Sermon Title: Be Gospel-Ready; Finish Well.
“… and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace.” (Ephesians 6:15)
Dearly Beloved,
Greetings in the Name of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ!
For the Roman soldier, the Caligae is not only to see him through all the battles, or even to the end of the war – it is to see him get home safely.
To get home safely – is why we get ready.
To be Gospel-Ready in Total Adversity; in Supernatural Reality; and in Life’s Uncertainties – is to be Kingdom-Ready - for the eventuality of returning forever into the Presence of our Lord Jesus Christ.
If we are to profess the same faith in Christ as did the earliest apostles, we must be Gospel-Ready, in order to be Kingdom-Ready.
In Supernatural Reality, the Apostles lived the Gospel – utterly believing and clearly proclaiming.
“ The apostles performed many signs and wonders among the people. … more and more men and women believed in the Lord and were added to their number.
Crowds gathered also from the towns around Jerusalem, bringing their sick and those tormented by impure spirits, and all of them were healed.” (Acts 5:12-16)
In Total Adversity, the Apostles lived the Gospel – utterly believing and clearly proclaiming.
17 Then the high priest and all his associates, who were members of the party of the Sadducees, were filled with jealousy. 18 They arrested the apostles and put them in the public jail. 19 But during the night an angel of the Lord opened the doors of the jail and brought them out.20 “Go, stand in the temple courts,” he said, “and tell the people all about this new life.”
27 The apostles were brought in and made to appear before the Sanhedrin to be questioned by the high priest. 28 “We gave you strict orders not to teach in this name,” he said. “Yet you have filled Jerusalem with your teaching and are determined to make us guilty of this man’s blood.”
29 Peter and the other apostles replied: “We must obey God rather than human beings! 30 The God of our ancestors raised Jesus from the dead—whom you killed by hanging him on a cross. 31 God exalted him to his own right hand as Prince and Savior that he might bring Israel to repentance and forgive their sins.
32 We are witnesses of these things, and so is the Holy Spirit, whom God has given to those who obey him.”
33 When they heard this, they were furious and wanted to put them to death.
34 But a Pharisee named Gamaliel, a teacher of the law, who was honored by all the people… addressed the Sanhedrin: “,,, Leave these men alone! Let them go! For if their purpose or activity is of human origin, it will fail.
39 But if it is from God, you will not be able to stop these men; you will only find yourselves fighting against God.”
40 His speech persuaded them. They called the apostles in and had them flogged. Then they ordered them not to speak in the name of Jesus, and let them go. (Acts 5:17-40)
In Life’s Uncertainties, the Apostles lived the Gospel – utterly believing and clearly proclaiming.
41 The apostles left the Sanhedrin, rejoicing because they had been counted worthy of suffering disgrace for the Name.
42 Day after day, in the temple courts and from house to house, they never stopped teaching and proclaiming the good news that Jesus is the Messiah.
The earliest Christians certainly had their feet “fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace.” Ephesians 6:15
In the eyes of God, they not only lived well, they finished well .
A closer look at the words “that comes from” reveals our readiness that must come from believing and internalizing the gospel of Peace – that Jesus is the Messiah; the Savior of the world – sent to die on the Cross in our place to atone for our sins – that we may be forgiven and found righteous in God’s sight.
However, when we talk about having a readiness that comes from the Gospel of Peace – not only must we fully believe and internalize the Gospel so much that we are ever-ready to share the Gospel with anyone at anytime and anywhere; we must also embrace the eventuality that when our time comes to leave this world; we must finish well - as did the Apostles of Jesus Christ.
Are you Gospel-Ready so that when the time comes, you will go out swinging?
Are you Gospel-ready so that when your time comes to pass from this world, you have indeed prepared yourself to FINISH WELL?
To finish well is what the Apostle Paul exemplified and encourages us to do in 2 Timothy 4:7-8:
“7 I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.
8 Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day—and not only to me, but also to all who have longed for his appearing.”
And he certainly did so – in word and deed.
Based on historical events, it is most likely that Paul was martyred – beheaded - between 64AD – 67AD – for the sake of the Gospel.
In life, he was Gospel-Ready; and in death, he was Kingdom-Ready.
My life’s prayer is to FINISH WELL.
My life is far from perfect; and like most, I’ve had moments that I was certainly not proud of.
But I utterly desire to reach the finishing line of my life – having given it my all, my very best.
When I pass from this world, I do not wish to look back and say that I could have done more there; or that I could have given more here, or that I could have loved this person more, or that I could have had more grace over the people who did not do right by me; and get this, that I could have forgiven more.
And here’s the truth.
To be forgiving – is key to finishing well.
The two most destructive attitudes in life is arrogance and resentment.
Arrogance leads to one being unapproachable and unteachable; and resentment leads to hate and bitterness; of which both arrogance and resentment manifests in the heart as unforgiveness; the unwillingness to forgive; which in time, ultimately results in the inability to forgive.
Unforgiveness – the product of arrogance and resentment – is poison that you take and hope that your trespasser will die.
Unforgiveness is such a tragic and unnecessary burden in life.
An unforgiving person is constantly hurt; and we know that hurt people hurt people.
