1188 - Change Your Mind and Receive What He Has Accomplished#
1188 - Change Your Mind and Receive What He Has Accomplished
(JP Text Group - Organized by Xin Zhi Ge)
Exodus 19:3-9
Moses went up to God, and the Lord called to him from the mountain, saying, "You shall say to the house of Jacob, and tell the people of Israel: 'You have seen what I did to the Egyptians, and how I bore you on eagles' wings and brought you to myself. Now therefore, if you will indeed obey my voice and keep my covenant, you shall be my treasured possession among all peoples, for all the earth is mine; and you shall be to me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.' These are the words that you shall speak to the people of Israel."
So Moses came and called the elders of the people and set before them all these words that the Lord had commanded him. And all the people answered together and said, "All that the Lord has spoken we will do." And Moses reported the words of the people to the Lord. And the Lord said to Moses, "Behold, I am coming to you in a thick cloud, that the people may hear when I speak with you, and may also believe you forever." When Moses told the words of the people to the Lord, Amen!
Let us pray together:
Heavenly Father, we especially thank you! At this moment, your children come together in your temple to seek you. Holy Spirit, we ask that you lead each of us during this time, so that we may understand your words. We are willing to open our hearts to receive your words. Let us receive your strength to live, let us receive your love to love others, and we completely dedicate this time to you, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, we pray. Amen!
Why do we need to change our minds? When faith is correct, life will be correct. When what we think in our hearts is right, and we have faith, He will help us overcome anxiety, filling our hearts with God's peace and joy. It will also fill you with confidence in life.
The biggest problem is ourselves. However, many people cannot see what their problems are, but we who believe in Jesus Christ, relying on God's grace, need to use God's words to reflect on ourselves and renew ourselves every day. In the text we read, something happened. What kind of thing? God changed His attitude towards the people of Israel. Let's first look at today's text, in chapter 19,
God brought the people of Israel out of Egypt on the first day of the third month, when they arrived at Mount Sinai, the wilderness of Sinai, which is God's mountain, and the law was given on that mountain. When God brought the people of Israel to the foot of this mountain, Moses went up to God, and God called to him from the mountain, saying, "You shall say to the house of Jacob, and tell the people of Israel."
What did God say to the people of Israel? He said, "You have seen what I did to the Egyptians."
What did God do to the Egyptians? God used His mighty hand to bring the people of Israel out of Egypt. It was not that the people of Israel had good behavior that moved God, but that God remembered the covenant made with Abraham. Through the blood of the lamb, God fulfilled His covenant and saved the people.
Brothers and sisters, after the people of Israel crossed the Red Sea, did they have gratitude towards God? Yes! But it lasted only three days. That is to say, after they crossed the Red Sea, the sisters began to sing loudly and composed poems to praise our God, but it lasted only three days. Three days later, because there was no water to drink, this group of people began to complain to Moses, "Why have you brought us here? There is no water to drink, and the water is bitter." God instructed Moses to throw a tree into the water, and the water became sweet. Then God said to the people of Israel, "I do this so that you may know that I am the God who heals." Amen!
If people do not focus their eyes on God, they will complain in difficulties and environments. Despite the many miracles God performed, the people of Israel still did not believe in God, because their thoughts were still those of the Egyptians. God trained them in the wilderness to renew their thoughts and live a holy life.
Let us share the first point: Forget yourself and look to God's provision!
Matthew 16:24, "If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me."
Brothers and sisters, do you know what it means to deny oneself? Some say: "It means to let go of oneself!" How to let go? Do we need to be crucified like Jesus? In fact, denying oneself is very simple; it means to forget oneself. Now it is no longer you who live, but Christ who lives in you!
Because when you remember your own words, what do you remember the most? In the Psalms, when we look back on our lives, what do we find the most? Labor and sorrow. So God says: "You must deny yourself." When you follow Jesus, and you keep looking at Jesus, what you see is joy and peace.
Brothers and sisters, you need to change your mind and receive what Jesus has done. In the past, when we mentioned the cross, many people today say that the cross represents shame and suffering, but do you know? This cross has changed because Jesus went up to it! I want to ask you a question, when you hear the sound of an ambulance on the street, what do you think the ambulance is for? To save people.
