I just returned from a conference that GES took part in in a place called Zozutla, Mexico. Marino Martinez headed up the conference and invited me to be a part of it. The conference was on the Judgment Seat of Christ and rewards in the coming kingdom. The conference lasted three days. I thought I would share some observations of what happened.

The conference was well attended. For most of the sessions, there were around 75 people. On the final day, the church hosted a dinner because it was celebrating its anniversary. It invited local churches to come. Many in these local churches knew about Marino’s ministry and his teachings of grace. He had been there before and currently conducts classes in Spanish in Zoom classes. There were approximately 400 people who came that last day. Both Marino and I gave a message on rewards in the coming kingdom.

It was all very encouraging. During all the sessions, people were able to ask questions. They were very open to what was being taught. Many of them already understood many of the issues. Marino and I were able to give out books that have been translated into Spanish that teach grace theology. Others spoke of their familiarity with GES and the blogs that are produced in Spanish.

It was clear that some who attended changed their views about the security of the believer and the assurance of eternal life. Others realized that their works are important because of the rewards they will bring at the Judgment Seat of Christ.

I know that it is dangerous to deal in generalizations, but it seems to me that this large group of people was more open to the teachings of grace than most conferences that we do. I wonder why that is. I am sure part of it was because of the high regard in which the people hold Marino. He is a native Spanish speaker and understands their culture. He has been able to teach grace in a way that they understand. It has made an impact on churches in Mexico other than the one in which the conference was held.

I will leave it up to the experts in sociology to determine if there are other reasons for the openness of the people I saw in Zozutla. As a non-expert, I wonder if secularization has something to do with it. Mexico has a strong cultural attachment with the Catholic Church. But this attachment is not a strong religious one for many Mexicans. Perhaps the people are more open to listen to what the Bible has to say. In the United States, religious people are often imprisoned by the religious traditions of Calvinism or works salvation and are less willing to consider that the Bible does not support their strongly held religious beliefs.

Whether that is true or not, it seems there is an application here and a great opportunity. I often hear from people how hard it is to find a Free Grace church in their area. It is a real problem. If you are a native Spanish speaker, maybe you could start a small one where you live. Native Spanish speakers are all around us. It may be no more than a Bible study in your home. If you are a Free Grace church you could sponsor such a study. We have literature in Spanish that can be used in such studies. Lord willing, the amount of that literature will grow if the Lord tarries.

The prospects are exciting. We should all pray about it. It was wonderful seeing the light of grace turned on in the minds of folks in Zozutla. Maybe we can see the same things in many other places.