Thank you 316NOW pastors

The team of pastors who traveled to China last fall recently received an email from a Christian Church leader at a congregation they visited.

Please tell the pastors that their teaching  helped us understand more clearly than ever before how God unconditionally loves us and that he has forgiven ALL our sins.  We continue to rejoice that God accepts us completely through faith in Jesus, even though we often struggle with spiritual  weakness. What a true comfort this is!  Please tell the pastors we would like them to continually remember us and minister us through prayers and on-line teaching. May God continually strengthen them and bless their ministry. 

A pastor responds

“Christian leaders in China often are unsure that God’s grace has forgiven them completely,” one of our pastors says.  “That’s why it is not unusual to find that these leaders think they must do things to win God’s favor.  For many that means they work harder to repent of their sins.  For others it means trying to do a better job of achieving spiritual perfection."

Then he adds, "But none of that works. It only leads to the conclusion that they will always fall short of earning God’s love.  When they understand that it is by grace they are saved through faith without their contributing anything (Ephesians 2:8,9), what a change takes place, what a relief they feel, what a commitment to live for Jesus.”