Blessedness in the coming Chinese New Year! (3 Feb 2019)

fu The Chinese character (福 fu2) carries a good meaning for all Chinese.

For Chinese Christians, this word brings us back to the original meaning of the blessedness of Adam who had communion with God in the garden of Eden, before he disobeyed God.
This blessedness is restored when a person believes in Christ Jesus, the Lamb of God. He is the Righteous One. Christ Jesus is the Mediator who had settled all the debts that mankind owe to a holy God. All moral debts, sins, iniquities and transgressions are removed by His death on the Cross – fully paid by the precious life and blood of God’s Only Begotten Son.

God the Heavenly Father blesses all who believe in Christ Jesus, and Christ’s righteousness is credited to whoever believes in Him (Rom 4:5).

It is a customary Chinese practice to pay off one’s financial debts. It means to “close the books” at the end of the year and start life afresh in the New Year. What if the financial debt is too big?

What would the creditors do? The debt collectors might write in bold O$P$ or splash red paint on the door of the home or workplace of the person who is in debt.

There is also a moral debt that every man owes to a Holy God. Even if the man owns the whole world, he cannot pay in full all that he owes God. Instead of demanding and hounding the spiritually bankrupt sinner, the holy God offered the precious blood of the Lamb of God. The precious life and blood of the Lamb of God, Jesus the Messiah, can redeem all of mankind – from Adam to the last person before God creates the new heavens and the new earth.

The offer of God to redeem every man from that spiritual debt still stands, “Whosoever will, let him come.”

duilianThose who come to God through Christ have great spiritual blessings from God. They have God’s empowering grace to live new lives in-Christ. They will experience peace with God, daily cleansing and communion with God.

“Whosever will, let him take of the water of life freely” (Rev 22:17).

Everyone has a free will to decide if he will come to God through Jesus Christ. He cannot blame God if he refuses to accept the invitation.

Let us, as Christians, mingle with our relatives and friends during this Chinese New Year season to serve Christ our Lord and Saviour as His messengers of the Gospel.

May all who enter the door of Christ continually receive grace and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

 

Elder Yoong Yuen Soo