Reading excerpts from John Bunyan’s Grace Abounding to the Chief of Sinners, I found myself reflecting on my own experiences as one called to minister in the name of Christ. It is worth the reminder that, in the end, serving Christ is a privilege given by the grace of God.
One difficult fact to face is the realization that, often, the biblical truth that I am tasked to teach is one that addresses some deficiency in my own life and devotion to Christ. What must I do? Avoid teaching it at all? Water it down? Wait until I straighten out my own situation before I teach it? Act as if it was not a challenge that I too faced? But God’s Word is God’s Word, and must be preached. Bunyan acknowledges he has faced this dilemma so many times, yet confesses: “It is far better to bring oneself under condemnation by plain preaching to others, than to save yourself by imprisoning the truth in unrighteousness. Blessed be God for his help also in this.”
God forbid that I “imprison the truth in [my] unrighteousness” just to save myself from embarrassment or to protect my reputation. Just as the task entrusted to me is by God’s grace, in the same way, by his grace, he will take care of me when I remain faithful in the “plain preaching” of the truth despite my shortcomings. This is a difficult thing to do. And I definitely will need “his help also in this.” For “by the grace of God, I am what I am” (1 Corinthians 15.10).
This doesn’t mean that he will excuse me of my failures and sin. Rather, he will extend the same grace that will pull me out of my enslavement to sin. I do not need to clean up my act first. Instead, I surrender myself to him, let him renew and restore me, and let him use me as he pleases.
And the results of my ministry should not be my overwhelming concern. While fruitfulness in ministry is desirable, I must remember that ultimately it is the Lord who causes the fruit to grow, not me. Even the fruit of my work is by the grace of God.
What I share is not exclusive to one like me, a pastor of a church. Every follower of Christ is called to a life of devotion to the Lord. How we live our life as a disciple, how we fulfill our task as a witness to Christ, how we serve him with the gifts with which he equips us, all this is by the grace of God. We do not need to worry about making ourselves worthy first before serving him or bearing witness to Christ. Surrender to him and he will make us worthy. Thanks be to God!
—Keith Y. Jainga