Faith Community Baptist Church (FCBC) has backed down from its bid to get the courts to review the Manpower Minister’s order for it to compensate a pregnant worker it had sacked for adultery.
In a statement sent to members which it also posted on its Facebook page, FCBC said it is withdrawing its bid for a judicial review, now that it has “come to understand and recognise the rationale/basis for the Minister’s decision based on the specific facts of this case”. “We accept that every decision of the Minister would depend on the unique facts of each case,” the church said.
The withdrawal, which was confirmed by FCBC’s lawyer Adrian Wee today (May 18), came after it had pressed on in bringing the matter before the courts. In September last year, it succeeded in getting the courts to strike out the Attorney-General’s appeal against an earlier court decision giving the church the green light to pursue the case.
The Attorney-General’s (AG) appeal was pending with the court when FCBC withdrew its case on Monday (18 May 2015), as the AG had – in October 2014 – successfully obtained permission to appeal against the earlier High Court decision which allowed Faith Community Baptist Church (FCBC) to pursue judicial review.
Mr Wee told TODAY the withdrawal of the application will not affect the compensation order, which has already been paid to the woman.
Despite dropping the case, FCBC today maintained it has a different stance from the Ministry of Manpower (MOM), regarding terms of employment. The ministry had told the church that an organisation’s terms of employment should be “reasonable” and “should relate to the job and position held, and should not govern the private lives of their employees, unless it relates to the performance of the job”.
But FCBC said that, as a religious body, it “would take the view that moral conduct can, in appropriate circumstances, be governed by the terms of employment, where such conduct would affect the moral authority required in the performance of a job”.
FCBC also gave its reasons for starting the judicial review process — it was “concerned” and wanted clarity on the boundaries within which religious bodies are able to conduct their internal affairs in managing their organisations. It added: “FCBC remains committed to the well-being of our nation, more so as she celebrates the year of Jubilee.”
In response to TODAY’s queries, an MOM spokesperson said since the church had accepted the Minister’s decision, the ministry considers the matter closed.
“We welcome FBCB’s decision ... MOM wishes to remind all employers of the importance of clearly communicating upfront to a prospective employee on his or her obligations under the contract, which must be reasonable and relevant to the requirements of the job,” the spokesperson said.
The matter arose in July 2013, after then-Manpower Minister Tan Chuan-Jin ordered FCBC to pay an administrative worker it had sacked on grounds of adultery about S$7,000 in salary and maternity benefits.
The woman, who was fired in 2012, had complained to the MOM that she had been dismissed without notice or compensation.
Doing the Right Thing in a Secular World!
Showing posts with label FCBC. Show all posts
Showing posts with label FCBC. Show all posts
Wednesday, May 20, 2015
Thursday, October 3, 2013
FCBC Judicial Review: Losing the basic building blocks of our society
Reading the news that FCBC pastor Lawrence Khong is seeking a High Court judicial review of MOM's decision to penalise the Church for its unfair dismissal of a pregnant employee, it once again brought to my mind the tumultuous relationship between the Church and the State.
As a Christian in Singapore, I belong to both the civil and ecclesiastical polity. Being a citizen of both polities not only means that I am accorded legal and spiritual protection, but more importantly, that I have the civic and moral responsibility to discuss, negotiate and maintain what is good for all human beings. Unfortunately, there are times when the political identity of being a Christian and the political expectations of the secular state collide.
For this case, I thought it should be settled privately between the 2 parties. Both the government and the pastor need to set aside their differences and egos! Like the wise Chinese saying, 大事化小，小事化无!
While I appreciate that the Church would want to uphold the moral integrity of its staff, it could have just compensated the employee and asked her to leave. From what I know, the clerical staff was sacked because she refused to repent and break off her extra-marital relationship. Just as love cannot be forced, one cannot simply forced someone to stop loving another. Similarly, we cannot forcibly convert a homosexual to heterosexual, these processes need time, understanding and reconciliation.
Most importantly, the ugly and drawn-out confrontation with MOM is unnecessary and puts the Christian faith in a bad light. First, non-Christians might have the wrong impression of Christianity as one that is intolerant, confrontational and dogmatic. Second, pursuing a judicial review is a waste of money and it might breed politics of mistrust and sour State-Church relations.
