We went through two weeks of examining what a marriage relationship should be like:
Ephesians 5:22-33 Marriage reflects the ultimate reality of Christ and the church
Hebrews 13:4 Purity in marriage
God's plan for marriage is for it to be absolutely pure and holy. In Scripture it is said that God is so pure that His eyes cannot look upon evil. Thus it is said in Hebrews that the marriage bed must be undefiled, or else judgment awaits us - those who are adulterers and sexually immoral. The promise of judgment ought to cause us to tremble and take care of ourselves, that we do not fall into the hands of God the consuming fire! Yet how many people, men and women, have dared to toy with and destroy this plan of God? It is an incredibly difficult age to live in and still be sexually pure - with fatal attractions all around us constantly.
Yet what can we do? Often it is said that we can do several things, such as avoid places of temptations, not using the computer behind closed doors, not being alone with the opposite sex etc. All these are good. We tend to ask what we can do and we ask for practical rules to follow, but one thing we must recognize is that we will definitely fail when left to ourselves. Rules do not have power in themselves, and they will prove to be less attractive when temptation presents itself. A better question than "What should I do?" is actually "What has God done for me?" The real power to defeat temptations is not in the things we can do or the tight rules we keep (as good as they may be), but in the Gospel, what God had already done for us. It is this meditation and deep appreciation and internalization of the Gospel, as Paul teaches in 1 Cor 6:12-20, that has true power to combat sexual immorality.
So consider the reasons Paul says we ought to flee sexual immorality - these are reasons firmly grounded in the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
1. The body is not meant for sexual immorality but for holy use for the Lord (v13)
2. God will raise us up with glorious bodies one day (v14)
3. Our bodies are members of Christ (v15)
4. Our bodies are joined to the Lord in one spirit, not to the prostitute (v17)
5. Sexually immoral person sins against his own body, which is temple of Holy Spirit (v19)
6. Our bodies belong to God; we are bought with a price (v20).
It is surprising that in these verses, Paul did not lay down any so-called 'practical rules' to flee. You just simply flee, and it is possible to do so once your mind is full of Christ and once we understand the extent that Christ has died for us to redeem us and our bodies for holy purposes, and the price that He had to pay. Our bodies are not ours to use for our sinful passions. In fact, our bodies house the Holy Spirit, and to sin with our bodies is to grieve Him. Once we understand all these, we are liberated to use our bodies to glorify God (v20).
The most practical way to defeat temptations is to saturate our minds with the Gospel - what Christ has done for us already. That's what Paul wants us to do more than anything else. In the Gospel lies the true power to defeat sin. Through the Gospel, God saves us and changes us, hell-bent and hell-deserving adulterers into men and women who would be kept pure for Him, out of a gracious response to Christ and the Spirit working in them. No one has ever kept God's perfect standard of purity, not even David, the man after God's heart. But here is the good news Paul wants us to know:
"Such were some of you (sexually immoral). But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God." (1 Cor 6:11).
It is my prayer that Qiao and I will love and live by the Word of God daily. The Word will prevent us from sin, when we realize we love God supremely more than any other attractions in the world. In the light of Christ, the things of this world will grow strangely dim. In the radiance of the Gospel, the Enemy has no chance to tempt us.
Monday, August 22, 2011
Wednesday, August 3, 2011
What the Gospel Say and Do to You
The Gospel helps us to realize:
1. You're not that good.
That's the first message of the gospel: we are saved utterly by the grace of God. Even our faith is a gift of God (Eph 2:8-9). Our best works are but splendid sins. Grace is not just a formulaic Christiany word - it means that all that you are now is possible only because Someone did it for you, and died for you, undeservedly. You got something, in fact everything (Eph 1:3), that you did not deserve in the first place. Grace is the reason why you may approach a holy God and not be terrified or struck dead. Grace is the reason why a Christian must mortify his proud self, to stand at the foot of the cross of his Crucified Savior, and "pour contempt on all [his] pride."
