Questions About Faith

God is Spirit, so He cannot be seen with the eyes. However, God has given us clear and certain evidence for us to believe in Him. He has clearly revealed His existence and power through all of creation. The order found in creation testifies to God, the wise Designer.

The solar system is like a clock more precise than any man-made clock, and the earth is like a perfect spaceship carrying about 8 billion passengers in orbit around the sun. Could even one spaceship come into existence by accident, on its own? Could the solar system, far more intricate and complex than any spaceship, have come into being by itself?

The Bible contains many prophecies and records events from the beginning to the end of human history. Simply confirming that biblical prophecies have been fulfilled accurately is enough to accept that the Bible is the Word of God. Prophecies about the coming of Jesus Christ, the future of Israel, the last days of this world, and predictions about nations and individuals have been fulfilled with perfect accuracy — leaving no room for doubt that God is truly almighty.

When the sins in your heart are forgiven and your spiritual eyes are opened, you will come to believe in God. True faith comes from being born again.

Assurance naturally comes when we confirm the words or evidence presented by someone trustworthy. It is not something we must struggle to achieve — rather, when we verify certain evidence, faith enters our hearts on its own.

God has given us "many convincing proofs" (Acts 1:3) and "proof to all people" (Acts 17:31). Salvation is a gift given when we accept the Word that says Jesus made us righteous through the blood He shed on the cross.

Whether we are saved or not is not a matter to be judged by our thoughts or feelings. It depends on whether Jesus Christ has actually saved us from sin. If it is clear that Christ has completely saved us from sin, then we are saved.

When we examine what Christ has done for us and what promises He has made, we can clearly see that our sins were forgiven on the cross and that we have been made righteous. Anyone who accepts that fact and those promises of the Lord by faith receives salvation.

Saying "If I go to church and believe in Jesus, I'll go to heaven" is like someone far from the city asking, "If I go to the bus stop and get on a bus, will I reach Seoul?" Of course you need to take a bus, but not just any bus will take you to Seoul. Likewise, simply attending church, believing in the existence of Jesus, and participating in worship does not mean you will go to heaven. A sinner cannot enter the Kingdom of Heaven.

Because Jesus was crucified to wash away our sins, we must believe the fact that Jesus forgave our sins on the cross and made us righteous — this is how we receive salvation and enter heaven.

Even if you attend church, keep the Sabbath, worship, tithe, and serve, unless you receive the forgiveness of sins and are born again as a righteous person, you cannot enter the Kingdom of Heaven.

If you believe in Jesus, then you should also believe the words Jesus spoke and the work Jesus accomplished. Jesus was crucified to wash away our sins, and He was raised for our justification. It is not simply believing in God, but when we believe in "Him who justifies," God counts that faith as righteousness (Romans 4:5).

Yes, that is correct. To receive forgiveness of sins, one must first recognize being a sinner before God, repent, and accept the gospel. However, while confession is necessary, confession itself does not wash away sins.

Think of someone who is sick and goes to the hospital. They must tell the doctor that they are in pain. Then the doctor treats them with medical skill and medicine. Simply saying "I'm sick" does not cure the illness. In the same way, God forgives sins through proper procedure and process. Recognizing sin and confessing it is part of the process. After that, one must hear the gospel, believe it, and receive forgiveness. All our sins are washed by blood.

The wages of sin is death, so for sin to be resolved, death must be paid. Though Jesus Christ was without sin, He bore our sins and was crucified to pay the price. Through the blood He shed on the cross, He washed away all our sins. Sin is not washed away by confession, but only by the blood of Jesus. Because His blood has already been shed, our sins have already been forgiven.

True repentance begins with denying oneself before the Word of God. Our being cleansed does not come through repentance, but through Jesus Christ offering His body for our sins and through the blood He shed.