It would seem as if Lawrence Khong is leveraging on this issue to create publicity for himself and his LoveSingapore community, opting to bask in the limelight of the media instead of working towards an agreeable middle ground with the MOM.
Furthermore, this is not the first time he has attracted public attention. Early in January this year, on behalf of the FCBC and LoveSingapore, Khong caught Minister Goh Chok Tong off-guard with an appeal against the "looming threat" of LGBT activists to the family unit and for Section 377A to be retained. A month later, LoveSingapore decided that they should also be given the opportunity to meet with Minister K Shanmugam after the latter met up with LGBT activist group Sayoni.
Would it be too far-fetched to think that Khong is orchestrating these events as he wants to be seen as the spiritual leader of Christian activism through LoveSingapore?
Proverbs 11:2 When pride comes, then comes disgrace, but with humility comes wisdom
This is also not the first time that Khong has turned to courts to exercise his right to legal protection. Just a couple of months ago, Khong filed a suit against the Singapore Polo Club after he was suspended from the club. This penchant for hostile confrontation goes against the Christian doctrine of peacemaking and harmony.
Ecclesiastes 4:6 Better is an handful with quietness, than both the hands full with travail and vexation of spirit
Hebrews 12:14 Pursue peace with everyone, and the holiness without which no one will see the Lord
Perhaps Khong's confrontational approach stems from the often misguided view that the Church has to pit itself as a rival state with a rival government and a rival system of law, against the secular State. Yet, according to St Augustine in his work on the City of God, he says that it is not about systems of institutions but about the way humans visibly live together.
We can choose to bear one another's cross and burdens, or to live at each other's expense. If we choose the former, we will gradually move in the direction of the City of God. But if we choose the latter, we will eventually slide into chaos and the best we can hope for is controlled selfishness.
Here, it is important to recognise the ideal of the human citizenship, where everyone works towards a common good, a good that belongs to everyone, and not confined to just an individual or group. To quote the former Archbishop of Canterbury Dr Rowan Williams, he said that human citizenship is "a way of living out your human dignity in which the capacity to make decisions is real and central and the responsibility for sustaining your human environment is real but is never going to be reduced to one system of management or government".
It will not be an easy task to manage our moral and religious decisions in a secular and multi-religious State like Singapore. Maybe God is challenging us to find our own light as we constantly juggle between the demands of Church and State. I'm not sure what good we can gain the judicial review will do for Singapore and Christians, but if we go down this path, I am sure we will lose some of the basic building blocks of our society, i.e. peace and mutual trust.
As a Christian in Singapore, I belong to both the civil and ecclesiastical polity. Being a citizen of both polities not only means that I am accorded legal and spiritual protection, but more importantly, that I have the civic and moral responsibility to discuss, negotiate and maintain what is good for all human beings. Unfortunately, there are times when the political identity of being a Christian and the political expectations of the secular state collide.
For this case, I thought it should be settled privately between the 2 parties. Both the government and the pastor need to set aside their differences and egos! Like the wise Chinese saying, 大事化小，小事化无!
While I appreciate that the Church would want to uphold the moral integrity of its staff, it could have just compensated the employee and asked her to leave. From what I know, the clerical staff was sacked because she refused to repent and break off her extra-marital relationship. Just as love cannot be forced, one cannot simply forced someone to stop loving another. Similarly, we cannot forcibly convert a homosexual to heterosexual, these processes need time, understanding and reconciliation.
Most importantly, the ugly and drawn-out confrontation with MOM is unnecessary and puts the Christian faith in a bad light. First, non-Christians might have the wrong impression of Christianity as one that is intolerant, confrontational and dogmatic. Second, pursuing a judicial review is a waste of money and it might breed politics of mistrust and sour State-Church relations.
It would seem as if Lawrence Khong is leveraging on this issue to create publicity for himself and his LoveSingapore community, opting to bask in the limelight of the media instead of working towards an agreeable middle ground with the MOM.
Furthermore, this is not the first time he has attracted public attention. Early in January this year, on behalf of the FCBC and LoveSingapore, Khong caught Minister Goh Chok Tong off-guard with an appeal against the "looming threat" of LGBT activists to the family unit and for Section 377A to be retained. A month later, LoveSingapore decided that they should also be given the opportunity to meet with Minister K Shanmugam after the latter met up with LGBT activist group Sayoni.
