My dear readers,

1. An Example of the believers

How good is the God we adore! Truly His goodness is over all His works. He has crowned our lives with His goodness (Ps 65:11). To Him be all the glory and praise.

As we ponder God’s love and salvation grace, may we resolve to do greater things for Him, to draw more men to the Saviour. In our testimony and witness, may we be "an example of the believers, in word, in conversation, in charity, in spirit, in faith, in purity" (1 Tim 4:12).

"Let others see Jesus in us."

2. Living a consecrated life (Romans 12:1-3)

We are saved to live differently from the world. We are to live a "Consecrated Life." This means simply a life of separation unto God, set apart, wholly given to Him for His use.

We see this as part of God’s overall Salvation Plan for us (Rom 8:30):

• Predestinated us
• Called us
• Justified us
• Glorified us

But after we are justified – and before we are glorified – we need to live a life worthy of our Salvation, i.e. a Consecrated life.

3. Ten rules for pure and godly living

Let me give you ten rules for a consecrated life.

I. Thou shalt not commit adultery (Exod 20:14).

II. Whosoever looketh on a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery … in his heart (Matt 5:28).

III. Flee fornication (1 Cor 6:18).

IV. Choose to suffer affliction with God’s people …rather than enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season (Heb 11:25).

V. The lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes is not of the Father but is of the world (1 John 2:16).

VI. Your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost … ye are not your own … therefore glorify God in your body (1 Cor 6:19, 20).

VII. Thou art his (Potiphar’s) wife: how then can I do this great wickedness, and sin against God? (Gen 39:9).

VIII. Whoso committeth adultery with a woman … destroyeth his own soul (Pro 6:32).

IX. Whatsoever things are pure … think on these things (Phil 4:8).

X. It is good for a man not to touch a woman (1 Cor 7:1).

4. Lessons learnt from Grandfather

I was six when I was sent to live with Grandfather. When I first set eyes on Grandfather, he was like Abraham to me, a venerable gentleman of threescore years and ten.

To Grandfather, the Lord came first in everything. He loved the holy Sabbath Day. To him it was truly "... a delight, the holy of the Lord, honourable," a day on which nothing of the world must intrude: no newspapers, no careless speech, no games or sport (Isa 58:13). From Grandfather we learnt to honour the Lord on His Day. Was Grandfather unduly strict? I say, no, it was merely an expression of his devotion for God and the things of God.

He was strict on feminine modesty. Sleeves for girls and ladies were a must, at least half length if not full length sleeves for a respectable and God-honouring cover. Sleeveless women were not seen among his congregation. "Christians must avoid all appearance of evil, and not follow the fashion of the world."

Whenever Grandfather spoke with women, he would look at the floor. I wondered, was he shy? I asked him the reason and his answer was plain and simple: "Be careful of the lust of the eyes." In later years I understood. In the Sermon on the Mount, these words came from our Lord’s own lips: "Whosoever looketh on a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery with her already in his heart" (Matt 5:28). Grandfather’s saintliness was not soon forgotten.

Prayer with Grandfather morning and evening was our daily blessing. His motto for us was, "No prayer, no school." If the fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge and wisdom (Prov 1:7; Ps 111:10), then surely prayer before hurrying off to school makes good sense. Family Worship at 8 o’clock was our nightly blessing when all the family gathered for Grandfather’s scripture lesson and prayer. He would pray for each of the grandchildren, seeking God’s blessings on each one, near and far.

My three years with him left an impression which has become part of me: my thinking, my way of life, and my value system. During the three years, Grandfather imparted to me, by example and precept, the elements of godly living, just as the Word of God says in Proverbs 22:6: "Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it."

God bless all readers.

Yours faithfully in the Saviour’s Service,
Dr SH Tow, Sr Pastor