roman Emperor Constantine I. It is celebrated on the first Sunday after the first full moon following the spring equinox (around March 21). As we celebrate Easter, may we all have hearts of gratitude for the resurrection of Jesus Christ, who has given us new life, and may we be able to share this joyful news with many more people.

Q. I am curious about the true meaning of Christmas. A. The word Christmas means “worship of Christ,” yet many people, without knowing the true meaning of Jesus’ birth, are merely busy singing carols and exchanging gifts. Because human beings cannot escape from sin by any means on their own, God sent His only begotten Son, Jesus Christ, into this world. The true meaning of Christmas is that Christ is born in our hearts when we accept the love of Jesus, who was crucified in our place and saved us from sin. The baby Jesus was not born as a prince in a palace, but in a lowly manger in a stable where cold winds blew. He desires to serve even the most lowly and despised people of this world, taking the position of a servant. Yet in the hearts of many people dwell desire, pride, hatred, and greed, leaving no room in their hearts for the Lord, who should dwell there. Even now, Jesus is earnestly knocking on the doors of people’s hearts. The day we receive forgiveness of sins and welcome the baby Jesus into our hearts is the true Christmas. “In this was manifested the love of God toward us, because that God sent his only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through him.” (1 John 4:9)

Q. Even though I pray repentance prayers diligently, my sins remain and continue to trouble me. Why is that? A. Many people pray repentance prayers earnestly in order to receive forgiveness of sins, but it is not prayer that washes away sin—it is the blood of Jesus Christ that cleanses us from sin. As it is written, “And almost all things are by the law purged with blood; and without shedding of blood is no remission” (Hebrews 9:22), and “For the wages of sin is death” (Romans 6:23). Unless the price for sin is paid, sin cannot be forgiven. In the laws of this world, there are various penalties—death, life imprisonment, fines—but in the Bible there is only one penalty for sin: death. Therefore, forgiveness of sins cannot be received without paying the price of death. Repentance prayer is merely prayer; it is not the payment for sin. We must know that no matter how earnestly we pray, sin is not washed away by prayer itself. If sin could be cleansed by prayer, there would have been no need for Jesus to come into this world and die on the cross. There is no way to receive forgiveness of sins except through the blood of Jesus. All our sins were forgiven through Jesus Christ, who shed His blood and died on the cross in our place. Yet when people do not know this truth and only offer repentance prayers, they lack assurance in their hearts. Please believe the fact that all our sins have already been washed away by the precious blood of Jesus.

Q. People say that God is alive, but I find it hard to understand. Please explain in detail. A. God is Spirit and therefore cannot be seen with the eyes, but God has given us clear and certain evidence that He is worthy of our faith. In the past, people did not even know of the existence of electricity. Even today, although we cannot see electricity with our eyes, we clearly know of its existence through what it does—turning on lights, powering televisions, and operating computers. In the same way, God has clearly revealed His existence and power through all that He has created. Just as seeing an invention reveals the existence and ability of an inventor, so creation reveals God. Moreover, the order found in creation clearly testifies to God. For example, the solar system is like a clock more precise than any other, and the earth is like a perfect spacecraft carrying about six billion passengers as it travels around the sun. Just as a precise clock or spacecraft cannot come into existence by chance, is it not obvious that where there is an invention, there must be an inventor? “For every house is builded by some man; but he that built all things is God.” (Hebrews 3:4) In addition, the Bible clearly testifies to the living God. When one studies and understands the Bible correctly, it becomes impossible not to believe in God. There is no book in the world as astonishing and mysterious as the Bible. Even by examining only the fulfillment of biblical prophecies, we are compelled to acknowledge that the Bible is the Word revealed by God, who knows even our future. The prophecies concerning the coming of Jesus Christ, the future of Israel, the last days of the world, and the destinies of nations and individuals have been fulfilled with exact precision, without the slightest error. When we see this, we can only say, “Truly, this is God.” Through the Bible, we are able to see the future of the world clearly. Above all, when one receives forgiveness of sins in the heart and the eyes to see the spiritual world are opened, all doubts about the existence of God disappear, and one comes to taste true peace and joy within faith.

