BETTER IS THE END OF THING THAN THE BEGINNING THEREOF

From the Board of Elders

Dear Members in Christ,

Better is the end of thing than the beginning thereof

"Better is the end of a thing than the beginning thereof: and the patient in spirit is better than the proud in spirit." Ecclesiastes 7:8

Many Christians started very well for the Lord when they were first convicted of their sins and saved unto salvation. They were full of fervency and enthusiasm to read, grow, share and evangelise for the Word and work of the Lord. However, as the years moved on, fervency has been replaced by lukewarmness in witnessing and service for the Lord. The attractions of the world, the daily pressure and stress of life crept in! They have lost their first love!

The Bible encourages Christians not to be slothful in business BUT to be fervent for Him. Christians need to focus on the Lord and not to turn to the right or the left. When we turn our eyes upon the Lord and look full in His wonderful face all the things of the earth will grow strangely dim in the light of His glory and grace.

Thus, in today's exhortation, King Solomon had rightly written for our attention and self-examination, saying that "Better is the end of a thing than the beginning thereof: and the patient in spirit is better than the proud in spirit." Ecclesiastes 7:8.

As I was pondering these words written by the wisest man on earth, King Solomon, there is indeed great truth.

Have you ever examined or check yourself whether your walk with God is as faithful, obedient and fervent as when you first started? Has your walk with Him become closer and purer and you are more sensitive to the evils and sins of this world? Have you experienced a life that is less prone to sin? Are you happier in Christ as you age and your life become more abundant and fruitful in Him? Or have you given yourself to the world? I trust, to all these questions, each one of us will have to examine ourself to answer these questions. And prayerfully we can all answer truthfully, spontaneously, without hesitation that our lives with Christ and service to Him is better and sweeter than the years before. 

Moving forward, I would like to ask, are we confident that, when our time is up, when we say farewell to our earthly sojourn, will we be able to affirm that our journey with God, and service to Him, is consistently faithful until the end? And can we say that we have not been slothful in going about the Lord's business BUT fervently serving Him until the end. Can we echo the Apostle Paul “I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith".

I pray that we can and will. We will be faithful and obedient in our respective personal life and as servant of God, doing His work. The devil will tempt and seduce us to “fall away” or distract us in our walk and service to the Lord in this earthly journey of life.

Let us be watchful. We begin well with the Lord and let us also end well with the Lord. We grow in the Lord. We serve the Lord. However, when our work for the Lord becomes more effective, the devil will start noticing. He knows that his time to dominate the world will soon end. He knows the second coming of the Lord Jesus Christ is very near. He will waste no time and spare no effort to pounce and discourage us. He will undermine and sabotage our faith and work by creating self-doubt, creating afflictions and calamities to stumble us and to disunite Christians in co-labouring together for the work of the Lord. Therefore, brethren be watchful, be vigilant and be sober because our adversary, the old serpent, will not want us to do the Lord's work. Let us soldier on and not to yield nor succumb to the devil’s plot.

Let us be reminded “Better is the end of a thing than the beginning thereof”. Let us remain steadfast and persevere in His service and not be deterred, derailed and distracted in our work for the Lord by the evil one. Do not be lax whilst serving and walking with the Lord. Let us serve the Lord fervently and enthusiastically until the very end of life's journey.

There are examples of God's servants in the Bible as well as real life examples that we can personally relate to, who began well BUT ended up short of expectation or fail in their respective walk and service for the Lord:

1) King Solomon himself started very well. He was the wisest man that ever lived. He walked close to God BUT ended up not so well. He did not hearken fully to the Lord as he aged. He married strange women and was influenced by pagan worship by allowing his many wives to bring in idolatry and build places of worships for pagan gods. I am sure Solomon was saved BUT he stumbled along life’s journey as he was corruptly influenced by his earthly pride, power, success and fame. This is why the second half of Ecclesiastes 7:8b says “patient in spirit is better than the proud in spirit.” He was led astray by his pride.

2) A faithful example would be Moses, who started with self-doubt on whether he would be able to serve God effectively. God enabled Moses through the provision of Aaron. Moses persevered, gain confidence over time and trusted God.  He was faithful in his service to the Lord. He did well until God called him home.

3) Other examples are Billy Graham and Ravi Zacharias. Both of them started well. They were known fundamental evangelists when they first started their respective ministry. However, they did not end well. The late Billy Graham compromised and headed back to Rome, and became ecumenical. When the late Ravi Zacharias passed away there were recorded evidence of his immoral and wicked life which was hidden away from the public and the ministry that he headed. He fell and stumbled many. Both Billy Graham and Ravi Zacharias did not end well.

4) If I may add the non-VPP proponents among God's people. They started well as faithful Christians believing that the Almighty God is omnipotent and can do all things. However, along the way, they lose sight and faith. They questioned and doubted God's ability to preserve His Word through the ages. They fell. They stumbled many believers and brought shame to the Christian faith and the omnipotency of God. In this manner, they disgrace the very God whom they believe to be omnipotent. Of course the question now before us is whether they will turn around and end well.

So, beloved brethren, let us begin well and end well for God. Let us not be led astray by our earthly success, confidence or pride, which is of the devil. Let us not be tempted by the devil that our time of service to the Lord is up. The devil would whisper to our ears to do something else or telling us to relax and let others do the work of the Lord & etc.

While we are still sojourning on this earth, let us run with patience the race that is set before us and like the Apostle Paul, at the end of life's journey and service to our God, we can boldy echo him "I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith: Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that day: and not to me only, but unto all them also that love his appearing." 2 Timothy 4:7-8.

Be sober, be vigilant brethren. Let us continue to serve diligently and fervently like the late Rev (Dr) Timothy and Rev Dr Tow Siang Hwa, who served until the Lord called them home to rest. So let us do the same like our two founding fathers. As the late Rev (Dr) Timothy Tow used to say "there is no retirement in the service of the Lord", let us echo him and walk accordingly. May the Lord bless us and enable us.

“Better is the end of a thing than the beginning thereof: and the patient in spirit is better than the proud in spirit.” Ecclesiastes 7:8. When we see God face-to-face, let us hear Him say “Well done, thou good and faithful servant…” Mat 25:21.

 

In Christ, Eld. Choe Tong Seng