The Zion Bishan Family Trait
By Ps Vernon Quek
Last weekend, we heard in Romans Chapter 4 the wonderful truth that Abraham’s faith was what God counted to him as righteousness – and that this was Good News not just for Abraham, ‘but also to the one who shares the faith of Abraham, who is the father of us all, as it is written, “I have made you the father of many nations” (Romans 4:16-17).
How amazing that millennia later, we 21st century believers in Singapore can count ourselves as righteous in the same way: by our faith in our Saviour King Jesus!
Have you been wondering and reflecting more on this over the past week? I have. I’ve found myself asking a specific question: what exactly does the defining trait of Abraham’s family – the faith that all of his offspring share with him – look like in my life?
I wonder if you would be able to answer that question for yourself? Are there any particular ways that you know you have ‘in hope believed against hope’ in your life recently? If you can think of any or even many, then let these be a source of thankfulness to God. If not, perhaps a time of reflection and prayer is required.
How about corporately as a local church? How would you say this generation of Zion Bishan reflects our defining family trait? What would you say are clear indicators that we are a people of unwavering faith in our Righteous and Life-giving Creator God?
The Zion Bishan family has the great blessing of being able to look back through our relatively short 30-year history and see many examples of faithfulness in past generations. From the pioneer generation who left the comfort of an established church to join the new plant facing many uncertainties, to those who more recently generously gave funds and time and energy to the Redevelopment Project, and most recently the Land Lease Renewal – we have many stories of faith to tell in our community.
But it’s not only in these more visible ways that faith can been seen. Faith examples of equal and sometimes even greater measure can be seen in many other ways if we have the eyes to look for them. The faithfulness of many who have been quietly giving of themselves to encourage the faith of others – some for years or even decades – should be equally acknowledged and treasured amongst us.
Do you know of any such faith examples whom we might not have shown enough appreciation for? Why not reach out to thank and encourage them this coming week? Why not share their stories with the rest of us that we too might be encouraged to be faithful as well?
How about in the coming years? How will the future generations of Zion Bishan look back to this generation and remember us? As the song goes: ‘Oh, may all who come behind us find us faithful’. May the Lord work powerfully through His Spirit to grow us to be a generation who knows and loves the Gospel of our Righteous God, that no unbelief will make us waver concerning all of His promises in Christ!
