Pastor Yongdoo Kim’s Sermon Notes
Title: How to Fight Sin Within Grace – Cultivate the Heart of a Warrior
Series: Chuseok (Korean Thanksgiving Day) Special Revival Service (4)
Scriptures: Romans 5:20-21, 2 Corinthians 12:10
Date: Thursday, October 9, 2025
Topic: Living in Grace and Cultivating the Warrior’s Heart in the Battle Against Sin
Transcribed & Edited by: Pastor Sungjee Cho
English Revised by: Not yet revised (For Full Version)
Summarized by: Pastor Sungjee Cho
0. Opening
Romans 5 tells us this: “Where sin increased, grace abounded much more.” But that doesn’t mean the problem of sin disappears just because we live in grace. Deep inside us, our sinful nature still remains. We don’t have the power to deal with that on our own, and that’s why we need to rely on Jesus every single day. Grace isn’t something that’s simply “free.” It’s the face of love purchased with the blood of Jesus. In that grace, we are called to become more like Him day by day. Grace covers our sins, heals our wounds, and lifts broken hearts—it’s the gentle hand of God reaching into our lives.
1. God’s Redemptive Plan
1) The Fulfillment of Gentiles and Israel’s Restoration
God’s redemptive plan isn’t just about saving one nation. It’s about bringing all nations into His grace. He first chose Israel to be the vessel through which His message would reach the world. But through Israel’s stubbornness and disobedience, the gospel ended up flowing out to the Gentiles. In Romans 11, Paul writes, “Because of their fall, salvation has come to the Gentiles.” God even used Israel’s failure as part of His plan for redemption.
The salvation of the Gentiles wasn’t God’s backup plan. It was part of His design from the very beginning. God desires that everyone would come to repentance and be saved (1 Timothy 2:4). So, until the full number of Gentiles comes in, God has temporarily paused Israel’s restoration. As the Gentile church receives the gospel, grows in the Spirit, and builds the kingdom of God, a day will come when the remnant of Israel opens their eyes and recognizes Jesus as the Messiah.
We were once wild branches, not part of the true olive tree. But by God’s grace, we’ve been grafted into the true tree—the body of Jesus Christ (Romans 11:17). Our root isn’t Israel; it’s God Himself. The source of life is always in Him. So, we Gentiles have no reason to boast. Instead, we must hold on to grace with humility and pray for the restoration of the original branches.
In the end times, the Gentile church and the remnant of Israel will become one—a new humanity completing God’s redemptive plan. That will be the ultimate fulfillment of heaven, the glorious union at the wedding feast of the Lamb (Ephesians 2:14–16; Revelation 19:7).
2) Grace and Sin
Sin is the deepest problem in human history. It was the first wall that separated humanity from God. But God covered us with a love greater than our sin. His answer wasn’t the law—it was grace. Grace acknowledges our weakness and rests on His mercy and sacrifice.
But we must never misunderstand grace. Living under grace doesn’t give us permission to sin freely. Grace isn’t a soft blanket that just covers sin—it’s the power of God that breaks it. Sin still tries to shake our thoughts and hearts and block the Holy Spirit’s rule within us, so grace must never be an excuse for laziness. It’s the strength for holy battle.
God’s grace doesn’t stop at forgiveness. It pulls us out of sin and sets us on the path of righteousness. Grace awakens repentance, heals wounds, and restores broken souls. If we don’t cling to Jesus’ grace every day, we drift away from it and eventually fall back into the weakness of sin.
Grace is free—but it’s not cheap. It came at the cost of Jesus’ blood, given to us as the face of divine love. Because of that blood, we are alive. Every time we look at that loving face, we are drawn back to holiness again. That’s why we, as believers, must stand before the Lord each day, hold on to His grace, fight against sin, and live in victory through that grace.
2. The Warrior’s Calling
1) The Call to a Warrior’s Heart
In every generation, God calls warriors—people who will fight for His kingdom. But a true warrior isn’t just someone who carries a sword. A warrior is someone who, through faith, rises above fear to follow God’s will. The story of Gideon in Judges 6 and 7 shows us exactly how this kind of warrior’s heart is shaped.
Gideon wasn’t bold at first. He was a fearful young man hiding in a winepress, trying to thresh wheat away from the Midianites. But God called him “Mighty warrior” (Judges 6:12). God doesn’t look at who we are right now—He sees who we can become through His grace. When God calls you, His call is not just a title—it’s a declaration of who He’s shaping you to be.
Gideon started with 32,000 men, but God told him to send home 22,000 who were afraid. From a human point of view, that made no sense. But God doesn’t look at numbers; He looks at hearts. He searches for those who will stand in faith even when fear is present. Out of the 10,000 who remained, God reduced the army even further—down to just 300.
God doesn’t need many people to accomplish His purpose because His battles are not won by human strength. The heart of a warrior isn’t just about being brave; it’s about having confidence that comes from knowing God is with you. Even when you feel weak or nervous on the outside, there’s an unshakable faith inside—that’s the heart God is looking for.
