Upload
eliezer-hernawan-hardjo
View
231
Download
9
Embed Size (px)
DESCRIPTION
Articles and news and report of activities
Citation preview
B e r i t a I C C C I n d o n e s i a – F e b r u a r i 2 0 1 1
Page 1
Edisi Februari
Untuk kalangan sendiri BERITA INTERN UNTUK ANGGOTA DAN KOMUNIKASI BAGI KALANGAN DUNIA BISNIS DAN PROFESI KRISTEN
ICCC ADALAH MIMBAR DIMANA
PESAN KRISTUS BAGI KITA DI ZAMAN INI DIJABARKAN,
DIBAGIKAN DAN DINYATAKAN TERHADAP DUNIA BISNIS
NATIONAL BOARD
Spiritual Counselor Pdm. Bunan Djambek National President Benjamin B. Juwono Vice Presidents:
Admin/Secretary Tonny Soetjoadi
Finance/Treasurer: Manimbul L. Sitorus
Membership/Mentoring/ Network Simon Aditan
Teaching / Training Eliezer H. Hardjo Johanis S. Najoan Ridwan Naftali
Business Development/ Micro-Enterprise Kristanta Dewara Rudolf A.S. Sinaga Johny Rempas Michael Albinus Agus Susanto Markus Christianto
Intercessors Eddy S. Kristiawan
Mohan U. Vasandani (Mrs.) Suzanna Suadi (Mrs.) Josephine S. Sitorus (Ms.) Hermina M. Usmany Paul Tapilatu
Kantor National ICCC Indonesia:
Website: www.iccc-indonesia.com Pertokoan Pulo Mas Blok B I / 8, Jalan Perintis Kemerdekaan. Jakarta 13260
Telp (021) 4890211, fax: (021) 4722274. E-mail: [email protected]
[email protected], [email protected]
Saudara-saudaraku, Shalom!
Saudara-saudaraku, Shalom!
Selamat berjumpa kembali di Berita ICCC
Indonesia – edisi February 2011.
Pada edisi bulan ini saya ingin mengulas satu
faktor kunci sukses untuk kita dapat masuk ke
dalam dimensi yang lebih tinggi dalam dunia
bisnis yaitu Kingdom Business.
Faktor dependence & independence adalah faktor yang mendasar bagi
kita untuk mengalami Tuhan dalam kehidupan bisnis kita.
Pada awal Tuhan menciptakan manusia ,mereka memelihara ciptaanNya
dengan memiliki sifat dependence upon God .Sesuatu begitu indah dan
sempurna.Namun ketika dosa masuk dalam kehidupan manusia, manusia
berubah menjadi independence from God.
Satu individu,kelompok atau bangsa yang mengupayakan sifat dependence
upon God akan berjalan dalam kesejahteraan dan pemeliharaan dalam
Tuhan,sebaliknya jika faktor yang kedua menjadi pilihan,maka keadaan
yang sebaliknya,yaitu kemiskinan, malapetaka dan berbagai masalah akan
mengikuti kita.
Mazmur 81 : 14 “ Sekiranya umat-Ku mendengarkan Aku! Sekiranya Israel
hidup menurut jalan yang Kutunjukkan!
Ayat 17 : “ umat-Ku akan Kuberi makan gandum yang terbaik dan dengan
madu Aku akan mengenyangkannya.”
Alangkah nikmatnya kehidupan yang mengembangkan sifat dependence
upon God ,namun kenyataannya betapa sulitnya juga untuk mengambil
langkah ke arah sana. Selaku orang Kristen yang telah lahir barupun, bagi
kita rasanya amat berat menuju ke arah dependence upon God.
Marilah kita sadari bahwa ada musuh yang selalu ingin mencuri,
membunuh dan membinasakan berkat kita, ia beroperasi dalam pola pikir
kita. Kita harus berperang saat musuh itu mengancam keluarga atau
pekerjaan kita.
Musuh kita akan terus menggiring kita pada pola pikir lama yang duniawi-
dengan mendifinisikan sukses dalam spirit independence from God.
Tidak ada cara lain dalam menuju sifat dependence upon God yaitu
mempelajari kebenaran dalam Alkitab,merenungkan (meditasi) kebenaran
itu,dan aktif membahas dan mengulas kebenaran Alkitab melalui kelompok
pembelajaran,seminar dll.
Oleh sebab itu Transform Working Life adalah sarana praktis yang tepat
dan pasti untuk kita memiliki spirit of dependence upon God .
Kembangkan terus kerinduan dan passion untuk terus belajar dan
membahas kebenaran Firman.
Kami mengingatkan juga bahwa Seminar ICCC dengan Topik
“Transformed of Wealth Through Business” terbuka untuk umum dan
kami nantikan kehadiran anda.
Benjamin Bambang Juwono
National President
ICCC INDONESIA
www.iccc-indonesia.com
BERITA ICCC INDONESIA 2011
B e r i t a I C C C I n d o n e s i a – F e b r u a r i 2 0 1 1
Page 2
INDONESIA
Annual Members Gathering 2011
Annual Members
Gathering (AMG) 2011
akan berlangsung pada hari
Sabtu, tanggal 19 Februari
2011 di Janur Asri, Klub
Kelapa Gading yang akan
diisi dengan seminar
dengan topik “Transfer of Wealth through
Business” (Amsal 13: 22 & Yesaya 60: 5) yang akan dibawakan Pdt. Robinson
Nainggolan SE, MSc.
Hubungi Kantor Nasional (Sdri. Yurie:
4890211) pada alamat yang tercantum pada
halaman muka Berita ICCC Indonesia ini
untuk memperoleh tempat yang terbatas.
Biaya kontribusi hanya Rp. 200.000 (termasuk makan siang, coffee & snacks dan makalah).
International Christian Chamber of
Commerce
INDONESIA
INVITATION
ANNUAL MEMBERS GATHERING 2011
& SEMINAR
“Transfer of Wealth through Business” (Amsal 13: 22 & Yesaya 60: 5)
Klub Kelapa Gading - 19 Februari 2011
New National Board Election
Dalam kesempatan Annual Members
Gathering pada tanggal 19 Februari 2011
mendatang akan diselenggarakan juga
pemilihan National Preisdent yang baru dan
selanjutnya pembentukan National Board
yang baru.
Mari kita doakan dan membawa rencana ini
ke hadapan Tuhan dan meminta Tuhan
sendiri memilih member yang tepat untuk
menjabat tugas ini tiga tahun ke depan.
Semua member berhak memilih dan dipilih
dan untuk proses pemilihan ini akan dipimpin
oleh Johanis S. Najoan.
FORUM ANGGOTA
MEMBERSHIP FEE
Bagi anda yang akan memperpanjang kartu keanggotaan anda untuk tahun 2011 sudah dapat dan agar menghubungi Simon Aditan V.P. Membership melalui HP: 0816974647 atau email
([email protected]) Annual Membership Fee untuk tahun 2011 mengikuti peraturan International dalam kategori Developing Nation menjadi Rp. 600.000 dimana US$ 50 dikirim ke Kantor Pusat di Swedia sebagai syarat dan kewajiban International Membership Membership Fee dapat ditransfer ke rekening ICCC Indonesia atau FORUKIN dibawah ini, dan mengirimkan bukti transfernya dengan fax ke alamat yang tercantum paling bawah dari setiap halaman Newsletter ini:
Rekening Bank:
CIMB NIAGA BANK Cabang Senen - Jakarta
No. 200-01-00012-00-0 a/n : Forum Komunikasi Usahawan Kristen Indonesia (FORUKIN).
