이 곡은, 잔치 공동체의 “Mercy Seat“ 앨범에 수록된 곡이다. 이 찬양은, 성도의 예배는 오직 주님만 바라고 통회하는 심령으로 나아가야 함을 고백하는 곡이다. 그리고 그러한 진실한 예배 가운데 하나님께서 소망과 위로를 부어주심에 대한 믿음을 담은 아름다운 찬양이다.
3. 말씀으로 바라보기
시편 42:1 하나님이여 사슴이 시냇물을 찾기에 갈급함 같이 내 영혼이 주를 찾기에 갈급하나이다
시편 기자의 하나님을 향한 갈망은 성전으로부터 지리적으로 멀리 떨어져 있으면서 과거를 기억하는 데에서 비롯되는 것입니다. 여기서 "갈망한다"로 번역된 동사는 요엘 1:20("부르짖다")에서만 또 한 번 등장하며, 두 경우 모두 물이 없는 사막에서 극심한 목마름을 나타내는 것입니다
New Living Translation Study Bible (Carol Stream, IL: Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., 2008), Ps 42:1–4.
하나님께서 원하시는 것은 상한 심령과 통회하며 회개하는 마음입니다. 마음의 중심이 바로 서 있지 않다면, 겉으로 드러나는 행동이 아무리 선할지라도 결코 하나님을 기쁘시게 할 수 없습니다. 당신은 자신의 죄에 대해 진심으로 슬퍼하고 있습니까? 진정으로 그 죄를 끊어낼 의지가 있습니까? 하나님께서는 바로 이러한 종류의 회개를 기뻐하십니다.
Tyndale, Chronological Life Application Study Bible, ed. Susan Perlman, Second Edition (Carol Stream, IL: Tyndale House Publishers, 2023), 518.
로마서 15:13 소망의 하나님이 모든 기쁨과 평강을 믿음 안에서 너희에게 충만하게 하사 성령의 능력으로 소망이 넘치게 하시기를 원하노라
로마서 11:36 이는 만물이 주에게서 나오고 주로 말미암아 주에게로 돌아감이라 그에게 영광이 세세에 있을지어다 아멘
하나님은 모든 생명의 창조주시요, 유지자이시며, 오메가(마침)이십니다. 모든 것은 그분으로부터 나왔으며, 오직 그분의 영광을 위해 사용되어야 합니다. 하나님은 전능하시고 모든 권능을 가지신 분이지만, 그 무엇보다 우리를 개인적으로 돌보시는 분이기도 합니다. 그 어떤 사람이나 권세도 하나님과 비교될 수 없습니다. 하나님께서는 ‘모든 사람에게 긍휼을 베풀기로’ 작정하셨습니다(11:32). 은혜로 구원받은 신자가 ‘그에게 영광이 세세에 있을지어다. 아멘’이라는 고백 외에 더 이상 무슨 말을 할 수 있겠습니까?
Bruce Barton et al., Life Application New Testament Commentary (Wheaton, IL: Tyndale, 2001), 622.
4. 찬양에 대한 묵상
이 찬양은, 하나님께서 기뻐 받으시는 예배가 무엇인가에 대해서 아름답게 그려낸 찬양이다. 예배는 오직 여호와 하나님만 간절하게 갈망하는 것이다. 마치 사슴이 시냇물을 찾는 것처럼 극심한 영적인 목마름으로 하나님을 원하고 바라보는 것이다.
또한 예배는 마음의 중심을 돌아보고, 통회하고 회개하며 나를 돌이키며 하나님 앞에 나아가는 것이다. 겉으로 어떤 것을 꾸미는 것이 아니라, 가장 진실한 마음을 가지고 오직 예수 그리스도를 의지함으로 하나님 앞으로 나아가는 것이다.
그렇게 하나님 앞에 예배로 나아갈 때에, 주님께서 우리에게 진정한 소망과 위로를 주시는 것이다. 성경은 하나님을 부를 때에 ‘소망의 하나님’이라고 말씀하신다. 그분은 우리에게 기쁨과 평강을 충만하게 하시는 분이시며, 가장 어려운 순간에도 우리의 마음을 친히 위로하시는 진정한 우리의 아버지이신 것이다.