When Jesus Christ died on the cross, the cross changed because Jesus paid the price for our sins on the cross, turning curses into blessings. Today, the cross you bear is no longer a cross of shame, but a glorious cross that brings salvation and peace to people.
So in the church, when you see a brother or sister who is weak or has fallen, what you should give them is salvation and comfort, Amen! Because that is exactly what our Lord Jesus did, so change your mind, receive His strength from Jesus, and then give it to others. Amen! Thank the Lord!
So always remember this: what did the people of Israel do? They often complained, right? This group of people, to be honest, did not behave well enough, but what did God give them? Let us look at the Bible, in the text we read today,
Verse 4 says, "And you have seen how I bore you on eagles' wings and brought you to myself."
What does this mean? God is their help at all times. Although there is nothing in the wilderness, God provides for them. Although there is the Red Sea in front and the Egyptian army chasing behind, God is their protection. He helped them safely pass through danger. So brothers and sisters, remember that God is also your protection.
Thank the Lord! God said to the people of Israel, "Now if you will indeed obey my voice and keep my covenant, you shall be my treasured possession among all peoples." What does this covenant refer to? At this time, the Ten Commandments had not yet been given, and the law had not yet appeared.
This covenant refers to the covenant God made with Abraham! So in the Bible, you often hear God say to the people of Israel, "I will remember the covenant I made with your forefathers Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob." God does not look at the behavior of these people; He looks at this covenant. Thank the Lord!
Genesis 22:17-18
"I will surely bless you, and I will surely multiply your offspring as the stars of heaven and as the sand that is on the seashore. And your offspring shall possess the gate of his enemies, and in your offspring shall all the nations of the earth be blessed, because you have obeyed my voice."
God hopes that the people of Israel will willingly follow Him, just as Abraham believed and followed Him.
Verse 6 says, "You shall be to me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation."
Here God did not say, "You must strive to become priests." No! Do you know the difference between priests and ordinary people? In the Old Testament, priests served God for life, and the high priest could enter the Most Holy Place once a year to see God!
Last time we showed the brothers and sisters the tabernacle, and the characteristics of the tabernacle: the first entrance is the courtyard, where sinners bring offerings, but can the people enter the Holy Place? Who can enter the Holy Place? The priests! But the priests cannot enter the Most Holy Place; only the high priest has the opportunity to enter the Most Holy Place once a year. This means that in the past, ordinary people were distant from God and could not see God directly. The priests were relatively closer to God. God desires the people to draw near to Him and pray to Him!
To be a holy nation, God did not require them to strive to become holy. This holiness is a gift that God is willing to give them.
So the kingdom of priests, the holy nation, the people of God, these are all gifts given by God! What do the people of Israel need to do? Just believe and follow. This is our God; He is willing to bless the people of Israel.
But do you know what the people of Israel did?
Let us look at the Bible. After verse 6 ends, "These words you shall tell the people of Israel," so Moses went and called the elders and told them all the words of God. What did the people of Israel answer God? Let us read together,
Exodus 19:8 "And all the people answered together and said, 'All that the Lord has spoken we will do.' And Moses reported the words of the people to the Lord."
Do you feel there is something wrong with this statement? Some say, "There is nothing wrong; I think what the people of Israel said is quite good." In fact, in the original Hebrew, this statement has changed its meaning. It means that the people of Israel were quite proud. When God said, "If you are willing, I will bless you as I blessed Abraham. If you are willing to keep the covenant of Abraham, I will make you my people, a kingdom of priests, a holy nation."
The people of Israel said, "Let us do something; let us become that holy nation through our efforts; let us become a kingdom of priests; let us become your people. All that you say, we can do."
Some may ask, "Why can't I see this?" You can look further down. After the people of Israel replied to God in this way, from verse 9 onwards, some things happened. God's attitude had changed.
Exodus 19:10-12
And the Lord said to Moses, "Go to the people and consecrate them today and tomorrow, and let them wash their garments. And be ready for the third day, for on the third day the Lord will come down on Mount Sinai in the sight of all the people. And you shall set limits for the people all around, saying, 'Take care not to go up into the mountain or touch the edge of it. Whoever touches the mountain shall be put to death.'"
