The goal and purpose of human life is only to pursue and attain happiness and love that bring about their worldly and fleshly pleasures, conveniences, and comforts. These are their hopes, their goals, their ideals, and their dreams. Yet such human dreams, ideals, and desires are in truth never sufficient, and rarely attainable. These human dreams, ideals, and desires are always subject to conflicting interests, and at times, whether intentionally or unintentionally, they inevitably cause harm or loss to others; such is the nature of worldly life.
What, then, is the happiness and love (fleshly affection) of men, which arises from their pursuit of momentary pleasure, delight, comfort, and convenience? It is never sufficient, and without exception, it is happiness and love that, being entangled in conflicting interests, can only bring harm to others or result in sin. Therefore, human happiness and love are nothing but happiness and love born of greed, compelled by their selfish gain and benefit. Thus, in order to achieve their so-called happy lives, men inevitably live in continual cycles of disputes, envy, lies, jealousy, hatred, and quarrels, striving for more wealth, more pleasure, and more profit. Because they cannot consider others for the sake of their own happiness and fleshly affection, they are bound to contend and compete against one another for their own gain. This is the pervasive way of the evil world, and it is the dream, the ideal, and the goal of mankind.
Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world. And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever.(1 John 2 : 15~17)
The world cannot hate you; but me it hateth, because I testify of it, that the works thereof are evil.(John 7 : 7)
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.(Genesis 6 : 5)
The earth is given into the hand of the wicked: he covereth the faces of the judges thereof; if not, where, and who is he?(Job 9 : 24)
For the happiness and love (fleshly affection) of themselves and their families alone, men pursue goals that, regardless of whether they harm others or not, can only draw in sin and greed. Thus, while chasing after their worldly dreams, ideals, and desires, they inevitably become envious, jealous, hateful, quarrelsome, covetous, and deceitful whenever their own hopes, satisfactions, and desires are hindered or not fulfilled. And so, even within a single day, sin arises dozens of times. Without realizing it, mankind becomes trained to sin, growing increasingly careless toward sin, even emboldened in evil, multiplying only excuses and claims to conceal their sins. Thus, within the ever-accumulating weight of sin, the good and tender conscience withers; the good heart dries up within a life that grows stingy and hardened. Under the sole pretense of pursuing a happy life, people trample others with ease, making them wounded and burdened, and so they live lives that inevitably carry sin. How then can such lives, entangled in the pervading way of the world, ever forsake all things for the love of the cross, following the suffering of sacrifice? For the plans, desires, satisfactions, hopes, and cravings of man—born of the pursuit of greater pleasure, delight, and peace—are lives that, without exception, cannot consider others nor truly care for them. Thus, selfish greed and sin remain unbroken, and lives unable to forsake worldly hopes, desires, and ideals inevitably heap up greed and sin without end. Their worldly obsession only stirs up greater lusts, greater ambitions, and greater sins, until, by sin, they perish, collapse, and are broken.
Because men cling to worldly hopes, plans, and desires, they inevitably become distorted, centered on biased judgments that represent only their own benefit and profit. Their faith and religion are therefore founded upon false claims and forced reasoning that excuse sin. They inevitably wither in their good conscience, becoming vain faiths that, though sinning and regretting, return again to sin. And because they grow increasingly careless toward sin, their good conscience and tender heart die. Thus, the fruit that should belong to God and the people of Christ—overflowing peace, gentleness, thanksgiving, and abundance—is absent, as testified by their impoverished hearts, weary faith, and burdensome lives.
Just as men judge by worldly standards, quickly awakening to visible sins, so too they easily pass over and treat lightly the sins of the heart, which remain unseen by others. Therefore, they lack any true awakening of conscience toward sin, and their hidden sins inevitably accumulate all the more.
In such churches there are neither shepherds nor saints who truly tremble before God, recognizing that even sins of the heart are fully accounted as murder before Him. Instead, because sin is easily dismissed and quickly passed over, they grow increasingly accustomed to it. And so, concerning the sins harbored in their hearts, neither repentance nor shame is found; rather, only excuses multiply, and they grow bolder still—becoming abominable pastors and believers.