What definitely happens is that the unforgiving person becomes toxic; in fact, so toxic that his or her surroundings would become toxic.
Never be found in such toxic environment; better yet, never be the source of toxicity.
A toxic life exterminates all life around it.
Unforgiveness is toxic.
We – on the other hand – who are God’s holy children - by virtue of His forgiveness through our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ; having atoned for our sins by taking our places on the Cross – must be God’s agents of blessing, and make our environment, our surroundings blessed!
So much so that anyone who comes in contact with us is blessed.
God’s Salvation message is premised on atonement and forgiveness through Jesus Christ; that Jesus is the Messiah – the only Saviour through whom we are forgiven of our sins and in whom we attain the eternal privilege of standing righteous before the Living God.
To be His agents of Blessing, we must become agents of His Message of Forgiveness.
And to be His Agents of His Message of Forgiveness, we must be ready to forgive.
One of the main keys to finishing well in this life – “fitted with the readiness THAT COMES FROM the Gospel of Peace” – is forgiveness.
God commands us to forgive.
It is a good command – one that elevates us to living as Christ lived; to forgive as Christ forgave.
“Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.” (Luke 23:34)
When you forgive; you live out the Gospel; and prepare yourself to live eternally in God’s Kingdom.
When you forgive; you position yourself in the holy posture to receiving God’s blessings, providence, protection and forgiveness.
The Father’s Heart to forgive and our posture for forgiveness is the hinge that moves our prayerful supplications in ‘The Lord’s Prayer’:
“11 Give us today our daily bread.
12 And forgive us our debts,as we also have forgiven our debtors.
13 And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.’” (Matthew 6:11-13)
In fact, our heart that is ever-ready to forgive our trespassers is the divine reality that Christ circles back and centres on – for to forgive freely; makes us truly Christian.
“For if you forgive other people when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you.” (Matthew 6:14)
Thus, the key to fully receiving our every blessing - our daily bread, our forgiveness from God, our protection - is the posture of forgiveness!
Be ever mindful.
“And when you stand praying, if you hold anything against anyone, forgive them, so that your Father in heaven may forgive you your sins.” (Mark 11:25)
Forgiveness from God – that we may stand in righteous relationship with Him - is our chief and foremost blessing.
Yes.
GOD COMMANDS US TO FORGIVE – so that we may know and have His Heart in us.
In Matthew 18:21-22, when Peter asked Jesus,
“Lord, how many times shall I forgive my brother or sister who sins against me? Up to seven times?”
Jesus answered, “I tell you, not seven times, but seventy times seven times."
Christ teaches us that we are to forgive indefinitely, to forgive as many times as needed; the moment you are hurt, insulted, trespassed against, you must forgive!
To live and breathe as people who obey, follow and pray to the living God; is to live and breathe the forgiveness of God.
So when we talk about readiness for the battles at hand; we must be mindful of what comes after the battles that we have fought here on earth.
What comes after the war between the Church and the forces of darkness?
The Church – victorious in Christ – enters into the eternal age of God’s Kingdom.
Understand this well.
To be fitted well with the Gospel; to have a truly firm grip of the Gospel message - is to live and breathe the forgiveness of God.
Our present and ultimate victory comes from the posture of forgiveness.
The ability to forgive our trespassers - those who sin against us; those who hurt us; those who stole from us; those who insulted us; those who cheated us – is indicative of our spiritual state; because this ability and willingness to forgive our fellow human beings reveals the reality that we truly do not war against flesh and blood, but against the forces of darkness.
We forgive our transgressors because they are not the enemy; they are the collateral damage in this spiritual war – but more than that, they are our mission field.
We need to rethink – and reject – all hate, all arrogance, all resentment, all bitterness and all unforgiveness – because it is simply not a good look on us.
In fact, we cease becoming God’s image when we harbor such evil as bitterness and unforgiveness in our lives.
And I’ve taught you this before; if we are not God’s image, we actually become the image of the devil.
Do not harbor bitterness and unforgiveness! Do not be morphed into the image of the evil one!
Choose – to be an image of God! Choose to be forgiving.
Grow in the likeness of Christ – forgive as He forgave you!
God is our vindicator; God is our ultimate judge of who’s right and who’s wrong.
As mentioned earlier, the Apostle Paul revealed to us that: “The Lord – alone - is the Righteous Judge!” (2 Tim 4:7-8)
We will never know the whole story behind every act; only God does.
So, do not try to do His job, and judge; for you will become more wrong than when you started, and become more sinful than when you first committed the sin of unforgiveness.
Forgive – in the understanding that it is a divine act of surrendering the circumstance; the disagreement, the quarrel unto our God – and simply letting go of the hate, and letting God’s love heal and empower you to live your life to the FULL!
Isn’t it wonderful passing from this world utterly praising and preaching the Gospel to the very end?
Just put your all and everything in Christ – and you would achieve all that and more; finishing well - without regret, remorse, nor bitterness and unforgiveness.
Passing from this world praising and preaching the Gospel happened to a fellow ministry colleague of mine in Singapore. This brother loved the Lord, and he loved teaching the word of God. One day, after leading a bible study, he closed his eyes in prayer and simply went to be with the Lord.