B e r i t a I C C C I n d o n e s i a – F e b r u a r i 2 0 1 1
Page 3
KONTAK BISNIS 1. Surya Delapan Mas
Tonny Soetjoadi – Director Offices:
1. HWI Lindeteves 4th Floor, Block B No. 7
Jalan Hayam Wuruk Jakarta (Barat) 11180 – INDONESIA Phone: 062 (21) 6259625 Fax: 062 (21) 6259561 2. Taman Berdikari Santosa Block M No. 16 Jalan Pemuda Jakarta (Timur) 13220 – INDONESIA Phone: 062 (21) 4712821 & 91282388 Fax: 062 (21) 4718293 Line of Business: Distribution of
Chladianplast Corrugated Roof & Flat sheet for Jakarta Metro & Outer Java and International market
Business Opportunity:
Looking for bona-fide Sub-distributors all-over Indonesia as well as outside of Indonesia, preferably having vast networks & experiences in distribution of building materials. Serious inquiry can be directed to Tonny Soetjoadi, Director ([email protected] or mobile: +62811193202
2. HeavenSpring Consulting & Agencies Co.
Eliezer Hernawan Hardjo Ph.D., CM Jalan Pegangsaan Indah Barat B I / 8 Pondok Gading Utama Jakarta 14250 – INDONESIA Phone: 062 (21) 4521141 Fax: 062 (21) 4533070 Mobile: (062) 815-13203415 E-mail: [email protected], [email protected] Partners:
1. Institute of Certified Professional Managers – James Madison University, VA, USA
2. DF Solusi Consulting – Indonesia
Line of Business: Business & Management Consulting (Seminar, Training & Consulting)
Bagi member yang berminat untuk dicantumkan dalam kolom ini (free of charge) dimohon untuk meng-update data dan mengirim ke e-mail: [email protected] seperti contoh diatas
Nama Perusahaan Person in Charge dan Contact person Alamat lengkap termasuk no. Telepon/fax dan
e-mail Line of business Specific products yang ingin ditawarkan
(dengan foto kalau ada – yang di-compressed)
The distance between ordinary &
extraordinary is shorter than you think!
By John C Maxwell
(Image courtesy of photobucket)
What do you think of when I say the word
―ordinary?‖ These are the words that come to
my mind: Common. Usual. Normal. Boring.
Average. Something you see every day.
B e r i t a I C C C I n d o n e s i a – F e b r u a r i 2 0 1 1
Page 4
What about ―extraordinary?‖ I think of:
Amazing. Incredible. Uncommon. Unusual.
Special. Above average. New.
In the English language, only four little letters
separate ―ordinary‖ from ―extraordinary:‖
extra. And while ―extra‖ can be defined as
―outside,‖ in English it also means ―just a little
bit more.‖
The word we use is not as important as the idea:
the distance between ordinary and extraordinary
is shorter than you think. For too long, people
have thought there was a huge gap between
normal and special. They‘ve assumed that
―above average‖ was far above ―average.‖
Unfortunately, once you believe that, it‘s easy
to conclude that since you‘re ―average,‖ you‘ll
never be anything else; that there‘s no way to
claw your way up to ―above average.‖
I‘m here to tell you that you‘ve made the gap
too wide. Let me illustrate. If you‘re an average
reader, you‘ve taken 2-3 seconds to read this
paragraph so far. Two lines of text = one
second. How much more would you be able to
read in another second? Another line? Not very
much, but really, what difference does a second
make?
Well, in some areas of life, a second makes all
the difference in the world. Have you heard of
Usain Bolt? Often referred to as The Fastest
Man in the World, Bolt is the current world-
record holder for the 100-meter race in track
and field. His record for that race is 9.69
seconds. In the Olympics, he won the gold
medal racing against seven other men in the
finals. What was the time difference between
his time and that of the silver medalist, Richard
Thompson? Thompson ran the 100 meters that
day in 9.89 seconds. The difference between
gold and silver was .2 seconds. The ―fastest
man in the world,‖ the winner of that race and
world-record holder, ran 100 meters in 2/10 of a
second less than his nearest competitor. A
second – or even a fraction of a second – CAN
make a huge difference.
In life, just as in sports, an extraordinary
performance is often separated from an
ordinary one by the slightest of margins. What
if your ordinary life could become
extraordinary with only the smallest of
changes? Would it be worth trying?
Here are some ―extras‖ that can help you close
the gap between ordinary and extraordinary:
A little extra effort. There is a price to be paid
for achievement. Sometimes it‘s a large price.
But sometimes just a little extra effort can yield
significant results. What price are you willing
to pay for success?
A little extra time. To give something time, we
need something other than perseverance. We
need patience with the process of growth. I
believe that many of us overestimate events and
underestimate the process. But we‘ve got it all
wrong. As I wrote in the Law of Process in The
21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership, leaders
develop daily, not in a day.
A little extra help. I love this saying: ―If you
see a turtle on top of a fence post, you know he
had help getting there!‖ Why do I love it?
Because I‘m a turtle on a fencepost. I know that
I didn‘t get to where I am in life on my own.
I‘m just not that smart, gifted, or fast. The truth
is that those who reached ―extraordinary‖ had
help getting there. And many types of success
can only be achieved with help. If you refuse to
ask for – or accept – it, you limit yourself and
your work to a lower level of achievement.
Remember that ordinary and extraordinary are
not far apart. If you accomplish just one of the
above ―extras,‖ your work will begin to be
above average in that area.
If Ordinary People …
Gave a Little Extra Effort,
Spent a Little Extra Time,
Sought a Little Extra Help …
They Would Become Extraordinary!
(Kirimkan kutipan, artikel, kata-kata mutiara atau kisah pengalaman anda yang dapat memperkuat iman pembaca Newsletter ini kepada TUHAN baik itu berupa pengalaman pribadi maupun orang lain dengan ciri utama bisnis dan rohani)
B e r i t a I C C C I n d o n e s i a – F e b r u a r i 2 0 1 1
Page 5
Transformed Working Life (TWL) adalah Pelatihan resmi dari Kantor Internasional bagi anggota ICCC dalam memperlengkapi anggota dengan pengetahuan dan pemahaman latar
belakang, tujuan dan penerapan prinsip-prinsip Kerajaan TUHAN bagi dunia bisnis dan profesi. TWL diperuntukkan bagi anggota dan dapat diikuti secara Cuma-Cuma, namun terbuka juga bagi siapa saja yang berminat untuk mengikutinya.
