The Eternal World and the One True Savior · Looking Back on the Journey
Study Topic: Heaven and Hell · Compelling Evidence That Jesus Is the Savior
Simply hearing the Word of God frequently does not automatically transform life. No matter how abundantly the Word is provided before us, if the vessel of the heart to receive it is not prepared, the Word can hardly be contained deep within life.
If our hearts are filled with the anxieties and worries of the world, consumed only with matters of eating and living, family and work, and our personal concerns, the room for the gospel to enter inevitably becomes narrower and narrower.
That is why we must first ask honestly before God:
"What currently occupies the center of my life?"
Is it God? Is it the gospel? Or is it my problems, plans, and desires?
Life with a Renewed Heart
The Heart Must Be Renewed
In Romans 12:2, the apostle Paul exhorts us not to be conformed to this world, but to be transformed by the renewal of our minds, that we may discern what is the good, acceptable, and perfect will of God.
The renewal of the mind does not mean simply shifting one's mood or making a new resolution. It is a shift in the center of life:
- Moving from a place where I was at the center to where God is at the center.
- Moving from a place where my thoughts were the standard to where God's Word is the standard.
- Moving from a place where what I desired was most important to where what God desires is of supreme importance.
So we come to pray:
"God, transform the center of my heart.
Let me not sit at the center of my own life; let God and the gospel be at the center."
We Are Not Our Own
The gospel was not given merely to make our lives a little more comfortable. The gospel fundamentally re-establishes who our Master is.
We are people who belong to God. Therefore, if you truly believe in Jesus, a question more important than "What do I want?" must take root in your heart:
"What does the Lord want?"
Rather than "How do I want to live?", the question "Where does God desire to use my life?" must stand at the center of life. If this center does not change, no matter how much gospel one hears, the gospel will ultimately fail to move life.
The Cross Touches Our Very Core
At the center of the gospel is the cross. Yet the cross does not end as an emotionally touching story that Jesus suffered for us.
The cross touches our deepest depths and poses a question:
"Who is the master of your life?"
Instinctively, we want to hold on to ourselves. We fear letting go of our plans, our desires, our methods, and the things we consider important. That is why when God touches the center of the heart, resistance can arise within. Yet when we do not avoid that very point, but surrender it before the Lord, only then does the gospel permeate to the deepest places of life.
"Lord, Renew My Heart"
Living out faith for a long time does not mean the center of the heart automatically stays fixed on God. Rather, as time passes, faith, the Word, and the gospel can become so familiar that they feel like a story we already know completely.
Then faith can lose its vitality like stagnant water. Outwardly there may seem to be no major issue, but the flow of life weakens, fruit decreases, and the gospel ceases to flow to other people.
That is why we must continually examine ourselves before God:
"Lord, am I alive right now?
Is the gospel still moving me today?
Is that heart with which I first loved the Lord still alive?"
God Desires a Life That Bears Fruit Even in Old Age
God does not desire that we remain in a faith that burns hot for a moment and then cools down. In Psalm 92:14, Scripture sings of those deeply rooted in God: they still bear fruit in old age; they are full of sap and very green.
Those who are continually renewed in God bear beautiful fruit even as the years pass. To do so, one must humbly place oneself before God daily.
Checking the heart again, turning, beholding the gospel, and completely surrendering the center of life to God:
"Lord, break what has hardened within me and give me a new heart.
Let the gospel move alive within me once again."
The Gospel's View of Heaven and Hell
Only When Heaven and Hell Are Clear Does the Cross Become Clear
In this time of sharing, there is a solemn truth we face once more: the reality of heaven and hell.
We learn the gospel as the story of the cross and resurrection, salvation and eternal life. Yet in the background of that gospel lies the eternal reality of heaven and hell. If heaven and hell become faint, the meaning of the cross and the urgency of salvation blur along with them.
Why would the Son of God leave all the glory of heaven and come to this earth? Why did he have to shed his blood on the cross and endure death itself?
To rescue us from eternal destruction.
"That Whoever Believes in Him Should Not Perish but Have Eternal Life"
The well-known verse John 3:16 proclaims that God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.
Here, two eternal realities are clearly set forth: perishing and eternal life. God spared not his one and only Son in order to rescue us from perishing and transfer us into eternal life.
Therefore, the cross is never a light story. It is an event upon which a person's eternal destiny hinges. If we truly believe in the reality of heaven and hell, the souls of parents, children, family, friends, and neighbors beside us begin to catch our attention.
