The General Secretary of The Church of Pentecost, Apostle Alexander Nana Yaw Kumi-Larbi, has advised Christians, particularly church leaders, to work hard to ensure the grace (gifts) they have received in the Lord produces the intended effect.
Apostle Kumi made this passionate appeal to Christians yesterday during his ministration at the ongoing National Prayer Conference at the Pentecost Convention Centre (PCC), Gomoa Fetteh.
Speaking on the topic: “Making the Grace of God Profitable,” based on 1 Corinthians 15:10 and 2 Corinthians 6:1, the General Secretary of the Church asserted that the grace of God is received in vain when the recipients live or conduct themselves in an unworthy manner so that it nullifies its effect.
“When Christians are influenced by the evil of the world around them, it nullifies the grace of God they have been given. Christians are, therefore, to come out from the evils of society and be separate” he said.
He explained that the opportunity to become children of God is a calling received through grace in Christ, hence, Christians must endeavour to make profitable use of it.
He further noted that, unlike a career, job or profession that involves prolonged training and formal qualification, a calling is a strong inner impulse toward a particular course of action, especially when accompanied by a conviction of divine influence.
“So, to excel in our calling, we have received grace, which is the unmerited favour of God, so that we can better serve and glorify God,” he said.
Elaborating on the grace of God, the General Secretary said that Grace, which he described as an essential part of God’s character, is variously defined as “God’s favour toward the unworthy” or “God’s benevolence on the undeserving.”
He further indicated that Grace is closely related to God’s benevolence, love, and mercy.
According to him, one of the greatest ways that God shows grace to humanity is through the forgiveness of sins after their heartfelt repentance and submission to His laws.
He added: “In His grace, God is willing to forgive us and bless us abundantly, even though we don’t deserve to be treated so well or dealt with so generously.”
Juxtaposing the grace and mercy of God, Apostle Kumi-Larbi stated that “Grace is when God gives us what we don’t deserve, and mercy is when God doesn’t give us what we do deserve.”
He explained that Grace is repeatedly referred to as a gift in the Bible because it is given out freely to the recipients (Christians) at no expense. Hence, Christians should show gratitude and value for the Grace of God by not allowing it to be unproductive.
Apostle Kumi-Larbi noted that the effective use of the grace of God results in a life of servitude (humility and selflessness), sacrifice and Christlikeness (godliness).
“As the recipients of God’s grace, Christians are to be gracious to others. This is because Grace is given to us to serve others and to exercise our spiritual gifts for the building up of the church,” he advised.
PENTECOST NEWS.
