1. The Love of God and the Premise of Holiness
Pastor David Jang emphasizes the essential message, “God is love.” This truth is clearly revealed in 1 John 4:8, which states, “God is love.” The love of God described in the Bible, and how humans ought to understand that love, is a vast and profound subject. The truth that “God is love” is not merely a sentimental concept but an essential reality that believers must internalize through faith. In order to understand this love, we must first acknowledge a key premise presented in Scripture. That premise is our relationship to God’s holiness.
In speaking of the God of love, Pastor David Jang also underscores that this love necessarily presupposes holiness. People are drawn to the phrase “God is love,” but can easily overlook the truth that “God is holy.” Before talking about love, we must first recognize that this love is founded upon holiness. It is not enough to think of God simply as a being who is easy to love; He is the Almighty and utterly distinct from us. The Old Testament scene in which Moses encounters God in the burning bush in the wilderness of Midian, where God says, “Take off your sandals” (Exodus 3:5), symbolizes this reality. In order to meet God, one must first cast off the “old” and stand set apart before the Holy God. The burning bush episode is a uniquely rare event in the Old Testament in which God appeared in a visibly manifested form. Generally, the Old Testament figures encountered “the angels of God,” not the direct, substantive presence of God. But Moses, even before Jesus arrived, experienced the form of God in the clearest way possible. From that encounter, he learned a primary truth: “God is holy.”
What does “holiness” mean? Holiness signifies being “utterly different.” God’s thoughts and ways are different from ours (Isaiah 55:8). In other words, God is the Most High in the universe, the transcendent Creator who is not bound by anything. Moreover, He not only created all things but also preserves them, which is why we owe Him worship and praise. When humans worship and praise God, it is not because He oppressively demands, “I made you, so obey Me.” Rather, it is a rightful act of worship within the clear relationship of “Creator and created beings.” Pastor David Jang explains that “if we fail to glorify God and give Him thanks, we end up following the same path of sin displayed in Romans 1.” Romans 1 shows the fallen condition of humans who, though they know God, do not serve Him, but instead worship idols and live in the lusts of the flesh. The result is eternal punishment, namely hell. Paul states that this is “without excuse” (Romans 1:20), because God has plainly left testimony of Himself in this world. Through nature, human conscience, and of course the Scriptures, we can come to know God’s existence and the necessity of worshiping Him. To ignore and turn away from this is rightly subject to judgment.
So then, how can we reconcile the phrase “God of love” with the holiness of God? There is no contradiction at all in saying that God is both love and holiness. God is the Almighty (the “almighty God”), and at the same time He is a God who waits—appearing, in a sense, like a “powerless God.” When God enters human history as the “God of love,” He does not forcefully compel humanity, but rather allows them to choose through a personal invitation. In that sense, the apparent paradox of being both “Almighty God” and “the God who seems powerless” holds together. He is the almighty Judge, yet also the God who waits and endures in love.
Pastor David Jang repeatedly emphasizes that “holiness and love can never be separated, and to properly understand love, we must first understand the premise of holiness.” Without holiness, love easily leads to indulgence and decadence; without love, holiness easily turns into legalistic asceticism or mere formalism. However, the God described in Scripture is both holiness itself and love itself. These attributes of God have been concretely revealed to us only through Jesus Christ. In the New Testament era, Jesus came to earth as the “image of God” (Colossians 1:15). Through Him, humanity finally received the decisive revelation of the “love of God” we had longed to understand. Jesus is the “Only Begotten Son” of God the Father, sharing the same essence. Within the doctrine of the Trinity, Jesus shares the same substance as God the Father. Therefore, in John 14:9, Jesus says, “Anyone who has seen Me has seen the Father.” For New Testament believers, knowing God through Jesus is a special privilege.