Would it be too far-fetched to think that Khong is orchestrating these events as he wants to be seen as the spiritual leader of Christian activism through LoveSingapore?
Proverbs 11:2 When pride comes, then comes disgrace, but with humility comes wisdom
This is also not the first time that Khong has turned to courts to exercise his right to legal protection. Just a couple of months ago, Khong filed a suit against the Singapore Polo Club after he was suspended from the club. This penchant for hostile confrontation goes against the Christian doctrine of peacemaking and harmony.
Ecclesiastes 4:6 Better is an handful with quietness, than both the hands full with travail and vexation of spirit
Hebrews 12:14 Pursue peace with everyone, and the holiness without which no one will see the Lord
Perhaps Khong's confrontational approach stems from the often misguided view that the Church has to pit itself as a rival state with a rival government and a rival system of law, against the secular State. Yet, according to St Augustine in his work on the City of God, he says that it is not about systems of institutions but about the way humans visibly live together.
We can choose to bear one another's cross and burdens, or to live at each other's expense. If we choose the former, we will gradually move in the direction of the City of God. But if we choose the latter, we will eventually slide into chaos and the best we can hope for is controlled selfishness.
Here, it is important to recognise the ideal of the human citizenship, where everyone works towards a common good, a good that belongs to everyone, and not confined to just an individual or group. To quote the former Archbishop of Canterbury Dr Rowan Williams, he said that human citizenship is "a way of living out your human dignity in which the capacity to make decisions is real and central and the responsibility for sustaining your human environment is real but is never going to be reduced to one system of management or government".
It will not be an easy task to manage our moral and religious decisions in a secular and multi-religious State like Singapore. Maybe God is challenging us to find our own light as we constantly juggle between the demands of Church and State. I'm not sure what good we can gain the judicial review will do for Singapore and Christians, but if we go down this path, I am sure we will lose some of the basic building blocks of our society, i.e. peace and mutual trust.
Tuesday, September 10, 2013
God saves when you (action) save yourself
http://www.singapolitics.sg/supperclub/lawrence-khong-'i-told-minister-send-me-jail'
Lawrence Khong: ‘I told the Minister to send me to jail’
Pastor Lawrence Khong of Faith Community Baptist Church talks about why he was prepared to go to jail over the church's dismissal of a pregnant employee, which made the news last month.
Q: Was it the right thing to do, firing that employee?
The issue is whether there is sufficient cause. We were a little surprised when we were told that it is not sufficient cause because in a church context, adultery and immorality is held with different view. In fact, I talk to many pastors in the city. It is very common in a church that when someone commits adultery, they are told to resign. There was another case just a couple of years ago in my church - a staff who had done the same thing. He knew it was wrong. We tried to find other opportunities of employment for him. But he knew he had to step down.
Q: But in this case it was a dismissal, not a resignation.
When I first heard of this case, my immediate response was, "Oh dear, she will need a job more than ever before." This became especially so since I came to know from other sources that the father of the child was not prepared to marry her. Our condition was that this employee must acknowledge that she was wrong. You see, in a church, we work with sinners, so to speak. We work with broken people. That's our job. So we cannot throw people out just because they have done something wrong. But if they are sorry and are willing to make things right, then to a great extent, we would want to keep that person. We wanted to help her deal with some issues in her life, so that she would go on to stronger relationships in the future.
She said she was going to break off the relationship but she continued to see him on a regular basis. Finally, the day came when she saw the highest level of leadership in our operations, that is, me and my wife, who are the two senior pastors, the two team pastors overseeing her, the COO (chief operating officer), as well as the employee's brother-in-law, who used to be a pastor with us but who is now a pastor in Malaysia.
Before the meeting, her brother-in-law asked me if I could try my best to keep the job for her. I told him that that was our aim. But during the meeting, she said: "No, I'm not going to break it off with the man. I want to be with him." So finally I told her that I would like to give her five days to consider resigning. I also said I knew she would need finances and we had a LoveSingapore fund for those with financial difficulties. If she applied, we would help her. After that meeting, the brother-in-law said to me: "I wanted to appeal for you to retain her. But at the end of the conversation, I don't even have the grounds to do that."
