As my faith deepens, I am more and more grateful for my salvation. At the same time, I cannot help think how many people God sacrificed to save me. Because I understand that salvation is always wrought through sacrifice, I know that my salvation must have been purchased by somebody’s sacrifice. Of course, the greatest sacrifice was made by Jesus. His sacrifice purchased our salvation. However, I often feel that a person’s salvation is based on sacrifice made by others.
This happened a while ago. A couple came to the States for medical training. The husband was an internist who specialized in cancer. He did not want to come to Houston, but he ended up in Houston. At first, the couple came to Mokjang a couple of times through an acquaintance, but when they realized that it was a church meeting, they stopped coming altogether. Things went on this way, and time came when they were scheduled to fly back to Korea very soon. One of his Korean patients came to Houston at that time. She was a given-up case in Korea, but her doctor invited her to come to Houston and try a new medicine as a last resort.
And it was obvious she needed care. She was introduced to a Mokjang and her doctor, yet unwilling but feeling responsible for his patient, began attending Mokjang with her. Then, upon her request, the doctor visited our church and soon began attending our church regularly. Already beyond the help of medicine, the patient soon passed away and returned to God. However, the doctor couple whom this patient led to Mokjang and our church kept attending Mokjang, and their Mokjang members served the couple wholeheartedly. Finally, the couple dramatically accepted Jesus as their Savior just two weeks before they returned to Korea. The whole process was like God’s operation we participated in. Their last chance to join the Receiving Jesus Meeting here at our church was fast approaching without any definite idea whether they would make it or not… But at the last minute they opened their minds and joyfully accepted Jesus as their Savior. When the couple left for Korea after receiving Jesus as their Savior, I thought that their salvation was the last gift from the patient. Some might say my interpretation was far-fetched, but I felt like the patient was the last sacrifice needed for their salvation. Maybe, sensing this, Mokjang members were almost impatient to hasten their salvation.
After the last person from the Receiving Jesus Meeting left the room, I sat in the empty room and sighed a long sigh. God who single-heartedly worked for the salvation of one personc, Jesus who scarified himself for that person, and all people who worked together for the same purpose… Even if I was really tired, I felt like I could see heavenly feast. And in the middle of peaceful rest, I opened my mouth and confessed: “Dear Lord, You must have sacrificed several people to save me. I thank you for the sacrifice. Someday, I will be a willing sacrifice for salvation. I will not avoid small sacrifices for You. And someday, I want to make a big sacrifice for You.
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