The opening of the Lord’s Prayer—“Our Father in heaven, hallowed be Your name…” (Matthew 6:9–10)—declares the astounding truth that this holy God is also “our Father.” It is here that God’s lofty transcendence and His intimate immanence intersect. While God transcends all, He also adopts us as His children and draws near to us as a Father. Calling the holy God “Father” is possible only through Jesus Christ, and we can boldly say “Abba Father” (Romans 8:15) because the Holy Spirit indwells us. For this reason, Pastor David Jang urges believers to live lives increasingly set apart before God, based on the premise that “the God of love is the God of holiness.” In the world, we must exhibit holy thoughts, holy actions, holy words, and holy attitudes to reveal the glory of God. And when this “place of holiness” becomes firm, we can fully experience the joy of having a “relationship of love” with God. In short, in order to worship and serve the God who is the source of love, we must first perceive His holiness and maintain a reverent heart toward Him.
2. A Relationship of Love That Faces God
Pastor David Jang refers to 1 Corinthians 13 as the “love chapter,” noting that its ultimate portrayal of love is encapsulated in the phrase, “Then we shall see face to face” (1 Corinthians 13:12). Through this statement, the Apostle Paul proclaims that a day will come when we will fully know God and enter into direct fellowship with Him. For now, we know only in part and see but a dim reflection, yet “then” we shall know completely. And the essence of that knowledge is love. The reason humanity is called to love God and to love neighbor is, ultimately, to enter that “deep fellowship of faith where we see God face to face.” This is the final goal.
Pastor David Jang explains that “to become so close that we can see each other face to face is the aim of faith.” When we say “I know God,” we should not mean a mere intellectual knowledge but a relational knowledge, where person meets person. This connects to Jesus’ high priestly prayer in John 17, in which He prays that we might become one in God just as He and the Father are one. Jesus experienced perfect love in the bosom of His Father, and through that love He endured the extreme suffering of the cross. He desires that same love to flow into us. This is why Jesus gave us the new command: “As I have loved you, so you must love one another” (John 13:34). In other words, those who have tasted God’s love are called to pass that love on to their neighbors in practice.
However, the expression “a relationship that faces God” also refers to a life that truly experiences God’s presence. Just as God appeared in a pillar of cloud and fire in the Old Testament and made His presence known through the tabernacle and the temple, so in the New Testament Jesus Himself came as the temple. After His ascension, He sent the Holy Spirit to dwell within us. In 1 Corinthians 3:16, Paul asks, “Do you not know that you are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit dwells in you?” God’s presence is not limited to a church building or institutional religious activities. Rather, it is a dynamic and existential reality: “the Holy Spirit dwells within you.” Hence, even in daily life, believers can meet with God “face to face.” We speak to Him when we pray, and we hear His voice when we read His Word. This daily communication is an “intimate encounter”—the very essence of faith.
Pastor David Jang points out that self-examination is crucial in this regard. We must ask ourselves, “Do I genuinely converse with God face to face? Or am I merely praying and worshiping out of religious formality or a sense of duty?” The reason is that love cannot be forced. True love occurs only when there is sincere communion. When we confess, “I love God, and He loves me,” it must arise from a vibrant relationship. This is the wonderful privilege of the Christian faith: at any moment—starting your day, walking down the road, eating a meal, or before going to bed—you can open your heart, pray, and converse with God. Other religions or forms of meditation may exist, but in them there is no clear object of prayer. Their “contemplation” or “meditation” may involve self-reflection or tapping into some cosmic energy. By contrast, Christian prayer is a personal relationship in which we address an “almighty God” and a “loving Father.” In that sense, the Christian faith is truly unique.
The opening of the Lord’s Prayer—“Our Father in heaven”—declares that prayer has a clear addressee. Although invisible, God is alive, ruling over the universe and history, and yet close enough for us to call Him “Father.” He hears even our small prayers and pays attention to our every worry and desire. Just as parents do not dismiss the words of their children, God does not ignore our words. Thus, Christian prayer becomes an incomparable means of comfort and power. Pastor David Jang often quotes the phrase, “Why worry when you can pray?” and stresses that “prayer is the clearest demonstration that we trust in the almighty God.” Indeed, if we look at the lives of the people in the Bible, God never overlooks a single prayer. Though He sometimes answers quickly and at other times after many years, those prayers are never in vain.