Q. As a Christian, I want to live an exemplary life, but when I look at myself, I often find that I fall short. This troubles me. A. Even for a Christian who has received salvation, the desires of the flesh do not change before and after salvation. No matter how much we resolve and make firm decisions, we cannot change our old behaviors and habits by our own efforts. At first, we begin with expectation and good intentions, but before long, those initial resolutions and determinations become a burden on our hearts, leading us to regret and guilt. When we establish laws and standards that say we must do well, the burden on our hearts grows heavier, and instead of helping us, it restricts our actions. As a result, although we want to do only what looks good before God, we end up doing the very things we do not want to do. Eventually, we discover ourselves as people who, no matter how hard we try and strive, can never reach the level of holiness that God desires. Therefore, the more deeply we realize that we ourselves cannot be perfect, the more we must learn not to place our expectations on ourselves, but to rely on God through Jesus Christ. When we clearly recognize that we cannot change ourselves by our own efforts, we come to discover that true change is possible only through faith in Jesus Christ alone. “Not the putting away of the filth of the flesh, but the answer of a good conscience toward God.” (1 Peter 3:21) In other words, our inability to overcome sin is not because Satan is interfering, but because we are not relying on God. Since we have already been set free from our filthy state through the blood of the Lord Jesus, the problem is not that we make mistakes, but that we do not come to God, who has power. God is not asking us to live good lives; rather, He desires that we live by relying on Him and enjoying His grace. When we acknowledge that we can never escape sin unless God delivers us, and we ask God for help, we experience Him leading our lives by His power. Thus, our weakness becomes an opportunity to seek Jesus, and faith in the fact that He has accepted us as we are sets us free from everything.

Q. I have been attending church diligently in my own way, but my faith feels increasingly difficult. What is true faith? A. “True faith” is accomplished through repentance and faith. However, many people try to live a good life of faith through their own zeal and effort. Before long, after repeated failures, they become skeptical about faith or fall into despair. In reality, faith is not something we do, nor something we can do; rather, because we cannot do it, God does it for us on our behalf. That is why the Bible says, “Therefore it is of faith, that it might be by grace” (Romans 4:16). Behind faith, there is always complete grace grace that God has entirely accomplished for us because we cannot do it ourselves. Many people suffer because they do not know this secret of faith and instead become trapped in their own works and zeal. How tragic it would be if, without being led into the easy, joyful, and thankful path of faith through repentance and belief, one were to suffer in a life of works thinking “I must do something” and finally face eternal curse and destruction. In most cases, this happens because of the false teachings of false churches and false pastors who lack the true gospel.

Q. There are many churches around me, but it is difficult to find a true church. How can we discern false churches and false pastors? A. As Jesus said, “Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves. Ye shall know them by their fruits” (Matthew 7:15–16). Although many pastors outwardly appear devout and spiritual, just as a wolf cannot give birth to a sheep, they are unable to lead people to be born again as children who possess the holy life of God. They constantly speak words such as “Repent,” “Be zealous,” “Be faithful,” and “Serve,” pressing people to perform works, yet they fail to deliver the clear Word that leads to being born again. The Ethiopian eunuch, who was in charge of the treasury of Candace, queen of the Ethiopians, came all the way to Jerusalem with a thirsty heart in search of true faith, but the religious leaders in Jerusalem could not guide him (Acts 8). Just as the Ethiopian eunuch was finally born again when he met the evangelist Philip, even those who have lived a long life of faith may lack true faith simply because they have not met a proper guide. Furthermore, false pastors have no interest in the salvation of souls. Their hearts are centered on the world, and they are absorbed in living for themselves. Like merchants who treat precious souls as mere commodities (Revelation 18:13), the corrupt false religious leaders described in the Bible—who even buy and sell churches along with believers—have now become a common sight around us. Please examine carefully whether you are living a life of faith with true salvation through being born again, and whether the church you belong to and its leaders are guiding you into a life of faith. If this is not the case, we sincerely hope that you will meet a church and a servant of God who can guide you with the clear and accurate Word.

