20130714
Today in Singapore, when something is offered free, it is usually viewed with suspicion. We often have to “read between the lines”. When something is too good to be true, it means just that – “too good to be true”. Yet, the greatest gift we can ever receive is free – God’s free gift of eternal life in Jesus. God does not hide words between the lines. The gospel message of salvation in the Bible is God’s grace to us. It is only through His generous grace that eternal life is given to us. If we cannot understand God’s grace, it would be difficult for us to receive this gospel message. When we appreciate the significance of God’s grace for our salvation we will also know that He sustains us in His grace (1 Cor. 15:10). Hence, we can be confident in standing firm in the faith in times of hardship.
The Apostle Paul commanded Timothy to “be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus” (2 Tim. 2:1). This command in the Bible is still relevant for us today. It motivates us to serve God and challenges us in the area of discipleship. Timothy was to work in the lives of the people he serves so that through multiplication the making of disciples will be a continuing process. We can practise “disciple making” in our lives to build God’s Church. Disciples need to be equipped to pass on their faith to others. We continually equip disciples, training them to make new disciples. Three examples for us in the training of hardships for a greater goal are a soldier, an athlete and a farmer (2 Tim. 2:3-6). These illustrate the discipline we have to make and how present hardships leads to future glory (2 Tim. 2:9-10).
As God’s grace is so vital to Christians, the evil one often attempts to pollute this grace with human merit. We are not to be caught up with the methods of “disciple making” – we simple share the gospel of Jesus Christ in the lives of people and let God do His work. Let us also be aware of the dangers of controlling people’s lives. We remain faithful to the simple message of the grace of God in the gospel. We hand this grace down faithfully to our family, relatives and friends and on to future generations. Aptly, the Bible ends with these words: “The grace of the Lord Jesus be with God’s people. Amen” (Rev. 22:21).
