Though there are countless churches and pastors today, there are scarcely any that teach or regard as important the hope of Christ, which is necessary to bring about repentance worthy of salvation. The hope of Christ that leads to salvation is utterly different from the hope of man, which makes one an enemy of God. Few churches and pastors know and teach that the hope of man stands in complete opposition and enmity to the truth of the Word that forms a heart following the holy will of God and the love of the cross worthy of salvation. This means that pastors who teach are themselves all pursuing their worldly desires, satisfactions, and ideals. Because they follow worldly longings, ideals, and cravings, they inevitably commit sin according to their gain and interests. This testifies to and proves that even pastors who claim to believe in and teach God began in corruption—serving God together with the world and material things. In other words, their faith arose not from the pure center and standard of Christ’s faith, which follows God’s holy will and the love of the cross, but from a corrupted mixture—seeking to serve God while combining it with vain faith for worldly success and happiness. Their teaching is based on a faith born of compromise, as if watering down wine or mixing water with alcohol, neither pure water nor pure wine, but an incomplete faith. This is the faith taught and learned in today’s Christianity—among its churches, pastors, and congregants.
Thus, the human hope that follows worldly desires, ideals, and cravings has been corrupted to appear as if it were Christ’s talents and calling. This has only led to the piling up of sin, stirring up even more worldly ambitions, ideals, and desires. By putting forward worldly success and worldly happiness, they incite such desires all the more, thereby eliminating the true hope of Christ and the true faith of Christ—namely, the beautiful heart that grows into the divine nature of God, which resembles Him through the love of the cross, and is alone worthy to lead to salvation.
I know thy works, that thou art neither cold nor hot: I would thou wert cold or hot. So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spue thee out of my mouth. Because thou sayest, I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing; and knowest not that thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked: I counsel thee to buy of me gold tried in the fire, that thou mayest be rich; and white raiment, that thou mayest be clothed, and that the shame of thy nakedness do not appear; and anoint thine eyes with eyesalve, that thou mayest see. As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten: be zealous therefore, and repent.(Revelation 3 : 15~19)
For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men, Teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world; Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ; Who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works.(Titus 2 : 11~14)
The hope of Christ is a faith that begins with sacrifice—casting away all worldly ideals, desires, satisfactions, and cravings. In other words, it is abandoning human hope, which can only accumulate sin and greed—those desires, ideals, and cravings—and instead, following only God’s holy will. It is to build the temple of a beautiful heart conformed to God, worthy of salvation, through sacrifice that follows the love of the cross, and through desires and ideals directed toward love and repentance worthy of salvation. It means no longer living a worldly life that only piles up sin, but setting as one’s goal and ideal the life of Christ—the life of the Spirit—serving poor and needy brothers and neighbors as oneself through the love of the cross. This is what is called the hope of Christ. In other words, it is the desire and ideal united with the love of Christ, following the greatest law and the highest commandment of love—to love poor and needy brothers and neighbors as one’s own self.
Therefore, to follow one’s own greedy ideals, desires, and cravings can never be anything but opposed to the love of the cross, which sacrifices all things. The hope of Christ is found in those who make it their goal and ideal to feed, give, and care for poor and needy brothers and neighbors.
Yet, because corrupted ones—those who try to serve God while joining Him with the world and material wealth—teach with corruption upon corruption, they put forward the false pretense of “talents” and “callings” in place of the true hope of Christ. They fail to lead believers into the hope of Christ that is worthy of true salvation, and instead, by stirring up worldly desires, ideals, and cravings, they promote lessons of worldly happiness and worldly success. They present these as though they were the Word and truth worthy of salvation. As a result, the churches are rotting, pastors are falling into ever greater corruption, and congregants are becoming increasingly evil, exalting only words. Most churches, pastors, and believers today have become enemies and adversaries of the holy purpose for which God created mankind and of the love of the cross.