Q. When I listen to the Word, I agree that “the Word is right,” yet my heart is often drawn by my own thoughts. How can I live a life of faith that is led by the Word? A. First, we must know the source of our own thoughts. Our thoughts always seem to be for our own benefit. However, in the end, we see that following our own thoughts leads to ruin. Why is that? We can only have thoughts that are for ourselves when we distrust the fact that God is for us. In other words, our thoughts are formed precisely on unbelief. The Bible says, “For to be carnally minded is death” (Romans 8:6), and “Because the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be” (Romans 8:7). The thoughts that Satan planted in mankind when Adam and Eve were in the Garden of Eden are exactly what we call “my thoughts.” In other words, the source of my thoughts is Satan. When we know this fact clearly, it is not difficult to discard our own thoughts. Even after hearing the Word countless times and receiving God’s grace, the reason our hearts do not change is because we listened to the Word while still holding on to our own thoughts instead of discarding them. Whenever we hear God’s Word, our own thoughts—that is, the voice of Satan—are heard alongside it. When we make a firm decision in our hearts, saying, “Haven’t I been ruined by following these thoughts before? I will no longer follow my own thoughts. I will throw them away,” then from that moment, the Word begins to settle in our hearts as it is. When we incline our hearts to the side of God’s Word in this way, we come to live a blessed life of faith in which the Word leads our lives.

Q. I am now becoming a senior in high school, and because of my studies, I find myself not wanting to attend Sunday worship or student fellowship every week. What should I do? A. When my daughter was in high school, her academic grades were not very good. One day, while she was reading the Bible, the verse “And whatsoever ye shall ask in my name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son” (John 14:13) came into her heart. At that high school, seven students including my daughter applied to the Department of Journalism and Mass Communication at Korea University and took the exam. That year, among humanities departments, the competition rate for that department was the highest at 90 to 1. Yet among the seven applicants, only my daughter—who had the lowest grades—was accepted. Now she is living her college life by faith in God and receiving much grace. Also, Missionary Im Byeong-ju, who is currently preaching the gospel in Washington, passed the officer candidate exam by relying on God, even though he was not well prepared after receiving salvation. The friend he met at that time also received salvation and was assigned to the same unit, and his military life afterward was likewise filled with grace. The Bible says, “I returned, and saw under the sun, that the race is not to the swift” (Ecclesiastes 9:11). Studying diligently is important, but studying must also be done with faith in God. We must clearly remember that God is the One who governs examinations. Everything that comes from God is accomplished with grace and beauty.

Q. I want to live a life of faith together with my girlfriend. How can I have a healthy relationship with the opposite sex? A. In adolescence, anyone can have such thoughts, and it is natural to struggle with these issues at least once or twice. You may become interested in a female student and want to date her. However, what is important is to carefully discern what kind of heart God has regarding this matter. If your heart flows only in the direction of human affection toward her, it may distance you from God and cause problems in your spiritual life and studies. First, think about her soul and pray that she may receive salvation. When you empty yourself before God and quietly seek the Lord’s will, He will give you wisdom and His Word. In guiding her toward God, discard human thoughts and receive guidance from your pastor. It is good to care for her so that she may receive salvation, share bright spiritual fellowship in the Lord, and grow closer to God. In all things, if you first focus on God’s will and the gospel, God will help you afterward and guide you beautifully.

Q. Sometimes I feel good while serving diligently as the church asks, but as time passes, I become exhausted and want to give up. What should I do? A. Looking at Peter’s case, when he relied on his own experience and ability, he could not catch a single fish. But when Jesus’ Word entered his heart and he let down the nets relying on that Word, he caught so many fish that two boats began to sink. This was not the result of Peter’s former methods, but the result of Jesus’ Word leading him. Later, Peter became a fisher of men by Jesus’ Word and followed Jesus for three years, thinking that he was someone who lived greatly for the gospel. Yet that very Peter ended up denying Jesus three times and failing completely in his faith. The power to catch many fish came from Jesus’ Word entering his heart, but Peter thought he himself was someone who could abandon boats, nets, and fish to serve God. Peter did not know that faith is not about us serving God, but about God’s heart entering us and leading us. Satan has long deceived us by saying, “If you are faithful, serve, and do your best, you can serve God.” The reason humans serve zealously is nothing other than to establish themselves and prosper. The Bible records that human beings are always evil (Genesis 6:5). “The heaven is my throne, and the earth is my footstool: where is the house that ye build unto me?” (Isaiah 66:1) Because God cannot accept anything done by evil human beings, humans cannot serve God by themselves. Faith is not something we do. Though we always oppose and betray Jesus, only when God’s heart enters us and leads us do we truly serve God.

