Welcome to the Pastor’s Blogs/Notes!
Good News! Only though the grace of God that we are saved through faith, nothing more nothing less.
“For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God.” Ephesians 2:8-10.
Let us now walk in the newness of life and grow daily in the Lord. I invite you to walk with Christ, also with us, the Bible as our guide, here through the Pastor’s page.
Pastor Limuel Liwanag
Senior Pastor
Pastor Rhidge Garcia
Associate Pastor
Is God’s Grace Truly One-Size-Fits-All?
Our Kym and Bea utilized the shoe “Fit Finder” at the Road Runner Sports store to prepare for their separate marathon event. As you stand still on this machine, it calibrates your foot width, arch height, instep height, ball width girth, etc., and then recommends a specific shoe fit based on the measurements obtained. Some of you may have heard of the Nike Adapt BB. This basketball shoe allows users to tighten or loosen the laces with the touch of a button or through the app, along with the ability to fine-tune the fit and customization of LED color options. But what astonishes me further is this new type of clothing called “Second Skin” that can morph in response to body temperature changes. This “living clothing” becomes more breathable when the body heat or humidity of the wearer increases.
I have just imagined the possibility of clothing that can adjust specifically to a person’s body measurement, and I am unaware that researchers have started producing them. My interest in this was triggered by my realization that God’s grace is custom-fitted to a person’s life context. This is evident to me based on the story of the “Rich Young Ruler,” recorded in the synoptic gospels (Matthew 19, Mark 10, Luke 18). It reveals that Jesus responded to this man’s truth-seeking episode in a way tailored to his journey. He didn’t compare his journey to others who might struggle like him. Jesus was obviously and intentionally addressing his challenges and offered the grace particularly fitted for his personal need, no more, no less.
The young man in this story sadly rejected the grace-filled solution to his soul's longing. All this time, he thought he was aligned with God's will. His journey to salvation needed grace to permeate his relationships with other people, especially with his parents or family. His estimate of God's grace was confined to obedience, which he was very good at.
Where are you in your apprehension of God's grace? Do you willingly permit God, like King David, to search you and know your heart; to try and understand your anxieties; to see if there is any wicked way in you, and to lead you in the way everlasting (Psalm 139: 23-24)?
Blessings,
Pastor Liwanag