2. You're not god.
The gospel tells us we are not supreme, though we act as though we are everyday, without reference and deference to the One who makes nations rise and fall, the One who could destroy both body and soul. We will face death if we go the way of the First Adam, to see things with our own independent wisdom, which is really demonic wisdom. Rather, we must follow the Second Adam, from whom the "free gift of righteousness reign in life" (Rom 5:17), one who could perfectly follow God who alone deserved to be worshipped. We were made to worship the true God who has graciously revealed Himself, and our bellies (Phil 3:19) and sinful appetites must not stand in the way.
3. You're not alone.
The wonderful news of the gospel is that you are saved into a community (Eph 3:6). You have a new family. You are part of a body where your Savior is the head. Yes, together with all the imperfect people and hypocrites like you. They are there and they are God's means to bring you to heaven. So don't try to solve everything yourself. Confide and confess to one another (Jas 5:16). You know you need their help, because sin is just too deceitful (Heb 3:13), and they will help you see yourself clearer. They will also be there together with you worshipping the Lamb of God (Rev 7).
4. You're not there yet.
Nobody is a 'grace graduate', so beware of complacency. Even Apostle Paul must "strain forward to what lies ahead" (Phil 3:14). There is always room to grow in grace. You need God's grace no matter where your maturity stands, or how much church service you do. You cannot watch and pray enough. Keep striving, keep loving, keep reading, keep forgiving, keep working out your salvation with fear and trembling (Phil 2:12) until you reach heaven. Sanctify me by Thy Word (John 17:17).
5. You're not lost.
The gospel is carried out by a powerful God who will keep you powerfully in your faith (1 Pet 1:5). The Father chose you, the Son redeemed you, the Spirit sealed you. No one can snatch you out of your Father's and Christ's hand. The schemes of the devil, the passions of the flesh and the course of the world are unable to sway you away from your loving Shepherd. No persecution and no heresies can lead you astray. You will conquer and eat the tree of life (Rev 2:7), because you are more than conquerors through Him who loved you (Rom 8:37).
1. You're not that good.
That's the first message of the gospel: we are saved utterly by the grace of God. Even our faith is a gift of God (Eph 2:8-9). Our best works are but splendid sins. Grace is not just a formulaic Christiany word - it means that all that you are now is possible only because Someone did it for you, and died for you, undeservedly. You got something, in fact everything (Eph 1:3), that you did not deserve in the first place. Grace is the reason why you may approach a holy God and not be terrified or struck dead. Grace is the reason why a Christian must mortify his proud self, to stand at the foot of the cross of his Crucified Savior, and "pour contempt on all [his] pride."
2. You're not god.
The gospel tells us we are not supreme, though we act as though we are everyday, without reference and deference to the One who makes nations rise and fall, the One who could destroy both body and soul. We will face death if we go the way of the First Adam, to see things with our own independent wisdom, which is really demonic wisdom. Rather, we must follow the Second Adam, from whom the "free gift of righteousness reign in life" (Rom 5:17), one who could perfectly follow God who alone deserved to be worshipped. We were made to worship the true God who has graciously revealed Himself, and our bellies (Phil 3:19) and sinful appetites must not stand in the way.
3. You're not alone.
The wonderful news of the gospel is that you are saved into a community (Eph 3:6). You have a new family. You are part of a body where your Savior is the head. Yes, together with all the imperfect people and hypocrites like you. They are there and they are God's means to bring you to heaven. So don't try to solve everything yourself. Confide and confess to one another (Jas 5:16). You know you need their help, because sin is just too deceitful (Heb 3:13), and they will help you see yourself clearer. They will also be there together with you worshipping the Lamb of God (Rev 7).
4. You're not there yet.
Nobody is a 'grace graduate', so beware of complacency. Even Apostle Paul must "strain forward to what lies ahead" (Phil 3:14). There is always room to grow in grace. You need God's grace no matter where your maturity stands, or how much church service you do. You cannot watch and pray enough. Keep striving, keep loving, keep reading, keep forgiving, keep working out your salvation with fear and trembling (Phil 2:12) until you reach heaven. Sanctify me by Thy Word (John 17:17).