Q. Sometimes I pray earnestly, but I do not receive answers to my prayers. What should I do then? A. Prayer presupposes an answer, and it is answered when faith accompanies it. As it is written, “Therefore I say unto you, What things soever ye desire, when ye pray, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them” (Mark 11:24). If you prayed in your heart for healing, you should not wait to see healing in order to believe. Even though the situation still shows sickness, you are to believe that you are already healed. When you believe and accept that you are healed, the situation of healing will eventually follow. Rather than praying more earnestly, it is more important to believe that God has heard your prayer. There was a couple in our church who had been married for nine years without having a child. When we spoke with them, it turned out they lacked faith that God would give them a child. Through spiritual counseling, their hearts, which had been blocked toward God, were opened by the Word. They accepted the Word, “He maketh the barren woman to keep house, and to be a joyful mother of children” (Psalm 113:9), by faith. Soon afterward, the wife became pregnant and gave birth to a child. “Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen” (Hebrews 11:1). Frankly speaking, prayer without faith is no different from lamenting. When you pray with faith that God will fulfill His promised Word exactly as it is, you will surely receive an answer.

Q. I have given many offerings so far, but recently my family’s financial situation has worsened, and giving offerings feels burdensome. What should I do? A. You should think about what kind of heart you have had when giving offerings until now. Some people give offerings with the heart of giving what is theirs to the Lord, while others give with gratitude, knowing that their entire life comes from the Lord. David gave many offerings to God, and in 1 Chronicles 29:14 it says, “But who am I, and what is my people, that we should be able to offer so willingly after this sort? for all things come of thee, and of thine own have we given thee.” Offerings feel burdensome because we think we are giving what is ours to the Lord. In 2 Corinthians 6:10 it is written, “As sorrowful, yet alway rejoicing; as poor, yet making many rich; as having nothing, and yet possessing all things.” When we discover ourselves in Jesus, we are rich and possess all things. If we lay down the heart of giving offerings within our own circumstances and instead give from the Lord’s abundance that comes from Him, it will truly be a blessed offering.

Q. The words and actions of a sister who attends the same church have deeply wounded me. I have endured it so far, but now I am struggling to the point of not wanting to attend church. A. The Bible says that within our hearts there is no good or love that we desire, but rather unwanted hatred, greed, and evil. Without knowing this about ourselves, if we try to understand and accept others based on our own good appearance and virtue, we eventually reach our limits, fall into temptation, and our faith collapses. We must acknowledge that because our fundamental heart is evil, dirty, and ugly, we have no heart to love or understand others; rather, we are people who hate and cannot accept others. Then we must go one step further, discard our dirty hearts, and accept the heart of Jesus Christ, being changed into His heart. The heart of Jesus Christ is one that can still love, accept, and embrace a brother or sister even if they sin seventy times seven. The Bible says, “Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 2:5). When we accept the heart of Jesus Christ in this way, we are freed from conflicts with others and come to enjoy freedom, peace, and joy in our hearts.

Q. Because of weddings and other personal events, it is sometimes difficult to attend church every Sunday. Must Sunday always be observed without exception? A. Before we received salvation, we were under the law. Even personal standards and conscience can be a form of law. But after receiving salvation, we have been freed from the law and now belong to the Lord. We are free in all things, yet we are servants of Jesus Christ. Now we no longer move according to the demands of the law, but live by faith in the Lord under the guidance of the Holy Spirit. If, for the sake of the gospel, we must gain the hearts of family members or people around us, there may be times when we cannot observe Sunday. However, being led only by human affection or duty rather than the Lord’s will is not pleasing to Him. Sometimes people close to us may feel hurt because of our service to the Lord, but when we overcome that burden by faith and obey the Lord’s will, there is grace and blessing prepared for those who live by faith. It is good to make “Only let your conversation be as it becometh the gospel of Christ” (Philippians 1:27) the standard of your life.