하나님은 가장 거룩하시며 전능하신 분이시지만, 우리를 넘치게 사랑하시는 분이시다. 그분은 우리가 돌이킬 때에 우리를 받아주시며 언제나 넉넉하게 은헤를 베푸시기 때문에, 마땅히 모든 영광을 받으시기 합당한 분이시다. 그러므로 이 찬양을 통해서 우리가 얼마나 큰 은혜를 누리가 있는가를 기억하기 원한다. 하나님 앞에 가장 진실한 예배로 나아가며, 그분 안에서 참된 위로와 기쁨을 충만하게 누리시는 성도님들 되시기를 기대한다.
* By Faith Alone & In Christ Alone — Romans 1:16–17
* Introduction
Under the title “Sola Fide and Solus Christus,” I will deliver the third message of our fall revival. In this fall revival, we are learning the core declarations of the Reformation under the theme “Return to the essence of faith.” The key is this: when we trace our faith back to its source, we find a biblically firm and historically grounded root. In other words, our church was not suddenly established in this age; we are proud heirs of the Reformation.
Our root begins with “Scripture Alone.” When the church drifted away from God’s truth, the Reformers restored it by the Word of God alone. As they studied Scripture, they discovered that human salvation is entirely accomplished by God’s grace, and therefore believers can only praise Him with humble hearts before His presence. Tonight, we will reflect on what is perhaps the very heart of the Reformation—Faith Alone and Christ Alone—so that our faith may be strengthened and made firm.
* Luther’s Personal Experience
Perhaps you remember that on the first night of this revival, I briefly introduced Martin Luther. Luther originally majored in law but later decided to become a priest. Now, think about it—what caused such a drastic change in his life? It happened while he was returning home after finishing his law studies. As he was approaching his village, a violent storm broke out, and lightning struck near him.
Imagine how terrifying it must have been—rain pouring down, thunder crashing, and lightning flashing right beside him. Shocked, Luther fell to the ground, trembling in fear, and barely managed to stand again. Then, in desperation, he cried out to Saint Anne, who was revered as a patron saint at that time, saying, “Saint Anne, help me! I will become a monk!” That very moment became the decisive turning point that led Luther to enter the monastery.
* Overcoming the Fear of Death
From this event, we can see that there was already a deep fear of death in Luther’s heart. Yet this fear was not unique to him; it was shared by nearly everyone living in that era. You may have heard of the Black Death, one of the most devastating plagues in human history. About a hundred years before Luther was born, the plague had swept across Europe, killing almost forty percent of the population. Even after that, it reappeared intermittently, constantly reminding people of the terror of death.
In addition, Europe in the late fifteenth and early sixteenth centuries—the period when Luther lived—was filled with political and economic upheaval, which made people anxious about death and judgment. Against this background, the dramatic lightning incident helped Luther realize something vital about himself: though he claimed to have faith, he was not at all ready to face death. Thus he resolved to enter a monastery, believing that through a life of devotion he might finally earn God’s approval.
* The Middle Ages and Luther’s Limitation
Why, then, did Luther choose to enter the monastery? It was because people in the Middle Ages believed that withdrawing from the world and living an isolated, religious life in a monastery was the best way to draw near to God. Monks were regarded as those who would receive the highest reward in heaven.
In that context, imagine Luther entering the monastery. He was a man with an exceptionally sensitive conscience, deeply honest before God about his sin. Therefore, he devoted himself to monastic life with such intensity that it began to harm his health. He believed that if he lived with enough discipline and religious zeal, God would eventually show him favor.
* How Much Is Enough?
However, a serious problem began to arise in Luther’s heart. He started to question: How much repentance, how much discipline, and how much effort are enough for God to accept me? At first, Luther believed that if he confessed his sins diligently and practiced self-denial, he would receive complete forgiveness. But soon he realized that his sins were countless—far too many to confess one by one.
In time, he came to understand that no matter how earnestly he examined himself, he was far more sinful than he had ever imagined. The more he sought to repent, the more aware he became of his own depravity. As a result, his heart grew weary and bitter. Without realizing it, Luther began to resent God, thinking of Him as a cruel judge who demanded perfection from a helpless sinner.
