Romans 3:23. For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.
Yes, it is nice to meet you. It is time to edit our lives with the Gospel. Gospel Letter Lesson 1: Why does mankind have no happiness? Why is mankind devoid of happiness? If you look at the Word of God in Romans 3:23, it says, “for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” Uh, there is probably no one in the world who does not want to be happy. Everyone wants to be happy. However, in reality, they are not happy, and in fact, most people live while struggling amidst many various types of suffering. Some people [face] family problems, some people health problems, some people economic problems, and some people live while facing great difficulties and hardships because of mental problems within themselves or their families. Because there is no true happiness, even though they work and have achieved many things, because there is no true happiness, they fall into alcohol, they fall into gambling, they fall into dancing or dissolute pleasures, and some people endure it until various problems come, such as depression, and if it gets worse later, manic-depression, panic disorder, and even reach a state of being like a spiritual epidemic. These kinds of regrettable things are happening all too much in this world right now. Uh, our country has the number one suicide rate among OECD countries; you know well that it is the number one country. Uh, the number one cause of death for those in their 10s, 20s, and 30s is not disease and not accidents, but is said to be suicide. Uh, looking lately, cases of depression, manic-depression, and panic disorder are becoming so, so numerous. Most of these are revealed during the adolescent years, and because they are not treated well, they become college students, they become young adults, and as they get married, the problems are even delivered to the home and later even to the children—we are living in a world that is all too regrettable. Exactly why does mankind have no happiness? Why is mankind devoid of happiness? Regarding that, the Word of God, the Bible, is speaking accurately. If you open Genesis chapter 1, if you look at Genesis 1:27 and 28, God has never created an unhappy human being. God has never created a human being who is depressed, anxious, and fallen into suffering. The Word says God originally created humans as beings who are so, so happy, possessing the image of God. Just as a fish is happy when living in the water, and a tree is happy when its roots are in the ground, a human created in the image of God was created to live happily while meeting God and being with God. God created humans to be happy only when they receive God’s grace and love, and conversely, live while loving, praising, and worshipping God. Therefore, He created humans to conquer and govern the world with the wisdom and power that God gives. Now, however, regrettably, if you look at Genesis chapter 3, the first humans of mankind, Adam and Eve, were deceived by the invisible Satan. Deceived by Satan who entered into the serpent, they committed the sin of disbelieving God, and falling into spiritual pride that they themselves could become like God, they received Satan’s temptation, committed sin, and ended up leaving God. They ended up leaving God. Just as problems come from the moment a fish leaves the water, and problems come from the moment a tree’s roots are pulled out of the ground, and problems come from the moment a young child leaves their parents, problems have come from the moment humans left God. From the moment they were deceived by Satan, committed sin, and left God—if you look at Ephesians 2:1, it says, “As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins.” From the moment of leaving God, this spirit of us humans fell into a state of death. Now, as the spirit became a dead state, gradually, in our hearts, thoughts, and minds as well, many scars, difficulties, and sufferings come to occur, and because there is no peace in the heart, there is no sense of worth or satisfaction in life, so they drink alcohol again, and if they cannot sleep all night long, the balance of life is also broken, and as a result, because the stress in the heart eventually gives an influence even to the physical body, physically as well, they come to suffer through insomnia and difficulties of various diseases. In a word, leaving God, spiritual problems, mental problems, and physical problems come step by step, and they simply cannot be resolved. The Bible says regarding this: it is not a physical problem, but this problem—it is not such a physical problem that comes because our efforts are insufficient or our diligence is insufficient, but it says it is a spiritual problem that comes from leaving God. We humans are spiritual beings created in the image of God. The fundamental cause of every problem occurring to us humans is a spiritual problem. A spiritual problem. That is, exactly the problem of being deceived by Satan, committing sin, and leaving God is the spiritual problem, and because our spirits are dead and the invisible Satan and the background of Hell are seizing our dead spirits, even though people live that kindly, diligently, and doing their best, the spiritual problem is not resolved and the mental problem is not resolved. One day, you cannot overcome the disasters that seek out you and your family. In order to find a solution, sometimes they try believing in superstitions, and try visiting a shaman’s house, and try believing in religion and idols, but what is needed is the Gospel of returning to God. The Gospel of life that brings our dead spirits to life is needed. Through religion and idols, you can absolutely never resolve the fundamental problem, the spiritual problem of mankind. All these problems started from the time of the first humans of mankind, Adam and Eve, and have continued until now. If you look at Genesis chapter 3, from the moment they were deceived by Satan, committed sin, and left God, the scene of hiding to avoid God appears. I do not know if you have ever hidden to avoid someone. From that time, anxious and fearful hearts begin to arise. If you search Genesis chapter 1, no matter how much you search, if you look at the content of God’s