TWL diselenggarakan dalam bahasa
Indonesia dan dilengkapi dengan buku panduannya, yang telah diterjemahkan kedalam Bahasa Indonesia juga, sehingga para peserta betul-betul akan memperoleh manfa’at yang besar dan mengalami transformasi dalam kehidupan pribadi maupun bisnisnya. TWL difasilitasi oleh anggota National Board yang terlatih dan dikoordinir oleh V.P. Teaching: Eliezer H. Hardjo bersama dengan Teaching Team: Johanis S. Najoan dan Ridwan Naftali Transformed Working Life (TWL) akan ditayangkan dalam salah satu channel di Indonesia agar dapat dimanfaatkan oleh para pebisnis & profesional Kristiani di Indonesia bagaimana menerapkan prinsip-prinsip Kerajaan Tuhan dalam kehidupan berbisnis dan bekerja mereka. Tolong dukung agar maksud ini dapat terealisir di tahun 2011 mendatang. TWL bagi members secara rutin diadakan pada hari Sabtu ke 2 setiap bulan dan terbuka dan dianjurkan bagi semua member untuk mengikutinya sebagai pembekalan wajib.
Apa itu ICCC?
Forum dimana pesan Kristus untuk zaman ini dijabarkan, disampaikan dan dinyatakan
kepada Dunia Bisnis
ICCC adalah badan yang independen dan inter-denominasi, bukan menjadi bagian dari suatu gereja tertentu namun ikut melayani
gereja yang membutuhkan pelayanan ICCC. ICCC berkantor Pusat di Orebrö Swedia dan saat ini telah berada di sekitar 65 negara di
lima benua.
ICCC Indonesia melakukan berbagai kegiatan dan pelayanan baik terhadap
anggota, maupun terhadap dunia bisnis khususnya dalam lingkungan Kristiani.
Undanglah kami untuk memberikan
presentasi mengenai visi, misi dan tujuan ICCC bagi dunia bisnis dan profesi
VISI, MISI DAN
TUJUAN ICCC
International Christian Chamber of Commerce (ICCC) lahir dari kepatuhan terhadap visi yang diberikan selama kurun waktu enam tahun kepada seorang usahawan Swedia J. Gunnar Olson, yang diteguhkan dengan nubuatan dan terbukanya pintu kesempatan disekitarnya yang sebelumnya tertutup. ICCC merupakan panggilan yang serius dan menantang bagi pengusaha Kristen untuk mengenali jaman yang sedang kita masuki dan dengan terang dari pengenalan itu memasuki dimensi iman yang baru yang disediakan bagi mereka yang …” takut akan TUHAN … berbicara satu sama lain … dan menghormati namaNya.” (Maleakhi 3: 16)
B e r i t a I C C C I n d o n e s i a – F e b r u a r i 2 0 1 1
Page 6
Visi ini memanggil para pengusaha dan kaum profesi di seluruh dunia yang terbeban untuk saling berhubungan, bertukar pendapat, memperdagang-kan barang dan menyediakan jasa, saling mendukung dan menguatkan secara rohani dan materi. Berdasarkan eksistensi dari visi itu sendiri memproklamirkan otoritas Kristus yang mutlak diseluruh dunia. Pada intinya ICCC adalah kehendak TUHAN untuk memperluas tali kasih-Nya, melalui gereja-Nya, didalam dunia usaha. Hal ini menuntut para pelaku bisnis mencari terlebih dahulu Kerajaan-Nya dan segala Kebenaran-Nya. Urapan tersedia bagi mereka yang dengan mata melihat dan telinga mendengar panggilan jaman. Sebagaimana halnya Raja Daud yang menerima urapan untuk menjadi raja, jauh sebelum dia menjadi Raja, yang keadaan pada saat urapan diberikan sama sekali tidak mungkin bagi Daud untuk menjadi Raja, demikianlah ICCC memanggil para pengusaha Kristen sebelum peristiwanya terjadi untuk mengalami kebebasan masuk ke dalam dimensi baru, dimana sasaran, strategi dan perencanaan bersama-sma diwujud-nyatakan sesuai dengan iman di dalam Kristus. ICCC mencanangkan panggilan itu sejalan dengan rencana TUHAN bagi jaman ini sebagai kunci memperoleh berkat dan pertumbuhan dan agar dapat bangkit berkemenangan diatas gelombang ombak yang mengancam.
Panggilan ICCC: “Mereka akan menjadi
milik kesayanganKu sendiri, firman
TUHAN semesta Alam pada hari yang
Kusiapkan. Aku akan mengasihi mereka
sama seperti seseorang menyayangi
anaknya yang melayani dia. Maka kamu
akan melihat kembali perbedaan antara
orang benar dan orang fasik, antara
orang yang beribadah kepada TUHAN dan
orang yang tidak beribadah kepada-Nya.” (Maleakhi 3: 17-18)
KEYAKINAN IMAN ICCC:
Satu-satunya TUHAN pencipta segala
sesuatu dalam kesatuan Trinitas: Bapa,
Anak, dan Roh Kudus.
Keilahian TUHAN Yesus Kristus.
Kelahiran-Nya dari rahim seorang Perawan. Karya penebusan dosa
manusia melalui kematian-Nya diatas
kayu salib. Kebangkitan-Nya. Hak otoriatas diri-Nya atas dunia dan
Kedatangan-Nya yang kedua kali dalam
Kuasa dan Kemuliaan-Nya.
Alkitab, sepenuhnya sebagai Firman
TUHAN yang memberikan inspirasi dan
berbagai peraturan bagi kehidupan yang
dilandasi iman.
Keselamatan pribadi orang berdosa dan
kebutuhannya untuk mengalami proses regenerasi melalui karya Roh Kudus
dalam menuju menjadikannya sebagai
manusia yang dikehendaki oleh TUHAN, seutuhnya.
“The Law of Sowing and Reaping”
2 Samuel 12:13-14, Galatians 6:7-10
By P. G. Mathew, M.A., M.Div., Th.M.
Then David said to Nathan, "I have sinned
against the LORD." Nathan replied, "The LORD
has taken away your sin. You are not going to die.
But because by doing this you have made the
enemies of the LORD show utter contempt, the
son born to you will die."
2 Samuel 12:13-14
Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A
man reaps what he sows. The one who sows to
please his sinful nature, from that nature will
reap destruction; the one who sows to please the
Spirit, from the Spirit will reap eternal life. Let us
not become weary in doing good, for at the
proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not
give up. Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us
do good to all people, especially to those who
belong to the family of believers.
B e r i t a I C C C I n d o n e s i a – F e b r u a r i 2 0 1 1
Page 7
Galatians 6:7-10
In 2 Samuel 12:13-14 we read, "Then David said
to Nathan, ‗I have sinned against the Lord.‘
Nathan replied, ‗The Lord has taken away your
sin. You are not going to die. But because by
doing this you have made the enemies of the Lord
to show utter contempt, the son born to you will
die.‘" In verse 15 we read, "After Nathan had
gone home, the Lord struck the child that Uriah‘s
wife had born to David, and he became ill," and in
verse 18 we read, "On the seventh day the child
died."
This passage teaches us about the spiritual law of
sowing and reaping, a law that all Christians must
consider as they live their daily lives. As we study
it, we must keep in mind that this is not a word
spoken to a pagan, but to a believer, King David.
We find the same idea repeated in Galatians 6:7-
10, which speaks about sowing to one‘s sinful
nature. It is a passage written to God‘s people, the
church of Galatia, not to pagans. That is why I say
those who profess to be Christians must pay
attention to the spiritual law of sowing and
reaping.
