74. Wala ka sa Lolo ko. For him, church is a hospital for sinners, not a club of saints.
9 December 2020
Rev. Clem E. Guillermo
Book: One Hundred Ways To Live The Word
1 Corinthians 6
8 Instead, you yourselves cheat and do wrong, and you do this to your brothers and sisters.
11 And that is what some of you were. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.
Let me share something I wrote 11 September 2017.
“Church. A hospital for sinners, not a club for saints.
“My friend was having a conversation with a man who didn’t have much good to say about the Christian faith. My friend knew that if he were to sound too “religious,” he would jeopardize any chance to witness.
So, in the middle of their discussion, he said, “Hey, Bob, do you know where sinners go?”
“That’s easy,” he replied. “You’re going to tell me they go to hell.”
“No,” my friend responded. “They go to church.”
Bob was speechless. That wasn’t what he expected. He wasn’t ready to hear from a Christian who realized he wasn’t perfect. My friend had a chance to share that Christians understand their sinfulness and their need for continual spiritual restoration. He was able to explain grace—the unmerited favor we have with God despite our sinfulness (Rom. 5:8-9; Eph. 2:8-9).
Perhaps we don’t give those outside the church a clear picture of what’s happening inside. They may not understand that we’re there to praise our Savior for providing “redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins” (Col. 1:14).
Yes, sinners go to church. And sinners—forgiven ones—go to heaven because of God’s grace.”
“Lord, thank You, I claim, for God so loved me that He gave His only Son that I believe in Him I shall not perish but have eternal life (John 3:16). In gratitude, I shall share my story of Your abounding grace on me, the testimony of Your lovingkindness, that I was ungodly and you justified me; this is a day of good news and it is not right to keep it to myself (2 Kings 7:9 Then they said to each other, “What we’re doing is not right. This is a day of good news and we are keeping it to ourselves. If we wait until daylight, punishment will overtake us. Let’s go at once and report this to the royal palace”). I shall not wait, let me not tarry on Your Great Commission, empower me with the Holy Spirit, in Jesus’name. Amen.””
From Book: One Hundred Ways To Live The Word
Rev. Clem E. Guillermo:
Patients in the Same Hospital
“Being a family and marriage counselor, Kuya Clem isn’t pressured to project a “perfect” family and marriage. “My family isn’t perfect”, he said. “We still make mistakes. We’re just like everybody else. Whenever I speak at seminars or over the television, I echo what C.S. Lewis said, ‘Consider me as a fellow patient in the same hospital who, having been admitted a little earlier, gives some advice’.”
No matter what it is that's tearing the Filipino family apart, Kuya Clem is not afraid to tackle the most complex relationships in order to help families heal.
He speaks regularly at numerous churches, corporate and government seminars, which delve into problems such as adultery, teenage sex, self-esteem, toxic relationships, sexual intimacy, divorce, cultural pressures, and the effects all these issues have on the family.
Kuya Clem's work takes him all over the world especially in places where overseas Filipino workers gather. “The most satisfaction I had during my travels was meeting people who remembered what I did for them in the past and how their families were nursed back to health. As a counselor, I’ve been praying that the Lord would use me to mend shattered lives, repair damaged emotions and restore broken relationships through our Family Life Seminars.””
I had the chance to work with Kuya Clem, it was a rare privilege for me, who years before would just hear his voice over DZAS.
One day my children's children, will say wala ka sa Lolo ko; for him, church is a hospital for sinners, not a club of saints.
May you be blessed.
Maraming salamat.
Peace and blessings.
ReplyDeleteChurch is a hospital and the Word of God is our medicine
Hi Ate Becks. As mentioned, I paused at blog #74, almost done compiling first 31 blogs as devotional booklet. Will post it today or tomorrow as our wedding anniversary token and Christmas present.
ReplyDeleteBlessed Christmas.