creation, He has never created fear and anxiety. If you turn off the light, darkness seeks you out. Just as darkness is the phenomenon that appears in a place where there is no light, the phenomena that appear in a heart where there is no God, a heart where there is no grace of God, are fear, anxiety, and worry. Therefore, humans left God and spiritual problems came, and much darkness sought them out in their hearts as well, and they came to suffer much pain in their lives. So eventually, this problem that started from Genesis chapter 3 has come through our country, through our lineage, through our parents, and even to me. Therefore, because the fundamental problem is a spiritual problem, it can absolutely never be resolved through human effort and methods. Behind that, there is an entity of darkness that continuously brings this darkness and unhappiness. Regarding that entity, the Bible uses the words Satan, devil, and demon; if you look at Genesis 3:15, God said he is our enemy. The Satan, devil, and demon who deceive our human race into leaving God and being eternally destroyed in sin, Satan, and Hell—he is exactly the enemy of our lives, the enemy of our mankind, who has seized you and me and our families for tens of years. A fallen angel from heaven was kicked down to this earth, and because he cannot overcome God, he comes to attack Adam and Eve, and although Adam and Eve died, even now Satan seizes those who have left God, deceives them, and drives them into the midst of suffering and destruction, into the midst of Hell. Therefore, if you do not know God, eventually, while struggling with spiritual problems, mental problems, and physical problems, without true rest in the heart and without true peace, they continue to face difficulties and hardships, and eventually go to Hell, and it does not end with the person dying and going to Hell, but the spiritual problems and those scars that the person possessed are exactly spiritually passed down to the children. Therefore, I, while meeting many people, have seen lineages where people continue to die early, dying young; some lineages have families where divorce continues; some lineages have mental problems that continue without being cut off. Also, strangely, lineages where suicide continues to be frequent—these spiritual problems that started from Genesis chapter 3 are delivered to me through the lineage and through the parents, and if you do not have the spiritual strength to reject this and overcome it, you eventually end up suffering. You end up suffering. Therefore, because we can absolutely never resolve this problem through our efforts, through our methods, and through the peace of the world, God sent Jesus Christ to this earth. If you look at Romans 5:8, it says, “But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” Amen. God’s Son Jesus Christ came to this earth and, by shedding His blood and dying on the cross for all the sins of you and me, He took charge of every sin of ours in our place, and as evidence that He is the Son of God, He was resurrected in 3 days; He overcame the authority of Satan, the authority of death, and the authority of Hell and was resurrected to become eternal life. “I am the way and the truth and the life.” “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” The way to meet God is Jesus Christ, and the truth that is the solution to all fundamental problems and all problems of us humans is exactly Jesus Christ, and the eternal life that brings our dead spirits to life is exactly Jesus Christ. Therefore, the resurrected Jesus is now knocking on the door of our hearts with the Spirit of life. If you look at Revelation 3:20, it says, “Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with that person, and they with me.” If we open the door of our heart and accept Jesus as my Savior, my life, and my true Owner, at this time Jesus enters our heart, and entering into our hearts with the Spirit of life, John 1:12: “Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God.” Amen. If you accept Jesus, you become a child of God. You come to obtain eternal life. From all Satan, original sin, curses, disasters, fate, and Hell, you come to receive eternal liberation in the name of Jesus Christ. Become a child of God by accepting Jesus as Savior, and for those who have already accepted, while confessing Jesus Christ as my true Owner, now, I bless you in the name of the Lord that you be victorious with the great conviction that Jesus is within me and I am a child of God. Let’s pray once. Uh, you may do it in your heart or out loud; it would be good if you pray together following my prayer. “God who is alive, I thank You. Not being able to meet God, not knowing God, and leaving God, I became the owner of my life, unable to resolve spiritual problems, and without knowing the existence of Satan, I have lived while struggling. For me who left God, for me who fell into original sin, and for me who fell into the invisible disasters, curses, and background of Hell, I believe in Jesus Christ who came to this earth. I believe that by shedding Your blood and dying on the cross for me, You took charge of all my sins in my place, were resurrected, overcame the authority of Satan and the authority of Hell, and became eternal life. I thank You for seeking out my heart at this time with the Spirit of life. I open the door of my heart. Into my heart, come as the true life, come as the true Savior, and coming as my true Owner, make me an eternal child of God as You promised, and give eternal new life to my dead spirit. Now as a child of God, being with God and walking with God, let me live while enjoying the true peace, true thanksgiving, and true joy that God gives. Today, right now, and forever, I love and praise the Lord who is together within me. In the name of Jesus Christ, who is eternally together within my heart, I pray. Amen.” Now, you have become a child of God. Ah, according to the promise of the Bible, if you believed in Jesus as the Christ and welcomed Him into your heart, according to the promise of the Bible, Jesus will be together within you eternally. I so, so much congratulate you on becoming a child of God, and I hope it becomes a day of a new start for the blessing of being with God.