And from the depths of the heart, an urgent question springs up:
"Is this person truly saved?"
Speaking of Hell Is Not the Opposite of Love
Some ask, "How could a God of love execute judgment?" Yet the God whom Scripture testifies to is not a God of blind love devoid of justice. God is perfect love, and at the same time, he is holy and righteous.
God's patient forbearance over a long time must not be misunderstood as the absence of justice. Just as God's love is real, God's judgment is likewise a solemn reality.
Therefore, a person who shares the gospel never speaks of hell to threaten people. They speak the truth in order that people may obtain true salvation. Knowing the eternal danger before someone's eyes and remaining silent can never be love.
When Heaven and Hell Fade, the Gospel Fades as Well
We must also examine ourselves: Do you truly believe in heaven and hell as actual realities? Or, as the years of church attendance have accumulated, has that fact turned into a vague, abstract notion?
If the heartache you once felt when looking upon a soul has grown dull, that may be a sign not merely that evangelistic zeal has cooled, but that the foundational background of the gospel is fading.
When hell fades, the urgency of the cross disappears; when eternal life fades, the glory of the resurrection also diminishes. Then Christian faith is reduced to merely "a way of living to find peace of mind and live a slightly more virtuous life." That is not the mighty power of the gospel of which Scripture speaks.
Our Thoughts Must Be Renewed Again by the Word of God
We must not allow the trends and philosophies of the world to dictate our faith. The mood of the era or popular preference can never be the standard of truth.
We must rebuild our thoughts upon the Word of God:
"Lord, cleanse my heart that has been tainted by worldly thinking.
Let me see heaven and hell exactly as the Lord has spoken, and let the reality of eternity become vivid in my heart once again."
When the reality of eternity is clearly seen, the grace of the cross comes with immense weight, the victory of the resurrection shines brilliantly, and we finally realize how infinitely precious the weight of a single soul is.
Scriptural Evidence That Jesus Is the Savior
That Jesus Is the Savior Is Not a Groundless Claim
Why, then, must we believe in Jesus Christ alone as the only Savior among countless figures?
The Bible does not demand blind faith. God first promised across long centuries in human history, and then fulfilled those promises without the slightest error.
This faithful prophecy and fulfillment is the surest evidence proving that Jesus is the only Savior sent by God.
The Promises of the Old Testament Were Fulfilled in Jesus
Reading the New Testament, we encounter a declaration ringing out repeatedly: the testimony that "the Scripture was fulfilled."
From Jesus' birth to his earthly ministry, his suffering and death on the cross, and his resurrection, the ancient promises of the Old Testament were completely fulfilled in Jesus Christ. This is not a fabricated story concocted by people after Jesus came; it is the fulfillment of God's already-proclaimed Word right in the middle of history.
The Promise That a Virgin Would Conceive and Bear a Son
Through the Old Testament prophet Isaiah, God spoke beforehand that a virgin would conceive and give birth to a son, and would call his name Immanuel (Isaiah 7:14).
The New Testament records Jesus' birth and plainly testifies that all this took place to fulfill what the Lord had spoken by the prophet (Matthew 1:22-23). There was a previously declared promise, and in exact accordance with that promise, the Lord arrived upon the scene of history.
Suffering and Death Were Also Spoken of in Advance
Jesus' suffering on the cross was by no means an accidental tragedy. The Bible had long prophesied of the Savior who would bear the sins of humanity and suffer.
As Isaiah 53:5 declares, he was pierced for our transgressions; he was crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with his wounds we are healed. Jesus' suffering was fully accomplished within God's plan of salvation prepared before the foundation of the world.
The Word Was Fulfilled Down to the Final Moment on the Cross
Knowing that all was now finished, and so that the Scripture would be fulfilled, Jesus said on the cross, "I thirst" (John 19:28).
This was the fulfillment of the prophecy recorded in Psalm Psalm 69:21. The Bible demonstrates that from Jesus' birth and life down to his very last breath on the cross, God's Word was fulfilled without a single deviation.
The Resurrection Was Also Within God's Plan
Everything did not end with Jesus' death. From the Old Testament, God spoke of the life that would overcome death and conquer, and according to that promise, Jesus Christ rose from the dead on the third day.
The cross and resurrection were not accidental occurrences; they were the consummation of the history of salvation that God planned from eternity past to save humanity and repeatedly testified throughout the Scriptures.
