What Is Your Life?
(Sermon by Dr Jeffrey Khoo at Truth BPC, 24 January 2010)
Money is the god of many a Singaporean. The casinos in Sentosa and in Marina Bay are the new temples of materialism and moneytheism. Besides food, what occupies the mind of Singaporeans in general is how to get rich, and quick; how I can earn more and more, buy bigger houses, drive bigger cars. Understand that it is not money or wealth that is sinful, but the love of money—the sin of greed. “For the love of money is the root of all evil: which while some coveted after, they have erred from the faith, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows” (1 Tim 6:10).
So, we find ourselves in pursuit of wealth whether by hook or by crook with utter disregard for God and His commandments. “Go to now, ye that say, To day or to morrow we will go into such a city, and continue there a year, and buy and sell, and get gain: Whereas ye know not what shall be on the morrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapour, that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away” (Jas 4:13-14). One of the ways whereby believers have befriended the world and made the Lord their enemy was their total disregard for God in their business decisions and dealings. You can just imagine these people looking at the world map and thinking of what they can do to get rich: “I cannot wait to book my ticket to fly out today or tomorrow, go to India and China, spend a year in this city and that city, get the contacts, set up shop, import and export, buy and sell, and make it big.”
Diligent and meticulous planning is not wrong in and of itself. It is only wrong when we do not take God into consideration. It is wrong when it is done with selfish ambition. Questions like “Does the Lord want me to go here?”, “Will He be pleased if I do this?”, “What can I do to extend the kingdom of God in my business trips?” were never asked. To such, making money is the number one priority, and when discussing business, religion takes a backseat. The Apostle James had to remind these presumptuous businessmen that their lives were not in their hands.
We need to understand that we are able to subsist and engage in business only because God has graciously allowed us to. For our life is like a vapour or mist which appears but for a while and is gone. As much as we are not able to control the time a vapour will last, neither can we determine how long we live. If we continue to live our lives without due regard for God and His Word, He may cut short our time here on earth. There is a lesson from Jesus about the rich fool. To the godless and proud towkay who told himself to enjoy life and take it easy, God said, “Thou fool, this night thy soul shall be required of thee: then whose shall those things be, which thou hast provided. So is he that layeth up treasures for himself, and is not rich toward God” (Luke 12:20-21). We should rather “seek ye first the kingdom of God and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you” (Matt 6:33).
“For that ye ought to say, If the Lord will, we shall live, and do this, or that” (Jas 4:15). Instead of arrogantly saying, “I will do this,” or “I will do that,” Christians should always seek the will of God, and humbly include the words, “The Lord willing.” This should be the case not only in the planning of business trips but also mission trips. This may be seen in the life and ministry of the Apostle Paul. Paul told the Ephesians that “if God will” he will pay them a second visit (Acts 18:20). He said the same to the Corinthians (1 Cor 4:19, 16:7), and to the Philippians (Phil 2:19). It is always Deo volente (DV), “God willing.”
“But now ye rejoice in your boastings: all such rejoicing is evil” (Jas 4:16). There are business executives who show off their five- year or ten-year plans. Some Christians are impressed by such godless planning, and adopt such worldly methods for the Church. It ought always to be remembered that while man may propose, it is ultimately God who disposes. Our planning must never be independent of God, and our plans should rather be short-term ones. We must never run ahead of God. We enter only when God opens the door. And God opens doors one at a time. He leads us a step at a time. This causes us to be ever dependent on Him for guidance each step of the way. That is why God does not reveal to us the exact time of Christ’s return. He wants us to be mindful that He may come at any time; hence, we have to be prepared all the time (Matt 24:30, 42, 25:13). Sinful man is such that if he knew the exact moment of Christ’s return, he would choose to live according to his pleasure until it is five minutes too late!
“Therefore to him that knoweth to do good, and doeth it not, to him it is sin” (Jas 4:17). It is the sin of omission. The word “good” (kalon) speaks of that which is morally excellent and praiseworthy. The word “do” (poiein) is written in the present tense indicating that good is something to be done continually. The late Rev Dr Timothy Tow used to say, “Do something good for Jesus every day.” Not once in a while, but all the time. A person may sin in two basic ways: (1) by violating and (2) by ignoring the Word of God. Both types of sin— commission and omission—are equally sinful. James here issues a warning. He has shown them the error of their ways, and the correct paths they ought to take. If they refuse to do that which is good, to heed God’s Word, then they have shown contempt for God Himself. This might be an unpardonable sin—the sin of contempt—for “faith without works is dead” (Jas 2:20). Having heard the Word of God, we must do the Word of God.