To live and breathe the forgiveness of God is what the very first Christian Martyr, Stephen, exemplified for us. (Ref: Acts 6:8-7:60)
He was Gospel-ready – “full of God’s grace and power, performed great wonders and signs among the people.” (Acts 6:8); calling out the wicked stubbornness of Israel’s religious leaders in “the wisdom the Spirit gave him as he spoke.” (Acts 6:10)
In the face of falsehood, pure evil and gross injustice dealt to him by the elders of Israel and the teachers of the law, Stephen’s face reflected the glory of God as he preached the Gospel, rebuking them for their stubborn rejection of God’s Salvation through Jesus Christ,
“You stiff-necked people! Your hearts and ears are still uncircumcised.
You are just like your ancestors: You always resist the Holy Spirit!
Was there ever a prophet your ancestors did not persecute?
They even killed those who predicted the coming of the Righteous One. And now you have betrayed and murdered him--53 you who have received the law that was given through angels but have not obeyed it.” (Acts 7:51-53)
Of course, they became indignant and furious.
Of course, they wanted to kill him.
And they did.
Here’s what happened.
"55 But Stephen, full of the Holy Spirit, looked up to heaven and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God.
56 “Look,” he said, “I see heaven open and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God.”
57 At this they covered their ears and, yelling at the top of their voices, they all rushed at him, 58 dragged him out of the city and began to stone him. Meanwhile, the witnesses laid their coats at the feet of a young man named Saul.
59 While they were stoning him, Stephen prayed,
“Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.”
60 Then he fell on his knees and cried out, “Lord, do not hold this sin against them.”
When he had said this, he fell asleep.” (Acts 7:55-60)
Till his dying breath - Stephen was Gospel-Ready!
Till his dying breath - Stephen lived and breathed the forgiveness of God.
And this is what we must learn, and live out!
“Lord Jesus, receive my spirit – and Lord, do not hold this sin against them.”
Forgive; in order to share God’s Gospel of Forgiveness!
Forgive: in order to live out God’s Gospel of Forgiveness!
One of my deepest joys and passions in life is to walk alongside a person and to share the Gospel.
In fact, I make it my daily mission to get ready for such a divine opportunity.
I would prepare for the possibility, and I would train for the eventuality of sharing the Gospel of Peace with someone.
I know that my daily moments spent with the Lord in prayer and in His Word is divinely appointed by Him - preparing me for a ‘soon-coming’ opportunity to share the Gospel with someone whom God is going to send my way.
I would pray to be empowered by the Holy Spirit, to learn and memorize the Gospel message; in the constant anticipation that God will send someone my way; or bring me to that someone who is ready to receive His Message of Salvation.
God has used me to be His Witness.
He can use you.
He desires to use you; for to be His disciple is to make disciples of all nations.
Since the Great Commission of Matthew 28;18-20 that Christ issued to His disciples, there has been no other that stipulates the requirement of Christian discipleship.
If you profess to be Christ’s disciple, know this.
It is in you to share God’s message of peace through His forgiveness in Christ; it is in you to pray with others, it is in you to invite another human being to taste and see that the Lord is good – and pay attention here; it is in you to forgive.
Why?
Because Christ is in you!
Three week ago, the Holy Spirit led me to walk the Sidney Pier to pray after I dropped our older two boys off at their workplace.
Strangely, the moment I left the car I started to pray – or rather lament – at my lack of opportunity to share the gospel; given the ongoing hostilities toward all things Christian; and perhaps, compounded by the distancing requirements due to the season of pandemic.
It was around 9am in the morning as I made my way to the end of the pier, I noticed an elderly Chinese man sitting alone with crab sets in the water.
In the ensuing conversation, I discovered that he had come from Surrey – a city within Metro Vancouver.
He was not visiting friends; he travelled here for the crabs.
To come to this crabbing spot, he would catch a bus, transfer to take the ferry and one more bus ride before reaching the Sidney pier. It was a total journey that would take him 4 hours to get here, and 4 hours to return home.
Seeing that he looked pleased with his catch, I asked him if he was happy.
This was all in Mandarin. For those who know me, you would understand that a miracle was already in progress.
Well - in Mandarin - he said he was happy.
By then, I had realized that the Lord brought this man all the way from Surrey to hear the Gospel, and to also rebuke my earlier lack of faith for the miracles He could accomplish for the sake of His Gospel.
I told this elderly man that happiness was fleeting; but what was really important in life is to have joy and hope that only Jesus could give.
He told me that Jesus could never accept him for his communist beliefs, and his past as a member of the communist party; to which I immediately replied, “The Lord does not hold your past against you; in fact, He loves you this day, and has already forgiven you!”
My brothers and sisters in Christ, I don’t know how I said it in Mandarin, but it was said in the utmost belief that God has indeed forgiven me of all my wickedness!
“All you need is faith in His Salvation,” I continued, “be willing to get to know Him, and believe that He can forgive you and give you new life.”
At that point , the Holy Spirit led me to ask him if there was a church near his house, and he shared that his wife attends church.
However, for all the decades he has been in Canada, he never went with her because he felt that he would not be unaccepted by God because of his past.
I told him that was not true – that God can, and will, accept him if he would simply come close to Him.