1. Definition of the Sin of Murder
And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a reprobate mind, to do those things which are not convenient; Being filled with all unrighteousness, fornication, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder, debate, deceit, malignity; whisperers, Backbiters, haters of God, despiteful, proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents, Without understanding, covenantbreakers, without natural affection, implacable, unmerciful: Who knowing the judgment of God, that they which commit such things are worthy of death, not only do the same, but have pleasure in them that do them.(Romans 1 : 28~32)
For whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all. For he that said, Do not commit adultery, said also, Do not kill. Now if thou commit no adultery, yet if thou kill, thou art become a transgressor of the law.(James 2 : 10~11)
Jesus answered them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Whosoever committeth sin is the servant of sin.(John 8 : 34)
Countless people seek to comfort their impoverished and weary hearts through fleeting pleasures, momentary delights, or temporary disciplines and trainings. Yet these are nothing more than momentary consolations that vanish as soon as they turn away; they can never bring complete healing. Such is a faith that always returns to the same place, a stagnant faith, a stagnant religion. And as the years pass and sins pile up and increase, their lives grow increasingly weary and impoverished—foolish lives weighed down with sin, and dimmed faiths and hearts that become ever more desolate. Thus, amid the growing lies and excuses, they begin to take sin lightly, growing bolder in committing sin, and with consciences sold to greed, they exalt the worthless dust of human wisdom and intelligence, corrupted by pride, turning the Word into distortion upon distortion. By following such vain guidance, they are led into destruction and judgment. This is a faith and a world that consists only of abominable teachings, born of claims and convictions meant to excuse and conceal their sins, without even the sting of conscience.
And what is the repentance and rebirth they preach and uphold? It is as though it were clear water, but like a puddle in which, when rain falls, the dirt and sediment from beneath rise up and muddy the waters. In the same way, those who regret and turn back only to sin again—how can they claim to have repented and been reborn? With bodies trained in sin, repeating sin even while regretting, how can they ever be called true Christians who have attained complete repentance, worthy of salvation, and who serve as examples to others? Because their sins, though seeming for a time to sink down, are never removed, they rise up whenever provoked by their passions. Their repentance and rebirth are nothing more than words. Such people, unable to forsake the root and cause of their sin, are driven always by envy, jealousy, strife, hatred, pride, deceit, and greed. Thus, they are false Christians who cannot bear the fruit of repentance and rebirth, faiths that are but empty shells without testimony.
This is because they seek to serve God together with the world and with material things, pursuing their perishable worldly hopes, desires, and satisfactions. Such faith, driven by greed that continually begets sin, can only repeat sin endlessly. And so, whether they are learners or teachers, they are all the same.
Because theirs is a faith that pursues worldly desires, satisfactions, and cravings, they can only be tossed about in sins of envy, jealousy, hatred, arguments, lies, quarrels, and strife according to their personal gain and interests. This is the inevitable limit of those who attempt to serve God together with the world and with material wealth. Thus the Word declares: one cannot serve God and mammon together, and the world is by nature an enemy of God.
No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon.(Matthew 6 : 24)
Therefore take no thought, saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed? (For after all these things do the Gentiles seek:) for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things.(Matthew 6 : 31~33)(Luke 12 : 29~30)
But they that will be rich fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and hurtful lusts, which drown men in destruction and perdition. For the love of money is the root of all evil: which while some coveted after, they have erred from the faith, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows.(1 Timothy 6 : 9~10)
Labour not to be rich: cease from thine own wisdom. Wilt thou set thine eyes upon that which is not? for riches certainly make themselves wings; they fly away as an eagle toward heaven.(Proverbs 23 : 4~5)
Their idols are silver and gold, the work of men’s hands.(Psalms 115 : 4)(Psalms 135 : 15)
But fornication, and all uncleanness, or covetousness, let it not be once named among you, as becometh saints;(Ephesians 5 : 3)
Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world. And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever.(1 John 2 : 15~17)
Ye ask, and receive not, because ye ask amiss, that ye may consume it upon your lusts. Ye adulterers and adulteresses, know ye not that the friendship of the world is enmity with God? whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God.(James 4 : 3~4)
By building within themselves the temple of the heart (the Holy Spirit) that bears the beautiful character of God—revealed in the love of the cross that feeds, gives, cherishes, and serves—they were meant to be led into salvation as the eternal children of God’s glory. Yet because they do not follow the true hope, desire, and vow of Christ, in which God’s holy grace and love dwell, but instead pursue the vain desires, satisfactions, and cravings of their perishable world, their faith is false. Thus, being unable to depart from the sinner’s path, in which they can only turn back again and commit sin according to their gain and interests, they teach as though it were true repentance in Christ a useless reflection and regret born of such vain faith. As a result, their churches have become places that, rather than producing true repentance, only cause sin to be repeated again and again, cultivating a vain faith that takes sin lightly and grows increasingly bold toward it.