Two weeks later, it became clear that she had no intention to resign, so we had no choice but to let her go.
Q: Apart from adultery, what other issues in an employee's life could also cause someone to be dismissed - issues that other employers may not have a problem with?
We are not nitpicking here. We're not saying, your skirt is two inches too short, or, there is an occasional burst of temper or a vulgar word. We're talking about bigger issues of morality. I would think that if someone is going around cheating other people, which we have dealt with too, or if they go around borrowing money and telling all sorts of stories, that would be not acceptable. Smoking is also not acceptable.
Q: Just to be clear, it's not just that they can't smoke in the office. They can't smoke even outside or at home.
Yes. If we know that that's your reputation, it is not acceptable.
Q: Are you saying effectively that you have to be a Christian in order to be a full-time employee of the church?
Not necessarily. We do have non -Christians working in our administration staff. If we offer you a job, and you're not a Christian, obviously you cannot subscribe to our theology. But you have to keep to the moral standard. But there are various organisations we run.
One of them is Touch Community Services, which we started but now it's arm's length and is run by its own board. However, even there, there is a set of moral standards, though perhaps not as high as the church. Then there is Gateway Entertainment, which is a purely church-owned entertainment company which I use to do my magic shows. There, again it's different. Just before this interview, I was rehearsing for my show and some of my dancers are smokers. So I just said, "Please don't do it on my premises. If you have to take a puff, do it outside." So we do understand the different contexts.
Q: Have you considered writing these standards into your employment contracts?
I think they are implied. I met with the Manpower Minister (Tan Chuan-Jin), who said: "You should write this down." And I said I'm not sure I want to. Because if I write a list down, then there's always something I might miss. Then you say: "There you are, I'm free." I believe when it comes to morality, it's clear enough. There are industry standards. And church is one of the industry standards. So I have no problem paying the amount for compensation. But we find it difficult to accept that the Minister ruled that there was insufficient cause. I do not, I cannot, accept that. In fact, we have sent them a cheque with a letter that says this is sent to you without prejudice, and we reserve our rights on this.
Q: Why did you decide in the end to comply with the Minister's order?
Because it's the law. The Minister has made a judgment, and I want to be law abiding. But we have the right to say we disagree with the ruling.
Q: Some people would say that you can't have it both ways. It's either you pay the compensation, in which case you're accepting his ruling of insufficient cause. And if you want to disagree with the ruling, you should refuse to pay and face the consequences for that.
I actually told the Minister: "Send me to jail." But I was told by my lawyers that going to jail doesn't solve the problem, because when you come out of jail, you still have to pay. And there were other avenues. It is possible to pay ex gratia, without prejudice, and make my statement.
Q: Why were you prepared to go to jail?
If you know anything about me, I stand on principles. I cannot allow a ruling that is passed that I feel is unjust to the church, that restricts the way we run a religious organisation. To me, that is standing up for my religious convictions. And my religious convictions have been violated. That's how strongly I feel about it.
Q: Many years ago, your daughter bore a child out of wedlock. Did that experience change the way you looked at this case?
Absolutely. That's why my first reaction was: How can I help this employee? I understand it's not easy to be a single mother. However, I want to make the point that my daughter's case was different. My daughter was a single girl who made a mistake and was pregnant. In this case, she was a married woman who was in an adulterous relationship. I think the context is different. However, even for my daughter, I expect her to come to a place of repentance. We assigned leaders of the church to hold her accountable, to check on her. I took her off from any leadership role in the church until many years later. I hold the same standard for my own daughter.
Q: How is she doing right now?
I think she's doing very well. My grandson is 10 years old and is very well-loved. In fact, he pulls my whole family together. And you're aware that I've never been quiet about this. I've gone on national television to share my story, so that every person knows that there are no perfect people. Even as a pastor, I struggle with family issues like everyone else. In fact, it has opened up more doors for me to speak to many people. People come to me for help because they say: "You're real, pastor. You have not been hiding some of your own struggles."
Q: Tell me more about the magic show that you and your daughter do.