I got him to commit to going to church with his wife the coming Sunday, to which he replied almost immediately that he would .
I told him that fishing would bring some temporary measure of happiness; but Jesus would grant him eternal joy.
Folks, that he would even understand my broken Mandarin was a miracle in itself; that he would pray along with me on the pier was yet another miracle; and that our lives would even intersect was certainly a miracle.
A man from Surrey meeting a man from Metchosin – talking about, and receiving together – the forgiveness of God.
Now, that is a series of miracles!
I was part of a miracle because we serve a God of Miracles.
You can be part of such miracles too.
All you need to do is to be Gospel-Ready: under every circumstance - in Total Adversity, in Supernatural Reality, in Life’s Uncertainties; to absolutely believe in the Gospel and be deeply well-versed in the Gospel message - readying yourself, preparing yourself to finish well – preparing yourself for the Present and Coming Kingdom of God.
And so, I charge each and every one of you:
Forgive as God forgave your sins; and God will use you as His messenger of forgiveness.
Be ever-ready to be forgiving, in bringing His Gospel of Peace and Forgiveness to whomever He sends you to - which is really every person in your life; and when you do, you will finish this life well, ready to enter His eternal Kingdom.
Shalom.
Let us pray.
Our Father in Heaven,
Hallowed be Your Name.
Your Kingdom come, Your Will be done; on earth, as it is in heaven.
Lord, may my feet – my life – be “fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace” (Ephesians 6:15); that in Your eyes, I have not only lived well – I will finish well.
Strengthen my resolve to be Gospel-ready in life, and in death; that when my time comes to pass from this world – I would do so, praising You; and preaching Your Gospel of Peace and Forgiveness.
Help my focus, and deepened my faith – that I will indeed fight the good fight, finished the race, and kept the faith; in the utter yearning for “the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day—and not only to me, but also to all who have longed for his appearing.” (2 Timothy 4:7-8)
My life’s prayer is to finish well; for Your glory sake!
And thank You for the revelation that the key to finishing my life well is to be forgiving – as You are.
Lord Jesus, teach me to be forgiving. Grant me a deeper sense of Your love and compassion for the world.
Never let me forget that we war not against flesh and blood; but against the powers of darkness and the spiritual forces of evil. (Ref: Ephesians 6:12)
Never let me forget that those who trespass against me are not my enemies; but the mission field that You have called me unto.
Holy Spirit, remove all traces of arrogance and resentment – along with the resulting heart of bitterness and unforgiveness from my life; and grant me the absolute resolve to rid myself of such wickedness.
I acknowledge that I am Your child, O God – by sole virtue of Your forgiveness through my Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ – having atoned for my sins by taking my place on the Cross.
Use me, O Lord, to be Your agent of blessing and Your messenger for the Gospel of Peace and Forgiveness.
Lord, You have commanded me to forgive – and I do forgive all those who has trespassed against me.
Elevate my heart to live as Christ lives; and to forgive as Christ forgave – for when I do, thanks be to God, I fulfill the Great Commission to live out the Gospel Message, making disciples of all nations, and prepare to live in Your Kingdom for all eternity.
Today, I declare that I am positioned in the holy posture of receiving God’s blessings, providence, protection and forgiveness.
May I learn to never “hold anything against anyone”, forgiving them, so that You O God, may forgive me of my sins. (Ref: Mark 11:25)
May I know You more deeply, and have Your Heart upon mine; that I may live and breathe Your forgiveness – in conscientious preparation to enter Your eternal Kingdom.
Indeed, our present and ultimate victory comes from Christ’s divine posture of forgiveness. Grow me daily, in Your Holy Image, dear Lord Jesus!
On this day, I declare that I choose to be an image of God; to grow daily in the likeness of Christ.
You alone, Lord Jesus, are the Righteous Judge! (Ref: 2 Tim 4:7-8)
Forgive the times when I sinned against You by judging another person; for indeed, You alone are our Vindicator and ultimate Judge.
Holy Spirit, help me cut off from my spirit the burdens of bitterness, regrets and unforgiveness; and grant me resolve to daily surrender every circumstance of trespass unto You; simply letting go of the ‘hate’ and allowing Your love to heal and empower me to live to the very full! (Ref: John 10:10)
Prepare me to finish well; passing into Your glory utterly praising You, and preaching Your Gospel to the very end!
Like Stephen, may I be Gospel-Ready from this day till my dying breath; and like him, let me live and breathe Your forgiveness till my dying breath.
That when the time comes, that I may fully appropriate the sacred privilege to cry out,
“Lord Jesus, receive my spirit – and Lord, do not hold this sin against them.”
Grant me the divine opportunity to share Your message of Peace through Christ.
Grant me the divine opportunity to pray with others, and invite them to taste and see that You are good!
Lord Jesus, I believe with all my heart that You remain in me; grant me a deeper desire to forgive those who have sorely trespassed against me; and in this, use me as Your messenger of Your divine forgiveness.
May I be ever-ready to be forgiving, in bringing Your Gospel of Peace and Forgiveness to the world around me; and as I prepare each day to do so, may I finish this life well, and be ready to enter Your eternal Kingdom.