Q. When I listen to sermons, I think, “I should live according to that Word,” but when I face problems in real life, the Word and my life feel very different, and my heart becomes heavy. A. Faith becomes difficult because one trusts one’s own thoughts more than the Word of God. After attending the Madison Square Garden Bible Seminar in New York in September 2006, I went to Atlanta as a speaker for follow-up meetings. At that time, my physical condition was very poor, and when I went to the hospital, my blood sugar level was over 540. When I told the pastor about this, he said, “That’s nothing. If you preach the gospel, there’s no problem at all!” At first, I could not understand his words, but I believed they were words God had given me and followed them. I stopped taking medication and relied on God, and now I am very healthy and completely free from diabetes. In John chapter 2, there is the story of Jesus turning water into wine when the wine ran out at the wedding in Cana. The wine that ran out at the wedding could not be made by people; only Jesus could do that. In this way, God’s Word is the final decision, and everything has already been accomplished within His promise. Discard your own thoughts and move your heart to the side of believing God’s Word. Then you will see God powerfully leading your life.

Q. Why do we give testimonies, and how should we give them? A. I received salvation while attending school and have heard many testimonies of the Lord’s work in the church for over thirty years. Some testimonies were about what the Lord had already done in life, while others were testimonies of clear promises given by God’s Word about what He would do in the future. In Genesis, Joseph had a dream twice. When he told his brothers about the dream, they despised and hated him, but that was Joseph testifying about what the Lord would one day do for him. In the end, God worked exactly according to that promise. Even now, we can read Joseph’s testimony in the Bible. Many people have experienced God by not trusting their own thoughts but receiving the Lord’s heart, even when circumstances seemed impossible, through hearing testimonies of those who were ahead in faith. In this way, testimonies are precious fellowship that shares the Lord’s heart with many people. God desires that such testimonies, led by the Lord, be conveyed to others’ hearts so that all may receive new hearts.

Q. While living a life of faith, how should we respond when we face difficulties, persecution, and suffering? Is persecution also permitted by God? A. I greet you in the name of the Lord, Sister Kim Ha-young. As I read your letter, my heart truly ached. Hearing that you are facing persecution even though you have not yet had deep experiences of faith made me think about how difficult this must be for you. However, the Lord does not give us difficulties because He is unable to prevent us from being tested. If we were to face no difficulties at all, we would be able to manage everything well without the Lord’s help, and we would try to solve all matters by relying on our own experience and methods rather than depending on God. On the other hand, when difficulties arise that we absolutely cannot handle by our own strength, we are compelled to pray to the Lord. At that time, the Lord gives us the power to overcome the trial and remain standing, leading us to victory. Furthermore, our faith grows through this process, and we come to mature into people of faith beyond what we could ever have imagined before. For this reason, the difficulties you are facing now will, in fact, become a great blessing for both you and your mother. The apostle Paul also said in 2 Timothy 2:3, “Thou therefore endure hardness, as a good soldier of Jesus Christ.” Sister, look boldly to the Lord. The Lord will never leave you alone but will surely help you and lead you to victory.

Q. There is someone around me to whom I really want to share the gospel. How can I share the gospel well? A. Whenever we try to share the gospel, Satan works to block that effort by showing us difficult circumstances and stirring up our own thoughts in order to lead that soul to destruction. As a result, we come to see only our own weakness and shortcomings, and we focus on how poorly we think we can share the gospel. In this way, Satan prevents us from having faith that the Lord will work when we share the gospel—either by making us look at ourselves, or by showing us the other person’s stubborn and hardened character or the difficult conditions that seem to make it hard for them to accept salvation. Once, a pastor gave spiritual counseling to a sister who was trapped in the thought, “I can serve in the church, but I absolutely cannot do evangelism. If only no one would tell me to evangelize, I could live my life of faith well.” After hearing the pastor say, “Although you are weak, when you take a step forward following the heart of Jesus, who delights in sharing the gospel, people receive salvation through the Lord’s work,” she shared the gospel. As she saw people being saved one by one, she gained boldness, and from then on, she was able to share the gospel well. This was her testimony. Sharing the gospel well does not mean that we must be eloquent or appear clean and upright. Rather, it means distrusting the thoughts that rise up within us, stepping forward boldly, and sharing the gospel with faith that the Lord Himself will work.