Moreover, the official teaching of the church in those days made things even worse. The church taught that salvation required not only grace but also one’s own good works added to that grace. For Luther, this left no hope—only despair. He concluded that no matter how hard he tried, he could never accumulate enough merit to be saved, and he sank deeper into discouragement.
* The Righteousness of God
Then how did Luther find a breakthrough in this dark and hopeless situation? After becoming a monk, he was later ordained as a priest, earned a doctorate, and began to serve as a professor of biblical studies. As he systematically studied and taught Scripture, he finally began to uncover the answer to the problem that had tormented him for so long.
In particular, while lecturing on the Book of Romans, Luther found the key in today’s text: “For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith for faith, as it is written, ‘The righteous shall live by faith’” (Romans 1:17, ESV). The crucial question was this—what does “the righteousness of God” mean?
In his day, most people understood that phrase to refer to God’s righteous character in judgment—that God, as the just Judge, reveals His righteousness by punishing sinners. In other words, they saw it as the terrifying standard of divine justice that condemned humanity.
* God Gives Us Righteousness as a Gift
But as Luther meditated on this verse, he came to a completely different understanding. He realized that the righteousness of God is not the righteousness by which God judges, but the righteousness by which God makes us righteous when we believe in Him—it is a passive righteousness given to us by grace. In other words, God is so merciful that He grants His own righteousness as a gift to those who believe.
Furthermore, Luther recognized that the phrase “The righteous shall live by faith” originates from the prophet Habakkuk in the Old Testament. Through this discovery, he saw that the Old and New Testaments are connected by one central truth: salvation comes through faith—trusting in God alone.
In his commentary on Romans, Luther wrote, “The righteousness of God is the cause of our salvation. It is not the righteousness by which God Himself is righteous, but the righteousness by which He declares us righteous through faith in the gospel. It is called the righteousness of God in contrast to the righteousness of man, which comes from works.”
* We Go Through the Same Process
From this, we clearly see that Luther’s personal journey—his struggle, his discovery, and his transformation—is the very path that every believer must also walk. How do most people today live? Many no longer see sin as sin. When they think of God, they often imagine Him as a kind, gentle grandfather next door. People have set their own low standard for God, and because their moral standards are also low, they hardly ever think about His holiness.
Yet the Bible clearly tells us that God is not as we imagine. Even when we do not sense our sin, He searches the deepest parts of our hearts. As Leviticus 11:45 says, “For I am the Lord who brought you up out of the land of Egypt to be your God. You shall therefore be holy, for I am holy” (ESV).
God has declared that He is holy, righteous, and perfect—without even the slightest flaw—and He demands that same holiness from us. Therefore, when we stand honestly before Him, we must confess that we are sinners and cannot call ourselves righteous. Then comes the question: how can a sinner stand righteous before a holy God? Scripture tells us there are only two possible answers.
* Losing Speech Before God
How did the medieval church answer that question? It taught that people must perform good works, confess their sins to a priest, or purchase indulgences to gain forgiveness. Yet even those who followed all these rules still could not be sure that their sins were forgiven, and so they lived in constant fear and anxiety before death.
When we read Scripture carefully, we realize that such fear was inevitable. The Bible clearly teaches that the more a person tries to approach God through his own good works, the more he will realize his own misery. Romans 3:19 says, “Now we know that whatever the law says it speaks to those who are under the law, so that every mouth may be stopped, and the whole world may be held accountable to God” (ESV).
The law here represents all the commands of God revealed in Scripture—indeed, all moral standards given to humanity. What does this mean? When a person stands before the law of God with honesty, he becomes speechless. The more we try to obey God’s commandments, the more we see how completely corrupted we are.
To be totally depraved means that our very souls are so damaged by sin that it is impossible for us to perfectly keep God’s Word. James 2:10–11 also declares, “For whoever keeps the whole law but fails in one point has become guilty of all of it. For he who said, ‘Do not commit adultery,’ also said, ‘Do not murder.’ If you do not commit adultery but do murder, you have become a transgressor of the law.”
In other words, even if we manage to keep one commandment throughout our whole lives, if we fail to keep all of them, we cannot be called righteous. We stand before the judgment seat of God with nothing to say, completely silenced by the weight of our guilt.
