Pastor Ock Soo Park's Sermon
What then? are we better
[than they]? No, in no wise: for we have before proved both Jews and Gentiles,
that they are all under sin; As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not
one: There is none that understandeth, there is none that seeketh after God.
They are all gone out of the way, they are together become unprofitable; there
is none that doeth good, no, not one. Their throat [is] an open sepulchre; with
their tongues they have used deceit; the poison of asps [is] under their lips:
Whose mouth [is] full of cursing and bitterness: Their feet [are] swift to shed
blood: Destruction and misery [are] in their ways: And the way of peace have
they not known: There is no fear of God before their eyes. Now we know that
what things soever the law saith, it saith to them who are under the law: that
every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may become guilty before God.
Therefore by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in his
sight: for by the law [is] the knowledge of sin. But now the righteousness of
God without the law is manifested, being witnessed by the law and the prophets;
Even the righteousness of God [which is] by faith of Jesus Christ unto all and
upon all them that believe: for there is no difference: For all have sinned,
and come short of the glory of God; Being justified freely by his grace through
the redemption that is in Christ Jesus: (Romans 3:9-24)
THE WORDS AND MY THOUGHTS ARE DIFFERENT
The Bible is a very interesting book full of grace. However,
Satan led the hearts of ma in the opposite direction from the Bible for
thousands of years. Therefore, we can feel that the heart of God in the Bible
and our thoughts are completely different.
A long time ago, when I used to minister in Pa-dong, Daegu, I
talked about how there wasn't any goodness in our hearts. A sister who ran a
pharmacy asked, "Pastor, what you said is beyond me.
Didn't the Bible say to do good deeds and keep the Law?
If my regular customers don't come to buy their medicine, I
give them a call. If the reason they couldn't come was because they didn't have
money, I give it to them for free. As I hand them the medicine, I'm very
pleased with myself, thinking, 'I'm helping a lot hard time.' Pastor, aren't
those good deeds?" I replied, "No. It seems like you are doing good
deeds, but they're not."
I opened the Bible and showed it to her because she cocked
her head to one side as if she still couldn't understand. It is written in
Psalms14:2-3, The LORD looked down from heaven upon the children of men, to see
if there were any that did understand, and seek God. They are all gone aside,
they are all together become filthy: there is none that doeth good, no, not
one. It is written in Genesis 6:5, 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. It is written here that there is no goodness in man.
Romans 3:10 states, There is none righteous, no, not one. This verse is
stating that only Jesus is righteous. Thus, we become righteous by accepting
the righteousness of Jesus; nothing righteous comes out of us. As we read the
Bible, we discover how our thoughts and the Words are different.
MAN HAS ONLY SIN
I attended a Presbyterian Church when I was young. I learned
in church that if I kept Sundays, kept the Ten Commandments, did good deeds,
and gave offerings, my faith would increase and I would be able to go to
heaven. As I got older, I discovered who I was—committing sins I didn’t commit
when I was young, like stealing and lying.
For to will is present with me; but how to perform that which
is good I find not. (Romans 7:18)
This verse says there is no goodness in us. People are not
able to draw a clear line regarding this and so live a superficial spiritual
life. They think if they help others a little more and do good deeds, they
will gradually become good and be able to go to heaven and be blessed by God.
Then how can man, who has only sin, become righteous? Let’s
take a look at these verses. What then? Are we better than they? No, in no
wise: for we have before proved both Jews and Gentiles, that they are all under
sin; As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one: (Romans 3:9-10)
Just as Korea imports petroleum from other countries because there is no
petroleum there, we have to receive Jesus because there is no righteousness in
us. Then we become righteous because the righteousness of Jesus becomes ours.
We don’t become righteous through our righteousness.
WE CANNOT BE JUSTIFIED BY THE DEEDS OF THE LAW
Carnal desires arise from us until the day we die. We might
be able to abstain from committing adultery, but we cannot stop ourselves from
having lustful thoughts. When we have lustful thoughts, we have already
committed adultery in God’s eyes. Although we may not steal, we cannot get rid
of the heart of coveting other people’s things. The moment we covet, we break
the commandment, “Thou shalt not covet.” Although we may not murder anyone, we
cannot suppress our hatred for others. Sin has already begun in the heart; it
just hasn’t appeared as action.
God looks at our hearts and not at our actions. That is why
we become adulterers, thieves, or murderers in His eyes. In other words, there
is no one who does good deeds, and everyone is only evil according to God’s
standards. Thus, it is written in the Bible that we cannot be justified through
the deeds of the Law.