Consequently, in our relationship with the God of love, “holiness” and “facing Him intimately” must converge. If we lose holiness and treat God simply as someone familiar or convenient, we will pray without genuine reverence. Conversely, if we are not intimate with Him, we may see Him only as a terrifying judge and run from Him in fear. Pastor David Jang warns against both extremes, presenting a balanced understanding of God as “the holy Father, the loving Father.” This is the core of the love described in 1 Corinthians 13 and the grace conveyed in 1 John 4, which says, “This is love: not that we loved God, but that He loved us first.” Because His love first came to us, we are able to respond to that love.
3. The Core of the Lord’s Prayer – God’s Holiness and God’s Kingdom
The Lord’s Prayer is recorded in Matthew 6:9–13 and Luke 11:2–4. Jesus Himself taught this prayer to His disciples, and throughout Christian history it has been regarded as the most important “model prayer.” Notably, Pastor David Jang, during a New Year’s Sunday service, stressed that “we will repeat the Lord’s Prayer countless times this year, so we must truly meditate on it.” He explained that the first three petitions at the beginning of the prayer—“hallowed be Your name, Your kingdom come, Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven”—encapsulate the purpose and direction of the believer’s life.
The first petition, “hallowed be Your name,” shows how much we revere God. Although we call Him “Our Father in heaven,” He cannot be equated with an earthly father. God’s name is Yahweh, Elohim, Adonai. We commonly refer to Him as “God,” but that is quite a generic term and may fail to convey the unique essence of the “Creator and Sovereign.” Hence Jesus taught His disciples to pray “hallowed be Your name.” A name represents a person’s character and honor. If in our everyday life we break the commandment, “You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain” (Exodus 20:7), and casually mock or blaspheme God, we reduce Him to the level of an idol, which is a grievous sin. Conversely, to hallow God’s name is to profoundly honor His character and authority. This respect and reverence find expression in worship and praise, and lead us to obedience and thankfulness in life. Pastor David Jang adds, “If we fail to live holy lives, God’s name becomes disgraced.” When believers quarrel, split, or commit corruption outside the church, onlookers mock not only them but the “name of God” as well. Thus, “hallowing God’s name” is also our responsibility to represent that name faithfully through our lives.
The second petition, “Your kingdom come,” is the central theme of the Lord’s Prayer. The central topic of Jesus’ earthly ministry was “the kingdom of God” or “the kingdom of heaven.” He declared, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near” (Matthew 4:17) and, through many parables, taught how that kingdom arrives. In the Lord’s Prayer, Jesus makes it clear that believers must align their prayers and their lives with the “kingdom of God.” This kingdom is not merely the afterlife heaven we enter upon death. It also refers to the “rule of God,” which begins even now on earth under the reign of the King. This is the hope Jesus imparted to His disciples. Luke 17:20–21 says, “The kingdom of God is not coming in ways that can be observed… for behold, the kingdom of God is in your midst.” As Pastor David Jang points out, we must not lose sight of this twofold meaning. Through personal salvation and holy living, we must manifest that the kingdom has “already come,” even as we look forward to the day of its complete fulfillment—the future kingdom of God that will come with the Lord’s return (cf. Revelation 11:15).
The third petition, “Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven,” is a prayer for God’s good will to be realized here on earth. In heaven, God’s will is perfectly accomplished. Angels obey Him, and there is no trace of sin or injustice. Praying, “Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven,” reflects our ardent desire for God’s justice and love to prevail in our world, filled as it is with imperfection, contradiction, sin, and suffering. This echoes the cry of Amos 5:24—“But let justice roll on like a river, righteousness like a never-failing stream!” The world is full of injustice and corruption, whether in politics, society, or individual lives, often contradicting God’s order. Yet believers pray for God’s will to be done in the midst of this, and also strive to put that will into action. Jesus said, “Seek first His kingdom and His righteousness” (Matthew 6:33). This “righteousness” is God’s will and is the value we must pursue.
