I recently connected with a Malaysian brother in Christ who has a background in engineering, but whose passion is sharing the gospel and blogging among other things. He is the mind behind the site Laborer at the Wellspring and has taken the time to answer some questions about the Christian faith.
Please tell us a little about yourself.
I was born and raised in a rural part of the country where the development of basic infrastructure was slower than our counterparts. Christian nominalism dominated the religious landscape of the land, then and now. I have worked in a few industries as an engineer, and currently serve as a project and training coordinator for a non-governmental organization. The NGO seeks to equip Christians to defend the faith, articulate the Gospel, and engage the culture. Link: http://ExplainInternational.com
The Lord saved me in my college days. He wondrously converted me as I laid my eyes on Ecclesiastes 12: 13–14. He gave me faith to believe Him as my eyes were finally opened to see spiritual realities for the first time almost 10 years ago.
What is something that God has shown you recently?
Without His Spirit governing my life — I am prone to sin and will remain in a state of stupor if I do not abide in His Word, live by the Spirit, or to meditate on His Word (they all mean the same thing — the three phrases I have given; for Jesus said, ‘Man shall not live by bread alone but by every Word that proceeds out of the mouth of the Lord,’ according to Deuteronomy 8:3, Matthew 4:4, and Luke 4:4.
How did you get into apologetics?
A Roman Catholic, with good intentions, deeply misguided views, and with white hot zeal spent almost a whole year to proselytize me into renouncing the evangelical faith and the simple New Testament Gospel and to join the Roman Catholic Church. This forced me to go to the Bible and to study it seriously for the first time. Dr. James R. White’s debates against a host of false teachers led me to a deeper understanding, love for the Bible, and ultimately to revere the Lord more, thus maturing me out of a childish faith.
What encouragement would you like to give to all the Christians experiencing persecution?
The words of Jesus, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant. Enter into the kingdom that the Lord has prepared for you before the foundation of the world.’ ought to encourage every weary saint.
But often times, our listening ears and praying hearts, or a loving gesture of thoughtfulness can minister much more than our acutely accurate theological lectures that comes across like a piece of dehydrated burger patty left out on the kitchen table: raw, cold, dry, and off-putting.
The passages, Galatians 6:9–10; Hebrews 10:23, 12:1–3; Revelation 3:11 have proven to minister to me in times of hardship and distress — either due to my own foolishness or due to the oppression others give, especially Galatians and Hebrews.
The thought of the Lord Jesus Christ, sinless Savior crucified for sinful mankind ought to silence our anxious hearts and comfort us at the same time.
In your experience, what do you think is the biggest obstacle for people to put their faith in Jesus?
Their love for sin, their unwillingness to forsake sin to follow Christ.
Jesus said in John 5:39–40:
(39). You search the Scriptures because you think in them you have eternal life; it is these that testify about Me;
(40). and you are unwilling to come to Me so that you may have life.
At the same time, I am to heed the words of Scripture, as written by Paul the Apostle in 2 Timothy 2: 24–26 below:
(24). The Lord’s bond-servant must not be quarrelsome, but be kind to all, able to teach, patient when wronged,
(25). with gentleness correcting those who are in opposition, if perhaps God may grant them repentance leading to the knowledge of the truth,
(26). and they may come to their sense and escape from the snare of the devil, having been held captive by him to do his will.
Repentance, faith — these gifts are given by God to the sinner. Faith is the conduit, channel by which these gifts are channeled to us. We are no to have faith in our own faith.
Is regular Bible-reading important for believers?
It is essential for the believer, regardless of their spiritual maturity. We need not only Bible-reading but more and more meaningful Bible-meditation, and ultimately, by the power of God, this will result in our Bible-transformation and Bible-obedience according to Romans 8:28–29 as below:
(28). And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called to His purpose.
(29). For those whom He foreknew, He also predestined to become conformed to the image of His Son, so that He would be the firstborn among many brethren.
How would you respond to why God permits evil, pain and suffering?
God only has sin and sinners to do His will. In His ‘inventory’ if I may reverently put it, God uses secondary causes to bring about His purposes.
My humble suggestion would be to struggle with these issues using an open Bible and a prayerful heart before the Lord. One must grapple it through prayer. Personally, I believe it requires Spirit-wrought humility and Spirit-illumined eyes to understand these mysteries from the perspective of a redeemed but fallen creature and to then appropriate these truths for oneself.
The Lord draws near to those who are humble, but He opposes the proud. When we stumble upon these hard topics, we must know our place as creatures before a Holy and Almighty, and Triune God.
And there is no creature hidden from His sight, but all things are open and laid bare to the eyes of Him with whom we have to do.
Hebrews 4:13.
Please do not misunderstand me. Look at the Cross, the grossest evil was done to a Man who never sinned, and such a travesty was done to redeem sinners.
The Son of God was pierced, was spat on, and ultimately subjected Himself to the wrath of God the Father on behalf of sinners.
“For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life.
John 3: 16
Please check out Laborer at the Wellspring’s interview with me on his website here: https://goodnewsforyou.medium.com/seeing-christ-and-believing-his-word-slavery-salvation-service-e30ba9dd9da9
For more Undoubting God blog posts, click here: https://undoubtinggod.com/blog/