5. You're not lost.
The gospel is carried out by a powerful God who will keep you powerfully in your faith (1 Pet 1:5). The Father chose you, the Son redeemed you, the Spirit sealed you. No one can snatch you out of your Father's and Christ's hand. The schemes of the devil, the passions of the flesh and the course of the world are unable to sway you away from your loving Shepherd. No persecution and no heresies can lead you astray. You will conquer and eat the tree of life (Rev 2:7), because you are more than conquerors through Him who loved you (Rom 8:37).
Monday, August 1, 2011
Reflections on Ban Orn trip 24 - 31 July 2011
Mission trip to Ban Orn was wonderful. There was work to be done, and I was pleasantly surprised at the free time we had to rest too. It wasn't like China, where the action is thick and fast, and teaching the Word in Chinese throughout was really exhausting. This trip I had the privilege to come in as a participant. Too often have I served as leader of camps or committees, and this is a welcome break. I was a doer, not a thinker. I prepared toilet rolls, carried heavy boxes, tied raffia strings, set up curtains and awaited instructions from the leaders. And I loved it. I enjoyed doing the Medical ministry, and felt it was a very good and tangible way to show the love of Christ. More things could be done for evangelism, but all in all it was good.
The villagers who came were smiling at my attempts to speak Thai. Kun chi ah rai? (What's your name?) Ayou tao rai? (How old are you?) Puat ti nai? (Where is your pain?) On occasions I had to do hand actions and point to different parts of my body. It was funny and they laughed. The smiles were priceless. They came, took the medicines and were prayed for. I think they had a very positive view of our work there. We laughed at the funny names that Chris wrote. "Shang Pain" was one of the names. In my mind I was thinking, "受伤 and in pain?!" I burst out laughing together with Sarah and the rest. Sometimes I served biscuits. I didn't know how to tell them to take more biscuits. So I went "Nerng? Soong? Saam? Sii? etc" until one of them took at least seven.
Then we met Thai people who could speak English! And they didn't struggle with English, they spoke PERFECT English. One of them was a Pastor who looked like any ordinary farmer, and said he learnt English from a customer in his cafe shop. I had a really good time chatting with him. But I can't remember his name though. Then there was Boon Mee, the dude who was cutting hair at the barber, and he too spoke great English. As we left the village, I waved him goodbye. To my surprise he remembered my name and shouted "Goodbye Derrick!" That too was priceless. I guess I may never meet these wonderful folks again. But my slight hope is that perhaps I can return, and perhaps, perhaps, they would still remember me despite the short time of interaction. At night back in the mission house I prayed for them. I don't know much about their lives. They had names, they had faces, and I just prayed that God would powerfully keep them in their faith. I hope to see them in heaven, if not in this life.
Sometimes we had free time to play volleyball and soccer at church. The church girls were really very good at volleyball. It was extremely fun and challenging that they can play as well as guys like me. Actually much better. I still remember some of their names: Cet, Mai, Ah Jit. The soccer kids too: Ah Kan, Ben, Gwee, Nat. They are really a carefree bunch. Village life is really simple. We wondered what they did at night, but probably they have nothing much other than their television, and they probably slept early too. I missed all the breath-taking views - the mountains, the mud, the padi fields, the river streams, the boars, the cows. There was so little cement around. On my spiritual retreat I took a good 20 minutes to tour a part of the village. It was beautiful and tranquil, like the Shire in Lord of the Rings. Sometimes the sun shone through the clouds to create beautiful orange shades on the massive mountains. It was breathtaking.
Then there were the faithful folks in the Singapore team. Always nice to hear Auntie Siew Moey sing Chinese songs. "除你以外，在天上我还能有谁？" Such faithfulness and joy in the Lord. Auntie Foong Fun won Caring Mother award for such care for her daughter. The unwavering service of Nantarat and Pracha are also very inspiring. Dr Eugene's hard work in ministering to patients with no complaints, full of joy is also something to learn. The team was also surprisingly easy to relate to - very very Singaporean speaking Singlish and all the common jokes, as though we already knew each other beforehand. Ah, not to forget the ridiculous Hangman on Gracie's phone that we played at the back of the truck. Htwooh. Zeroklas. Birdy. Even Somchai's name appeared.