DISCOVERING THAT I CANNOT DO GOOD DEEDS
The greatest reason why our spiritual life goes nowhere is
because we have the heart that we can do good deeds if we try. It is impossible
for a grain of wheat to sprout if the grain remains as it is, and a chick
cannot hatch from an egg if the egg remains as it is. Likewise, people who
think they can do good deeds are confronted with the word, They are all gone
out of the way, they are together become unprofitable; there is none that doeth
good, no, not one. (Romans 3:12)
If a man truly loves a woman and gives his heart to marry
her, that love is genuine. But if a man doesn’t have any love and gives a
woman flowers and takes her out to dinner just to take advantage of her, that
is bad and despicable. In this way, genuine goodness comes from a good heart
without evil. Our hearts can look good or holy for a moment, but we are evil
from the root. Therefore, according to Romans 3, faith will naturally form
when we clearly know that we are evil people who cannot do good deeds.
THE REASON FOR GIVING THE LAW
God spoke to the Israelites through Moses in Exodus 19, Now
therefore, if ye will obey my voice indeed, and keep my covenant, then ye shall
be a peculiar treasure unto me above all people: And ye shall be unto me a
kingdom of priests, and an holy nation. The Israelites replied, “We will.” Then
God gave them the Ten Commandments to see if they could truly keep them.
There is no one who does good deeds according to Romans 3:12.
That is why everyone has sin when they stand before the Law.
Now we know that what things soever the law saith, it saith
to them who are under the law: that every mouth may be stopped, and all the
world may become guilty before God. (Romans 3:19)
This verse is telling us that there has never been a person
who perfectly kept the Law. If one of them is violated, it’s the same as
violating all of them. Thus, man cannot receive righteousness and go to heaven
by keeping the Law. The Law does not convict us of sin after we break it but
rather convicts us of sin by revealing that it is broken already.
WHEN THERE IS NO WAY OTHER THAN JESUS
There are some among you who think you did more good deeds
than others as you attended church. It seems you became a better person because
you believe in Jesus. That is why there are times when you think you can live a
spiritual life if you try. However, the Bible is telling us that we are all
under judgment and cannot avoid it. There is no way for us to avoid the
judgment other than Jesus. Just because we do good deeds doesn’t mean our sin
decreases.
Therefore by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be
justified in his sight: for by the law is the knowledge of sin. (Romans 3:20)
There are many wicked people in this world we live in, yet
those who believe in Jesus might feel they are not that evil. However, the
Bible is telling us there is no flesh that can be justified or become whole by
keeping the Law. Is there a righteous person among us who can be acknowledged
by God through keeping the Law? There is no one. Perfect faith then is having
no other way than Jesus.
DECEIVED BY SATAN
Satan makes us to think we became better people by doing good
deeds. “I quit drinking and smoking as I started attending church. People
around me say that I changed.” He deceives us to think we are gradually
becoming better people. Soon after receiving salvation, it seems like we
changed. Therefore we think we can live a spiritual life. However, as soon as
we have that thought, we are not able to live a spiritual life.
Evil, deceitfulness, lustfulness, and a despicable heart
pours out of us until we die. That’s why we have to throw away the heart to
trust in ourselves and precisely know that we will be cursed to destruction
because we can’t do anything without the grace of Jesus. If we don’t look at ourselves,
faith in the Lord will form. Many Christians today are not able to draw a clear
line in this regard. They are determined and try to do good deeds. That is why
they can’t live a spiritual life.
BECAUSE I TRY TO DO GOOD DEEDS
Once I went to Paraguay and had a meal with the heads of the
churches in Paraguay. I thought, “Our mealtime is only two hours. How should I
preach the gospel to them during this time?” I motioned to the youngest pastor
there and asked him a question. “Do you tell your congregation to do good
deeds?” He replied, “Yes.” I told him, “Jesus asked if you can gather figs from
thistles, or pick grapes from a briar. What he meant was thistles can never
grow figs, and a briar can never grow grapes. Likewise, we, humans, are a sin
tree. How can we do good deeds? It is written in the Bible that no one does
good deeds. Pastor, do you believe that a person can do good deeds?” He was
surprised and couldn’t answer me.
In Romans 7, Apostle Paul said that there is no good in man;
therefore, man can look good, but cannot do good deeds. People have to receive
the grace of Jesus’ salvation because there is no goodness in them. The reason
they can’t live a spiritual life is because they try to do good deeds.
I SHOULD NOT TRUST IN MYSELF
There was an incident in 1962 that changed my life. I took a
test in May of that year to apply to be a tech sergeant but I failed. I didn’t
know much because I grew up in the countryside, but I thought I was okay
compared to my friends. I discovered my true self for the first time when I
failed the test. I started to think, “I’m actually hopeless, but I thought I
was somebody. I see how that judgment was wrong. I will fail if I follow that
judgment.” Afterwards, the thought that I was somebody broke into pieces, and I
precisely knew that I should not trust in myself. That is when spiritual life
became very easy.
