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Grace and Peace from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ!

My wife and son, as well as I, are doing well. We had been looking forward to going to taking a trip to Sweden after our Church’s Five Solas Reformation conference, but in the Lord’s providence, my wife had some health problems during the conference and had to visit the hospital. She was put on sick leave and home rest, so we had to cancel the trip to Sweden. It was very sad in many aspects, but I thank God that my wife is now well again.

This year’s Five Solas Reformation conference was fantastic. But it is all thanks to God who is faithful to bless the conference year after year, in spite of setbacks we have faced the past years.  I really enjoyed listening to our guest speaker Benedikt Peters teaching on Solus Christus. His Bible knowledge and the knowledge of languages was very deep and wide.

I too had the privilege of speaking at the conference, on the topic of Hudson Taylor and his life. I spent much-needed time immersing myself in some of the material that exists – I had been given a bundle of biographies both in English and Swedish which I could read from and gather material. I am not used to preaching from other things than the Bible, and not really very comfortable with it. Since the conference was about Solus Christus – Christ Alone – and not about other people – I could try to tie his life to the great topic. While there was a lot to learn, read and say about Hudson, I decided to focus more on this aspect of his life – what he had to do with ”Solus Christus”. This was not hard to find, as it was in fact Hudson’s own view, that Christ Alone was the great subject and object of his life.

He came to saving faith at 17 as he read a gospel tract, understanding that salvation is by the finished work of Christ alone, and not our works or contributions. He wrote: “I was struck with the phrase: ‘The finished work of Christ’ … What was finished? I at once replied: A full and perfect atonement and satisfaction for sin. The debt was paid for our sins…’ Then came the further thought, ‘If the whole work was finished and the whole debt paid, what is there left for me to do?’ And with this dawned the joyful conviction, as light was flashed into my soul by the Holy Spirit, that there was nothing in the world to be done but to fall down on one’s knees and, accepting this Saviour and His salvation, praise Him for evermore.”

His mission to China was not for the sake of China, but for Christ Alone. One of his most famous quotes is: “If I had a thousand pounds China should have it—if I had a thousand lives, China should have them. No! Not China, but Christ. Can we do too much for Him? Can we do enough for such a precious Saviour?”

My prayer was that the biographical sermon would not merely be a number of general or interesting facts about Hudson Taylor, or an inspiration to like him become a missionary in exotic lands, but to seek more of the Lord Jesus Christ Himself – whether they are called to foreign missions or to be members that serve with their gifts in a local Church. Wherever the Lord has called them to be. If someone tries to produce any fruit by any means other than the True Vine, it is only futile and vainglory.

Taylor was also a man that trusted in God to provide His needs and he brought everything to God in prayer rather than trusting in his own ability. Our Church’s own prayer meetings have likewise kept showing themselves fruitful as God has been faithful to hear us and answer our prayers. New people are getting in touch with us every now and then, new people have visited our Church, I know at least one man who has contacted our Church and asked for a copy of one of the John MacArthur booklets I have translated. May the Lord keep opening doors and make the work for His kingdom fruitful, for His truth to be heard and obeyed.