Then it was time to wave goodbye to everyone. I still owe Nat his cap that I lost to the wind's brute strength while on the truck. I'll buy him one if I can go back. Back in Singapore, I missed the simple life and people over at Ban Orn. I couldn't stand it when I was in my room this morning, so I went out to cycle, all the way to East Coast Park, where I did my quiet time, by the beach, by the wind, all alone, and prayed. It was the closest thing to Ban Orn I could find here.
The villagers who came were smiling at my attempts to speak Thai. Kun chi ah rai? (What's your name?) Ayou tao rai? (How old are you?) Puat ti nai? (Where is your pain?) On occasions I had to do hand actions and point to different parts of my body. It was funny and they laughed. The smiles were priceless. They came, took the medicines and were prayed for. I think they had a very positive view of our work there. We laughed at the funny names that Chris wrote. "Shang Pain" was one of the names. In my mind I was thinking, "受伤 and in pain?!" I burst out laughing together with Sarah and the rest. Sometimes I served biscuits. I didn't know how to tell them to take more biscuits. So I went "Nerng? Soong? Saam? Sii? etc" until one of them took at least seven.
Then we met Thai people who could speak English! And they didn't struggle with English, they spoke PERFECT English. One of them was a Pastor who looked like any ordinary farmer, and said he learnt English from a customer in his cafe shop. I had a really good time chatting with him. But I can't remember his name though. Then there was Boon Mee, the dude who was cutting hair at the barber, and he too spoke great English. As we left the village, I waved him goodbye. To my surprise he remembered my name and shouted "Goodbye Derrick!" That too was priceless. I guess I may never meet these wonderful folks again. But my slight hope is that perhaps I can return, and perhaps, perhaps, they would still remember me despite the short time of interaction. At night back in the mission house I prayed for them. I don't know much about their lives. They had names, they had faces, and I just prayed that God would powerfully keep them in their faith. I hope to see them in heaven, if not in this life.
Sometimes we had free time to play volleyball and soccer at church. The church girls were really very good at volleyball. It was extremely fun and challenging that they can play as well as guys like me. Actually much better. I still remember some of their names: Cet, Mai, Ah Jit. The soccer kids too: Ah Kan, Ben, Gwee, Nat. They are really a carefree bunch. Village life is really simple. We wondered what they did at night, but probably they have nothing much other than their television, and they probably slept early too. I missed all the breath-taking views - the mountains, the mud, the padi fields, the river streams, the boars, the cows. There was so little cement around. On my spiritual retreat I took a good 20 minutes to tour a part of the village. It was beautiful and tranquil, like the Shire in Lord of the Rings. Sometimes the sun shone through the clouds to create beautiful orange shades on the massive mountains. It was breathtaking.
Then there were the faithful folks in the Singapore team. Always nice to hear Auntie Siew Moey sing Chinese songs. "除你以外，在天上我还能有谁？" Such faithfulness and joy in the Lord. Auntie Foong Fun won Caring Mother award for such care for her daughter. The unwavering service of Nantarat and Pracha are also very inspiring. Dr Eugene's hard work in ministering to patients with no complaints, full of joy is also something to learn. The team was also surprisingly easy to relate to - very very Singaporean speaking Singlish and all the common jokes, as though we already knew each other beforehand. Ah, not to forget the ridiculous Hangman on Gracie's phone that we played at the back of the truck. Htwooh. Zeroklas. Birdy. Even Somchai's name appeared.
Then it was time to wave goodbye to everyone. I still owe Nat his cap that I lost to the wind's brute strength while on the truck. I'll buy him one if I can go back. Back in Singapore, I missed the simple life and people over at Ban Orn. I couldn't stand it when I was in my room this morning, so I went out to cycle, all the way to East Coast Park, where I did my quiet time, by the beach, by the wind, all alone, and prayed. It was the closest thing to Ban Orn I could find here.
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