Brothers and sisters, has a change occurred? At first, God seemed so loving, but after the people answered, God's attitude immediately changed. He set a boundary for them, and no one was allowed to cross this boundary; whoever crossed this line would surely die.
Brothers and sisters, what caused this result for the people of Israel? Why did God's attitude change towards them? It was precisely because of that middle statement; the people were too proud. The people said, "No! No! You must not say you will give it to us freely; we hope to obtain it through good behavior."
Today, does everyone want to receive grace? No!
When you evangelize, not everyone is willing to accept it. Even if you tell them how good Jesus is, there will always be those who do not believe. When you tell the world that God is willing to freely give them blessings, there will always be those who do not believe.
God set boundaries for the people of Israel, preventing them from drawing near because at that time, the people of Israel had replaced the covenant. What did they want? They wanted to please God through their own behavior. As a result, God gave the Ten Commandments. This is God's standard. If a person can do these, they can obtain God's blessings through their behavior.
In fact, the people of Israel did this not just once. Brothers and sisters, let me give you an example. During the time of Samuel as a judge, the people of Israel had no king to govern them. At that time, the people of Israel said, "Samuel, look, you are old, and you have no successor. So, give us a king to govern us."
1 Samuel 8:10-20
Samuel told all the words of the Lord to the people who were asking for a king, saying, "These will be the ways of the king who will reign over you: He will take your sons and appoint them to his chariots and to be his horsemen and to run before his chariots. And he will appoint for himself commanders of thousands and commanders of fifties, and some to plow his ground and to reap his harvest, and to make his implements of war and the equipment of his chariots. He will take your daughters to be perfumers and cooks and bakers. He will take the best of your fields and vineyards and olive orchards and give them to his servants. He will take the tenth of your grain and of your vineyards and give it to his officers and to his servants. He will take your male servants and female servants and the best of your young men and your donkeys and put them to his work. He will take the tenth of your flocks, and you shall be his slaves. And in that day you will cry out because of your king, whom you have chosen for yourselves, but the Lord will not answer you in that day."
But the people refused to obey the voice of Samuel. And they said, "No! But there shall be a king over us, that we also may be like all the nations, and that our king may judge us and go out before us and fight our battles."
God told these words to the people hoping they would repent, but the people's hearts were already set; they wanted to learn the ways of the Gentiles and could not hear God's words. This is because their thoughts were worldly and could not understand God's love. They could not continue to receive God's grace in their lives. It was precisely because of the thoughts of the people of Israel that seeds were sown for their future destruction.
God does not want the people to suffer. God hopes they will follow, but the people seem unwilling. Today, we are under grace; Jesus did not abolish the law but fulfilled the law. He gave us a higher law, the law of love. You must know that God can bless you because we have Jesus Christ as our covenant.
In the past, under the Old Covenant, the people of Israel were blessed because of the covenant made with Abraham. Just before the chapter we read today, did the people of Israel complain? Yes! There were many complaints. Although the people saw God's miracles in Egypt, when they encountered problems, they still complained.
When they left Egypt, with the Red Sea in front and no way out, and the army behind, what did they say?
Exodus 14:10-12
"When Pharaoh drew near, the people of Israel lifted up their eyes, and behold, the Egyptians were marching after them, and they feared greatly. And the people of Israel cried out to the Lord. They said to Moses, 'Is it because there are no graves in Egypt that you have taken us away to die in the wilderness? What have you done to us in bringing us out of Egypt? Is not this what we said to you in Egypt: "Leave us alone that we may serve the Egyptians"? For it would have been better for us to serve the Egyptians than to die in the wilderness.'"
Did God punish them for such complaints? No! After crossing the Red Sea, when there was no food or drink, did they continue to complain? Did God punish them? No!
It seems that whenever they complained, God provided for them. It appears that our God is only loving; this is because they were under the covenant of grace, and God did not treat them according to their behavior.
But after Exodus chapter 19, when they complained, God's punishment immediately came upon them. Why does this happen? Because one is under the covenant of grace, and the other is under the law.