Our Actions Matter
You have probably heard the slogan, "Once
saved, always saved." The idea behind it is that it
doesn‘t matter what Christians do; they will be
saved because they invited Jesus into their hearts.
Those who use this slogan will quote Paul‘s
words in Romans 5:20, "Where sin increased,
grace increased all the more," but what they are
really saying is, "Let us go on sinning that grace
may abound." They will say, "I believe in eternal
security" and then they sin without fear of any
consequences.
I want to tell you that such notions are
delusionary. Not only are such people ignoring
Paul‘s declaration in Romans 6:1, "What shall we
say, then? Shall we go on sinning so that grace
may increase? By no means!" but they are also
ignoring his words to the Galatians, "You, my
brothers, were called to be free. But do not use
your freedom to indulge the sinful nature. . ."
(Galatians 5:13). In Galatians 6:7 Paul instructed,
"Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A
man reaps what he sows."
We cannot sow weeds and reap wheat, nor can we
sow thorns and reap strawberries. Hosea tells us if
we sow wind, we will reap a whirlwind, and if we
sow to sin, we will reap destruction, not
righteousness. That is why "Once saved, always
saved"—this claim to justification without clear
evidence of sanctification—is nothing but
equivocation and sheer prevarication.
The God who justifies us will also sanctify us.
The writer of Hebrews tells us, "Without holiness
no one will see the Lord" (Hebrews 12:14). Yes, I
believe in eternal security of all true believers
because it is clear biblical doctrine, but I also
believe that true believers will practice holiness as
they strive to please the God who saved them. I
also believe that if believers sin, they shall suffer
serious consequences both in this present life and
in the life to come. In other words, it matters how
a Christian lives, and this understanding should
stimulate all true believers to holiness.
David’s Sin Had Consequences
David secretly sinned against Bathsheba by
committing adultery with her and then arranged to
have her husband murdered. When confronted by
God‘s prophet Nathan, David did truly repent of
his sins, so Nathan told David, "The Lord has
taken away your sin. You are not going to die."
But then he added, "But because by doing this
you have made the enemies of the Lord to show
utter contempt, the son born to you will die."
Soon thereafter the Lord struck the child, and he
died.
But even after the infant son of David and
Bathsheba died, there were further consequences
of David‘s sin. In verse 10 Nathan told David,
"Therefore, the sword will never depart from your
house," which can have the meaning "from your
kingdom" as well. In other words, Nathan was
prophesying continuous war within David‘s
kingdom as well as in his own family, and this
literally happened. In the subsequent years,
David‘s kingdom and family experienced great
troubles and sorrows as a direct result of David
indulging secretly in sin. Additionally, because
David had indulged in sexual lust, we find Nathan
telling David in verses 11-12 that his own son
would commit sexual sin against David‘s
concubines, and this came true during Absalom‘s
rebellion (2 Samuel 16:21-22).
Before all these things happened, I am sure David
the believer had thought that he could get away
with it all—a little sowing of evil, a little lust, a
little indulging in the evil pleasure of adultery, a
little arrogance, a little lack of listening to the
word of God, a little laziness, a little injustice—
with no consequences. But what was God saying
through Nathan to David? "No, David. You
sowed evil and you shall reap the consequences.
B e r i t a I C C C I n d o n e s i a – F e b r u a r i 2 0 1 1
Page 8
You threw a stone into the pond and the ripples
will be many, affecting not only you but your
family and your kingdom."
This is true any time we sin. One sin will produce
a terrible chain reaction of consequences. First, it
will work against you, but then it will work
against your children and your children‘s
children—against your whole family and beyond.
Then it will work against your profession, your
economic status, and your health. Even one sin
will affect every aspect of your life. That is why I
hope we will pay attention to the lessons from
these passages. I pray that this study will act as a
stimulant to sow not evil but righteousness.
Consequences of Sin in Our Body
The first point we want to examine is the
consequences of our sins here and now. First,
David experienced serious consequences in his
own body. He felt severe pressure in his body
from God Almighty, which he speaks about in
Psalm 32:3-4: "When I kept silent, my bones
wasted away through my groaning all day long.
For day and night your hand was heavy upon me;
my strength was sapped as in the heat of
summer." King David experienced serious
psychosomatic trouble as a result of his sin. It is
impossible for a Christian to sin and enjoy good
health.
Second, David‘s family suffered. In 2 Samuel 12
we read that there was a child born of the
adulterous relationship between David and
Bathsheba. Nathan, speaking the very word of
God, told David, "Nevertheless, your son shall
surely die." The child‘s death was divine
determination, and no intercession would be heard
on his account. When we read that the Lord struck
the child and he died, we must understand that
this infant died, not for his own sin, but for the sin
of his parents.
We may wonder what is going on here, because
David, after all, was a believer. Let me assure
you, there is no question that King David was
saved and that he will be justified on the last day.
But here the Lord was functioning not as his
Judge, but as his Father. As a son of God, David
had sinned, and God had to chasten him. Why
does God give pain to his children? To produce
holiness in them. That is why David had to be
disciplined, even though it was painful.
The Effects of Parental Sin
What, then, was the result of David‘s sin? The
Lord struck the child and refused to hear prayer
for healing, and the child died on the seventh day.
This was direct judgment for the sin of the child‘s
parents.
Now, children‘s afflictions are not always a result
of parental sin. In John 9 we read about a man
who was born blind. Jesus‘ disciples asked Jesus,
"Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that
he was born blind?" Jesus answered, "Neither this
man nor his parents sinned," meaning this
particular blindness did not come because of the
specific sin of the man or his parents, "but this
happened so that the work of God might be
displayed in his life," meaning that God could be
glorified through him, which he was. But in
David‘s situation, the child died because of his
parents‘ sin. That also was for the glory of God.
The principle of parental sin affecting children is
mentioned several places in the Scriptures. In
Exodus 20 the second commandment deals with
this principle, which is repeated in Exodus 34:7;
Numbers 14:18; and Jeremiah 32:18. The second
commandment tells us, "For I, the Lord your God,
am a jealous God, punishing the children for the
sin of the fathers to the third and fourth generation
of those who hate me" (Exodus 20:5). In other
words, the Lord was telling Israel that he
demanded an exclusive relationship with them,
like the exclusive relationship of a husband and
wife; he would not tolerate Israel having other
gods. If Israel did serve other gods, the holy
jealousy of God would manifest and he would
deal with his people severely.
This is true of the relationship between God and
believers of all ages: violation of this relationship
results in severe judgment which extends to
subsequent generations. A great-grandfather‘s sin
can affect the grandfather, the father, and the
child—four generations. When David sinned, I do
not think he thought much about the effect it
would have upon his own family as well as on the
generations who came after him, and I don‘t think
we think of these things either when we sin.
I pray that God will put some fear of God into our
hearts as we examine the way God dealt with his
people and disciplined them when they sinned
against him. Our sin has an ongoing, evil effect
which affects our future generations. When we
sin, we are sowing an evil seed into a field of
human beings, especially those who are near to
B e r i t a I C C C I n d o n e s i a – F e b r u a r i 2 0 1 1
Page 9
us, which continues to future generations. How
many children of Christians have learned evil
from their parents and now hate God and practice
evil?