Just over 10 years ago, the church leadership began to sense God telling us that we should get involved in the arts and entertainment arena. Sometimes we just criticise and say there is so much garbage coming out and it affects our young people. But we believe that instead of talking about how bad other products are, why don't we come out and offer an alternative? So we decided to do a magic show that would live out positive values. We want to hit a high standard of production and to be world class, so we have influence. So that's our concept for Gateway Entertainment.
Q: I've read reports that 3,000 people left your church in the early 2000s because they did not agree with your foray into magic. Is that number accurate?
There were some who left, but not as many as 3,000. So there are people who choose to differ, some who feel I've spent too much time on it. I respect that. Actually, over the years, there are thousands of people who have left us on various issues. Our church is very committed to expecting a lot from our members in terms of discipleship, in terms of commitment, and some people feel like it is too much. I respect that.
Do I Have to Give Up My Sins to be Saved?
"And they went out, and preached that men should repent." —Mark 6:12
The answer is No! You do NOT have to stop sinning to be saved. No one can stop sinning (Romans 3:23)! No one can live above sin—no one (Isaiah 64:6). Jesus Christ came into this world to save sinners. You do NOT have to give up anything to be saved except your UNBELIEF.
However, you DO need to realize your sinful condition and "confess" (or admit) to God that you are a sinner, deserving of hell. This is Biblical repentance, i.e., "a change of mind."
To be saved, a sinner simply needs to become "guilty" before God (Romans 3:19). Repentance is NOT forsaking one's actual sins, for that would be self-righteousness? Repentance is acknowledging that I am guilty of violating God's holy Law, and that I deserve to be punished in Hellfire for my own sins. Thus, realizing one's need for a Saviour. This is exactly what Galatians 3:24 teaches, "Wherefore the law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith."
A person who is convicted about their sin won't have the joyous attitude that they can continue living in sin and still go to Heaven. I would greatly doubt the salvation of anyone who rejoices that they can continue living in sin. This is one of the favorite arguments of Lordship Salvationists. The truth is that God holds believers accountable for their words and actions (Romans 14:12; 1 Peter 4:17; 2 Corinthians 5:10).
Repentance is a turn of mind. When you turn to Christ for forgiveness, you have just turned your back on sin.
Lawrence Khong: ‘I told the Minister to send me to jail’
Pastor Lawrence Khong of Faith Community Baptist Church talks about why he was prepared to go to jail over the church's dismissal of a pregnant employee, which made the news last month.
Q: Was it the right thing to do, firing that employee?
The issue is whether there is sufficient cause. We were a little surprised when we were told that it is not sufficient cause because in a church context, adultery and immorality is held with different view. In fact, I talk to many pastors in the city. It is very common in a church that when someone commits adultery, they are told to resign. There was another case just a couple of years ago in my church - a staff who had done the same thing. He knew it was wrong. We tried to find other opportunities of employment for him. But he knew he had to step down.
Q: But in this case it was a dismissal, not a resignation.
When I first heard of this case, my immediate response was, "Oh dear, she will need a job more than ever before." This became especially so since I came to know from other sources that the father of the child was not prepared to marry her. Our condition was that this employee must acknowledge that she was wrong. You see, in a church, we work with sinners, so to speak. We work with broken people. That's our job. So we cannot throw people out just because they have done something wrong. But if they are sorry and are willing to make things right, then to a great extent, we would want to keep that person. We wanted to help her deal with some issues in her life, so that she would go on to stronger relationships in the future.
She said she was going to break off the relationship but she continued to see him on a regular basis. Finally, the day came when she saw the highest level of leadership in our operations, that is, me and my wife, who are the two senior pastors, the two team pastors overseeing her, the COO (chief operating officer), as well as the employee's brother-in-law, who used to be a pastor with us but who is now a pastor in Malaysia.
Before the meeting, her brother-in-law asked me if I could try my best to keep the job for her. I told him that that was our aim. But during the meeting, she said: "No, I'm not going to break it off with the man. I want to be with him." So finally I told her that I would like to give her five days to consider resigning. I also said I knew she would need finances and we had a LoveSingapore fund for those with financial difficulties. If she applied, we would help her. After that meeting, the brother-in-law said to me: "I wanted to appeal for you to retain her. But at the end of the conversation, I don't even have the grounds to do that."