Today, we are under grace. What kind of covenant do we have? It is the covenant that Jesus Christ made with God with His blood and His life. Amen! Think about it; in the past, the blood of bulls and goats brought such great blessings to the people of Israel. How much more for us, who have the eternal covenant made with God through the life of Jesus Christ? That is why God blesses you so abundantly. Amen!
God does not look at how you behave. Our Heavenly Father sees you through Jesus and blesses you. Thank the Lord!
Romans 7:4 "Likewise, my brothers, you also have died to the law through the body of Christ, so that you may belong to another, to him who has been raised from the dead, in order that we may bear fruit for God."
Through the body of Jesus Christ, you have died to the law of Moses. In the Bible, death means separation. Paul actually used a metaphor: it is like two people who are married, and there is a law binding them to each other. How does the woman get free from this law? If her husband dies, she can be free from this bond and belong to another. In the past, through the body of Jesus Christ, we have died to the law, and then we belong to another. Who do we belong to? To Jesus Christ who has been raised from the dead.
You know? It is like saying you have divorced your past husband and now married another; that is the meaning. Do you understand? Now let us think about this; this is what this passage is trying to express. I just want to explain it to you in another way. After this woman divorces her husband and marries another, can she go back and sleep with her original husband from time to time? Brothers and sisters, this is where we are now; we have divorced the law. Amen!
Romans 7:6-7
"But now we are released from the law, having died to that which held us captive, so that we serve in the new way of the Spirit and not in the old way of the written code. What then shall we say? That the law is sin? By no means! Yet if it had not been for the law, I would not have known sin. For I would not have known what it is to covet if the law had not said, 'You shall not covet.'"
Brothers and sisters, this also speaks of two covenants. Since we have died to the law that held us captive, the law here refers to the Ten Commandments, and now we have been released from the law. Amen! So we no longer live like those under the written code. The people of Israel lived under the law for fifteen hundred years, and God blessed them according to their behavior. When their behavior was not good, they fell under the curse.
But we have died to the law that held us captive. We are free from the law, in Christ. We serve the Lord not out of compulsion but willingly. It is according to the new way of the Spirit.
We want to share the second point: Remember your new identity and receive what He has accomplished for you.
Let us first look at a passage of scripture, Hebrews 10:16-18
The Lord says: "This is the covenant that I will make with them after those days, declares the Lord: I will put my laws on their hearts, and write them on their minds, then he adds, 'I will remember their sins and their lawless deeds no more.' Where there is forgiveness of these, there is no longer any offering for sin."
God says, "After those days," what days is He referring to? It refers to the days when Jesus Christ shouted, "It is finished!" After He rose from the dead, when Jesus Christ completed His work, God said, "I will remember their sins and their lawless deeds no more," because someone has taken our place for our sins, and God's righteousness has been fulfilled. That is everything Jesus Christ did on the cross. Amen!
So you must remember your new identity; you are now a child of God. Forget your past self and receive your new identity, brothers and sisters, because God no longer sees you as detestable; God sees you as wholly beloved. Amen!
Let us look at a passage of scripture, 1 John 4:17, "By this is love perfected with us, so that we may have confidence for the day of judgment, because as he is so also are we in this world."
Some say, "While we are in this world, we must work hard for God, and when we go to heaven, we will become prosperous, and then we can enjoy blessings with Jesus." Is that right? Let us see what this passage of scripture says. Verse 17 says, "We are in God's perfect love, establishing ourselves in love, so that we may have confidence on the day of judgment." God no longer remembers our sins. Because Jesus has paid the price for our sins, we can live by receiving Christ's love. People receive Jesus' love from Jesus and give out Christ's love.
What does the day of judgment refer to? You can understand it as the day when all people will be judged before the great white throne. That is the day of judgment. But on that day, you can be confident because God will no longer judge you; God will no longer remember your sins. Amen!
Because as Jesus is, so are you in this world! Is Jesus guilty now? Is Jesus righteous now? So you are righteous. Is Jesus healthy? So are you. Is Jesus pleasing to God? So are you. Do you think God hears Jesus' prayers? So He hears yours too.
We are not waiting until we enter heaven to be like Jesus. The Bible says very clearly, "As he is, so are we in this world." Amen!