* Jesus Is Perfectly Righteous
So then, how does God work for people like us who are utterly incapable of keeping His law? What the medieval church failed to teach was that there is another way—a way that God Himself has provided apart from the law and human merit. Romans 3:21–22 declares, “But now the righteousness of God has been manifested apart from the law, although the Law and the Prophets bear witness to it—the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all who believe. For there is no distinction” (ESV).
The crucial point here is this: Jesus Christ Himself is the righteousness of God. What does this mean? God the Father sent His Son into the world, taking on full humanity so that He might live in perfect obedience in our place. During His earthly life, Jesus never once broke any of God’s commands. He fulfilled every demand of the law with complete perfection.
And ultimately, He obeyed His Father’s will even to the point of death—suffering on the cross and being crucified in pain and shame. Therefore, Jesus became the only person in all of human history who was entirely without sin—the one and only perfectly righteous man.
* Jesus Becomes Our Righteousness
Now think about this: what does such perfect righteousness have to do with us? Scripture tells us that this same Jesus Christ, the only righteous One, has become our righteousness. In other words, He stands in our place as sinners so that we may be counted righteous in Him.
Second Corinthians 5:21 says, “For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God” (ESV). This verse means that the sinless Christ was treated as if He were sin itself, bearing our guilt and punishment, so that through Him we might be regarded as righteous before God.
In the end, the Bible makes it unmistakably clear: only Jesus is perfect and righteous, yet He willingly became our righteousness. He took what was ours—sin—and gave us what was His—righteousness. That is the heart of the gospel.
* How Do We Receive That Righteousness?
Then we must ask, how can this righteousness of Jesus Christ truly become ours? The answer is simple yet profound: by faith alone. Romans 3:22 says, “The righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all who believe. For there is no distinction” (ESV). Through faith—and faith alone—we receive the righteousness of Christ.
This truth is the foundation of the gospel. Through the long history of the church, we see two entirely different ways of understanding salvation. One depends on human effort—trying to earn God’s favor by good works, just as Luther once did in the monastery, and as countless people around the world still do today. The other way, taught by Scripture, is to confess that we can never be accepted by God on our own and to be justified by faith in Jesus Christ alone.
* What Is Faith?
At this point, we need to pause and consider what faith really means. Many people misunderstand faith, thinking of it as something they do—as if believing were another kind of work. They say, “I believed, and that’s why I was saved,” as though faith were a human achievement.
But the faith described in Scripture is the exact opposite. Faith is not an action we perform to earn something; it is the open hand that simply receives what God has already accomplished for us. In contrast to works—which strive to obtain something—faith accepts with trust what God has freely given.
In other words, faith means acknowledging and trusting in what God has already done for us through Jesus Christ. That is why Scripture repeatedly says, “by faith.” This phrase does not mean that faith itself has power, but rather that faith is the means—the channel—through which we receive God’s grace.
What truly matters, then, is not the strength of our faith but the object of our faith—Jesus Christ, who has become our righteousness.
* The Great Exchange
Another crucial truth is that when we believe in Jesus Christ, something extraordinary happens within us—a spiritual exchange takes place. Second Corinthians 5:21 declares, “For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God” (ESV).
What does this mean? God placed all our sins upon Jesus, making Him bear the punishment that we deserved. At the same time, God transferred Jesus’ perfect righteousness to us, crediting it to our account as though it were our own. In this divine exchange, Christ took our sin, and we received His righteousness.
Because of this, when God looks at us, He no longer sees guilty sinners but those clothed in the perfect righteousness of His Son. And this happens not because of anything we do—it is entirely God’s work. Even though we remain sinners in our nature, God now regards us as if we had never sinned and as if we had obeyed His law perfectly.
This is what the Reformers called justification—being declared righteous before God by faith alone, through Christ alone.
* Why Is Christ Alone So Important?
Then think about this: why is Christ alone so important to us who live in this age?A long time ago, one church member came to visit the church. She was not a member of the church I served, but she came to seek spiritual counseling. She said to me,“Pastor, I came because I have one thing that really troubles me. In my church, there are several pastors. One pastor teaches that we are saved by grace alone. But another pastor teaches that we must receive the gift of tongues to be saved. I really don’t know which one is right.”