Two weeks later, it became clear that she had no intention to resign, so we had no choice but to let her go.
Q: Apart from adultery, what other issues in an employee's life could also cause someone to be dismissed - issues that other employers may not have a problem with?
We are not nitpicking here. We're not saying, your skirt is two inches too short, or, there is an occasional burst of temper or a vulgar word. We're talking about bigger issues of morality. I would think that if someone is going around cheating other people, which we have dealt with too, or if they go around borrowing money and telling all sorts of stories, that would be not acceptable. Smoking is also not acceptable.
Q: Just to be clear, it's not just that they can't smoke in the office. They can't smoke even outside or at home.
Yes. If we know that that's your reputation, it is not acceptable.
Q: Are you saying effectively that you have to be a Christian in order to be a full-time employee of the church?
Not necessarily. We do have non -Christians working in our administration staff. If we offer you a job, and you're not a Christian, obviously you cannot subscribe to our theology. But you have to keep to the moral standard. But there are various organisations we run.
One of them is Touch Community Services, which we started but now it's arm's length and is run by its own board. However, even there, there is a set of moral standards, though perhaps not as high as the church. Then there is Gateway Entertainment, which is a purely church-owned entertainment company which I use to do my magic shows. There, again it's different. Just before this interview, I was rehearsing for my show and some of my dancers are smokers. So I just said, "Please don't do it on my premises. If you have to take a puff, do it outside." So we do understand the different contexts.
Q: Have you considered writing these standards into your employment contracts?
I think they are implied. I met with the Manpower Minister (Tan Chuan-Jin), who said: "You should write this down." And I said I'm not sure I want to. Because if I write a list down, then there's always something I might miss. Then you say: "There you are, I'm free." I believe when it comes to morality, it's clear enough. There are industry standards. And church is one of the industry standards. So I have no problem paying the amount for compensation. But we find it difficult to accept that the Minister ruled that there was insufficient cause. I do not, I cannot, accept that. In fact, we have sent them a cheque with a letter that says this is sent to you without prejudice, and we reserve our rights on this.
Q: Why did you decide in the end to comply with the Minister's order?
Because it's the law. The Minister has made a judgment, and I want to be law abiding. But we have the right to say we disagree with the ruling.
Q: Some people would say that you can't have it both ways. It's either you pay the compensation, in which case you're accepting his ruling of insufficient cause. And if you want to disagree with the ruling, you should refuse to pay and face the consequences for that.
I actually told the Minister: "Send me to jail." But I was told by my lawyers that going to jail doesn't solve the problem, because when you come out of jail, you still have to pay. And there were other avenues. It is possible to pay ex gratia, without prejudice, and make my statement.
Q: Why were you prepared to go to jail?
If you know anything about me, I stand on principles. I cannot allow a ruling that is passed that I feel is unjust to the church, that restricts the way we run a religious organisation. To me, that is standing up for my religious convictions. And my religious convictions have been violated. That's how strongly I feel about it.
Q: Many years ago, your daughter bore a child out of wedlock. Did that experience change the way you looked at this case?
Absolutely. That's why my first reaction was: How can I help this employee? I understand it's not easy to be a single mother. However, I want to make the point that my daughter's case was different. My daughter was a single girl who made a mistake and was pregnant. In this case, she was a married woman who was in an adulterous relationship. I think the context is different. However, even for my daughter, I expect her to come to a place of repentance. We assigned leaders of the church to hold her accountable, to check on her. I took her off from any leadership role in the church until many years later. I hold the same standard for my own daughter.
Q: How is she doing right now?
I think she's doing very well. My grandson is 10 years old and is very well-loved. In fact, he pulls my whole family together. And you're aware that I've never been quiet about this. I've gone on national television to share my story, so that every person knows that there are no perfect people. Even as a pastor, I struggle with family issues like everyone else. In fact, it has opened up more doors for me to speak to many people. People come to me for help because they say: "You're real, pastor. You have not been hiding some of your own struggles."
Q: Tell me more about the magic show that you and your daughter do.
Just over 10 years ago, the church leadership began to sense God telling us that we should get involved in the arts and entertainment arena. Sometimes we just criticise and say there is so much garbage coming out and it affects our young people. But we believe that instead of talking about how bad other products are, why don't we come out and offer an alternative? So we decided to do a magic show that would live out positive values. We want to hit a high standard of production and to be world class, so we have influence. So that's our concept for Gateway Entertainment.