When you have some kind of illness, you can boldly receive God's promises and declare His words because Jesus is at the right hand of the Father, and He is healthy. So I declare that I am healthy in this world. I do not rely on my good behavior for God to heal me; because of Jesus, God is already pleased with me. I receive His healing.
When doing business, it is the same. When you talk business with clients, you should know that as Jesus' wisdom is, so am I. Lord, I believe that today you will also give me Jesus' wisdom, grant me the words to say, guide me, and let me do things with your wisdom. As Jesus is, so are we in this world. You can live out the likeness of Jesus Christ in this world. Amen!
Some always ask me if they can do a certain thing. It is actually very simple. Every time you do this thing, you should think: Would Jesus be willing to do this? For anything that is beneficial to us, the Bible will not prohibit it. But if something may harm us, God certainly does not want us to do it. I still recommend that everyone read the Bible more to gain heavenly discernment.
Some may ask, "What about things that are not explicitly stated in the Bible? Should we do them?" In fact, when you want to do something, you should ask yourself, "Would Jesus do this?" If Jesus would not do it, then we should not do it either. You must remember your new identity and focus your eyes on Jesus Christ. Now it is Christ who lives in you.
The devil is an accuser who always makes us look at our weaknesses and shortcomings. If we focus on these, it is easy to become discouraged and retreat. You need to change your mind and see yourself through Christ's eyes. In Christ, you are a new creation, loved by God! You need to remember your new identity and declare your correct identity in Christ. When your mindset changes, your behavior will naturally be different!
So every morning, you should rely on God's grace and declare correctly! Heavenly Father, I thank you; you are my Lord. I know you love me. As Jesus is, so am I in this world. I know that wherever I go, your blessings will follow me, and your grace is sufficient for me today. I receive your love and experience your presence and power in my life!
We need to be constantly reminded because many times we suddenly forget and return to living under the law, relying on ourselves, because the flesh tends toward sin and evil. This is why we gather every week; we need to be reminded correctly so that our faith can be filled. Amen!
Continuously remind yourself of your new identity with God's words. When you do not look at Jesus but look at yourself, you will become negative and see many problems. But when you shift your focus to Jesus, you will discover the power of Christ. He has the ability to solve these problems and help us overcome in all things.
So you need to know that in Christ, you have already been made pleasing to God. Every time you look up at the cross, you will always have faith and see Christ's love. When you know that the Heavenly Father loves you unconditionally, even if you suffer injustice in this world, you will not lose heart or despair. You will come before Christ to continue receiving His strength, building yourself in His love, making your life stronger and able to overcome all circumstances.
Hebrews 12:1-2
"Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God."
Every time we feel burdened, we look to God's promises. Continuously adjust your thoughts. Receive His words and renew yourself with God's promises. The Bible has many people who followed God and lived by holding onto God's promises; we see their outcomes. God is faithful. Those who trust Him will not be put to shame.
We continuously renew ourselves with God's words and run the race ahead of us. God has prepared better blessings for us; in His love, we have more hope. I hope brothers and sisters update their thoughts daily and align with Christ's thoughts. Live according to His words, and you will have wonderful testimonies in life.
Let us pray together
I also encourage brothers and sisters to come before God in prayer, to cast your burdens on Him. Perhaps you have previously lived under the bondage of the law, particularly concerned about others' opinions of you, especially their evaluations of you. You need to focus on Christ; only God's view of you is correct and true. You need to see that you are complete in God's eyes, and you are pleasing to God. Live each day with such a heart, no matter what happens. You will never lose hope.
Heavenly Father, we thank you for loving us so! You bless us not because of our good behavior, but because Jesus Christ made a covenant with God with His life, so you will love me unconditionally, love me to the end.
I am a person with hope in this world because of Jesus; you will never forsake me. Every day I am willing to live by your words; please lead me. In this new week, I believe you have prepared beautiful blessings. I look forward to experiencing you more in life, knowing your goodness, and living out a beautiful testimony. I am a channel of blessing. I believe I will become a blessing to those around me! Glory be to you, in the name of our Lord Jesus, we pray, Amen!