Jeremy Cheah
My Journey of Salvation
I thank God for godly Christian parents who sought to bring me up in the ways of the Lord and baptized me as an infant. My journey as a Christian began as a young boy in Bethany Independent-Presbyterian Church, learning God’s Word in Sunday School and various camps the church organised. The messages preached and taught were just mere interesting stories then, and I only enjoyed church because I could play with my friends.
As I entered secondary school, my heart became more sensitive to the Spirit’s moving and became convicted of the sinful life I led. As a young child, I was often quick to anger, fast to pick up foul language, led a double life and committed many other sins. During one church camp message – taken from Colossians 4:6, which reads “Let your speech be alway with grace, seasoned with salt, that ye may know how ye ought to answer every man” – God convicted me of how wrong it was to indulge in using foul language with my friends in school. I knew that I was a wretched sinner, lost in sin and darkness, and needed spiritual cleansing in my life.
However, since then I was struck with another problem of inadequacy and pride. For the longest time as I was trying to “work out” my faith, I felt that I could never match up to the standard God had set. I thought I was not worthy of the salvation Jesus gave. Therein lies pride, thinking I could ever work my way to Heaven. “But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us, even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;)” (Ephesians 2:4-5). When I finally realised “For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: not of works, lest any man should boast” (Ephesians 2:8-9), God struck my heart and convicted me of the wrong idea I had of Christianity. Man can by no means work his way to Heaven. Salvation was given freely by God, and one only need to have faith in Him to receive salvation. So, at 19, I reaffirmed my faith in the Lord.
Seeking Transfer
It was in 2022 when I felt spiritually dry in my faith and needed growing. By God’s providence, He worked through a friend at my internship place. Through our fellowshipping in the Lord, I first came across the 5 points of Calvinism. At first, I grappled with the “U” and “L” of TULIP – Unconditional Election and Limited Atonement. How could God choose to save some and not others? Does that not make God unloving? As I sought counsel from several pastors (including Rev. Koshy), I finally understood this doctrine and became convicted of it. Man is totally depraved, destined for eternal damnation. But out of His love, God gave His only Son, Jesus Christ, to give us salvation. Furthermore, His salvation is sufficient for all, but only efficient for the elect who were predestined according to the foreknowledge of God. It is through this new conviction and belief in Calvinism that the Lord moved in my heart to seek transfer of church membership.
Through the Catechism and FEBC classes, I came to understand theology systematically. It is through these teachings that God revived me and helped me to increase in my understanding of Him, causing me to be in awe of Him and then, desiring Him more.
Since coming to Gethsemane slightly more than a year ago, I particularly love how the Word of God is expounded deeply and accurately. Furthermore, the teachings here at Gethsemane revealed to me much more sin problems in my life that I have to get rid of. One particular lesson taught during Youth Fellowship was from 1 Corinthians 6:12 – “All things are lawful unto me, but all things are not expedient: all things are lawful for me, but I will not be brought under the power of any.” Paul was teaching the Corinthian church to prioritise expediency over a Christian’s exercise of lawful liberties. That reminded me that I needed to lead a more spiritually excellent life and not just one that is merely lawful, to edify brethren and witness to non-believers.
Over time, the Lord also graciously granted me opportunities to serve within the church in the YF, YAF and Lions Home Ministry, which made me feel welcome and at home. By God’s grace and leading, I hope to transfer my membership to learn, serve and grow with the brethren here in Gethsemane BP Church. I pray that the Lord will grant me more opportunities to fellowship with all of you.
Clara Lim
I thank God that He led me to attend Gethsemane BP Church in June 2023 through my sister, Celine. I previously worshipped at a charismatic church from 2019 to 2023, but decided to leave as I disagreed with certain doctrines, such as speaking in tongues and the need for a second baptism of the Holy Spirit. I also found it difficult to have a deeper understanding of God’s Word, as sermons were often brief, lacking in depth and clear exposition from the Bible.
I thank God for the sound and biblical preaching in Gethsemane, where I have gained a deeper understanding of God’s Word and critical Bible doctrines. Over the past year, I have learnt a lot and I am thankful for the warm fellowship extended by many here. I thank God for His grace and mercies, and I look forward to growing in my understanding of His Word and in my spiritual walk with Him.
Leong Wei Chen
At the mere age of 8 years old, I already knew about the Saviour Jesus from my maternal grandmother while she was lying on her sick-bed, as she was a professed Christian. She had never failed to share Bible stories with my cousins and I despite her illness. However, my mother did not believe but embraced Buddhism instead. I was so young back then and unsure of what to do, so I remained neutral until my grandmother died. I was not keen to embrace Buddhism as I felt in my heart it was wrong. So, I pretended anyway whenever my mother would ask me to go with her for temple prayers and visits, just for the sake of not being reprimanded. I continued to do this till I have almost forgotten the Lord.
Not much later, a senior in my secondary school shared the Gospel with me and invited me to church. From this encounter, I remembered my grandmother and was elated to go to church with him. For a while, I was intrigued by the people “speaking in tongues” and the bands playing dramatic music. I found it interesting and decided to be more active by joining a cell group. As I actively participated in their fellowship, I thought I had accepted the Lord as my Saviour. But after a few months later, all those whom I fellowshipped with started showing their true colours. They had no restrictions in dress codes, BGRs were commonly encouraged, and there were a lot of ungodly behaviours. Sadly, my senior backslided and was involved in crimes. As I witness one by one of my friends backsliding, that led me to “lose my faith” and not attend this church anymore. I tried to go to other churches but it felt the same, so I went back to my usual lifestyle with my mother.
“Fast forward” to my adulthood: I have known Sis Ayn since we were in the same secondary school. Somehow I got to know that her mother (Aunty Jean) was reaching out to my best friend’s mother to evangelise. I told my best friend and his mother to attend church with me, but they declined as they said they were Catholics. I decided to go regardless. Upon coming to Gethsemane, I was shocked at how solemn and reverential this church is. I have only truly started to learn the Word of God, understanding it with so much clarity, compared to the churches I have attended before.
By God’s divine will and timing, He has led me to Gethsemane to know that I am sinful, and in need of Him and true salvation. I was pricked from every sermon through Pastor Koshy. Thank God for Aunty Jean and her family in encouraging me, and for the fellow brethren who have prayed with me and for me. I am edified and blessed to witness the labour of the brethren for the Lord’s work as I attend the English Service, Filipino Fellowship, Evening Teaching Service and Tuesday prayer meetings. Praise God for enabling me to attend these services on the Lord’s Day despite my busy work schedules. As Matthew 6:24 says, “No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon.” Please pray that I may be granted day off on Sundays, and that I myself may desire to learn more of God’s Word and attend more church meetings for my spiritual growth.
I can now safely proclaim unashamedly, with confidence, that I am truly a child of God, saved through my Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ! Amen. I pray that this Good News which my mother has heard before, will cause her to turn to the Lord and believe as I did, according to God’s will and grace. May I grow more in the Lord to be a channel of blessing to others, and to be able to share the Word of God with more souls. “For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God” (Ephesians 2:8).