Somebody once said that we sow a thought and
reap an act; we sow an act and reap a habit; we
sow a habit and reap a character; and we sow a
character and reap a destiny.
Evil thoughts produce evil deeds which, in turn,
produce evil habits and evil character, and,
finally, result in evil destiny. When we sow evil,
we produce evil deeds, such as those we read
about in Galatians 5:19: "The deeds of the sinful
nature are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity
and debauchery; idolatry and witchcraft; hatred,
discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition,
dissensions, factions, and envy; drunkenness,
orgies, and the like." Is this the inheritance we
want to leave our children?
The Effects of David’s Sin
David felt the consequences of his sins in his own
body and psyche, and then the child born to him
and Bathsheba was killed by divine action. But
that was not the end of the story. In 2 Samuel 13
we read about another son of David, a handsome
man named Amnon. As we read the story of
Amnon, we see that the sexual sin of the father
manifested in his son, not in terms of adultery, but
something worse than that—incest and rape. Did
David think about this kind of thing when he
secretly sinned with Bathsheba? Yes, David
indulged in what he probably considered a little
lust, but I am sure that he never considered that a
time would come when his own son would
manifest this trait in greater grossness. Full of
lust, Amnon devised a scheme and raped Tamar,
who was his own sister through another mother.
Tamar was the full sister of another son named
Absalom, who didn‘t say anything at the time, but
later invited Amnon to come for a feast given by
Absalom during the time of sheep-sheering. This
was a plan by Absalom to murder Amnon, and
Amnon was cut down at the feast. Do you think
David thought about these things when he
committed adultery with Bathsheba and secretly
arranged to have Uriah murdered? No! David‘s
actions were totally self-centered. He acted
blindly, not foreseeing any repercussions in the
generations to come.
Even this tragedy was not the end of the
consequences to David‘s sin. In 2 Samuel 12:11
Nathan told David, "This is what the Lord says:
‗Out of your own household I am going to bring
calamity upon you. Before your very eyes I will
take your wives and give them to one who is close
to you, and he will lie with your wives in broad
daylight. You did it in secret and I will make it
happen in broad daylight, and all Israel will
know.‘"
This happened through David‘s son Absalom,
who, like Amnon, was also extremely handsome
and sensual. In 2 Samuel 15 we read that
Absalom rebelled against his father David, and
David had to flee from Jerusalem. David‘s trusted
counselor Ahithophel joined with Absalom, and
on Ahithophel‘s advice, Absalom pitched a tent
on the roof of the palace and had sex with David‘s
concubines in the sight of all Israel. Once again,
we must ask: When we sin, do we think about the
implications of our sin, in our own lives as well as
in the lives of our children, our children‘s
children, and their children in the generations to
come? What arrogance, what blindness, what
shortsightedness we display when we give in to
sin, as David did!
When all Israel joined in Absalom‘s rebellion,
David fled Jerusalem. This also was a direct result
of his secret sin. In 2 Samuel 15:30 we read, "But
David continued up the Mount of Olives, weeping
as he went; his head was covered and he was
barefoot," and later on we read that a man named
Shimei came out and cursed King David and
threw dirt on him as he passed by.
Additionally, Absalom himself suffered for his
father David‘s sin. In 2 Samuel 18:14-15 we read
that when David‘s army caught up with Absalom,
"Joab said, ‗I am not going to wait like this for
you.‘ So he took three javelins in his hand and
plunged them into Absalom‘s heart while
Absalom was still alive in the oak tree. And ten of
Joab‘s armor-bearers surrounded Absalom, struck
him and killed him." What was David‘s reaction
to Absalom‘s death? In verse 33 we read, "The
king was shaken. He went up the room over the
gateway and wept as he went. He said, ‗O my son
Absalom! My son, my son Absalom! If only I had
died instead of you—O Absalom, my son, my
son!‘" You see, David had not wanted his son to
be killed. He had instructed his men to spare
Absalom, but David‘s wish was not granted. Oh,
what grief, what pain, what agony, what misery
David experienced—all because of his own sin!
We never think anything this serious will happen
when we plant our little seed of sin, do we? Let
me tell you, the seed of sin is extremely potent. It
B e r i t a I C C C I n d o n e s i a – F e b r u a r i 2 0 1 1
Page 10
will spring up, the root will go down, and in due
time there will be fruit—serious, grievous fruit.
The consequences of David‘s sin did not end with
Absalom‘s death. Before David died, Adonijah
tried to ensure the succession for himself, even
though Solomon was God‘s choice. After David
died, Adonijah, who was full of lust, came to
Solomon‘s mother Bathsheba, saying he had only
one request: he wanted Bathsheba to ask Solomon
to give him Abishag, a very beautiful girl who
was the last wife of David. Here again we see the
sexual lust of David working in the lives of his
sons.
In 1 Kings 2:22 we read, "Then King Solomon
answered his mother, ‗Why do you request
Abishag the Shunammite for Adonijah? You
might as well request the kingdom for him. . . ."
Adonijah‘s last grasp for power ended in his own
destruction, and in 1 Kings 2:25 we read, "King
Solomon gave orders to Benaiah son of Jehoiada,
and he struck down Adonijah and he died." We
may want to adjust our view of God. He is a holy
God who deals with sin severely.
Continuing Effects of Sin
Even the death of Adonijah was not the end of the
consequences of David‘s sin. Remember Nathan‘s
words, "the sword shall never depart from your
house"? Generations went by, and in 2 Chronicles
21 we find some further effects of David‘s sin in
the lives of his descendants. In verses 1-2 we
read, "Then Jehoshaphat rested with his fathers
and was buried with them in the City of David.
And Jehoram his son succeeded him as king.
Jehoram‘s brothers, the sons of Jehoshaphat, were
Azariah, Jehiel, Zechariah, Azariahu, Michael and
Shephatiah." And in verse 4 we read, "When
Jehoram established himself firmly over his
father‘s kingdom, he put all his brothers to the
sword along with some of the princes of Israel."
Jehoram‘s actions resulted from the sin of his
forefather David. I hope this will make us a little
careful when we are tempted to sin, especially
when no one is watching but God.
The consequences of David‘s sin continued—
wave after wave after wave of pain and suffering
and misery and grief in the line of David. In 2
Chronicles 22, we read that Athaliah, a
granddaughter of Ahab, rose to power in Judah
when her son Ahaziah was killed. In verse 10 we
read, "When Athaliah the mother of Ahaziah saw
that her son was dead, she proceeded to destroy
the whole royal family of the house of Judah."
Here we find more people being killed because of
David‘s sin. This is exactly what Nathan meant
when he said, "Because you have done this, the
sword shall never depart from your house." There
was big-time family trouble among David‘s
descendants, all as a result of David‘s sin.
When we have family trouble, have we ever
wondered why such things are happening to us?
We tend to get upset with God and accuse him of
not doing anything right for us. But don‘t be so
quick to blame God. We may be short-sighted and
forgetful, but maybe it is time to look back and
see what we did twenty, thirty, or forty years ago,
and face reality.