She asked me this question with great seriousness. I still cannot forget the look on her face, because there was sadness in it. She truly wanted to understand the matter of salvation and had a sincere desire to enter heaven. But the more she listened to the sermons, the more confused she became. Some said we are saved by grace alone, but others made it seem like there were additional conditions.
* We Must Have a Biblical Faith
What we must remember is that this was exactly what made Luther angry. It is certainly true according to the Bible that we are saved by faith, but the church at that time did not teach it. Because of that, the believers were controlled by the priests. They believed that their destiny depended on the priests and the pope. They thought they had to go and confess their sins to the priests and that they had to buy indulgences sold by the church.
At that time, the church officially excommunicated Luther. The Catholic priests burned every piece of Luther’s writing they could find. Then we must ask, is the Catholic Church any different today? The answer is no—it still holds the same position. They also say that we must believe in Jesus Christ, but they do not teach it in the biblical way. The same goes for their doctrine of salvation. They claim that we must complete our salvation throughout our whole lifetime. In other words, they insist that we must continually build up our merit through good works to be saved in the end.
So, on the outside, Protestantism and Catholicism may seem similar, but what they believe inside is completely different. And this is not just a matter of being Catholic or Protestant—it is a matter of whether we truly have biblical faith in our salvation, or whether we merely believe according to our own thoughts and desires.
* People Without Assurance of Salvation
A long time ago, I attended the funeral service of a church member’s relative. The deceased was a Catholic. It was my first time attending a Catholic funeral. From the viewpoint of a Protestant pastor, that service left a deep impression on me. The priest led the ceremony very politely, and incense—which we normally do not use in Protestant services—was burned throughout. The funeral lasted much longer than I expected.
But what struck me most as a Protestant pastor was this: during the entire service, the priest never once said with confidence that the deceased had gone to heaven. He only kept repeating prayers like, “Saint so-and-so, please allow this person to enter heaven.” At first, I thought he would mention it just once or twice, but he kept repeating it again and again until the end of the funeral.
As I listened, my heart felt heavy and sorrowful. Though the ceremony was solemn and beautifully conducted, there was no assurance—only repeated petitions to the saints. It made me realize once again how vast the difference is between believing in Jesus Christ biblically and believing in Him in a non-biblical way.
* Focus on the Book of Hebrews
In that same context, the Book of Hebrews gives us the clearest answer to the question of why Christ alone. Perhaps you, too, are someone who reads the Bible on your own. I went to church from a young age, but because I did not read the Bible personally, my faith remained very immature. When I look back, I can say that the turning point of my life came when, as a young adult, I began to read the Bible for myself.
The same was true for Luther. It was only when he began to read and study Scripture seriously that he finally came to understand the gospel correctly. In my own life, I was deeply moved when I read the Book of Hebrews. That is because I realized so clearly that the entire message of Hebrews reveals one central truth—only Jesus Christ.
As I speak with our church members, I feel more and more that nearly every spiritual question they have can be answered through the Book of Hebrews. It was the same for Luther. Through the Psalms, Romans, Galatians, and especially Hebrews, he came to understand the gospel more deeply. And as that understanding grew and was strengthened, he gained the unshakable truth that enabled him to reform a corrupt church.
* Jesus Who Came as a Man
Then how does the Book of Hebrews reveal Jesus Christ so excellently? Let us first look at Hebrews 1:1–2, which says, “Long ago, at many times and in many ways, God spoke to our fathers by the prophets, but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed the heir of all things, through whom also he created the world” (ESV).
What does this mean? In the past, God revealed His will through the prophets and by various means, but in these last days, He has spoken to us through His Son. In other words, in the time we now live, we come to know God’s will only through Christ.
Then what did Christ do? Hebrews 2:14–15 tells us, “Since therefore the children share in flesh and blood, he himself likewise partook of the same things, that through death he might destroy the one who has the power of death, that is, the devil, and deliver all those who through fear of death were subject to lifelong slavery” (ESV).
This passage shows us that Jesus became fully human, just like us. But why did He do so? The verse makes it clear—He became man to destroy the devil, the one who holds the power of death. From the beginning, the devil deceived mankind, and through him death entered the world. Yet Jesus came to conquer death and to defeat Satan through His resurrection.
