Trinidadian-born Pastor Ruth Forestine has underscored the power of Salvation in Jesus Christ, saying that Salvation in Christ is “a gift of grace, meaning it is not earned through good works but received through faith” in the Almighty.
“Jesus’s sacrifice on the cross is the foundation of salvation, bearing the penalty for the sins of humanity,” said Rev. Forestine, pastor of Word of Life Christian Church Ministries, Inc, in South Ozone Park, Queens, in delivering the message during the Annual Fundraising Dinner of St. Matthias Charities, Inc. at Trinity Apostolic Church, an evangelical church, on Pacific Avenue in Crown Heights, Brooklyn, on June 21.
“The power of salvation in Jesus Christ is the core message of the gospel, and it’s through this message that believers are called to share the good news with others,” she added. “The gospel is not just a message, but it has the power to change lives, offering forgiveness, reconciliation with God, and eternal life to those who believe.
In quoting Romans 1:16-17, Rev. Forestine, who was born in Trinidad and Tobago to Vincentian descendants, said: “For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God to Salvation for everyone who believes, for the Jew first and also for the Greek. For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith.”
She said Salvation in Jesus Christ empowers us to love and care for others.
“Though salvation is a free gift from God and cannot be earned, we still have responsibilities as children of God who have been redeemed,” Pastor Forestine said. “The purpose of salvation isn’t just to gain eternal life but to allow God’s grace to work within us, enabling us to serve and love and show compassion for others as Jesus did.”
She said that Salvation in Jesus Christ provides the power to forgive others, stating that forgiveness is seen as a reflection of God’s grace and mercy, and a vital component of a relationship with God.
“It takes place when we, who have been hurt, release the one who has hurt us,” Pastor Forestine said. “It happens when we decide in our hearts not to hold any hard feelings against those who hurt us.”
In referring to Matt. 13-15, she said: “If you do not forgive, neither will your Father in heaven forgive your trespasses.
“Forgiving others does not necessarily mean condoning their actions or ignoring the hurt they have caused,” Rev. Forestine said. “How many Christians go to church and don’t speak to one another because they are mad at each other for some reason or another?
“Jesus showed us the example of true forgiveness when he was dying on the cross,” she added. “He asked God to forgive the people who were putting him to death. He was willing to forgive those who beat him, who taunted him and spat on him, who drove the nails into his hands and feet. He said, ‘Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do’
“Forgiveness can release emotional burdens and allow us to experience peace,” Rev. Forestine continued.
She said Salvation through Jesus Christ empowers us with authority and power to overcome the works of the enemy.
Rev. Forestine said this power stems from Christ’s victory over sin and death, and His giving of authority to His followers in Luke 10:19: “Behold, I give you the authority to trample on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing shall by any means hurt you.”
She said Salvation through Jesus Christ provides believers with strength and resilience to overcome adversities, stressing that this power comes from the understanding that God’s grace is sufficient, and His power is made perfect in weakness.
“We can rely on God’s strength to endure trials, knowing that they are part of a larger plan for glory and growth in faith,” Pastor Forestine said. “The Holy Spirit empowers us to face life’s challenges. He helps us endure trials, resist temptation, and live according to God’s will.”
She said Salvation does not give us a license to sin, “because true believers have been transferred from darkness to light, from slavery to freedom, from guilt to forgiveness, and from the power of Satan to the power of God, and have been rescued from a rebellious kingdom to serve the rightful king.
“Our conduct should reflect our new allegiance,” she said, referring to Romans 6:1-4: “What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin that grace may abound? 2 Certainly not! How shall we who died to sin live any longer in it? 3 Or do you not know that as many of us as were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into His death? 4 Therefore we were buried with Him through baptism into death, that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.”
Rev. Forestine said that though we do not have a license to sin, if we do sin and we repent of our sin, He is faithful and just to forgive us.
“Because of Jesus’ work on the cross, we will be forgiven because Jesus paid the penalty for our sin,” she said. “Jesus’s sacrifice on the cross atones for the sins of humanity, and, through faith in him, we are reconciled to God and receive the gift of eternal life.”
The fundraising dinner featured gospel renditions by Vincentian evangelist LaFleur Durrant and Jamaican gospel artiste Caswell Daley.
Bishop Robert McBarnett, the Vincentian founder and president of St. Matthias Charities, Inc. said that, since the group’s formation in 2012, it has shipped 14 containers of medical supplies to St. Vincent and the Grenadines, distributed eight EKG machines to health facilities, as well as provided supplies to schools, among other items, in the country.
Besides annual and bi-annual missions to St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Bishop McBarnett said similar missions have been conducted in Grenada, and that a mission is being planned for Jamaica.