I thank You and pray all these in the Name of our King, Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Amen.
“… and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace.” (Ephesians 6:15)
Dearly Beloved,
Greetings in the Name of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ!
For the Roman soldier, the Caligae is not only to see him through all the battles, or even to the end of the war – it is to see him get home safely.
To get home safely – is why we get ready.
To be Gospel-Ready in Total Adversity; in Supernatural Reality; and in Life’s Uncertainties – is to be Kingdom-Ready - for the eventuality of returning forever into the Presence of our Lord Jesus Christ.
If we are to profess the same faith in Christ as did the earliest apostles, we must be Gospel-Ready, in order to be Kingdom-Ready.
In Supernatural Reality, the Apostles lived the Gospel – utterly believing and clearly proclaiming.
“ The apostles performed many signs and wonders among the people. … more and more men and women believed in the Lord and were added to their number.
Crowds gathered also from the towns around Jerusalem, bringing their sick and those tormented by impure spirits, and all of them were healed.” (Acts 5:12-16)
In Total Adversity, the Apostles lived the Gospel – utterly believing and clearly proclaiming.
17 Then the high priest and all his associates, who were members of the party of the Sadducees, were filled with jealousy. 18 They arrested the apostles and put them in the public jail. 19 But during the night an angel of the Lord opened the doors of the jail and brought them out.20 “Go, stand in the temple courts,” he said, “and tell the people all about this new life.”
27 The apostles were brought in and made to appear before the Sanhedrin to be questioned by the high priest. 28 “We gave you strict orders not to teach in this name,” he said. “Yet you have filled Jerusalem with your teaching and are determined to make us guilty of this man’s blood.”
29 Peter and the other apostles replied: “We must obey God rather than human beings! 30 The God of our ancestors raised Jesus from the dead—whom you killed by hanging him on a cross. 31 God exalted him to his own right hand as Prince and Savior that he might bring Israel to repentance and forgive their sins.
32 We are witnesses of these things, and so is the Holy Spirit, whom God has given to those who obey him.”
33 When they heard this, they were furious and wanted to put them to death.
34 But a Pharisee named Gamaliel, a teacher of the law, who was honored by all the people… addressed the Sanhedrin: “,,, Leave these men alone! Let them go! For if their purpose or activity is of human origin, it will fail.
39 But if it is from God, you will not be able to stop these men; you will only find yourselves fighting against God.”
40 His speech persuaded them. They called the apostles in and had them flogged. Then they ordered them not to speak in the name of Jesus, and let them go. (Acts 5:17-40)
In Life’s Uncertainties, the Apostles lived the Gospel – utterly believing and clearly proclaiming.
41 The apostles left the Sanhedrin, rejoicing because they had been counted worthy of suffering disgrace for the Name.
42 Day after day, in the temple courts and from house to house, they never stopped teaching and proclaiming the good news that Jesus is the Messiah.
The earliest Christians certainly had their feet “fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace.” Ephesians 6:15
In the eyes of God, they not only lived well, they finished well .
A closer look at the words “that comes from” reveals our readiness that must come from believing and internalizing the gospel of Peace – that Jesus is the Messiah; the Savior of the world – sent to die on the Cross in our place to atone for our sins – that we may be forgiven and found righteous in God’s sight.
However, when we talk about having a readiness that comes from the Gospel of Peace – not only must we fully believe and internalize the Gospel so much that we are ever-ready to share the Gospel with anyone at anytime and anywhere; we must also embrace the eventuality that when our time comes to leave this world; we must finish well - as did the Apostles of Jesus Christ.
Are you Gospel-Ready so that when the time comes, you will go out swinging?
Are you Gospel-ready so that when your time comes to pass from this world, you have indeed prepared yourself to FINISH WELL?
To finish well is what the Apostle Paul exemplified and encourages us to do in 2 Timothy 4:7-8:
“7 I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.
8 Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day—and not only to me, but also to all who have longed for his appearing.”
And he certainly did so – in word and deed.
Based on historical events, it is most likely that Paul was martyred – beheaded - between 64AD – 67AD – for the sake of the Gospel.
In life, he was Gospel-Ready; and in death, he was Kingdom-Ready.
My life’s prayer is to FINISH WELL.
My life is far from perfect; and like most, I’ve had moments that I was certainly not proud of.
But I utterly desire to reach the finishing line of my life – having given it my all, my very best.
When I pass from this world, I do not wish to look back and say that I could have done more there; or that I could have given more here, or that I could have loved this person more, or that I could have had more grace over the people who did not do right by me; and get this, that I could have forgiven more.
And here’s the truth.
To be forgiving – is key to finishing well.
The two most destructive attitudes in life is arrogance and resentment.
Arrogance leads to one being unapproachable and unteachable; and resentment leads to hate and bitterness; of which both arrogance and resentment manifests in the heart as unforgiveness; the unwillingness to forgive; which in time, ultimately results in the inability to forgive.
Unforgiveness – the product of arrogance and resentment – is poison that you take and hope that your trespasser will die.
Unforgiveness is such a tragic and unnecessary burden in life.
An unforgiving person is constantly hurt; and we know that hurt people hurt people.
