Ancient Korea had many customs for burial of the wealthy dead. It was often the practice to put a valuable pearl in the mouth of a rich man before placing him in a grave. This beautiful and perfect pearl was important: it served as the dead man's payment into heaven.

God knew that man could never enter heaven on his own efforts. But God still loved man. He allowed His only Son to come to earth, live a perfect life, and die a death of sacrifice in mankind's place. Jesus Christ paid a great price for each person's salvation, proving His death a victory when He rose to life on the third day.

Christ is now the believer's beautiful and perfect Pearl. Unlike the pearl of the wealthy dead, this Pearl of Great Price grants genuine admission into heaven. Moreover, the abundant Christian life is not limited to a future heaven. It is available in one's daily living. Through Christ, the Costly Pearl, a Christian can live a life of faith, joy, peace, giving and love.
 
 

A LIFE OF FAITH

I was five years old when I first learned about Christ. As I grew older, I wondered whether heaven was real. If heaven and God were real, I knew that I must believe. But if they were not real, I decided to pretend to believe for my parents' sake.

I was 14 when our family moved from Jinhae to Seoul. In Seoul I regularly attended church. I watched the Christians of theat church, and decided that I wanted what those Christians had. So I would pray to God every night. I later committed my life to Christ, and also received the Baptism in the Holy Spirit.

Soon after, my parent's business bankrupted. Our family was so poor that I could not go to high school. Though I prayed and prayed, we remained destitute.

Then I met a woman teacher who treated me like her own daughter. She introduced me to many of her students. I later tutored those young students for money. The money I received I would tithe to God, and use the remainder to pay my high school tuition.

One cold winter I did not have a coat. I prayed about this, and within a short time an American sent me a light blue coat. The school officials preferred dark colored coats, but they understood my situation. I remained warm the rest of the winter.

Now God gives me many coats. Each new coat I receive, I remember that light blue coat.

A life of faith is not limited to the initial belief required for salvation. Faith is to permeate every aspect of the Christian's life. Faith can conquer doubt, defeat Satan, and meet needs in one's daily living.
 
 

A LIFE OF JOY

Because of a lack of funds, construction of Central Church's present auditorium at Yoido was halted for eight months. Since my husband was senior pastor, we became depressed and unhappy, and often argued.

I prayed about our dilemma a long time one night. Then I heard a pack of mice in the ceiling of our apartment. "God," I cried, "if you are alive, make those mice stop."

Suddenly the mice fled out. The apartment filled with quiet. God had answered my prayer. I again realized that God was alive and concerned with every detail of my life. My heart overflowed with joy and I knew that God would help me with any size problem.

God knows that Christians are frail humans, people who make mistakes. It is God's desire that believers continually realize that He is alive, and that He cares deeply for them. If Christians live with those realizations, they cannot help but experience a life of joy.
 
 

A LIFE OF PEACE AND PRAISE

Man tends to worry about the future. In many ways the future is not in man's control. And the end of all men is the same: death. Worry and concern about the future simply robs man of his peace.

But Christ came to give man peace. Through prayer and faith the believer can rely on Christ's guidance to solve everyday problems. Christ has also conquered death. While the believer can die an earthly death, he can live an everlasting life.

One secret to a life of peace is constant praise to God. God has given much to the believer: salvation, the presence of the Holy spirit, His unchanging love, His holy Word to read and study. Even in difficult times the believer is to give thanks to God. When the Christian praises God, he more closely becomes the person of peace God intended him to be.
 
 

A LIFE OF GIVING

My husband and I borrowed money from my mother, and bought our first home at a good price. We were gradually able to repay the loan with money from my husband's meager salary.

Not long afterward, the decision was made to move the church to Yoido. This venture proved costly. The two and one-half million dollars needed for construction seemed unattainable.

One evening my husband returned to our precious home. "Honey," he began, "I feel that God wants us to give a seed offering of faith. I feel that He wants us to sell this house, and give the money to the building fund."

I was shocked. "Are you really going to do that?" I questioned. I struggled in my heart. But I knew that when we give to God, He is faithful to meet our needs.

Many months of difficulty followed. Our family moved into a small and uncompleted church apartment. My husband decided not to receive a salary. Much of our money came from piano students I tutored. In a sense, we were all forced to live a life of giving.

Look at our situation now. From sacrificial giving on many people's part, the largest congregation in Christendom has been established. My family now lives in another apartment, even nicer than our first home.

The believer is to follow Christ's example. He is to live a life of Spirit-directed giving. Through that giving God will release a fountain of blessing, more than the human mind can imagine.
 
 

A LIFE OF LOVE

I have watched my three young sons grow from infancy. In my experience I have found that children need love that involves thought and touch. Many modern youth live without parental love and recognition. As a result, they rebel. It is when a child feels genuine love that obedience comes more easily.

It has been proven that orphan infants need more than cursory care and milk. They also need loving concern and caress.

The same is true of adults. There is a quality in love that helps one to be fully alive.

God deeply loves each person. An awareness of His love makes the believer fresh, alive, and willing to be a channel of God's love to others. Scripture states, "Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind." That is the greatest commandment. It comes first. The second is like it: "Love your neighbor as yourself" (Matthew 22:37-39 NEB).

Article copyrighted 1981 by "World of Faith" magazine, Winter 1981, Volume 3, No. 3, Page 15-16. This magazine is no longer published, but has been replaced by "Church Growth,".available at P. O. Box 7; Seoul 150, Korea.