Here’s the deal. There is bad news and there is worse news; then there is good news and a catch. Of course, there is a catch—otherwise it would not be a deal.
First, the bad news. In relation to your salvation, a purchase price is involved—yes, there is quite a cost. The even worse news is that you cannot afford to pay it! We cannot buy salvation—even if you pulled together all your wealth and resources, and went all in with your consolidated balance sheet, you would still not be able to afford it.
The good news is that the purchase price for your salvation has been paid in full. Yes, salvation is freely given to all who believe. Then there is the catch—salvation is free but you cannot keep it all to yourself; you have to share it. That is the deal; that is the mission.
God has achieved His purpose (for our salvation) without relying on our resources. Conversely, we cannot achieve God’s purpose (His mission for us) without relying on His resources.
In relation to answering the call to missions, the Methodist Missions Society (MMS) is testimony to God’s faithfulness. When we renounce dependence on our own resourcing abilities, it is then that we recognise that our God will supply all our needs according to the riches of His glory in Christ. Together with partner churches, MMS has been able to share in meeting the needs in educating communities through various student bursaries and support programmes. We have also been able to build schools and homes and facilities for orphanages, carried out medical missions, and other community outreach work in Cambodia, East Asia, Laos, Nepal, Thailand, Timor-Leste and Vietnam.
All this has also been made possible by your partnership in “the catch” (pun intended, as we are, after all, called to be fishers of men), and by your sharing and generous giving of resources. As the Apostle Paul wrote to the Philippians: “Not that I desire your gifts; what I desire is that more be credited to your account” (Phil 4:17, NIV).
Over the past year, the team at MMS has worked to align our resource management with governance and strategy under a funding framework operating with the kingdom principle of stewardship, making sure we balance our books given the funding needs in the mission field. Like Paul’s reference in Philippians to needs being met, we draw from Proverbs 30: “Give me neither poverty nor riches, but give me only my daily bread (needs). Otherwise, I may have too much and disown you and say, ‘Who is the Lord?’ Or I may become poor and steal, and so dishonor the name of my God” (Prov 30:8–9, NIV)
We serve a Redeemer God who paid the price and purchased us by giving His only Son. So let us share as His Holy Spirit convicts us till He returns and finds us faithful stewards of His resources.
6478-4818Collin Tan is the Chairman of the Finance Committee of the Methodist Missions Society. He grew up in Sunday School at Bedok Methodist Church in the ’70s. He received Christ as his Saviour in the ’80s and married Dorothy in the ’90s. They have lived and worked in Australia, Hong Kong and the Netherlands, where Collin worked in corporate treasury and banking, returning home to Bedok in 2010. He is still enjoying the journey of life in the kampong on this side of eternity. This article was first published in Harvest Force Issue 3, 2020.