What definitely happens is that the unforgiving person becomes toxic; in fact, so toxic that his or her surroundings would become toxic.
Never be found in such toxic environment; better yet, never be the source of toxicity.
A toxic life exterminates all life around it.
Unforgiveness is toxic.
We – on the other hand – who are God’s holy children - by virtue of His forgiveness through our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ; having atoned for our sins by taking our places on the Cross – must be God’s agents of blessing, and make our environment, our surroundings blessed!
So much so that anyone who comes in contact with us is blessed.
God’s Salvation message is premised on atonement and forgiveness through Jesus Christ; that Jesus is the Messiah – the only Saviour through whom we are forgiven of our sins and in whom we attain the eternal privilege of standing righteous before the Living God.
To be His agents of Blessing, we must become agents of His Message of Forgiveness.
And to be His Agents of His Message of Forgiveness, we must be ready to forgive.
One of the main keys to finishing well in this life – “fitted with the readiness THAT COMES FROM the Gospel of Peace” – is forgiveness.
God commands us to forgive.
It is a good command – one that elevates us to living as Christ lived; to forgive as Christ forgave.
“Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.” (Luke 23:34)
When you forgive; you live out the Gospel; and prepare yourself to live eternally in God’s Kingdom.
When you forgive; you position yourself in the holy posture to receiving God’s blessings, providence, protection and forgiveness.
The Father’s Heart to forgive and our posture for forgiveness is the hinge that moves our prayerful supplications in ‘The Lord’s Prayer’:
“11 Give us today our daily bread.
12 And forgive us our debts,as we also have forgiven our debtors.
13 And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.’” (Matthew 6:11-13)
In fact, our heart that is ever-ready to forgive our trespassers is the divine reality that Christ circles back and centres on – for to forgive freely; makes us truly Christian.
“For if you forgive other people when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you.” (Matthew 6:14)
Thus, the key to fully receiving our every blessing - our daily bread, our forgiveness from God, our protection - is the posture of forgiveness!
Be ever mindful.
“And when you stand praying, if you hold anything against anyone, forgive them, so that your Father in heaven may forgive you your sins.” (Mark 11:25)
Forgiveness from God – that we may stand in righteous relationship with Him - is our chief and foremost blessing.
Yes.
GOD COMMANDS US TO FORGIVE – so that we may know and have His Heart in us.
In Matthew 18:21-22, when Peter asked Jesus,
“Lord, how many times shall I forgive my brother or sister who sins against me? Up to seven times?”
Jesus answered, “I tell you, not seven times, but seventy times seven times."
Christ teaches us that we are to forgive indefinitely, to forgive as many times as needed; the moment you are hurt, insulted, trespassed against, you must forgive!
To live and breathe as people who obey, follow and pray to the living God; is to live and breathe the forgiveness of God.
So when we talk about readiness for the battles at hand; we must be mindful of what comes after the battles that we have fought here on earth.
What comes after the war between the Church and the forces of darkness?
The Church – victorious in Christ – enters into the eternal age of God’s Kingdom.
Understand this well.
To be fitted well with the Gospel; to have a truly firm grip of the Gospel message - is to live and breathe the forgiveness of God.
Our present and ultimate victory comes from the posture of forgiveness.
The ability to forgive our trespassers - those who sin against us; those who hurt us; those who stole from us; those who insulted us; those who cheated us – is indicative of our spiritual state; because this ability and willingness to forgive our fellow human beings reveals the reality that we truly do not war against flesh and blood, but against the forces of darkness.
We forgive our transgressors because they are not the enemy; they are the collateral damage in this spiritual war – but more than that, they are our mission field.
We need to rethink – and reject – all hate, all arrogance, all resentment, all bitterness and all unforgiveness – because it is simply not a good look on us.
In fact, we cease becoming God’s image when we harbor such evil as bitterness and unforgiveness in our lives.
And I’ve taught you this before; if we are not God’s image, we actually become the image of the devil.
Do not harbor bitterness and unforgiveness! Do not be morphed into the image of the evil one!
Choose – to be an image of God! Choose to be forgiving.
Grow in the likeness of Christ – forgive as He forgave you!
God is our vindicator; God is our ultimate judge of who’s right and who’s wrong.
As mentioned earlier, the Apostle Paul revealed to us that: “The Lord – alone - is the Righteous Judge!” (2 Tim 4:7-8)
We will never know the whole story behind every act; only God does.
So, do not try to do His job, and judge; for you will become more wrong than when you started, and become more sinful than when you first committed the sin of unforgiveness.
Forgive – in the understanding that it is a divine act of surrendering the circumstance; the disagreement, the quarrel unto our God – and simply letting go of the hate, and letting God’s love heal and empower you to live your life to the FULL!
Isn’t it wonderful passing from this world utterly praising and preaching the Gospel to the very end?
Just put your all and everything in Christ – and you would achieve all that and more; finishing well - without regret, remorse, nor bitterness and unforgiveness.
Passing from this world praising and preaching the Gospel happened to a fellow ministry colleague of mine in Singapore. This brother loved the Lord, and he loved teaching the word of God. One day, after leading a bible study, he closed his eyes in prayer and simply went to be with the Lord.