It is not money that is the root of all evil but the love of it (1 Tim 6:10). There is nothing wrong in being rich, but there is everything wrong in trusting in riches. In chapter 5, James continues to warn against worldliness (5:1-4). He now zeroes in on one very real problem—the worship of money. Adultery against God is committed when people make money their god. Instead of seeking “to glorify God, and to enjoy him for ever” (Westminster Shorter Catechism, Q1), their philosophy of life is purely materialistic, to “buy and sell, and get gain” (Jas 4:12). James warns against taking this road of self- destruction.
“From whence come wars and fightings among you? come they not hence, even of your lusts that war in your members? Ye lust, and have not: ye kill, and desire to have, and cannot obtain: ye fight and war, yet ye have not, because ye ask not. Ye ask, and receive not, because ye ask amiss, that ye may consume it upon your lusts. Ye adulterers and adulteresses, know ye not that the friendship of the world is enmity with God? whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God. Do ye think that the scripture saith in vain, The spirit that dwelleth in us lusteth to envy? But he giveth more grace. Wherefore he saith, God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace unto the humble” (Jas 5:1-6).
James here speaks of the rich who merely professed Christ, but never truly possessed Christ. These were first mentioned in 1:10-11 where James said that their wealthy state was only temporary. They might be rich in their life on earth now, but they would be poor in the life hereafter.
So, let us humble ourselves to know that our life is not in our hands, but entirely in God’s, and we should always live our lives in the light of His Word and His will so that in all that we do, He might be glorified. What is the chief end of man? It is “to glorify God, and to enjoy Him forever” (WSC Q1). Are you living such a life?
FAR EASTERN BIBLE COLLEGE
Despite the lawsuit brought against the Far Eastern Bible College (FEBC) by Life Bible- Presbyterian Church (LBPC) due to FEBC’s belief in the verbal and plenary preservation of the Holy Scriptures, which went to trial in the High Court of Singapore from 25-29 January 2010, the College by the grace of God got off to a blessed start with a total enrolment of 391 students comprising 115 day-time students (56 full-time, 59 part-time) from 18 countries (Australia, Cambodia, China, Congo, Ethiopia, Ghana, India, Indonesia, Kenya, Korea, Malaysia, Nepal, Northern Ireland, Philippines, Singapore, Tanzania, Thailand, and Vietnam), and 276 lay students in the “Basic Theology for Everyone” classes on Monday and Thursday nights, with an increasing number of local and overseas students taking the online distance learning courses.
The Biblical and theological subjects this semester are taught by the following lecturers: Rev Dr Jeffrey Khoo (Principal), Rev Dr Quek Suan Yew (Academic Dean), Rev Dr Das Koshy (Dean of Students), Rev Koa Keng Woo, and Rev Tan Kian Sing. Mrs Ivy Tow (Matron) teaches Elementary Greek, and Mrs Jemima Khoo and Miss Carol Lee teach Christian Education. Mr Dennis Kabingue and Mrs Janice Lai are our tutors in Greek and Music respectively. We congratulate Mrs Janice Lai for being conferred the degree of Master of Sacred Music by Foundations Bible College (USA) in December last year. Dr Paul Ferguson who is also a Foundations graduate teaches the Acts of the Apostles as part of his ThD requirements at FEBC.
We welcome Mrs Irene Lim to the faculty of FEBC as English tutor to the Intermediate English class. Mrs Lim is a qualified school teacher and holds a Diploma in English Studies from the University of Cambridge and a BA in English Language and Geography from the National University of Singapore. The College is also blessed with Mrs Anne Lim who teaches Intensive English. Mrs Lim is a BRE/MRE graduate of FEBC and was trained to teach English by the British Council. We also thank the Lord for Eld Han Soon Juan who has taught English in FEBC since time immemorial. He holds an MA from Columbia University and was Senior Subject Teacher in the English department of St Andrew’s Junior College. Eld Han teaches Advanced English at FEBC.
We covet your prayers for FEBC. Pray the Lord to protect and preserve His school of prophets at Gilstead Road, and grant His servants the grace to teach and defend the perfect preservation of His inspired, infallible and inerrant Words in these last days of blinding uncertainty and unbelief. “The words of the LORD are pure words: as silver tried in a furnace of earth, purified seven times. Thou shalt keep them, O LORD, thou shalt preserve them from this generation for ever” (Ps 12:6-7).