Furthermore, Jesus came to set free all who live in fear of death. In Him, we find true freedom and deliverance.
* Jesus Who Makes Atonement in the Heavenly Sanctuary
Furthermore, Hebrews 9:11–12 says, “But when Christ appeared as a high priest of the good things that have come, then through the greater and more perfect tent (not made with hands, that is, not of this creation) he entered once for all into the holy places, not by means of the blood of goats and calves but by means of his own blood, thus securing an eternal redemption” (ESV).
This is truly an astonishing passage. What does it mean? Jesus Christ came as the High Priest—not one who enters an earthly tabernacle, but one who entered the heavenly sanctuary itself. And unlike the priests of the Old Testament, who offered the blood of animals again and again, Christ offered His own blood once for all to accomplish eternal redemption.
In other words, only Jesus is the true High Priest who atones for our sins, and only Jesus is the sacrifice who was offered for our forgiveness.
So we must ask: why do so many people today still live without assurance of forgiveness? Why do so many continue to live in fear of death? It is because they do not yet believe firmly in “Christ alone.” But Scripture continually testifies that we are saved only through Jesus Christ.
Because He is the glorious Son of God, the blood He shed for us carries infinite worth and power. Therefore, whoever believes that Jesus died for them will be fully forgiven by God.
* Jesus Who Helps Us
Furthermore, how does God now command us to live? Hebrews 10:19 and 22 say, “Therefore, brothers, since we have confidence to enter the holy places by the blood of Jesus... let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, with our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water” (ESV).
Which part of this passage touches your heart the most? As I meditated on this text, the phrase “let us draw near to God” deeply moved me. It means that we can approach God—not because of any priest, pastor, or saint standing between us, nor because of someone who prays on our behalf—but only through the power of the blood of Jesus Christ.
By believing and relying on Jesus, we can come boldly before God at any time.
Moreover, Hebrews 7:25 tells us, “Consequently, he is able to save to the uttermost those who draw near to God through him, since he always lives to make intercession for them” (ESV).
What does this mean? It means that Jesus Christ is not someone who helped us only once when we first believed. He is the One who lives forever, seated at the right hand of God, continually interceding for us, helping us, and ensuring our complete salvation.
* Draw Near Boldly
Therefore, as we reflect on the core of the Christian faith—Faith Alone and Christ Alone—the conclusion is this: “Draw near to God with boldness.” When the church lost the gospel and people were deceived into thinking that the pope, priests, and saints possessed divine authority, no one could approach God with confidence.
But through Luther and the Reformers, the truths of Faith Alone and Christ Alone were restored according to Scripture. As a result, every believer was granted unshakable boldness before God.
So I encourage you: rely on Jesus Christ alone and draw near to God with confidence in every moment of your life. Call upon our Father with all your heart. Ask boldly for every spiritual and material need you have, and live each day in the overflowing joy, courage, and peace that come from Him.
May all of you, beloved brothers and sisters, live in that boldness and blessing, in the name of our Lord.
내 아버지 나를
받으소서 거짓 아닌 진실함으로
주께 나아갑니다 내 아버지 기도
들으소서 입술 아닌 참 마음으로
주께 나아갑니다
한 걸음씩 더 가까이 주와 함께함이 내게
복이라 한 호흡씩 더 가까이 주를 사랑함이 내게
복이라
주의 깃으로 날
덮으시니 그 날개 아래 피하리로다 주의 진실함 내
방패가 되시니 모든 두려움 내게서
사라지네
2. 곡 소개
이 곡은. 예람워십에서 2024년에 발매한 더 가까이 앨범에 수록된 곡이다. 이 곡은, 성도의 진정한 복이신 아버지 하나님께 더 가까이 나아가고자
하는 영적인 갈망을 아름답게 담아낸 찬양이다.
3. 말씀으로 바라보기
시 91:4 그가
너를 그의 깃으로 덮으시리니 네가 그의 날개 아래에 피하리로다 그의 진실함은 방패와 손 방패가 되시나니 91:4 He will cover you with
his feathers, and under his wings you will find refuge; his faithfulness will
be your shield and rampart.