In 2 Kings 25 we meet the last king of Judah, a
son of Josiah named Zedekiah. When the
Babylonians came against Jerusalem, the prophet
Jeremiah urged Zedekiah and his people to
surrender to them, but Zedekiah refused to listen
to Jeremiah. He did not want to believe God or
submit to him because he hated God. Zedekiah
thought he could escape, but he was captured by
the Babylonians, who put his sons to death before
his eyes and then put out his eyes. The last thing
Zedekiah saw was the God-ordained killing of his
own children by the Babylonians, and in due
course he himself was killed. Oh, the serious
consequences of David‘s sin!
Illustrations of Sowing and Reaping
I want to examine some other examples of the
spiritual principle of sowing and reaping so that
we can be convinced of the serious consequences
our sin can produce. In the book of Joshua we
read about a man named Achan who was part of
the Israelite army that had conquered Jericho. I
am sure Achan was present when Joshua gave the
army God‘s command to totally destroy
everything in Jericho and take no plunder. I am
sure he heard the word of God, but when he saw
some objects that he wanted to keep for himself,
Achan probably reasoned, "I think God is
somewhat deficient. He doesn‘t see everything, so
he won‘t see me stealing these things. As long as I
can bury them in the ground, God wouldn‘t be
able to see them and I won‘t be caught." (PGM)
Isn‘t this the reason we sin also? We have this
idea that God does not see everything we do.
Over against the clear word of God, Achan took
some plunder from Jericho and buried it, thinking
that God did not see him.
By divine intervention Achan‘s sin was revealed
to the whole assembly of Israel, and in Joshua
7:24-25 we find the consequences of Achan‘s sin,
both for Achan and his family: "Then Joshua,
B e r i t a I C C C I n d o n e s i a – F e b r u a r i 2 0 1 1
Page 11
together with all Israel, took Achan son of Zerah,
the silver, the robe, the gold wedge, his sons and
daughters, his cattle, donkeys and sheep, his tent
and all that he had to the Valley of Achor," which
means valley of trouble. "Joshua said, ‗Why have
you brought this trouble on us? The Lord will
bring trouble on you today.‘ Then all Israel stoned
him and after they had stoned the rest, they
burned them.‘"
In 1 Samuel 1-4 we read about Eli, who was
God‘s priest. It was Eli‘s job to teach God‘s truth
to the people, but he did not. Additionally, Eli
failed to restrain his sons even though they
showed great contempt for the Lord. In 1 Samuel
2:30-33 we find God‘s judgment on Eli:
Therefore the Lord, the God of Israel, declares: "I
promised that your house and your father‘s house
would minister before me forever." But now the
Lord declares: "Far be it from me! Those who
honor me I will honor, but those who despise me
will be disdained. The time is coming when I will
cut short your strength and the strength of your
father‘s house, so that there will not be an old
man in your family line and you will see distress
in my dwelling. Although good will be done to
Israel, in your family line there will never be an
old man. Every one of you that I do not cut off
from my altar will be spared only to blind your
eyes with tears and to grieve your heart, and all
your descendants will die in the prime of life."
These are shocking words from the mouth of
God! But what happened because of Eli‘s sin?
Not only did Eli and his sons die, but in 1 Samuel
22 we are told that eighty-five male descendants
of Eli—eighty-five priests—were slaughtered in
one day by Doeg the Edomite. It is interesting to
note that we find no mention of God interfering to
spare the lives of these priests.
Does this picture of God surprise you? Oh, most
of us want some kind of nice God who will close
his eyes to every disobedience and every sin, but
there is no such God. There are serious
consequences when we sin against God.
In 1 Kings we read about Jeroboam. God raised
him up, made him a king, and gave him ten tribes
of Israel to rule over. But as soon as Jeroboam
became king, he turned his back upon God. In 1
Kings 14 we read that when Jeroboam‘s son
became sick, Jeroboam sent his wife to the
prophet Ahijah to inquire whether the child was
going to live or not. On Jeroboam‘s instructions,
his wife disguised herself and went to this
prophet. She was like the people who only go to
God when they experience serious trouble. But
even though the prophet was blind, he knew the
woman who had come was Jeroboam‘s wife. As
soon as Jeroboam‘s wife entered the house, the
Holy Ghost came upon Ahijah and he began to
prophesy the destiny of Jeroboam, his children,
and the nation of Israel. Beginning in 1 Kings
14:7 we read Ahijah‘s words:
Go, tell Jeroboam that this what the Lord, the God
of Israel, says: ‗I raised you up form among the
people and made you a leader over my people
Israel. I tore the kingdom away from the house of
David and gave it to you, but you have not been
like my servant David. . . .You have made for
yourself other gods, idols made of metal; you
have provoked me to anger and thrust me behind
your back. Because of this, I am going to bring
disaster on the house of Jeroboam. I will cut off
from Jeroboam every last male in Israel—slave or
free. I will burn up the house of Jeroboam as one
who burns dung, until it is all gone. Dogs will eat
those belonging to Jeroboam who die in the city,
and the birds of the air will feed on those who die
in the country. The Lord has spoken! (1 Kings
14:7-11)
Ahijah continued, "As for you, go back home.
When you set foot in your city, the boy will die.
All Israel will mourn for him and bury him. . . ."
(vv. 12-13). We find the fulfillment of this
prophecy in 1 Kings 14:17. Additionally, Ahijah
said, "The Lord will raise up for himself a king
over Israel who will cut off the family of
Jeroboam" (v. 14), and in 1 Kings 15:29-30 we
read, "And as soon as [Nadab] began to reign, he
killed Jeroboam‘s whole family. He did not leave
Jeroboam anyone that breathed, but destroyed
them all, according to the word of the Lord given
to his servant Ahijah the Shilonite—because of
the sins Jeroboam had committed and had caused
Israel to commit."
Now, children, what do you think? Fathers and
mothers, what do you think? Is it all right to sin?
Oh, it‘s just a little pleasure, that‘s all—just a
little arrogance, a little lust—no big problem. No.
If we sow sin, we will reap grievous, long-lasting
consequences.
Someone may ask, "Aren‘t all these illustrations
from the Old Testament?" Yes, but read 1
Corinthians 11:27-30, where Paul writes,
"Therefore, whoever eats the bread or drinks the
cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be
guilty of sinning against the body and blood of
the Lord. . . . That is why many among you are
weak and sick and many fall asleep." The
B e r i t a I C C C I n d o n e s i a – F e b r u a r i 2 0 1 1
Page 12
Corinthian Christians did not have to become
weak or sick or die in the midst of their years. The
Bible clearly teaches that these problems were a
direct result of divine dealings against sin. The
people in the church of Corinth refused to pay
heed to the word of God and they suffered
consequences of their sin.
We are living at a time when the evangelical
church will not tolerate any discussion on holiness
or righteousness. I am not speaking about liberal
churches, which don‘t even preach the gospel, but
about those churches that still believe in the word
of God. The vast majority of them do not tolerate
any serious preaching of the truth of holiness; that
we are to obey Jesus Christ and live for him on a
daily basis; that our sin has consequences. In fact,
whenever a minister of the gospel preaches this,
he is not appreciated. But we must declare the full
gospel! Life is not some game we play; it is very
serious. We know a man who is going to die soon,
and I am sure he looks upon life in a very serious
manner. Praise God, he is a serious believer in
Jesus Christ and knows where he is going. But
don‘t get upset with me or any other preacher of
the gospel when we speak about holiness and
righteousness. Read the Bible: the prophets, the
apostles, the gospels. Read the last book of the
Bible, which clearly reveals the glory of God and
the judgment which will be poured out upon
people who will not own him.