Pastor David Jang insists that this is not just a doctrinal concept we grasp intellectually but a practical guide for how to live. Whenever we recite the Lord’s Prayer, we should ask ourselves, “Am I truly hallowing God’s name today? Do I live with God’s kingdom in view? Am I striving to realize His will on earth?” We should not merely recite these words once during Sunday worship. Instead, we should ponder them daily so that, through our prayers and actions, God’s holiness and God’s kingdom can be displayed. In this way, the Lord’s Prayer serves as a lighthouse on our faith journey rather than just a memorization task.
Finally, Pastor David Jang cites Romans 8:26, reminding us that “we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit helps us in our weakness.” While we may face urgent challenges and feel our limitations in prayer, the Lord has given us the Lord’s Prayer as a sure guideline. By repeatedly meditating on it, we learn how lofty and holy God is, how lovingly He draws near to us, what kind of kingdom He longs to establish on earth, and how we can discern and participate in that will. Thus, the Lord’s Prayer is a powerful tool that aligns a believer’s life with God and frees us from the greed, anxiety, sin, and injustice of this world.
Ultimately, our life purpose is “to hallow the name of our Father God, to devote ourselves to bringing His kingdom, and to strive so that His will may be done on earth.” Pastor David Jang notes that when people lose sight of this purpose, they wander, feel empty, and fall easily into the snares of sin. But once this purpose is firmly established, perspectives on life’s big and small matters—wealth, honor, pleasure, human relationships—change. These all become gifts from God and resources to be used for God’s kingdom. They no longer rule us, nor do we become enslaved to them. When our outlook on life changes like this, we ultimately find happiness and rest. This rest comes from the assurance, “I exist under my Heavenly Father’s plan, I live for His kingdom, and I will finally return to Him.” It is the peace born of that conviction.
In summary, Pastor David Jang crystallizes the main message of the Lord’s Prayer into three points. First, hallow the name of God. We are to remember His majesty and glory and give Him worship, thanks, and obedience. Second, pray for God’s kingdom to come. This kingdom began with Jesus but will be fully consummated in the future at His return. Third, pray and act for God’s will to be done on earth as it is in heaven. The hungry and thirsty for righteousness will be blessed, and the flowing of justice like a mighty river is the hallmark of the kingdom of God. The Christian worldview moves forward with the premise that “there is a world beyond this one (eternity),” yet it also endeavors to see God’s will carried out in the here and now. This is precisely the confession of faith contained in the Lord’s Prayer.
In the New Year’s Sunday service message, Pastor David Jang thus offers the answer to the fundamental question, “Why do we live?” through the Lord’s Prayer. We live to glorify God and give Him thanks. We look to His kingdom, praying that the holy will already established in heaven may also be done on earth. When we live this way, the statement “Jesus saves, unbelief leads to hell” ceases to be merely a fear-based logic and instead becomes the Gospel of life. If one realizes there is eternal judgment after death, and that God’s saving grace is found “in Jesus,” there is no message of salvation more clear and certain. Hence, believers can experience the truth of “Why worry when you can pray?” and, by praying daily, we meet God face to face, intimately communing with the holy and loving God.
If believers, at the start of a new year, remain faithful to the spirit of the Lord’s Prayer, they will not only find contentment for their own souls but also bring about genuine unity within the church community. Furthermore, God’s name will be exalted in the world, and His kingdom will tangibly expand. Through this entire process, we will proclaim to all that “God is love.” According to Pastor David Jang, this is the path “those who know God’s holiness and love ought to run.” As we embark on a new year in the Lord, we must examine whether our prayers contain the essence of the Lord’s Prayer. We should then wholeheartedly confess, “Our Father in heaven, hallowed be Your name, Your kingdom come, Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.” When we do, God’s people will abundantly experience the power and answers He has already promised. In that experience lies the living history of true Christian faith.