Countless Promises Were Fulfilled in One Person
It is possible for one or two prophecies to align by coincidence. Yet when countless prophecies written over thousands of years of history through multiple authors are perfectly fulfilled in the life of a single individual, that can never be coincidence.
Through this consistent fulfillment, the Bible declares to us:
"This is the only Christ promised by God."
This was also why the apostles of the early church could boldly proclaim the gospel. They did not preach their own philosophies; they testified to the promises of the Old Testament Scriptures and their unmistakable historical fulfillment in Jesus.
Receiving the Word by Faith
Faith Is Not Blind
Christian faith is not credulity that blindly forces itself to believe with eyes closed and no basis. God spoke and faithfully fulfilled his word in history, clearly showing us the solid foundation upon which we can believe.
Therefore, we can confess with unwavering assurance:
"Jesus is not merely a moral teacher.
Jesus is the only Savior promised by God, the Christ who died on the cross for my sins and rose again."
The Holy Spirit Works Through the Word of God
When we share the gospel, what transforms a person's soul is not fluent speech or eloquence. The Holy Spirit alone must work.
And the Holy Spirit delights to use the Word of God, which he himself inspired. Therefore, in sharing the gospel, we must never replace biblical truth with human thoughts or worldly reasoning.
While explaining understandably to match the listener's level, the substance must always be rooted in Scripture. When the living Word of God is proclaimed so that it enters the heart, the Holy Spirit uses that Word as a conduit to bring people to life.
The Gospel Is the Condensed Center of the Entire Bible
The entire stream of the Bible flows toward one Person: Jesus Christ.
The myriad promises, laws, prophecies, and redemptive events of the Old Testament all finally bear fruit in the cross and resurrection of Jesus Christ.
Therefore, the gospel of the cross and resurrection is not merely one among many teachings in the Bible; it is the most radiant center where the entire biblical narrative of salvation is condensed. It is this very gospel that brings eternal life to us today.
How Can All This Truth Become Mine?
Now the most decisive question remains:
"How can I enjoy all this truth of the gospel as my own?"
That way is faith.
Even if one hears about heaven and hell, without responding in faith, it becomes an irrelevant story. Even if one knows countless fulfillments and proofs concerning Jesus, without faith it ends as mere intellectual knowledge. Even the gospel of the cross and resurrection, unless received by faith, cannot work as the living power that saves my soul.
Faith is the only channel through which God's abundant grace and salvation enter my life.
Do Not Hesitate Saying "I Will Believe Only When I Feel It"
Some people say:
"Neither heaven nor hell feels real. Neither Jesus' cross nor resurrection touches my heart deeply."
And so they postpone faith until everything is completely understood by the head and felt emotionally. Yet faith is not merely following emotion; it is a decision of the will.
When hearing God's Word, even if there are parts not yet fully understood, one sets one's heart to come to God:
"God, though I do not yet understand everything, I resolve to believe your Word."
A step of bringing even small faith honestly before the Lord is necessary.
The Word and Faith Must Be Combined
Scripture reminds us in Hebrews 4:2 that the message they heard did not benefit them, because they were not united by faith with those who listened.
Hearing the Word does not automatically bear the fruit of life in everyone. The Word must meet our faith.
"Lord, I will believe."
When receiving the Word with this humble attitude, the door of a hardened heart opens, and the truth that once remained knowledge begins to operate as living life.
Do Not Despise Small Faith
Even if your faith is not large right now, there is no need to be discouraged. Doubts and fears may still linger in a corner of your heart.
Yet even amidst that weakness, if there is a faint desire that says, "Still, I want to believe," offer that heart as it is to the Lord. Do not remain in unbelief; choose to stand on the side of faith:
"God, I want to believe.
I choose faith; help my lack of faith."
Through that small confession of faith, God will open the door of your heart even wider.
Faith Grows as It Is Confessed
Faith is not a secret hidden only in the heart; it is a life that grows as it is confessed with the lips and lived out:
- "I believe that Jesus is the Son of God."
- "I believe that Jesus took upon himself all my sins and died on the cross."
- "I believe that Jesus broke the power of death and rose again."
- "I believe that in Jesus Christ alone there is eternal life."
Look upon this gospel truth daily and confess it.
In Hebrews 12:2, Scripture exhorts us to fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, despising its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. The only goal our faith must look to is Jesus Christ alone.