Q: I've read reports that 3,000 people left your church in the early 2000s because they did not agree with your foray into magic. Is that number accurate?
There were some who left, but not as many as 3,000. So there are people who choose to differ, some who feel I've spent too much time on it. I respect that. Actually, over the years, there are thousands of people who have left us on various issues. Our church is very committed to expecting a lot from our members in terms of discipleship, in terms of commitment, and some people feel like it is too much. I respect that.
Do I Have to Give Up My Sins to be Saved?
"And they went out, and preached that men should repent." —Mark 6:12
The answer is No! You do NOT have to stop sinning to be saved. No one can stop sinning (Romans 3:23)! No one can live above sin—no one (Isaiah 64:6). Jesus Christ came into this world to save sinners. You do NOT have to give up anything to be saved except your UNBELIEF.
However, you DO need to realize your sinful condition and "confess" (or admit) to God that you are a sinner, deserving of hell. This is Biblical repentance, i.e., "a change of mind."
To be saved, a sinner simply needs to become "guilty" before God (Romans 3:19). Repentance is NOT forsaking one's actual sins, for that would be self-righteousness? Repentance is acknowledging that I am guilty of violating God's holy Law, and that I deserve to be punished in Hellfire for my own sins. Thus, realizing one's need for a Saviour. This is exactly what Galatians 3:24 teaches, "Wherefore the law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith."
A person who is convicted about their sin won't have the joyous attitude that they can continue living in sin and still go to Heaven. I would greatly doubt the salvation of anyone who rejoices that they can continue living in sin. This is one of the favorite arguments of Lordship Salvationists. The truth is that God holds believers accountable for their words and actions (Romans 14:12; 1 Peter 4:17; 2 Corinthians 5:10).
Repentance is a turn of mind. When you turn to Christ for forgiveness, you have just turned your back on sin.
Tuesday, August 20, 2013
FCBC told by MOM to compensate sinful woman
One of Singapore's biggest independent churches has been ordered by the Government to compensate a female church worker fired because of her alleged adulterous relationship.
The female employee at Faith Community Baptist Church (FCBC) had gone to the Ministry of Manpower (MOM) after she was sacked last
September when the church found out she was pregnant with the child of another church employee.
The ministry said that it looked into the complaint and found that the woman was "dismissed without sufficient cause within six months of her delivery date".
The church did not give her the salary and maternity benefits she was entitled to under the Employment Act.
The Ten Commandments
Exodus 20:1-17
1 And God spoke all these words: 2 “I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery. 3 “You shall have no other gods before[a] me. 4 “You shall not make for yourself an image in the form of anything in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the waters below. 5 You shall not bow down to them or worship them; for I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God, punishing the children for the sin of the parents to the third and fourth generation of those who hate me, 6 but showing love to a thousand generations of those who love me and keep my commandments. 7 “You shall not misuse the name of the Lord your God, for the Lord will not hold anyone guiltless who misuses his name. 8 “Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy. 9 Six days you shall labor and do all your work, 10 but the seventh day is a sabbath to the Lord your God. On it you shall not do any work, neither you, nor your son or daughter, nor your male or female servant, nor your animals, nor any foreigner residing in your towns. 11 For in six days the Lord made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them, but he rested on the seventh day. Therefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and made it holy. 12 “Honor your father and your mother, so that you may live long in the land the Lord your God is giving you. 13 “You shall not murder. 14 “You shall not commit adultery. 15 “You shall not steal. 16 “You shall not give false testimony against your neighbor. 17 “You shall not covet your neighbor’s house. You shall not covet your neighbor’s wife, or his male or female servant, his ox or donkey, or anything that belongs to your neighbor.”
We are living in a secular world but governed by our religious belief.
FCBC senior pastor Lawrence Khong on...
- THE PREGNANT EMPLOYEE- When we asked her, she admitted to having an affair with another colleague even before her divorce proceedings were final.
- THE DISMISSAL- We are a church. If we concede that the dismissal was unjust, it means we are condoning adultery and it will weaken our moral and spiritual authority in the organization.
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