It’s extremely easy to fly to the US, but it’s impossible to
get there by swimming. One must think of purchasing a plane ticket even though
one might not have enough money. Similarly, if we read the Bible, pray, and
try to stand before God with our devotion according to our thoughts, that’s not
a proper attitude towards spiritual life. We must throw that heart away and
receive the grace of God.
BRING FORTH THE BEST ROBE AND PUT IT ON HIM
I strongly feel that God is leading me into His world through
His life, His power, and His righteousness and not through my own.
In Luke 15, the father was heartbroken to see his younger son
wearing worn out rags. Thus, the first thing the father said was to bring out
the best robe and put it on him. That’s illustrating the heart of God watching
our hearts. What would the servants do? They would take the son to the
bathroom. First, they would take off his rags. Only then could he be washed and
wear new clothes. New clothes can never be put on top of the rags.
God would say, “I want to clothe you with my holiness,
righteousness, and truthfulness. In order to do that, you must first take off
your own truthfulness, goodness, and holiness.” We might look clean in our
eyes, but our goodness is like rags in the eyes of God. That is why the father
(God) said, “Bring forth the best robe and put it on him.” In other words, it
means, “Take off those rags.”
To put on the same righteousness as Jesus, we must take off
our own goodness, righteousness, and holiness. If we don’t, we can’t put it on.
We cannot live a spiritual life because we do good deeds according to our
standards and mix them with the righteousness of God.
PEOPLE WHO HAVE THEIR OWN WAY
I can of mine own self do nothing: as I hear, I judge: and
my judgment is just; because I seek not mine own will, but the will of the
Father which hath sent me. (John 5:30)
We make an effort to do good deeds and keep the Law, but
Jesus said that He can do nothing on His own. Thinking Jesus can do things on
His own is contradicting God directly.
Jesus could not do anything on His own; therefore, He was
able to do everything by receiving the power of God. Yet we think he can still
do some things on his own. The greatest reason we can’t live a powerful life
like Jesus is because we are deceived by the thoughts Satan gives us. We have
our own way when we think we can do something to a certain extent and do good
deeds if we try. It’s all because we don’t follow God’s way. Ultimately, we
are unable to do anything because God does not work in us.
WHEN WE CANNOT DO ANYTHING ON OUR OWN
I have been to the jungles in Africa. I always drink bottled
water, canned cola, or coconut water when I go to Africa because one must be
cautious of the water there. Because coconut water is fresh, it is fun to
experience the jungle traveling with coconuts loaded in the car. I once
entered the jungle with an 18-year-old young man, but I was afraid to the point
of regretting that I came there. That young man climbed a coconut tree and told
me to step back. He was kicking the coconuts from the tree and I was alone on
the ground in fear. If a leopard or lion had come along at that time, it would
have eaten me without a fight. I had to follow him and do everything he told
me because I knew nothing about the jungle.
You have your own way in trying to live through your judgment
and experience that you naturally gain in life. However, if you precisely
know who you are, you will live according to God’s will because you cannot do
anything on your own. You will seek God’s help if you feel in your heart, “God,
I’m not good at praying, I can’t rear my children well, I’m not good at
witnessing, and I’m not good at giving offerings.” The power of God will be
manifested in you when you read the Bible and pray through the strength of God,
and when you have faith that God is helping you.
100% BY THE MERIT OF JESUS
It’s burdensome and difficult for some people to live by
faith after being saved. What is the cause of this? It’s because they try to
live by their methods and not through God’s. And what’s worse is that they
think it’s acceptable to live that way. If in their heart they are not able to
do anything like Jesus, they will only rely on God and will become people that
can do anything as the power of God enters them. However, faith in God does not
form because we are deceived by Satan to think that it will be okay if we just
do it outwardly.
That’s why the Bible says we receive forgiveness of sins 100%
by the merit of Jesus because we cannot do good deeds or keep the Law. We are
able to believe that Jesus washed our sins away if we precisely discover that
we are evil and cannot live spiritual life or do anything on our own. Many
people today attend church but they try to do well to receive the forgiveness
of sins and they try to receive grace by keeping the Law and doing good deeds.
That is why they live spiritual life as a mere formality.
A BLESSED LIFE LED BY THE LORD
I know for sure as I look back at my past that whenever the
impossible became possible, it was God who did it. It wasn’t me. Nothing I did
ever went well. As I gradually realized how useless I am, I believed in the
words of Jesus that I cannot do anything on my own. I am changing bit by bit
into a person who professes the same.
Beloved brothers and sisters, living according to your will
and living with Jesus taking charge and leading you is completely different. We
lived a shameful, filthy, and wicked life all this time according to our will
and thoughts. Please realize that you are useless and commit your family, your
future, your children, and all your problems to Jesus. I hope that you can
realize deep in your heart that you cannot do anything on your own and become a
powerful person like Jesus through the grace of God.
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