하나님은 시편 기자가 그 날개 아래에 피난처로 삼을 수
있는 어미새로 묘사됩니다. 방패와 작은 방패는 모든 해약으로 부터의 완전한 보호를 나타내는 것입니다. 하나님께서는 신자를 위하여 모든 것을
보호하는 방패가 되어 주십니다.
시편 73:28 하나님께
가까이 함이 내게 복이라 내가 주 여호와를 나의 피난처로 삼아 주의 모든 행적을 전파하리이다 73:28 But as for me, it is good to be near God. I have made the
Sovereign Lord my refuge; I will tell of all your deeds.
아삽은 시편 73편을
나는 거의 넘어질 뻔 하였다로 시작합니다. 그러나 그는 하나님께 가까이 함이 내게 복이라고 시편을 끝맺습니다. 이 사이에 무슨 일이 일어난 것일까요? 그는 예배 중에 하나님을
만났습니다. 하나님의 임재 안에서, 그가 필요로 하던 진리, 소망, 그리고 영적인 힘을 발견한 것입니다. 인생의 혼란이 하나님께로 부터 멀어지는
것이 아니라 오히려 그분께 나아가도록 하십시오.
에베소서 2:13 이제는
전에 멀리 있던 너희가 그리스도 예수 안에서 그리스도의 피로 가까워졌느니라 2:13 But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far away have
been brought near by the blood of Christ.
이방인들이 하나님께 가까이 나아오게 된 데는 두 가지
차원이 있습니다. 첫 번째는 그리스도와의 영적 연합을 경험한 것입니다. 두 번째는 그러한 영적 연합의
경험이 가능하게 된 역사적인 근거, 즉 그리스도의 희생적인 죽음입니다.
약 4:8 하나님을
가까이하라 그리하면 너희를 가까이하시리라 죄인들아 손을 깨끗이 하라 두 마음을 품은 자들아 마음을 성결하게 하라
히브리서 10:22 우리가
마음에 뿌림을 받아 악한 양심으로부터 벗어나고 몸은 맑은 물로 씻음을 받았으니 참 마음과 온전한 믿음으로 하나님께 나아가자 (개역개정) 10:22 let us draw near to God with a sincere heart and with the
full assurance that faith brings, having our hearts sprinkled to cleanse us
from a guilty conscience and having our bodies washed with pure water. (NIV)
여기서 말씀하시는 참 마음은,
악하고 믿음이 없는 마음과는 반대되는 것으로, 진실함과 진리를 특징으로 하는 마음을 의미하는
것입니다. 악한 마음은 하나님에게서 멀어지게
하지만, 참된 마음은 하나님께 나아가게 하는 것입니다. 새
언약의 약속은 마음의 변화를 요구하였습니다.
John D. Barry et al., Faithlife Study
Bible (Bellingham, WA: Lexham Press, 2012, 2016), Heb 10:22.
4. 찬양에 대한
묵상
이 찬양은, 성도의 참된 만족이 되시는
아버지 하나님께 다가가는 간절한 소망과 확신을 담고 있는 찬양이다. 예람 워십팀은 시편 91편 4절을 찬양의 설명에 인용하면서, 마치 어미 새가 자신의 날개를 펴서 새끼를 보호하는 것처럼 하나님께서 자신의 성도를 보호하는 것에 강조를 두고
있다.
또한 이 찬양은 하나님께 가까이 함이 나의 복이라는 말씀을 그대로 인용하고 있는데, 시편의 맥락에서는 악인들이 흥하는 것을 보면서 고통스러워 하던 시편 저자가,
하나님을 예배하면서 소망과 용기를 회복하는 메시지를 담고 있는 것이다. 그런 맥락에서 이
찬양은, 고난과 낙심 속에서 살아가는 중에도 오직 하나님 안에서 우리의 영혼이 새롭게 회복됨을 믿음으로
고백하는 탁월한 곡이라고 말할 수 있다.
이 찬양에서 가장 중요하고 근본적인 질문은, 어떻게
우리가 한걸음 더 진실한 마음으로 하나님께 나아갈 수 있는가 이다. 죄인은 하나님과의 관계가 끊어졌지만, 오직 예수 그리스도의 속죄의 죽음을 통하여 우리는 그리스도와 영적으로 연합하였고, 그리하여 하나님의 자녀가 된 것이다. 그러므로 우리는 오직 예수
그리스도의 공로로 그리스도 안에서 아버지 하나님께 나아가는 것이다. 또한 주님께서 새롭게 만드신 마음을
가지고, 우리 자신의 연약함과 죄악들을 돌이키며 진실함과 정직함으로 하나님께 나아가는 것이다. 그리고 그렇게 주님께 나아갈 때에 하나님께서는 반드시 우리를 만나 주신다고 약속하셨다.
