By Ken Yates
One of the ministries of GES is proclaiming the free gift of eternal life by faith alone in Christ in countries other than the United States. One way we do that is through our website. We also have Zoom classes through which citizens of other countries can participate in sound theological discussions. We also send people to teach in other countries in person.
One such country is Zambia. For the last seven years, my daughter Kathryn and I have gone to a Bible school in Zambia to teach Bible courses. Each trip lasts about two weeks. We average about 40 students each time we go. Our last trip took place in April of this year. Kathryn teaches a course on salvation, and I teach the Book of Romans.
The one characteristic that stands out with these Zambian students is their eagerness to ask questions. Even though they are young, with an average age of around 20, they are not shy about asking questions. The Free Grace message is rare in Zambia. Kathryn teaches the freshmen class and, for almost all of them, it is the first time they have heard that eternal life is given as a free gift by faith alone. It is the first time they have heard that they cannot lose that gift. As a result, they challenge this teaching and bring up various Bible passages that they think refute such a gracious offer. The great news is that by the end of the course almost all the students understand that they have eternal life that can never be lost.
In my course on Romans, I teach students who had Kathryn’s class two years prior. We basically show how the book is interpreted from a grace (and Biblical!) perspective. This is the first time in their lives that they exegete a book in this manner. Once again, they have lots of questions. By the end of this course almost all of them say that they have a completely new understanding of the book.
It is always exciting to take part in these classes. The message of grace is going out in that country. These men are future pastors there. On this last trip, we saw how that message was taking hold in various other ways.
Meeting with Students at Night
The students at the Bible college are busy. They not only take classes, but also have to work on campus to pay for their living expenses. There are various kinds of workshops; one example is a shop where they build furniture. Some of them work in the fields to raise crops for food, or they help with raising chickens.
Even though they have busy schedules, some of them asked Kathryn and me if we could meet at night to answer some questions about the Bible. We were able to do that every weekday night we were there. This gave the students an opportunity to deal with issues that are not discussed in our regular classes. Many of their questions deal with grace issues throughout the Bible, such as how people in the Old Testament received eternal life.
The most exciting part of these sessions is that it shows the dedication of these students. It takes a commitment on their part to attend these meetings at the end of a busy day of classes and work. They want to hear more.
The Message in Local Churches
Depending on our travel days, we always have the opportunity of attending a local Zambian church on one or two Sundays. On this most recent trip, we went to a local Baptist church about two hours from Lusaka, the capital city. I had spoken there the year before and was asked to come back and speak on eternal rewards and the doctrine of the end times. Kathryn led the Sunday school, covering the doctrine of rewards. During the main service, I spoke on the Rapture of the Church.
Kathryn explained the difference between being eternally saved and receiving rewards. The first is absolutely free and cannot be lost. The second involves works. A believer may be in the kingdom of God, yet lose the reward of reigning with Christ. I showed, from 1 Thessalonians 5, that all believers, whether faithful or not, will go to be with the Lord when He calls His Church to Himself.
The pastor of this church is the father of one of our Bible college students. For the last three years we have given him Free Grace books to read. Each year he asks for more. We are able to give them to him because of donations to GES. It is clear that he understands the issues and wants to know more. One of the things that stands out about his church is the absence of charismatic excesses during the service. In other churches we have attended in Africa, it is common to see people scream, run around the building, and jump up and down in supposed expressions of the influence of the Holy Spirit.
At this church, however, these exhibitions do not take place. Things are done in an orderly fashion. I am confident that the teaching of grace and the influence of GES’s website on this pastor play a role in what is happening there. We were also able to give Free Grace material to the deacons at this church. We are excited to see what the Lord will do in the lives of believers there.
A Free Grace Library
Each year, we give our students Free Grace books corresponding to the classes they take from us. They constantly ask for more. The Bible college has a well-stocked library where the students are able to find many additional GES books that we have donated through the years. In fact, the library has about 80% of our books.
In addition, we give the students all the information they need to access the GES website, where they discover a wealth of free articles and blogs. Throughout the year, we receive emails from students telling us they are using the site.
A friend of GES has also volunteered his time and resources to train the students in how to use LOGOS in their studies. He purposefully shows the students how to access Free Grace material using the program.
In a country where Free Grace teaching is rare, these students have an abundance of riches available to them.
Other Free Grace Missionaries
On our last trip to Zambia, we had the pleasant experience of meeting two other Free Grace missionaries, William and Jeff. William and his family are new to the country. They were mentored by Loren Faul, a longtime friend of GES. William works with Zambians by teaching them trades in construction so they can earn a living. He looks for opportunities to share the message of grace with his students.
William has found that the message is opposed by the other missionaries with whom he works. He is making contacts with some of our students and local churches in an effort to form Free Grace circles. It is our hope that, if the Lord tarries, we can work with and encourage one another in this work.
Jeff is a missionary who, like us, travels to Zambia to teach local pastors the message of grace. He learned about our trips there from the GES website and came to the school to meet us. He invited us to come and teach the group of pastors involved in his ministry. Perhaps, if the Lord wills, we will be able to do so during future trips to the country.
Conclusion
I am often asked how our trips to other countries are going. How are the folks responding? Do we see any fruit? Many people are interested in, and support, what we do.
Zambia is an example of what we are doing. As in the US, Free Grace theology is not the most popular teaching in that country. But also, as in the US, the message is going out. All those who support us, in whatever way, can be encouraged by the fact that the truth is reaching people. As with all of us, it makes a tremendous difference in the lives of those who have heard and believed.
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Ken Yates is a retired Army chaplain (Lt. Col). He has many theological degrees, including a Ph.D. from D.T.S. in New Testament. He leads the GES international ministry, cohosts the daily podcast, and assists Bob in all aspects of the GES ministry. His new book, Elisabeth, is a powerful testimony to the power of God manifested in a Christ-centered family. He and his wife, Pam, live in Columbia, SC.
