Shincheonji - 0011 - Living a Life of Faith – Faith and Obedience

Living a Life of Faith – Faith and Obedience

             Today, we believers carry out our lives of faith based on the Bible, which is the book of God. Adam and Eve disobeyed God and obeyed the serpent (Satan) instead. This betrayal allowed sin and Satan to enter people; it became the seed of disobedience. Just like Adam himself, the rest of Adam's family also became children of disobedience (refer to Gn 5, 6:1-7).

             Later, although God found and was living with a righteous person in Noah (Gn 6:8-12), he was grieved that he had created man on the earth. The sons of God had returned to mere being flesh and all the thoughts and inclinations of their hearts were evil. God told Noah that he would wipe everything from the face of the earth and that Noah should build an ark to escape the coming flood. In spite of Noah’s attempts to preach to the world regarding the coming flood, people refused to listen because of their corrupt hearts (Gn 6 ~ 7).

             Believers of today must remember the words of Jesus when he prophesied that the world at the time of the second coming would be like the days of Noah's rebellious generation (Mt 24:37-39). Everyone must believe in these words from Jesus and search for the ark (shelter) of salvation.

             Although Noah found favor in the eyes of God, the world that descended from him sinned despite witnessing the flood that swept away the world of Adam after it betrayed. This is why God appointed Abraham, Moses, and Joshua to destroy the tribes of Canaan, which were among the descendants of Noah who betrayed. All the Israelites who came out of Egypt at the time of Moses were afraid of the Canaanite tribes. They all died in the desert because they refused to believe and trust God. Because they disobeyed it was only their descendants who were allowed to enter the land of Canaan.

             Even if God creates a man and appoints him to perform a specific task, if he refuses to believe and decides to disobey God, he will ultimately become a wicked and corrupt gentile just like Adam and Canaan. He becomes an enemy just like the angel who sinned against God. Solomon, who was appointed as king of Israel, broke the very first commandment of God, which says, "You shall have no other gods before me." As a consequence for his worship of gentile gods, the 11 northern tribes of Physical Israel became gentiles. Eventually, even the southern tribe of Judah, centered on Jerusalem, was swallowed up and destroyed by gentiles (Isa 1). Their destruction was a direct result of their sin of betraying God by worshipping gentile gods. God left them just as he had left the world of Adam. In spite of God’s departure, they continued to pretend to be God's chosen people. They persisted in doing evil and even appointed priests on their own (Mi 3; Is 1). Amid their evil deeds, God sent his messengers (the prophets) to prophesy future events. The people, however, were incredibly evil and corrupt. They killed every single messenger sent by God (refer to Lk 20:9-15; Mt 23:34). Later, Jesus came according to the prophecies God’s previous messengers had made. He fulfilled those Old Testament prophecies, and made new prophecies about future events. As is common knowledge, the pastors of that time were so evil that they killed Jesus and his disciples as well.

             What does the New Testament say about this present day, which had to appear faithfully according to Jesus' prophecies? The New Testament says that the entire world will be deceived and become the world of the devil just like at the time of the first coming (Rv 16, 17, 18). It says that the sun, moon, and stars, that is, God's chosen people (Mt 24; Rv 6) go dark and fall from the sky. It says that the days of the second coming will be like the days of Noah and of Lot (Rv 11:8). If we take all these prophecies together, it is hard to understand why so many people claim, “I have been saved, I belong to an orthodox church, and I have received the holy spirit." How can it be true if all nations have to be deceived prior to the second coming? Aren’t these people simply the false theologians and false pastors of the world? Rv 16 and 17, say that all the kings of the earth have been led astray by the evil spirits and have become intoxicated with the wine of adulteries. If these kings of the earth represent false pastors, then the state of this generation is exactly like that of the generation at the time of the first coming (refer to Mt 23, Mt 4:8-9).

             What is the path that believers should have walked at the time of Adam, the time of Canaan, or the time of the first coming? What path should believers walk at the time of the second coming (the time of Revelation’s fulfillment)? It is only the word that should become our path; it is only the word that should be considered our teacher. Now is the time for us to think of the words of promise as our path, to consider the Lord's words our teacher, and to pray humbly and quietly. If this time is just like the days of Noah, everyone must get on the ark to obtain salvation. If Jesus is the way, the truth, and the life, then believing in the spirit of truth (the Counselor) who comes in the name of Jesus is the same as believing in Jesus (Jn 14, 16).

             If the promised spirit of truth (the Counselor) had entered the world before now, then all denominations and all pastors would have fully understood God's word (Jn 17:17) and would be teaching it. The fact that they do not know the word is evidence that the promised spirit of truth, who speaks on behalf of Jesus, has not yet come to them. Is there any other place apart from Shinchonji that is able to interpret the promises and prophecies of Jesus (Jn 14:26)? No! No other place can interpret the meaning of prophecies; it is only Shinchonji that understands them. Shinchonji has heard the revealed words according to Rev 10, seen the physical fulfillment of the prophecies, and has been proclaiming them – this is our evidence for the claims above.

             Everything can be resolved through conversation unless a person was born to persecute us or has a demonic spirit. People who do not know should be honest with themselves. They should strive to learn. People who do know should teach others. This is the duty of all true believers. It should be clear that no one who belongs to the organizations of the pastors who killed the prophets and apostles in the Old and New Testaments (refer to Mt 23), who killed the two witnesses at the end of the age (Rv 11), or who destroyed the tabernacle of God's chosen people (Rv 13) can possibly obtain salvation.

             Everyone must realize through the Bible that anyone conducting seminars that provoke jealousy, cursing, swearing, persecution, and criticism of others is obviously working on behalf of the devil. Our Lord has shed his blood to give us his words of promise. We pray that everyone who believes these words and obeys them will receive salvation.