The gospel comes with hardships. Just as giving birth to and raising a child is very challenging, saving a soul—the work of the gospel—is also a demanding task. Nevertheless, due to its positive outcome, the gospel is frequently described as a blessed challenge.
In the process of being reborn as the people of God, it involves considerable pain. Since all humans came down from heaven because of their grievous sins, the stains of the sins cannot be removed without undergoing pain. By experiencing the pain of being cleansed from sins, one can be changed into the image of God and enter the kingdom of heaven. Despite being in a mutually beneficial relationship where each other fosters growth, occasional discord arises due to differences in perspectives.
God has instructed us to “have same mindset as Christ,” and “transform your heart with the heart of Christ.” We need to change from a selfish mindset where we feel relieved only when our opinions are accepted, to a self-sacrificing attitude like God’s, in order to save souls. How pleasing it is to God when God’s people are united! God promises blessings and eternal life to those who are united (Ps 133:1–3). With the desire to go to heaven, we have devoted our hearts, minds, and efforts to saving souls up until this day. So we ought to unite with one another.
Among people, there are those with personality like a Cola bottle and a personality like a water bottle. A Cola bottle, when shaken, bursts open with a “pop,” spraying even those nearby. In contrast, a water bottle, though shaken, does not produce bubbles or trouble others. Let us not adopt a hasty and impatient personality like Cola but rather cultivate a calm and serene disposition like water.
Within us, there coexists a sinful disposition that cannot resist impulses, leading to anger and the creation of discord, alongside that of God’s Holy Spirit. We must live by the Holy Spirit (Gal 5:13–26). Even if someone hurts your feelings, please forgive them with a serving heart. When you consider others better than yourselves, you can serve them. God said, “If you forgive other people when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you” (Mt 6:14). Since God said that one must be born again to see heaven, in order to go to heaven, we must give up earthly desires and follow the Holy Spirit, transforming from a disposition of discord into that of harmony and unity.
God may place you next to a member who keeps bothering you, just to see if you are a big vessel. If there are only those who take good care of you, there is no chance for you to be formed into a big vessel. When you tolerate each other and embrace each other with love even in difficult times, you become vessels like the heavenly royal priesthood.
We are one body. In one body with Christ as the head, there are members who play the roles of nose, ears, eyebrows, hands, and feet, but they are all precious parts (1 Co 12:12–27). There is no need to look down on anyone, and there is no need to say, “I am superior.” God values even the humble feet, saying, “How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news!” (Ro 10:13–15).
Even when angry, one should have patience and endure, thinking first, ‘Will Heavenly Father find my demeanor pleasing or worrisome?’ To transform us from sinful beings into the beautiful image of God, He came to this earth. When we embrace the sacrificial heart of Christ, who, while being God, took on the form of a servant and became like a human, we can be united and enter heaven.
We are connected and built into the heavenly spiritual temple within the will of the Holy Spirit (Eph 2:19–22). God urges you to unite and come to heaven, so it is essential that you do not refuse to unite. When your character transforms beautifully, you become the image of a complete angel. Considering that God will transform His children’s sinful nature to be like His glorious body (Php 3:17–21), I hope that you will unite worthy of God’s children and serve as a good example through good deeds.
