​

The Gift of the Holy Spirit and the Love of Christ

The apostle Paul talks about the gift of the Holy Spirit in 1 Corinthians 12, but suddenly in chapter 13 he is talking about the love of Christ. Why does Paul distinguish between the gift of the Holy Spirit and the love of Christ? This is to show that the gift of the Holy Spirit and the love of Christ are not the same. Also, Paul is saying that the Holy Spirit and the Spirit of Christ are not the same Spirit. The evidence is recorded in detail in 1 Corinthians 12 and 13. Jesus also speaks in several places in the Bible that the Holy Spirit is the Spirit of the Father and the Spirit of God. If the Holy Spirit is the Spirit of the Father, then the Spirit of Christ is the Spirit of the Son. When Paul said to Gentiles that they can become children of God only if they receive the 'spirit of adoption (Romans 8:15)', he is referring to the Spirit of Christ.

The gift of the Holy Spirit is a gift from God to help Christians continue to live their faith under the law of the Holy Spirit until the spiritual Christ comes before the Gentiles. “The manifestation of the Holy Spirit is given to each one for profit” (1 Corinthians 12:7) . However, it is really frustrating that Christians do not know this and believe that they are all saved by the Holy Spirit (Law). This is just as the Jews believed that they were justified by the law. This delusion of Christians makes the devil believe the lie to be the truth, preventing him from ever escaping from the devil's grasp.

Paul is telling Christians that all that is given to Christians by the gift of the Holy Spirit is each member of Christ. “There is one body, and it has many members; just as the body, which has many members, is one body, so is Christ” (1 Corinthians 12:12). To interpret this, there are several members in the body of Christ. To some, the gift of acting as the body of Christ, to others the gift of acting as the hands and feet of Christ, and to others the gift of acting as the head of Christ. that you have given However, since this is merely the distribution of the members of Christ to each person, the fact that Christians receive these gifts does not mean that they participate in the perfection of Christ.

If the Holy Spirit acts as a spiritual law (law given in the heart) to Christians, the gift of the Holy Spirit foreshadows the spiritual Christ who will come before the Gentiles. Therefore, the gifts of the Holy Spirit that Christians received are foreshadowing of Christ who will come before the Gentiles. Paul is saying that in order for Christians to participate in the perfection of Christ, they must believe in the Son who will come as the Spirit before the Gentiles and be born again to participate in the perfection of Christ.

If the gift of the Holy Spirit given to Christians is the reality of Christ, the Apostle Paul is simply listing useless words. In other words, if Christians could practice the perfect love of Christ with the gift of the Holy Spirit, Paul did not need to write 1 Corinthians 13. However, Paul writes about the love of Christ in detail, because the gifts of the Holy Spirit are not the perfection of Christ. As mentioned above, since the gift of the Holy Spirit is only a partial distribution of each member of Christ, it is impossible to practice the perfect love of Christ with it. In order to practice the perfect love of Christ, it is possible only if we believe in the Son who comes as the Spirit and be born again as Christ.

“If I speak in the tongues of men and the words of angels, but without love, I become a sounding copper and a ringing horn; I have the power to prophesy, and know all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith to move mountains, but without love, I I am nothing, and if I give my body to be burned with all that I have, but without love, it is of no avail to me” (1 Corinthians 13:1-3).

​

​

These words of Paul are saying that no matter how great the gift of the Holy Spirit and the miracle of bringing down fire from heaven, it is nothing without the love of Christ. Paul is saying that the gift of the Holy Spirit and the love of Christ are never compared. Paul's confession, in a nutshell, is that it is foolishness to do the Lord's work without Christ. Also, today, the Lord's servants preach with the gift of the Holy Spirit, preach the gospel, heal and give alms to the sick, and burn their own bodies to benefit others, but if there is no Christ in their hearts, it is of no use to them. In other words, since the gift of the Holy Spirit is not the reality of Christ, but only a type, receiving the gift of the Holy Spirit is of no benefit to oneself.

This is like comparing a form built as a model house and an apartment built in reality to sell an apartment. This does not mean that we should ignore the Holy Spirit and put Christ above. To say that the work of the Holy Spirit and of Christ is different. And furthermore, these words are written to explain the spiritual law and the spiritual gospel suitable for Christians.

Currently, none of the Christians living under the law of the Holy Spirit have been born again into Christ. Because the Holy Spirit is not the Spirit of Christ, but the Spirit of God, Christians can never be born again by the law of the Holy Spirit. This is just as the Jews could not be born again by the law. The Bible repeatedly emphasizes that the law only makes people realize their sins, but cannot regenerate people. The Pharisees believed that they were born again even though they could not be born again by the law, but they did not believe in Jesus and they went to destruction. Even today's Christians will have to give up the idea of being born again by the Holy Spirit in order not to follow their footsteps.