And again, Esaias saith, There shall be a root of Jesse, and he that shall rise to reign over the Gentiles; in him shall the Gentiles trust. Now the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that ye may abound in hope, through the power of the Holy Ghost.(Romans 15 : 12~13)
Now she that is a widow indeed, and desolate, trusteth in God, and continueth in supplications and prayers night and day. But she that liveth in pleasure is dead while she liveth. And these things give in charge, that they may be blameless.(1 Timothy 5 : 5~7)
Put not your trust in princes, nor in the son of man, in whom there is no help. His breath goeth forth, he returneth to his earth; in that very day his thoughts perish. Happy is he that hath the God of Jacob for his help, whose hope is in the LORD his God:(Psalms 146 : 3~5)
The fundamental reason God created man is that God, the source of love, desired to make us into His perfect children. In order for us to become true children of God, He gave us the essential divine attribute—the love of the cross. For this reason, He sent us the love of Christ. This is the love of God that has been made known throughout the whole earth. Thus, the love of the cross is the eternal covenant, the way, the truth, the sign of resurrection and salvation, and the life by which we become children of God. Therefore, all ideals exist because God purposed to make us into His eternal children. The Word, the shepherd, the Sabbath, the memorials, the truth, the offerings, the gifts, the prophecies, the prayers, the faith, the hope, and the love—all these exist for this reason. And this is why God’s will is eternally holy. But if one disregards this holy will of God and instead pursues human hope—that is, the pursuit of worldly happiness, desires, and success that only build up sin and greed—then he becomes an enemy and adversary of God, and an antichrist who profanes the love of the cross.
The hope of Christ is the love of the cross, which follows the greatest law and the highest commandment. Without embracing the hope of Christ, one can never build within himself the temple of a beautiful heart, conformed to God’s nature—the divine nature of the love of the cross. Human hope, following worldly desires, ideals, and cravings, never escapes the vicious cycle of repentance that means nothing—repentance that turns back only to commit sin again. Such faiths and lives only lead to cheap repentance and reflection that cannot overcome sin, and instead, they gradually trivialize sin or justify it with excuses. In doing so, they become hardened in conscience, and thus their first love and the purity of their first faith vanish. What remains is a life worn down and burdened by the world, a faith that grows poorer and weaker.
Those who do not possess the hope of Christ can never accomplish the repentance of Christ. Likewise, human hope can never embrace the love and sacrifice of the cross. Therefore, human hope always leads to repeated sin according to selfish interests, never escaping the sinner’s path. It is foolish teaching and learning that endlessly repeats meaningless repentance, a hypocritical faith that continually profanes the love of the cross by repeating sin again and again. These are pastors and congregants whose behavior inside the church differs from their conduct outside, whose words differ from their actions, whose outward form and inner intent are divided by double-mindedness. The reality of such faith is not the unwavering love of the cross but mere appearances, a worldly survival tactic clothed in a facade of holiness, kindness, and gentleness that wavers with every change of gain and self-interest.
All who attempt to serve God while joining Him with the world and with material things are corrupted upon corruption. They raise up their own claims according to their worldly lives and ideals, and on that basis they turn their claims into faith and into words. Such pastors and believers teach and learn a foolish, vain, detestable faith, based on dead belief that bears no fruit or evidence of Christ, no existence of the love of the cross. Such faith inevitably leads to judgment and destruction. Those who repent yet turn back to repeat sin according to their interests give proof of their sin, and in doing so they profane the repentance of Christ, which follows the love of the cross worthy of new birth. By cloaking themselves in the value of faith and the Word, they trample upon the holy will of God, denying both the hope and the faith of Christ.
But the true servants, shepherds, and sheep of God are those who, according to the holy will of God, strive to fully build the temple of a beautiful heart that resembles God—the divine nature formed by the love of the cross. Their goal is the hope of Christ, and with consciences untainted and without reproach, they walk step by step, following the love of the cross.
Paul, a servant of God, and an apostle of Jesus Christ, according to the faith of God’s elect, and the acknowledging of the truth which is after godliness; In hope of eternal life, which God, that cannot lie, promised before the world began; But hath in due times manifested his word through preaching, which is committed unto me according to the commandment of God our Saviour;(Titus 1 : 1~3)
And we desire that every one of you do shew the same diligence to the full assurance of hope unto the end: That ye be not slothful, but followers of them who through faith and patience inherit the promises.(Hebrews 6 : 11~12)
Now our Lord Jesus Christ himself, and God, even our Father, which hath loved us, and hath given us everlasting consolation and good hope through grace, Comfort your hearts, and stablish you in every good word and work.(2 Thessalonians 2 : 16~17)
For whatsoever things were written aforetime were written for our learning, that we through patience and comfort of the scriptures might have hope.(Romans 15 : 4)
The fundamental reason human beings come to have faith or belief is, in appearance, for the sake of salvation. Yet in reality, faith most often begins from a desire to satisfy and achieve one’s worldly wishes, satisfactions, and cravings. The root motive by which people come to believe in God is usually to escape from their worldly hardships and conditions, to realize their own ideals according to their will, and to find comfort from lives worn down and exhausted by the world. This beginning—whether for family reasons or human relationships—is, for the majority of believers, the first step of faith. For most, faith begins in the heaviness, hardship, despair, mourning, and pain of worldly life, as a way to escape from one’s difficult situation and to seek comfort and consolation.