그러므로 이 찬양을 부를 때 마다, 우리의
진정한 보호자가 누구이신가를 기억하기 원한다. 또한 우리가 어떻게 감히 하나님 앞에 나아갈 수 있는지를
기억하며 예수 그리스도를 향한 감사가 넘치기를 원한다. 그리고 오직 주님 안에서 진정한 만족과 회복과
소망이 있음을 고백하며, 항상 그분을 가까이 하기 위하여 애를 쓰는 성도님들 되시기를 기대한다.
이곡의원곡은마라나타싱어즈(Maranatha! Singers)의 He Is Able이라는곡이다. 그리고“전하세예수 12집”에번역되어서수록되었다. 이곡은하나님의능력에대하여탁월하게묵상한곡이다. 하나님께서는전능자이시기때문에, 나의삶을붙들고계시고, 나의앞길을주관하시며, 그분이원하시는나를만들어내시고야마는분이심을믿음으로고백하는너무나아름다운곡이다.
3. 말씀으로바라보기
히 7:25 그러므로자기를힘입어하나님께나아가는자들을온전히구원하실수있으니이는그가항상살아계셔서그들을위하여간구하심이라7:25 Therefore he is able to save completely those who come to
God through him, because he always lives to intercede for them.
간구하심이라 : 이 단어는 “다른 사람을 대신하여 중재하다”라는 의미입니다. 이것은 누군가를 대신하여서 왕에게 청원을 가져오는 것을 가리키는데 사용되었습니다. 랍비들은 천사들에게 중재의 권한을 부여했기 때문에, 사람들은 아마도 천사들을 중재하는 자로 여기고 있었을 것입니다. 히브리서 저자는 오직 그리스도만이 중보자이심을 분명히 하였습니다.
고린도후서 9:8 하나님이능히모든은혜를너희에게넘치게하시나니이는너희로모든일에항상모든것이넉넉하여모든착한일을넘치게하게하려하심이라9:8 And God is able to make all
grace abound to you, so that in all things at all times, having all that you
need, you will abound in every good work.
모든 은혜를 너희에게 넘치게 하시니 : 관대하신 하나님께서는 고린도 성도들에게 넉넉하게 베풀 수 있는 능력을 풍성하게 주실 것입니다. 넘치게 하게 하려 하심이라 : 예수님 안에서는 항상 넉넉하며 결코 모자라지 않습니다. 심지어 상황이 좋지 않을 때에도, 크리스천들에게 선을 행할 기회가 항상 주어질 것입니다. “넉넉하여”로 번역된 헬라어 아우타르케이아는 문자적으로 “자기 지배”라는 의미를 가지고 있습니다. 복음이 그리스 문화로 들어와서 그것을 변화시키기 시작할 때에, 바울은 이 친숙한 스토아 학파의 단어를 들고 새로운 내용으로 채웁니다. 금욕주의자인 스토아 학파는 자신의 내적인 자원들로 충분함을 얻었지만, 기독교인은 하나님의 순수한 선물로 충분함을 얻게 됩니다.
Edward A. Engelbrecht, The
Lutheran Study Bible (St. Louis, MO: Concordia Publishing House,
2009), 1992.
만약 우리가 베풀면, 하나님께서는 더 많은 것을 우리에게 주시고 우리가 다른 선한 일을 할 수 있게 하실 것입니다. 다시 말해서, 하나님은 관대하게 베푸는 사람이 궁핍을 당하지 않도록 돌보신다는 것입니다. 그 대신 하나님은 베푸는 사람이 계속해서 베풀 수 있도록 후하게 베푸십니다.
빌립보서 1:6 너희안에서착한일을시작하신이가그리스도예수의날까지이루실줄을우리는확신하노라 (개역개정)1:6 being confident of this,
that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the
day of Christ Jesus. (NIV)