The reason the Pharisees, who called themselves holy at the time of Jesus, did not have pity on tax collectors and prostitutes, and distanced themselves from them and condemned them, because they had never received the grace of Christ. Likewise, Christians today who claim to have been born again by the Holy Spirit unconditionally condemn the same brothers as heretics because they do not conform to their doctrines, and they do not have any dealings with unbelievers, calling them bastards of the devil. This clearly shows that Christians have not yet been born again into Christ. Paul clearly distinguishes between 'love' and 'gift' in the following verse.

“Love never fails, but prophecy will pass away, and tongues will cease, and knowledge will pass away! For we know in part and prophesy in part; when the perfect (Christ) comes, the partial (gift) will pass away” (1 Corinthians 13:8-10).

Paul also explains how we change when Christ comes into our hearts. “When I was a child, I spoke like a child, I understood like a child, I thought like a child, but when I became a man, I gave up childish things” (1 Corinthians 13:11).

The way Christians today live their faith under the law of the Holy Spirit is just like when Paul lived his life of faith under the law before he met Jesus. At that time, Paul was also arrogant and rushed as if he knew everything, but when he met Jesus, he realized that he was nothing, and said that he regarded all the studies and all knowledge he had learned under Gamaliel as waste. And he deeply repents for his actions, which he knew nothing about, and represents himself as 'the chief among sinners' (1 Timothy 1:15) . This is the true image of those who have been reborn as Christ.

However, like Paul, those who have been born again as Christ and have received the Spirit of adoption (Christ Spirit) do not condemn humans recklessly because they do not match their thoughts or the doctrine of the denomination to which they belong. Those who have received the Spirit of Christ love those who raise their hands and claim that they are sinners against the Holy Spirit, just as Jesus had compassion on sinners. In addition, even those who have lived as unbelievers until now realize their sins and run to the Son, and all their sins will be forgiven and they will become the people of the kingdom of heaven. This is the work of salvation carried out by those who have been born again through Jesus Christ.

Those who have been reborn as Christ must learn to take care of themselves, not looking at other people's faults first. In other words, you should not try to remove the speck from someone else's eye first, but first remove the log in your own eye (Luke 6:42). Even though he has been given the power to cast out demons and heal the sick with the gift of the Holy Spirit, those who do not first take the beam out of their own eyes will eventually collapse due to arrogance.

​

We have seen countless times today how many people, despite having initially received the great gift of the Holy Spirit from God, later became arrogant and set themselves on the path to destruction. The gift of the Holy Spirit given to Christians was given for the purpose of showing signs to unbelievers so that they could believe in Jesus and make God's people on this earth, not for salvation.

Therefore, since the gift of the Holy Spirit is not originally ours, but a gift from God, if we become arrogant and not humble, God will take it back. That is why today's proud people are doing all sorts of bizarre things, claiming to cast out demons from churches and prayer centers after they have their gifts taken away from God.

However, since those who have been reborn as Christ are people who know that they are completely sinners and start a life of faith, it is far from this kind of arrogance. As our proverb says that a widower knows the widow's feelings, those who realize that they are a worthless sinner volunteer to live in a low place rather than stand in a place of pride. This is what it means to say that God resists the proud and gives grace to the humble.

The love of Christ can only shine when it is built on this foundation. However, those who are not born again into Christ are zealous in church affairs, but are stingy like the Pharisees when it comes to understanding the hearts of others. How can a person who does not consider the feelings of others know the heart of Christ, and how can such a person lead others to the right path?

It is in order to correct this content that Paul wrote the love of Christ compared to the gift of the Holy Spirit. “If I give with all that I have and if I give my body to be set on fire, but without love, it is of no avail to me” (1 Corinthians 13:3) . Literally translated, even if Christians have been feeding the homeless on the street, or helping the poor in an immeasurable amount, they are saying, “If I do not have Christ in me, I am of no use.” This is because without Christ in the heart, everything they do is merely to convey carnal love. However, if this is the level of evangelism to make God's people, it can have a very good effect.

As Paul says, everything that God has given to the Gentiles as gifts of the Holy Spirit can be changed and destroyed, but only the love of Christ never changes. This shows that the love of Christ is eternal and unchanging. Lastly, the love of Christ does not build me up, but gives me freely to the other person.

Some justify their work with the love of Christ by stating that Jesus also fed 5,000 people with five barley loaves and two fish. However, it should not be misunderstood that the incident where Jesus distributed the bread was to appease their hunger for three days, and he did not come to distribute the bread or fish to them. What supports it is the words, “Beware the leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees” (Matthew 16:6) .

Therefore, God's purpose in sending His Son before Christians is to save humans from their sins, not to feed the hungry or care for the poor. Of course, in some cases, you can also provide food and take care of the poor. However, the ultimate purpose of the Son of God's coming is only to save Christians who have disobeyed the law of the Holy Spirit and Gentiles who have broken the law of conscience from their sins. This is the last love of Christ that God wants to accomplish through His Son.