Thus, the fundamental purpose of faith for countless people today is, above all, to achieve their worldly wishes, satisfactions, and cravings. This is the present state of countless believers’ faith. But God commands mankind to abandon these vain desires, satisfactions, and cravings, because they are the root cause that piles up only sin and greed. Such faith, built upon worldly hope, can never align with the holy will of God, the true reason He created man.
God’s fundamental purpose in creating man was to make him into an eternal child of God—children who must possess God’s own heart, His divine nature. For this reason, He created mankind and sent the love of the cross into the world, so that we might be given faith and love that resemble Him. This love is sacrificial, even to the giving up of ideals, values, and life itself, as Christ did. God is love, and therefore the love of the cross is the image of God’s nature sent into the world, the sign of our eternal salvation and resurrection. Therefore, if one’s faith and belief pursue worldly and fleshly desires—such as personal happiness, success, and ambition—without the beautiful love of the cross that sacrifices even one’s entire life, ideals, and very breath, then in truth such faith and hope hold no value and no meaning before the holy will and Word of God, but are nothing more than vain faith and hope.
The hope that pursues worldly happiness, success, and desires of the flesh inevitably leads, according to one’s interests, to cycles of regret and reflection, yet always turning back again to envy, jealousy, hatred, strife, pride, lust, and lies. This is because unsatisfied cravings continually give rise to greed, and in following this greed, sin can only accumulate without ceasing. Yet instead of being ashamed, people create excuses and justifications to rationalize their sins and desires, and in doing so, they gradually lose all sense of guilt in their conscience, becoming hardened and bold in sin. Their faith and hope, centered on pride and arrogant assertions, are corrupted. As a result, their own conscience—which should guide them on the right path—becomes desolate, leading them to stumble. Most faiths and beliefs today are vain, grounded in this cause and root which they refuse to abandon. They are foolish faiths, caught in a vicious cycle of sinning, regretting, and reflecting, only to return to sin again—hundreds or thousands of resolutions of “never again” proving useless. These believers, unable to escape the pit of cravings and greed that drive their sin, end up rationalizing their wrongdoing with lies upon lies, making excuses to justify themselves, and thus corrupting their faith.
Because they have been conditioned by the sins and greed they have knowingly or unknowingly committed, their consciences are increasingly abandoned. Excuses and claims rationalized by self-centered pride have produced a worldly hope that chases after their own desires, ideals, and cravings. As a result, in most churches today, lives pursued according to such worldly desires, ideals, and cravings are shamelessly promoted—under the pretense of being “talents” or under the guise of a “calling.” True faith in Christ, however, is evidenced by salvation and resurrection that arise from abandoning all and sacrificing oneself in the love of the cross. Without this love, there is no true faith, no true salvation.
How could those who chase worldly desires and satisfactions ever embrace the love of the cross that sacrifices even life itself? Because many have sought to combine God with the world, corruption upon corruption has spread. Excuses upon excuses are taught, lawlessness upon lawlessness governs, corruption upon corruption is sanctioned, and apostasy hides under lies. This is why religion, churches, pastors, and believers continue to degenerate. Many have turned their own worldly desires and satisfactions into so-called “faith,” cloaking selfish hopes in the guise of piety, yet in reality they are prayers and teachings that invite only evil spirits. Churches abound that have corrupted the hope of Christ into worldly ideals of success and happiness, teaching them as though they were the true hope of salvation.
The purpose for which many attend churches and altars, and even the prayers they offer before the cross, are nothing more than faith used to achieve their own selfish desires and satisfactions. Today, though there are thousands and millions of pastors, not one shows the power of faith as small as a mustard seed, which Jesus said could move mountains (Matthew 17:20). Those without even mustard-seed faith are falsely called shepherds and pastors. If they truly have no such faith, how can they claim to be Spirit-filled, anointed, or born again? If the Word of God is true, why do they not show the miracles and glory that Christ’s apostles displayed? This matter must be clearly judged.
Today, false spirits, false anointings, false new births, false prophecies, false gifts, and false hopes spread ever more widely. Churches multiply that profane God’s holy name, the love of the cross, and the blood of Christ. This is the result of teachings born of excuses, pride, and stubbornness, shaped by worldly desires and satisfactions. What is presented as tongues, gifts, or testimonies are often experiences no different from sorcery or idol worship—because they come not from God’s Spirit but from spirits of the world, even Satan and demons, who disguise themselves as Christ and angels. These are not fruits of the Spirit but deceiving powers that lead only to more sin.