In the New Testament, "repentance" comes from the Greek word metanoia, meaning "to think differently afterward" or "to change one's mind." Repentance means turning from the path you were on — a change of direction in your heart. It does not mean confessing individual sins and asking for forgiveness, but rather a turning away from sin and a transformed heart.

Consider the prodigal son in Luke 15. He left his father, lived trusting in himself, and discovered the end of that road was destruction. He turned from himself and returned to his father. That turning is true repentance.

Many people, without denying themselves, merely correct partial behaviors and ask for forgiveness. Their repentance prayers become a way to comfort themselves rather than a way to receive grace to escape from sin.

Jesus did not tell us only to repent. He said, "Repent and believe the gospel." Repentance and forgiveness of sins are separate. Repentance is turning from the way of sin, and actual forgiveness is received through faith in the gospel — the fact that Jesus Christ has forgiven all our sins.

Imagine someone traveling by ship from one country to another. When they buy their ticket, if that ticket already includes the cost of all meals until arrival, they eat without worrying about the bill. Jesus did not only forgive the sins we committed up to the day we were saved. He forgave all sins until the day we leave this world.

When we realize we are sinners who deserve destruction and receive forgiveness, gratitude for the Lord's grace naturally fills our hearts. That grace draws us away from sin and closer to the Lord, giving us strength to serve and follow Him.

Even when our hearts drift and we fall into sin, those sins too have been forgiven by the Lord's grace. When we look to the Lord with gratitude and faith, He pours out even more grace. And when we maintain bright spiritual fellowship with fellow believers, we naturally move further from sin. God sends the Holy Spirit into our hearts when we are born again, and when we follow His guidance, we live a life full of joy and hope.

Many people say they believe in God, yet because they do not deny themselves, they only accept what agrees with their own heart. Those who deny themselves and accept the Word find that God solves all their problems. But those who trust themselves must face every problem on their own, making faith difficult.

Faith under the law is difficult; faith under grace is blessed. When I work, it is hard. When the Lord works, it is easy. Believing in God means believing only in the Word of the Bible — regardless of your circumstances or what you think.

If the Bible says we are "righteous," then we are righteous. If the Bible says we are "saved," then we are saved. When you believe the Word as it is, that Word leads your life. Once you enter that stage, faith becomes remarkably easy.

Even for a saved Christian, the desires of the flesh before and after salvation do not change. No matter how much we resolve, the habits of our old self remain. When we clearly understand that we cannot change ourselves by our own effort, we begin to look only to Jesus Christ and rely on Him.

The reason we cannot overcome sin is that we try to establish our own righteousness instead of relying on God. God does not tell us to "be good" or "try harder." He wants us to rely on Him and enjoy His grace.

When we acknowledge that we can never escape sin unless God delivers us, and ask Him for help, He leads our life with His power. Our weakness becomes the very thing that leads us to seek Jesus. And the faith that believes He has already accepted us — as we are — sets us free from everything.

We often see people who try hard to live a good life of faith through their own zeal and effort, only to fail repeatedly and eventually give up or become disillusioned.

Faith is not something achieved through willpower or effort. It is precisely because we cannot do it ourselves that God does it for us. We must believe in that God.

Behind faith, there is always complete grace supporting it. True faith is made up of repentance and faith. Rather than falling into works — "I must do something" — may you live a life of faith filled with joy and gratitude through repentance and faith.

Since we who were under the law have been saved, we are now free from the law and belong to Jesus. We no longer live according to the demands of the law, but by faith in the Lord, following the guidance of the Holy Spirit.

Sunday was originally a day when the apostles and disciples gathered to worship, celebrating the Lord's resurrection, since the early church. The Old Testament Sabbath was a day of rest, but the New Testament Sunday is a day of worship. If we neglect Sunday worship based on human reasoning rather than the Lord's will, God would not be pleased.

When we overcome our burdens by faith and obey the Lord's will, there is grace and blessing prepared for those who live by faith. Let us make the Word, which contains the Lord's will, the standard of our lives.