To live and breathe the forgiveness of God is what the very first Christian Martyr, Stephen, exemplified for us. (Ref: Acts 6:8-7:60)
He was Gospel-ready – “full of God’s grace and power, performed great wonders and signs among the people.” (Acts 6:8); calling out the wicked stubbornness of Israel’s religious leaders in “the wisdom the Spirit gave him as he spoke.” (Acts 6:10)
In the face of falsehood, pure evil and gross injustice dealt to him by the elders of Israel and the teachers of the law, Stephen’s face reflected the glory of God as he preached the Gospel, rebuking them for their stubborn rejection of God’s Salvation through Jesus Christ,
“You stiff-necked people! Your hearts and ears are still uncircumcised.
You are just like your ancestors: You always resist the Holy Spirit!
Was there ever a prophet your ancestors did not persecute?
They even killed those who predicted the coming of the Righteous One. And now you have betrayed and murdered him--53 you who have received the law that was given through angels but have not obeyed it.” (Acts 7:51-53)
Of course, they became indignant and furious.
Of course, they wanted to kill him.
And they did.
Here’s what happened.
"55 But Stephen, full of the Holy Spirit, looked up to heaven and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God.
56 “Look,” he said, “I see heaven open and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God.”
57 At this they covered their ears and, yelling at the top of their voices, they all rushed at him, 58 dragged him out of the city and began to stone him. Meanwhile, the witnesses laid their coats at the feet of a young man named Saul.
59 While they were stoning him, Stephen prayed,
“Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.”
60 Then he fell on his knees and cried out, “Lord, do not hold this sin against them.”
When he had said this, he fell asleep.” (Acts 7:55-60)
Till his dying breath - Stephen was Gospel-Ready!
Till his dying breath - Stephen lived and breathed the forgiveness of God.
And this is what we must learn, and live out!
“Lord Jesus, receive my spirit – and Lord, do not hold this sin against them.”
Forgive; in order to share God’s Gospel of Forgiveness!
Forgive: in order to live out God’s Gospel of Forgiveness!
One of my deepest joys and passions in life is to walk alongside a person and to share the Gospel.
In fact, I make it my daily mission to get ready for such a divine opportunity.
I would prepare for the possibility, and I would train for the eventuality of sharing the Gospel of Peace with someone.
I know that my daily moments spent with the Lord in prayer and in His Word is divinely appointed by Him - preparing me for a ‘soon-coming’ opportunity to share the Gospel with someone whom God is going to send my way.
I would pray to be empowered by the Holy Spirit, to learn and memorize the Gospel message; in the constant anticipation that God will send someone my way; or bring me to that someone who is ready to receive His Message of Salvation.
God has used me to be His Witness.
He can use you.
He desires to use you; for to be His disciple is to make disciples of all nations.
Since the Great Commission of Matthew 28;18-20 that Christ issued to His disciples, there has been no other that stipulates the requirement of Christian discipleship.
If you profess to be Christ’s disciple, know this.
It is in you to share God’s message of peace through His forgiveness in Christ; it is in you to pray with others, it is in you to invite another human being to taste and see that the Lord is good – and pay attention here; it is in you to forgive.
Why?
Because Christ is in you!
Three week ago, the Holy Spirit led me to walk the Sidney Pier to pray after I dropped our older two boys off at their workplace.
Strangely, the moment I left the car I started to pray – or rather lament – at my lack of opportunity to share the gospel; given the ongoing hostilities toward all things Christian; and perhaps, compounded by the distancing requirements due to the season of pandemic.
It was around 9am in the morning as I made my way to the end of the pier, I noticed an elderly Chinese man sitting alone with crab sets in the water.
In the ensuing conversation, I discovered that he had come from Surrey – a city within Metro Vancouver.
He was not visiting friends; he travelled here for the crabs.
To come to this crabbing spot, he would catch a bus, transfer to take the ferry and one more bus ride before reaching the Sidney pier. It was a total journey that would take him 4 hours to get here, and 4 hours to return home.
Seeing that he looked pleased with his catch, I asked him if he was happy.
This was all in Mandarin. For those who know me, you would understand that a miracle was already in progress.
Well - in Mandarin - he said he was happy.
By then, I had realized that the Lord brought this man all the way from Surrey to hear the Gospel, and to also rebuke my earlier lack of faith for the miracles He could accomplish for the sake of His Gospel.
I told this elderly man that happiness was fleeting; but what was really important in life is to have joy and hope that only Jesus could give.
He told me that Jesus could never accept him for his communist beliefs, and his past as a member of the communist party; to which I immediately replied, “The Lord does not hold your past against you; in fact, He loves you this day, and has already forgiven you!”
My brothers and sisters in Christ, I don’t know how I said it in Mandarin, but it was said in the utmost belief that God has indeed forgiven me of all my wickedness!
“All you need is faith in His Salvation,” I continued, “be willing to get to know Him, and believe that He can forgive you and give you new life.”
At that point , the Holy Spirit led me to ask him if there was a church near his house, and he shared that his wife attends church.
However, for all the decades he has been in Canada, he never went with her because he felt that he would not be unaccepted by God because of his past.
I told him that was not true – that God can, and will, accept him if he would simply come close to Him.