Though many preach, “All things are possible to him that believeth” (Mark 9:23), among the countless pastors, not one demonstrates even the power of mustard-seed faith. They proclaim power, yet show none. They testify of miracles, yet possess none. This proves that God has not truly sent them. There are many pastors, but not one true shepherd. And this reality matches what believers themselves confess: there are churches and pastors everywhere, yet no true shepherds of God.
Beloved, if our heart condemn us not, then have we confidence toward God. And whatsoever we ask, we receive of him, because we keep his commandments, and do those things that are pleasing in his sight. And this is his commandment, That we should believe on the name of his Son Jesus Christ, and love one another, as he gave us commandment. And he that keepeth his commandments dwelleth in him, and he in him. And hereby we know that he abideth in us, by the Spirit which he hath given us.(1 John 3 : 21~24)
If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you.(John 15 : 7)
The words above clearly declare that only those who possess righteousness and goodness—such that they will not be reproved before God—shall receive all that they ask for. Jesus also said that only those who hold a faith united with the love of the cross, which is without reproach, shall find that nothing is impossible for them. Therefore, the reason why—even though there are countless pastors today—not even the power of a mustard seed is revealed, is that they are false religions, false churches, false pastors, and false believers who cannot but be reproved and judged before God for their lawlessness, corruption, depravity, and lies. This proves that today’s churches teach and learn false anointing, false spirits, false gifts, false hopes, and false testimonies in which the glory and power of God cannot appear. Their God, their faith, their religion are nothing more than instruments for chasing their own dreams and ambitions. Because of their greedy desires, bound up with the world and with material gain, their faith and religion inevitably repeat sins of envy, jealousy, hatred, lying, lust, and strife according to their interests. By such forced teachings, they claim to be “born again,” yet the result is only false rebirth, false Spirit, false gifts, false testimonies, and false hopes—a reality witnessed in today’s churches.
In many of these churches, sorcery that calls upon spirits is disguised as the true tongues of Christ, and fortune-telling no different from shamans is shamelessly spread as though it were true prophecy. Because of this, churches, pastors, and congregants are increasingly led by worship and prayer ruled by the gods of greed and covetousness. The prayers of these corrupted and depraved churches and pastors, cloaked in falsehood and lawlessness, are nothing more than vain cries springing from their worldly desires and cravings. Most churches today, therefore, have already lost sight of God’s holy will and His purpose in creating man. They use the Word as a tool to fulfill their desires and greed, while disregarding His holy will and commands, yet still expect Him to fulfill His covenantal promises. This is the shallow, cunning faith of hypocrites.
A covenant is something that both sides must keep. In other words, if one side does not keep it, it must be broken. Thus, just as the Lord was nailed to the cross and died for us, so also we must take up our cross and follow the love and sacrifice of Christ for the sake of our brothers and neighbors. Otherwise, we will never receive the glory and fruit of salvation and resurrection that follow the love of the cross. Yet countless churches and pastors have abandoned this covenant of the love and sacrifice of the cross. Instead, they put forward only the name of Christ, or imitate Him with mere moral and ethical values—hypocritical love and charity that amount to nothing but show. In this way, they profane the love of the cross. Having cast aside the true sign of salvation and resurrection that conforms to the holy will of God, they teach and cling only to man-made religious practices and words that serve their own tastes and standards. Such faith, born of compromise with the world and with material things, is nothing more than corruption.
Even when they repent and confess, they fall back into sin, guided by excuses and self-justifications. Their consciences become seared so that they no longer feel guilt for their sins, and they are led into a faith corrupted by habit and excuse. Because churches, pastors, and believers have abandoned the love of the cross—the love that feeds, gives, and cares—they have passed down corruption upon corruption, depravity upon depravity, lawlessness upon lawlessness, and distortion upon distortion. Thus, today’s faith has become nothing more than a vain pursuit of worldly desires, satisfactions, and cravings, yielding prayers and beliefs that are empty of Christ’s fruit and testimony, and wholly unrelated to true salvation. Those who pursue worldly hope inevitably pray only vain prayers for their own desires, ideals, and cravings. But those who hold the hope of Christ within Christ do not seek their own, but only cry out for the poor and needy brothers and neighbors.
Therefore, the so-called “intercessory prayers” taught in many churches today are nothing but acts of display and outward piety, a handful of empty prayers of hypocrites. They are not the true intercessory prayers of Christ, which follow the hope of Christ and unite with the true love of Christ.