I pray that we will conform, not to cultural
Christianity, but to scriptural Christianity. Study
the subject of sanctification, especially as it is
explained by theologians such as the late
Professor John Murray of Westminster
Theological Seminary in the second volume of his
collected works. The goal of sanctification is that
we conform to the image of the Father by
conforming to the image of his Son, so that we
may have fellowship with the Father and the Son.
Salvation must deal with sin or it is not salvation.
Sin must be dealt with, punished, and eradicated.
When that happens, we will be made glorious
because we are called for the purpose of
fellowshiping with God, whose eyes are purer
than to behold sin.
Eternal Consequences of Sin
Not only does sin have consequences in our
personal life, in our family life, in our
professional life, in our economic life, in our
health life, from generation to generation, but it
also makes itself felt when we are summoned
before the judgment seat of Christ.
When we are made manifest in the presence of
God, he will look, not at our outward appearance
but at our very heart and will make manifest
everything we have throughout our life, whether
good or bad. That is why we must examine the
eternal consequences of our sins. Remember, we
are not dealing here with the sin of pagans but
with the sin of God‘s people. There are
consequences to our sin here and now, and there
are also consequences hereafter.
The Judgment of Believers
In 2 Corinthians 5:9-10 Paul wrote, "So we make
it our goal to please him," meaning the Lord Jesus
Christ. Notice, Paul was including himself in this
statement. It was the apostle‘s singular ambition
in life to please the Lord Jesus Christ. "So we
make it our goal to please him," Paul wrote, and
then he gave the reason in verse 10: "For we must
all appear before the judgment seat of Christ."
This translation is not very correct. In the Greek it
is, tous gar pantas hêmas phanerôthênai dei
emprosthen tou bêmatos tou Christou, which
means, "For we must all be made manifest in the
presence of or before the court of Christ, the
judgment seat of Christ." The Greek word dei
tells us this is a must, a divine necessity. No one
will escape this final judgment before Christ.
Professor Philip E. Hughes, who was professor at
Westminster Theological Seminary years ago,
makes this remark about being made manifest
before Christ:
To be made manifest means not just to appear, but
to be laid bare, stripped of every outward facade
of respectability, and openly revealed in the full
and true reality of one‘s character. All our
hypocrisies and concealments, all our secret,
intimate sins of thought and deed, will be open to
the scrutiny of Christ—a clear indication,
incidentally, of the absolute Deity of the
Redeemer, for it is only the divine gaze which
penetrates to the very essence of our personality:
"man looks on the outward appearance, but the
Lord looks on the heart" (1 Sam. 16:7). The
conduct of our lives should constantly be
influenced by the solemn remembrance that "there
is no creature that is not manifest in God‘s sight,
but all things are naked and laid open before the
eyes of Him with whom we have to do" (Heb.
4:13; cf. 1 Cor. 4:5).
(Philip E. Hughes, The Second Epistle to the
Corinthians, The New International Commentary
on the Bible, [Grand Rapids, MI: Wm. B.
Eerdmans Publishing Co., 1962, 1979], 180).
B e r i t a I C C C I n d o n e s i a – F e b r u a r i 2 0 1 1
Page 13
Jesus Christ has a judgment seat, and we must all
stand before it. If you travel to Corinth today, you
can still see the ancient judgment seat to which
the apostle Paul was brought by the Jewish
people, as we read in Acts 18. Jesus himself was
brought before the judgment seat of Pilate in
Jerusalem.
So the idea of a bema, or judgment seat, means a
raised place where the judge sat and people would
be brought before him. Here Paul is referring to
the judgment seat of Christ, bêmatos tou
Christou. It is the judgment seat of the Judge of
the whole universe—the Lord Jesus Christ—
whose gaze is directed to the very essence of our
personality. All judgment is given to the Lord
Jesus Christ, and before him everyone will be
stripped bare.
Judgment and Reward
What is the purpose of our coming before him?
"That each one may receive what is due him for
the things done while in the body, whether good
or bad." This is the judgment of believers. Jesus
Christ will judge the works we have done while
we are in our body as believers on earth—every
thought, every word, and every deed. This is a
serious issue.
The purpose of this close examination of our
thoughts, words and deeds by our Judge is to
discover which ones are good and which are
worthless. Then, on the basis of this examination,
in his own gracious manner, the Lord may give
rewards to us.
We find this idea also in 1 Corinthians 3,
beginning with verse 11: "For no one can lay any
foundation other than the one already laid, which
is Jesus Christ. If any man builds on this
foundation using gold, silver, costly stones, wood,
hay or straw, his work will be shown for what it
is, because the Day will bring it to light. It will be
revealed with fire,"which is the gaze of the all-
seeing eyes of the Judge, our Lord Jesus Christ,
"and the fire will test the quality of each man‘s
work. If what he has built survives, he will
receive his reward. . . ." Notice the eternal
significance of what we do in the present life.
Even what we have done today will be made
manifest, examined, and weighed in the balance
of God.
Paul concludes, "If it is burned up, he himself will
be saved, but only as one escaping through the
flames." There is no condemnation to those who
are in Christ Jesus, meaning those who are
justified by God. Such people are saved and safe.
But Christ the Judge will examine the works we
have done as believers to determine what rewards
to give us. To some, he will give no reward, while
to others he will give the rulership over five cities,
or ten cities, or whatever he determines. There
will be degrees of reward based on deeds, and
some people will receive no reward, even though
they themselves will be saved.
So Paul was speaking about this appearance, this
manifestation, on the day when God himself
summons us. We shall stand before him, stripped
of all hypocrisy, cover-ups, and argumentation.
Do you think anyone will argue with God on that
day? And it is this understanding that stimulated
Paul to live and breathe for God alone. "We must
all be made manifest before the judgment seat of
Christ."
In the fourth century John Chrysostom wrote
about this verse: "Let us then imagine Christ‘s
judgment-seat to be present now and reckon each
one of us with his own conscience, and account
the Judge to be already present, and everything to
be revealed and brought forth. For we must not
merely stand, but also be manifested." Then he
asks this question, "Do you not blush? Are you
not dismayed?" (Hughes, The Second Epistle to
the Corinthians, p. 180).
Think about these things. I pray that all of us will
use this doctrine as a stimulus to please Christ
alone by imagining that the judge is already here
and we are already standing before him. If we can
have this picture in our minds as we live our daily
lives, we will aim to please the Lord Jesus Christ
in everything.
This doctrine is taught in many places in the
Scriptures, but let us just consider Romans 14:10,
where we read, "For we will all stand before
God‘s judgment seat. It is written: ‗As surely as I
live,‘ says the Lord, ‗every knee will bow before
me and every tongue will confess to God.‘ So,
then, each of us will give an account of himself to
God." This is speaking about how believers lived
their lives on this earth.
We believe in the security of believers and that all
who have trusted in Christ will be saved on the
last day. But there will also be degrees of
authority granted to us based on whether we made
it our aim to please our God on a daily basis or
whether we chose to sin and suffer loss later on.
