Lord’s Day, Vol. 2 No. 15

(1) Remembering Good Friday

The church remembers the sufferings, crucifixion and death of Jesus Christ on Good Friday. What is the significance? Isaiah 53:6 tell us, “All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the LORD hath laid on him the iniquity of us all.” On the cross, Jesus paid the debt for our sins. As the old saying teaches, “He came to pay a debt He didn’t owe because we owed a debt we couldn’t pay.”

Romans 5:8 declared, “But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.” The supreme manifestation of God’s love is seen in its fullness in Christ’s death on the cross. There on the cross, Jesus made the payment for our sins giving to all who would believe the gift of eternal life -Romans 6:23 “For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.”

Our Good Friday Service is on 18 April at 8pm. We shall meet at the Worship Centre. Do come as we remember God’s salvation grace given to us through Jesus Christ. And invite your friends and loved ones to come along that they may hear the good news of God’s love.

(2) Charity doth not behave itself unseemly (1 Corinthians 13:5a)

This character of God’s love does not act unbecomingly, lacking in decorum. It is not ill-mannered, rude or causes shame to others but is courteous. Neither is it indecent or disorderly but is full of propriety, politeness, orderliness and moderation. This emanates from a holy reverence toward God and results in consideration towards others. It gives others due honour. This behavioural appropriateness fits the character of a redeemed man, an etiquette that is consistent in the Christian’s life.

Erastus Wilman, who was president of the Great Northwestern Telegraph Company of Canada in the 19th century said, “Nothing is ever lost by courtesy. It is the cheapest of all pleasures; costs nothing but conveys much. It pleases him who gives and him who receives, and thus, like mercy, it is twice blessed.”

There was a story of a man who was generally lacking in manners. He never opened the car door for his wife. “She doesn’t have two broken arms,” he would say. After many years of marriage, his wife died. At the funeral, as the pallbearers brought her casket out to the hearse, the husband was standing by the car door. The funeral director, who knew the husband by name, called out to him and said, “Open the door for her, will you?” He reached for the car door and then, for one second, froze. He realized that he had never opened the door for her in life; now, in her death, it would be the first, the last, and the only time. A lifetime of regret came crashing down on him.1

Let charity begin at home. Let us be polite and courteous towards our loved ones, our spouses, our siblings, our elderly parents and our children. This is so basic and yet so neglected. We often take our loved ones for granted, neglecting to treat them with basic courtesy, as one writer said well, “Courtesy is love in little things.”

In like manner, in school, at our workplace, in church, and in fact, wherever the Lord has placed us, we are to show respect and politeness towards one another. May the Lord help us to conduct ourselves as it becometh of one who is a follower of Christ. Amen.

(Footnotes)
1 Edited – http://www.fcfonline.org/content/1/sermons/020595M.pdf

Yours lovingly
Pr Lek Aik Wee