Caves and Tunnels
(Psalm 23:4-6)


Often caves and tunnels look alike. But a cave is an underground tunnel where there is no exit but entrance. On the other hand, a tunnel is an underground tunnel which has not only an entrance but also an exit. Our lives can be either caves or tunnels. Hardships on those who do not believe in God are oftentimes like caves, large and small. For those who believe in God, however, the hardships, though they look the same as caves, are tunnels with Jesus Christ as an exit.


1. Why caves are formed
1) Types of cave
① A cave of sins ② A cave of inequities ③ A cave of diseases ④ A cave of poverty and trouble ⑤ A cave of death
2) The tragedy of life being apart from God
- After Adam left God, the source of life, he became slave to the devil and life was turned into a wearisome cave of despair.
2. The sin of leaving God
1) Disbelief and disobedience
① You will surely die if you eat the fruit from the tree of knowledge of good and evil (Genesis 2:16-17)
② She reached out her hand and picked up the fruit and ate it (Genesis 3:17-19)
2) Jesus Christ who made an exit to the cave of disbelief and disobedience ? Through his faith and obedience of dying on the Cross, He Himself became an exit to the life of cave (Phil 2:8, Heb 10:19-20)
3. To follow Christ
1) Must believe and obey ? We must meet Jesus in the cave of death * (Psalm 23:4) (Heb 13:5)
2) The more we learn to believe and obey, the wider the exit of life becomes * (Psalm 23:5) (Heb 11:6)
3) How can we believe and obey?
① We must know the truth ? the meaning of the grace of the cross of Jesus
② Look to the dreams and hopes
③ Faith transcending reason and senses
④ The confession of lips and overflowing thanksgiving (Psalm 50:23)
4. Live in imitation of Christ
1) Practicing on building character in imitation of Christ
① Personality is given from the birth
② Character is obtained through training (James 1:2-4, 2 Peter 1:3-7)
2) Sufferings one has to go through to imitate Christ * (2 Co 4:10-14)
① Realizing one’s unbelief and disobedience (Psalm 119:71)
② Repent and be broken (Heb 12:5-7)
③ Looking to and yearning for the Lord (Psalm 91:14-16)
④ Experiencing maturity and transformation of faith * (2 Co 4:16-18)


The more we practice on our character in imitation of Christ by going through the tunnel of suffering and pass through the tunnel, the more we come to live a life serving God and our neighbors as faith grows, hopes overflow, and love becomes full in us. Then, what Paul meant will come true in our lives when he said, “death is at work in us, but life is at work in you.”