To know the love of Christ, you must first understand who you are. Otherwise, we cannot understand the love of Christ. “You must realize yourself first” means “You must first know that I am a sinner” . In other words, unless you die first, you cannot be born again into Christ, and if you do not become born again, you will not be able to realize the love of Christ.

The love of Christ requires us to understand the feelings of others first. For example, "If I experienced hunger first, I should be aware that I am hungry for the other person as well." Such a person can understand the feelings of a hungry person and give them consideration. In the same way, those who realize that they are sinners first can understand that the other person is also a sinner and have compassion on him.

However, excluding all these facts and taking the poor unconditionally, feeding them, and putting them to sleep should not be said to be the love of Christ. Even non-believers or members of other religions can take care of poor people if they want to, and provide a comfortable haven for them. Again, the love of Christ is not to take the poor and feed them and put them to sleep, but to convince humans of their sins and guide them to enter the arms of Christ and live by the grace of Christ forever.

​

If Christians say that it is the love of Christ to distribute food to the world and take care of the homeless, then there is no need for Christ to come before Christians again. It would be true if we said that Christians are not doing the work of the flesh to say that it is the love of Christ, but rather that they are doing this for the purpose of evangelism to make the people of God. However, if you say that you are practicing the love of Christ with the works of the flesh, you are blaspheming Christ. Then, how do Christians interpret the words, “Beware the leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees” (Matthew 16:6)?

Today, Christians receive various gifts under the Holy Spirit to perform great miracles and signs. It casts out demons and cures many diseases. Whether it's an orphanage or a nursing home, they help the poor unconditionally. I also thought it was the love of Christ until I received the Spirit of Christ. However, after receiving the Spirit of Christ who suddenly came to light one day by the grace of God, I came to realize that the work of the Holy Spirit and Christ is completely different.

Through the gift of the Holy Spirit, Christians receive a lot of help in their personal life of faith, or they give many benefits to others through the gift. However, since the gift of the Holy Spirit only shows the partial things of Christ to Christians until the spiritual Son comes, it is not complete.

Paul repeatedly emphasizes this point. Therefore, although Christians are currently enjoying Christ partially through the gift of the Holy Spirit, if God sends a spiritual son to the Gentiles in the future, then Christians will also abolish all the gifts they used to have and enjoy the perfect thing through the Spirit of Christ. .

Paul says, “Now we see in a mirror dimly, but then we will see face to face; now I know in part, then I will know fully, as the Lord knows me” (1 Corinthians 13:12) . . This is the process by which Christians are completely born again into Christ.

This is what I have experienced while receiving the Holy Spirit and the Spirit of Christ, so I hope that those who read this will not be misunderstood. After being born again as Christ, the conclusion I have reached so far is that all Christians must believe in the Son of God who comes through the Spirit and be born again as Christ to enter into full salvation. Against this background, Jesus said several times in the Bible that he would go before the Gentiles again.

When Jesus, who is in the spirit of the heavenly throne, comes before the Gentiles, no one recognizes him because he comes through a man. They say that he will come like a thief. Just as Paul did the work of Christ after he met Jesus who came as the light, so the Christ who comes to the Gentiles also comes through someone like Paul. If Christians think that the Son who comes to the Gentiles because of the Jesus in the movie will come in the same way, in all probability, they will be deceived by a false pastor and a person who has received the antichrist spirit.

There is a saying in our proverb, “A noisy can without food at a famous feast makes a loud noise”. The more empty it is, the louder it sounds. Likewise, today, churches that have not been reborn as Christ are deceiving people with such things by decorating the interior of the building with splendor. And the pastors who preach the word are also deceiving souls with sweet words after adorning their outward appearance with virtuousness and kindness to those who do not have Christ in their hearts. The same is true of those who judge the Bible with worldly knowledge or academics. Those who fall for the sweet words of false pastors are selling their souls to the devil.

But the Son of God never speaks sweet words to men. Currently, all Christians have to stand before God's judgment seat in disobedience to the Holy Spirit. Therefore, the Son of God who comes before Christians will first ask Christians about their sin of disobeying the Holy Spirit. And the identity of the evil spirits hidden in the human heart will also be revealed. At that time, those who are afraid of revealing their true identity will leave the presence of the Son, but those who admit their identity as evil beings will receive forgiveness of sins and enter the kingdom of heaven through the Son.

In the end, if all Christians do not want to become a resounding quagmire, they must believe in the Son of God who will come before the Gentiles and be born again as Christ to become a full-fledged Altoran-like person. Under the law of the Holy Spirit, it is not yet known who is the wheat and who is the chaff. The way to know this can be either wheat or chaff, depending on who believes in the Son when Christ comes and comes out. Even the Jews who lived under the Law could only know the wheat and chaff after Jesus came.

​