And today, God is saying the same thing to us: “Mighty warrior, I am with you.” He sees potential even in our fears and weaknesses. The heart of a warrior isn’t something you’re born with—it grows in the presence of God. When you truly believe that He is with you, you won’t back down no matter what battlefield you face.
2) The Test at the Water
God brought Gideon’s men to the water for one more test. This test wasn’t just about how they drank; it revealed what was in their hearts.
Those who knelt and put their faces down to drink like animals were consumed by the moment. They focused only on their thirst—their own needs—and forgot the battle and the presence of God. But those who scooped water with their hands stayed alert and ready. They controlled their desires and remembered their calling.
This wasn’t just about drinking water—it was about spiritual attitude. God always looks at our posture of heart. The awake person keeps their eyes on God, no matter what’s happening around them. They don’t bow to the world, and they value God’s will more than their own needs. That’s the kind of person God can use—a warrior who stays alert and ready in spirit.
We’re all standing by the water today. Life’s needs, temptations, and distractions surround us, and God is watching our hearts. Will we bow to the world, or will we stay awake and lift our hands toward God? A warrior of faith doesn’t let circumstances decide their direction—they choose where to fix their eyes. Every small action, every glance, every heart response reveals whether we’re ready to be used by God.
God still watches us at the water and asks, “With what kind of heart will you drink?” And those who have the heart of a warrior answer, “Lord, I will not look at the world—I will keep my eyes on You.”
3. Strength in Weakness and Readiness for the End Times
1) Hidden Weaknesses and Spiritual Hindrances
Receiving grace doesn’t mean we have become perfect. Even after salvation, the inner battle continues. Deep inside, fears, worries, pride, comparisons, and worldly desires still try to pull us away from full obedience to God’s calling. God allows these weaknesses to be exposed—not to shame us, but to break them and shape us. This is how He molds His warriors.
God is not looking for perfect people. He raises those who humbly acknowledge their weakness and bow before Him. Scripture says, “When I am weak, then I am strong” (2 Corinthians 12:10). This doesn’t mean we become strong only after our weakness disappears; it means that when we surrender our weakness to God, His power becomes visible through us.
Our weaknesses aren’t something to hide; they are gateways where we encounter God most deeply. A wounded heart becomes the softest place to feel His touch. The cracks in our pride are where His grace seeps in. That’s why those who are truly used by God are not the ones who hide their flaws but the ones who allow God to work through them, learning humility and dependence in the process.
2) Strength in Weakness
The Apostle Paul endured countless trials—sickness, persecution, hardship, and lack. Three times he pleaded with the Lord, saying, “Take this thorn away from me.” But God answered, “My grace is sufficient for you, for My power is made perfect in weakness” (2 Corinthians 12:9).
This reveals a deep spiritual truth: God’s power begins where human strength ends. When we stop relying on ourselves, that’s when God starts working. He often chooses broken vessels over strong ones, because brokenness leaves room for His glory.
A cracked vessel can’t hold new wine, but when God reshapes it, that same vessel becomes a carrier of His fragrance and grace. Weakness isn’t a curse; it’s preparation. Through it, we grow in humility and dependence.
True strength is not proven by worldly success but by the inner peace and confidence that come from being completely held by God. Knowing that His grace is enough—that’s real strength. So don’t be afraid of your weakness. It’s the space where God moves, the place where His power meets your surrender.
3) Living in the Age of Fear and Confusion
We’re living in an age more unstable and confusing than ever before. Technology keeps advancing, yet the human soul grows emptier. Artificial intelligence replaces human roles, morality collapses, and truth and lies blend until few can tell the difference. These are not random developments—they are signs the Bible foretold about the end times.
Jesus said, “Men’s hearts will fail them from fear” (Luke 21:26). Fear is the dominant spirit of this age. But God’s people rise in faith amid fear. He is calling for those who will not bow to the spirit of fear but stay awake and faithful until the end.
End-time warriors do not fight with swords or physical weapons. Their weapon is faith. They listen for God’s voice above the noise of the world. They carry a wisdom greater than any AI and a faith stronger than the fear ruling this age.
God still doesn’t look at numbers—He looks at the purity of the heart and the constancy of faith. The true strength of the Church in the end times won’t be measured by its size, but by the number of believers who stay spiritually awake.
So in an age ruled by fear, we must live by faith. The world bows in fear, but we bow in grace. The world is lost in confusion, but we are guided by the Word and the Holy Spirit. Even now, God is completing His work of salvation through those who dare to overcome fear with faith.
4. Closing: Surrender and Trust
God separates those who are fearful and bound by the world, and He raises up those who are awake in faith. We still wrestle with sin and weakness, but true victory comes when we fully surrender to the Lord.
Only those with the heart of a spiritual warrior—those who stay awake, humble, and obedient—will be used by God in these final days.
“When I am weak, then I am strong.” This is not just a comforting verse—it’s the secret to overcoming in the last days. It is in the place where our weakness meets His strength that God builds His army.
(Amen.)
Posted by Senior Pastor Steve Kim