B e r i t a I C C C I n d o n e s i a – F e b r u a r i 2 0 1 1
Page 14
How Should We Live
In the light of the consequences of sin in the
present and the future, and the knowledge that
God will reward us for what we do in our bodies,
how must we live in the present? First, we must
realize that what we think and do now matters
significantly, not only in our own lives, but also
in our family‘s life, and in the life of generations
to come. Let us never be so deluded that we say,
"Once saved, always saved, and so it doesn‘t
matter how I live. I am justified."
We must also understand that what we do today
will affect our eternal life. We shall be rewarded
according to the works we do in our bodies as
believers. Every thought, word, and deed will be
examined by the fire of Christ‘s all-seeing eye
and judged.
In the Sermon on the Mount Jesus told us, "Do
not store up for yourselves treasures on earth,
where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves
break in and steal. But store up for yourselves
treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not
destroy and where thieves do not break in and
steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart
will be also" (Matthew 6:19-21). Christians are to
do good works. That is the purpose of our
Christianity! Thus, as we said earlier, a claim to
justification without clear evidence of
sanctification is utter falsehood. Where there is
justification, there will be sanctification, because
he who justifies us also sanctifies.
In Ephesians 2:10 we read, "For we are God‘s
workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good
works," which means we must live to please our
Lord Jesus Christ. No Christian can escape this
purpose of God for his or her life. As new
creations, we are to do good works, which means
to obey the Lord Jesus Christ.
In Matthew 10:42 the Lord himself tells us, "And
if anyone gives even a cup of cold water to one of
these little ones because he is my disciple, I tell
you the truth, he will certainly not lose his
reward." We must understand that the good works
we do, we are able to do by the grace of God
alone. We must understand all our good works are
imperfect and marred by our sin, and yet God has
purposed to accept them in Jesus Christ. And,
finally, we must understand that Jesus Christ
himself has purposed to reward us for the works
we have done in the body.
Practical Application
How, then, must we live? Sunday School
teachers, you must work hard. Serve God, and
you will be rewarded on that day. Do not become
weary in well-doing. Do not grumble or complain,
but work as unto the Lord.
Parents, you must train up your children in the
way they ought to go, and the Lord will reward
you.
Those who are visiting the sick, you must be
filled with the Spirit and go and visit the sick,
encourage the sick, pray for the sick, minister to
the sick because one day you will be rewarded.
Those who evangelize, do it for the Lord. Don‘t
be discouraged. Be certain that one day the Lord
will reward you.
Those who support God‘s work liberally
financially, continue to do so. One day the Lord
will reward you.
Those who labor in the prayer closet, ask God to
bless his work. Pray faithfully, knowing that God
sees you and will reward you.
Those who work hard to clean and keep the
church in working order, yours is not a glamorous
job, but keep on doing it. One day the Lord will
reward you.
Those who are on the mission field, keep on
preaching the gospel and working in other parts of
the world, in the name of the Lord. You shall be
rewarded in due course.
Those who cook food and perform other hard
work in the church, keep on doing it. This is the
ministry God has given you, and the Lord will
reward you.
Those who faithfully preach the gospel, keep on
doing it! Whether people like it or not, keep on
preaching the gospel. Make it your aim to please
the Lord and he will reward you on that day.
In all of these ways, we are sowing for the glory
of God, and the Scriptures promise that if we sow
to the Spirit, in due season we shall reap an
abundant harvest. The Lord shall bless us here
and reward us on that day when we stand before
him.
B e r i t a I C C C I n d o n e s i a – F e b r u a r i 2 0 1 1
Page 15
Let us, therefore, lay up our treasure in heaven by
engaging and expending in the work of the Lord.
That is the one sure way of converting the
temporal to eternal.
In his commentary on Galatians, Dr. John R. W.
Stott describes sowing to the flesh as pandering to
our lower nature, cuddling it and stroking it
instead of crucifying it:
The seeds we sow are largely thoughts and deeds.
Every time we allow our mind to harbor a grudge,
nurse a grievance, entertain an impure fantasy, or
wallow in self-pity, we are sowing to the flesh.
Every time we linger in bad company, whose
insidious influence we know we cannot resist,
every time we lie in bed when we ought to be up
and praying, every time we read pornographic
literature, every time we take a risk which strains
our self-control, we are sowing, sowing, sowing
to the flesh. Some Christians sow to the flesh
every day and wonder why they do not reap
holiness. Holiness is a harvest; whether we reap it
or not depends almost entirely on what and where
we sow.
Then Dr. Stott tells us what it means to sow to the
Spirit:
"To ‗sow to the Spirit‘ is the same as ‗to set the
mind on the Spirit‘ (Rom. 8:6) and to ‗walk by
the Spirit‘ (Gal. 5:16, 25). Again, the seeds we
sow are our thoughts and deeds. We are to ‗seek‘
and to ‗set our minds on‘ the things of God,
‗things that are above, not . . . things that are on
earth‘ (Col. 3:1, 2; contrast Phil. 3:19). By the
books we read, the company we keep and the
leisure occupations we pursue, we can be ‗sowing
to the Spirit‘. Then we are to foster disciplined
habits of devotion in private and in public, in
daily prayer and in Bible reading, and in worship
with the Lord‘s people on the Lord‘s Day. All this
is ‗sowing to the Spirit‘; without it, there can be
no harvest of the Spirit, no ‗fruit of the Spirit‘."
(John R.W. Stott, The Message of Galatians,
part of The Bible Speaks Today series,
[Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 1968,
1986], 170-1).
May We Sow to God!
As we said before, sin has consequences in our
present life. Suppose your children are wild. Have
you ever wondered why? Have you ever thought
that perhaps their wildness is a result of your own
problems, failures, sins, and stubbornness? Have
you ever thought that whenever we sin, we are
sowing a seed in the field of human beings, which
will grow, become potent, and eventually will
bear fruit? Have you ever considered that not only
does sin have consequences in our personal life,
in our family life, in our professional life, in our
economic life, in our health life, from generation
to generation, but it also makes itself felt when we
are summoned before the judgment seat of Christ?
When we are made manifest in the presence of
God, he will never look at our outward
appearance. He will look at our very heart and
will make manifest everything we have
throughout our life, whether good or bad.
I pray that we will all be able to understand the
comprehensive consequences of the evil that we
commit. Everything we do matters. I hope we will
pay attention to John Chrysostom, and live
imagining that we are already stripped and
standing manifest under the all-knowing gaze of
Christ. May this become the stimulus for us to
sow not to the flesh and the self, but to the Spirit.
May we learn to say "No" to all ungodliness and
"Yes" to the Holy Spirit," and learn to walk in the
Spirit—in faith, in truth, in love, and in wisdom,
so that, when our time comes, we will be ready to
go.
I hope we will purpose today to sow to the Spirit,
to obey God, and to do the will of God so that
there will be personal blessing, family blessing,
and generational blessing to a thousand
generations. Then , when we stand before him, we
will receive God’s blessing: "Well done, thou
good and faithful servant. Enter into the joy of
your master!" Amen.
Terimakasih anda telah meluangkan waktu membaca Berita ICCC Indonesia ini dan silahkan mem-forward-nya ke
rekan bisnis anda agar memperoleh berkat rohani yang sama.
Redaksi