Instead of a true Christian faith that forsakes all worldly desires, ambitions, and hopes, and sacrifices all in pursuit of the life of Christ (the life of the Spirit) according to the love of the cross, they follow churches that, according to their gain and interests, believe in and cling to interpretations and explanations born of excuses and rationalizations, meant only to justify their worldly cravings, satisfactions, and goals. Thus, though they continually repent, regret, and awaken, their faith is bound to the seven abominable hearts that God hates, and they can do nothing but repeat sin endlessly. Therefore, they are captives of sin, slaves of sin, whose sins only increase all the more.
He that hateth dissembleth with his lips, and layeth up deceit within him; When he speaketh fair, believe him not: for there are seven abominations in his heart.(Proverbs 26 : 24~25)
Because sin is always present in their hearts, until death they remain nothing but slaves of sin, unable to break free from its continual repetition; thus, whether teachers or learners, pastors or believers, they are all the same.
Jesus answered them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Whosoever committeth sin is the servant of sin.(John 8 : 34)
Because Ephraim hath made many altars to sin, altars shall be unto him to sin. I have written to him the great things of my law, but they were counted as a strange thing.(Hosea 8 : 11~12)
The hidden obsession with gain and benefit, born of their concealed greed, only stirs up further excuses and schemes, thereby establishing an even more wicked standard. Thus, the zeal, confidence, resolutions, pride, decisions, and judgments of men trample upon the measure of a good conscience, so that the standards of men invariably depart from the Word, moving instead toward a center where sin itself offers the excuses. As a result, the eyes and ears of good conscience and a pure heart grow dim, so that though they have eyes they cannot see, and though they have ears they cannot hear. For the Word is never to be perceived by human intelligence or intellect, but by the eyes and ears of the heart accompanied with a good conscience and a pure heart. How long will you follow after vain zeal, confidence, and determination that only stir up false claims? How long will you chase after pride and resolutions that kill a good conscience? Thus, countless souls, by consciences inclined toward worldly hopes, desires, and cravings, become distorted, believing in their own zeal, confidence, and resolutions. Yet there is not one who, by the measure of the Word, truly beholds his own sin. Instead, theirs is but a faith that adds sin upon sin, growing only in evil worldly cravings, satisfactions, and desires.
The greatest reason why today all churches, pastors, and believers inevitably fall into corruption upon corruption, distortion upon distortion, lies upon lies, and lawlessness upon lawlessness is this: because they teach and learn while never casting aside the root cause—the attempt to serve God together with the world and with material wealth. For there are no pastors and believers who teach and learn the love and sacrifice of the cross, as an example of giving, feeding, and caring that leads to salvation. Instead, they have been corrupted by those who belong to the world and to the flesh, pursuing their own perishing glory, happiness, and satisfaction. How then can those who pursue their own perishing glory and happiness ever pursue the eternal love and sacrifice that do not perish and are worthy of salvation? Can one cherish greed and yet pursue sacrifice? Can one embrace material wealth and yet walk in love?
All alike believe in God outwardly and with their lips, but in truth they believe only for the sake of achieving their worldly desires, satisfactions, and cravings. Thus, what they truly believe in are their worldly desires, satisfactions, and cravings; it is for these that they believe. Therefore, God becomes nothing but a tool to fulfill their perishing pursuits, and Christ becomes nothing but a stepping-stone to petition for their perishable wants. In this way, while God intends to build within them the temple of the heart through the love of the cross—feeding, giving, and sharing—that they might be led to salvation, they instead reject His Word and His will. And the heresy and leaven they have drawn in are none other than worldly teachings that implant within men the pursuit of perishable goals and ambitions.
These are teachings and inspirations that have nothing to do with salvation, but only incite sin further by compelling men to harbor perishable worldly desires and cravings of the flesh. They are hypocritical teachings and inspirations that vanish as soon as one turns back, yet they are embraced and followed by all believers because they are driven by their own worldly desires and cravings.
Worldly teachings and inspirations that masquerade as the Word, stirring up man’s evil desires and satisfactions, are leaven that have nothing to do with the gospel of Christ that leads to salvation. For since the majority of mankind belongs to the world, they are easily carried away by teachings that, under the guise of the Word, are nothing more than worldly leaven. And just as dough swells when filled with leaven, these teachings and inspirations swell for a moment, but soon collapse and vanish. They are nothing but fleeting teachings and inspirations, disguised as the gospel of God, leading men to pursue vain worldly things—perverted and abominable teachings and inspirations that corrupt faith and belief.