A Life That Carries the Gospel Forward
The Gospel Must Move Within Me
The purpose of learning the gospel repeatedly is not to amass knowledge. It is so that the gospel may actually move alive within us.
When the reality of heaven and hell becomes vivid, when the conviction stands that Jesus is the only Savior, and when the cross and resurrection are realized as God's power that saved me, the gospel begins to stir in the depths of the heart.
At that point, our perspective on people changes fundamentally.
Beyond "Is that person beneficial or pleasant to me?", we come to see: "Has that soul received true salvation?"
When We Experience Something Good, We Cannot Stay Silent
When we eat delicious food or discover something good, we happily share it with those around us. If something has been of great help to us, we cannot bear not recommending it to family and friends.
Yet if we know the gospel that rescued us from eternal destruction and led us into eternal life, and yet remain silent, we must seriously examine our hearts:
Is the gospel truly living and breathing within me right now?
If the cross is an actual event that saved me and the resurrection is truth that gave eternal life, a holy longing ought to arise within us:
"I want to share this gospel of life with the ones I love."
We Are People Who Go Forth Bearing the Gospel
An evangelist's ability never lies in human talent or eloquence. We are weak, but within us is contained a precious treasure that can save the whole world: the gospel of Jesus Christ.
Wherever your feet tread, this glorious gospel is with you.
Bear the gospel in your heart and go into your home, your workplace, and among friends and neighbors. Step forward toward a single soul whose heart God has opened. When you offer the pure message of the gospel without putting forward human wisdom, the Holy Spirit will use those words to grant the grace that saves life.
We Must Reopen the Vessel of the Heart to the Lord
In order to let the gospel flow outward, the vessel of our own hearts must first be cleanly opened toward God. If it is filled with all kinds of worldly anxieties, there is no room to hold the gospel; if self sits on the throne of life, the Lord cannot reign as King.
Therefore, we come humbly before the Lord's throne once again:
"Lord, fashion my heart anew.
Soften my hardened heart, and turn my gaze, which was stolen by worldly worries, back to you.
I step down from the seat where I was master; let Jesus alone be the eternal Master of my life."
Lord, Let the Gospel Move Alive Within Me
We have heard so much about the gospel. We already know the reality of heaven and hell, the power of the cross and resurrection, and the fact that Jesus is the only Savior.
Yet now, the most vital question is this:
"Is that gospel truly moving alive in my life today?"
Do not stop at merely knowing; hold firmly to the gospel with wholehearted faith. Kneel before the Lord with an open heart and pray:
"God, let my spiritual eyes see the eternal reality of heaven and hell once again.
Enable me to be more deeply convinced that Jesus Christ is my only Savior sent by God.
Let the cross and resurrection be not head knowledge, but life that makes my heart beat,
and make my small faith complete so that this gospel may flow without stopping to a single soul."
A Confession of Faith in Jesus Christ
Jesus Christ Is the Savior Sent by God
To you whom we love, we desire to deliver this truth once again:
Your life does not end with the few decades of this world. An eternal world awaits, and the reality of heaven and hell plainly exists. Because of sin, all of us departed from the holy God and were under eternal punishment.
Yet God did not give up on you. Throughout long history he promised a Savior, and in accordance with that promise, he sent his only begotten Son, Jesus Christ, to this earth.
Jesus' birth and suffering, his death on the cross, and his glorious resurrection were by no means an accident. They are the climax of love and salvation that God prophesied countlessly through the Old Testament prophets and accomplished himself in history.
And that very Jesus died on the cross bearing all your sins, in order to rescue you from destruction and transfer you into eternal life.
Therefore, do not let this gospel drift by as a passing lesson:
Receive Jesus by faith with the whole center of your heart.
Do not hesitate until everything feels perfect. Lift up the small spark of faith deep in your heart to the Lord:
"Jesus, I believe in you.
I confess that you are my only Savior.
I humbly receive the gospel of the cross and resurrection as my life."
And if you have already experienced this gospel, do not lock this precious life within yourself any longer. Let this gospel that saved you flow to family, children, neighbors, and that single soul whom God is yearningly seeking.
Renewing the heart,
welcoming Jesus at the center of life,
looking upon the reality of eternity,
believing God's faithful promises and fulfillment,
and holding firmly to the gospel of the cross and resurrection—
and walking toward a soul bearing the wonder of that gospel.
This is the most blessed and glorious path walked by one captivated by the gospel.