I got him to commit to going to church with his wife the coming Sunday, to which he replied almost immediately that he would .
I told him that fishing would bring some temporary measure of happiness; but Jesus would grant him eternal joy.
Folks, that he would even understand my broken Mandarin was a miracle in itself; that he would pray along with me on the pier was yet another miracle; and that our lives would even intersect was certainly a miracle.
A man from Surrey meeting a man from Metchosin – talking about, and receiving together – the forgiveness of God.
Now, that is a series of miracles!
I was part of a miracle because we serve a God of Miracles.
You can be part of such miracles too.
All you need to do is to be Gospel-Ready: under every circumstance - in Total Adversity, in Supernatural Reality, in Life’s Uncertainties; to absolutely believe in the Gospel and be deeply well-versed in the Gospel message - readying yourself, preparing yourself to finish well – preparing yourself for the Present and Coming Kingdom of God.
And so, I charge each and every one of you:
Forgive as God forgave your sins; and God will use you as His messenger of forgiveness.
Be ever-ready to be forgiving, in bringing His Gospel of Peace and Forgiveness to whomever He sends you to - which is really every person in your life; and when you do, you will finish this life well, ready to enter His eternal Kingdom.
Shalom.
Let us pray.
Our Father in Heaven,
Hallowed be Your Name.
Your Kingdom come, Your Will be done; on earth, as it is in heaven.
Lord, may my feet – my life – be “fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace” (Ephesians 6:15); that in Your eyes, I have not only lived well – I will finish well.
Strengthen my resolve to be Gospel-ready in life, and in death; that when my time comes to pass from this world – I would do so, praising You; and preaching Your Gospel of Peace and Forgiveness.
Help my focus, and deepened my faith – that I will indeed fight the good fight, finished the race, and kept the faith; in the utter yearning for “the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day—and not only to me, but also to all who have longed for his appearing.” (2 Timothy 4:7-8)
My life’s prayer is to finish well; for Your glory sake!
And thank You for the revelation that the key to finishing my life well is to be forgiving – as You are.
Lord Jesus, teach me to be forgiving. Grant me a deeper sense of Your love and compassion for the world.
Never let me forget that we war not against flesh and blood; but against the powers of darkness and the spiritual forces of evil. (Ref: Ephesians 6:12)
Never let me forget that those who trespass against me are not my enemies; but the mission field that You have called me unto.
Holy Spirit, remove all traces of arrogance and resentment – along with the resulting heart of bitterness and unforgiveness from my life; and grant me the absolute resolve to rid myself of such wickedness.
I acknowledge that I am Your child, O God – by sole virtue of Your forgiveness through my Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ – having atoned for my sins by taking my place on the Cross.
Use me, O Lord, to be Your agent of blessing and Your messenger for the Gospel of Peace and Forgiveness.
Lord, You have commanded me to forgive – and I do forgive all those who has trespassed against me.
Elevate my heart to live as Christ lives; and to forgive as Christ forgave – for when I do, thanks be to God, I fulfill the Great Commission to live out the Gospel Message, making disciples of all nations, and prepare to live in Your Kingdom for all eternity.
Today, I declare that I am positioned in the holy posture of receiving God’s blessings, providence, protection and forgiveness.
May I learn to never “hold anything against anyone”, forgiving them, so that You O God, may forgive me of my sins. (Ref: Mark 11:25)
May I know You more deeply, and have Your Heart upon mine; that I may live and breathe Your forgiveness – in conscientious preparation to enter Your eternal Kingdom.
Indeed, our present and ultimate victory comes from Christ’s divine posture of forgiveness. Grow me daily, in Your Holy Image, dear Lord Jesus!
On this day, I declare that I choose to be an image of God; to grow daily in the likeness of Christ.
You alone, Lord Jesus, are the Righteous Judge! (Ref: 2 Tim 4:7-8)
Forgive the times when I sinned against You by judging another person; for indeed, You alone are our Vindicator and ultimate Judge.
Holy Spirit, help me cut off from my spirit the burdens of bitterness, regrets and unforgiveness; and grant me resolve to daily surrender every circumstance of trespass unto You; simply letting go of the ‘hate’ and allowing Your love to heal and empower me to live to the very full! (Ref: John 10:10)
Prepare me to finish well; passing into Your glory utterly praising You, and preaching Your Gospel to the very end!
Like Stephen, may I be Gospel-Ready from this day till my dying breath; and like him, let me live and breathe Your forgiveness till my dying breath.
That when the time comes, that I may fully appropriate the sacred privilege to cry out,
“Lord Jesus, receive my spirit – and Lord, do not hold this sin against them.”
Grant me the divine opportunity to share Your message of Peace through Christ.
Grant me the divine opportunity to pray with others, and invite them to taste and see that You are good!
Lord Jesus, I believe with all my heart that You remain in me; grant me a deeper desire to forgive those who have sorely trespassed against me; and in this, use me as Your messenger of Your divine forgiveness.
May I be ever-ready to be forgiving, in bringing Your Gospel of Peace and Forgiveness to the world around me; and as I prepare each day to do so, may I finish this life well, and be ready to enter Your eternal Kingdom.
I thank You and pray all these in the Name of our King, Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Amen.