5 is the number of grace. By grace, Thir.st has been around five years now, since the end of 2016.

How we’ve needed that grace. Five years ago, a handful of us took a leap of faith, either leaving behind safe, secure jobs or spurning decent job offers out of university. God was calling.

While the look of the site has been improved over the years – such as with this new redesign – the vision of Thir.st has not changed in those 5 years: To transform a generation, one story at a time. But what we’ve found has changed is the generation itself.

A 25-year-old today is different from the 25-year-old of five years ago. Your environment and entertainment, your pressures and pleasures, your dreams and demands. Things are changing at a pace that’s difficult to keep up with.

Back then, what we discerned the believers of our generation were seeking was a platform where we could share authentically, and listen with humility, on anything concerning the Christian faith. 

That bred our tagline of the past five years: Honest conversations. With God, with one another, and with the world beyond the church.

But as the generation as evolved, so we’ve found that at our five-year mark, there’s a need to change our rallying cry to the generation we serve.

Honest conversations are great, but it’s now time to rise up as a generation of BOLD FAITH.

WHAT IS BOLD FAITH?

To help make sense of what it means to call a generation to bold faith, we turn to 2 Corinthians 3-4: “Since we have such a hope, we are very bold.”

1. Bold faith ministers

“Such confidence we have through Christ before God. Not that we are competent in ourselves to claim anything for ourselves, but our competence comes from God. He has made us competent as ministers of a new covenant—not of the letter but of the Spirit; for the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life.” (2 Corinthians 3:4-6)

Honest conversations are a necessary first step to ground and gird our personal faith. But the next step is growing our faith to embrace those around us – to know that in Christ, we are competent enough to minister to those in need.

To get there, we need to know what it means to know Christ – knowing that truly knowing Him means that we, too, attain the power of the resurrection (Philippians 3:10-11).

We need to know what it means to have the Spirit in us – discovering that demonstrations of the Spirit’s power in us helps others to grow in their faith (1 Corinthians 2:4-5).

Be bold enough to picture it with me: A generation rising up in selfless faith, giving life through the Spirit to a dying world.

2. Bold faith hopes

“Therefore, since we have such a hope, we are very bold. We are not like Moses, who would put a veil over his face to prevent the Israelites from seeing the end of what was passing away.” (2 Corinthians 3:12-13)

I find that if there is a distinguishing trait of youths and young adults of the world today, it is … hopelessness.

There is a put-on bravado and a swagger learnt to paper over the cracks, but it merely masks a fatalistic certainty that nothing will be well.

What message does it send the world if we claim to worship a God, but yet we place no hope in His ability?

But for those in the generation who are of the faith – who know Jesus, who know we are promised eternal life (John 3:16), abundant life (John 10:10) and the life that is truly life (1 Timothy 6:19) – we must be marked by just the opposite.

We must be hold in our hope, knowing that our faith necessitates a confidence in seeing what the world cannot see (Hebrews 11:1).

What message does it send the world if we claim to worship a God, but yet we place no hope in His ability to make all things new (Revelations 21:5), to turn evil to good (Genesis 50:20), and to secure us eternal redemption (Hebrews 9:12)?

Bold faith hopes because bold faith knows that our God is able, faithful, and He will do it (1 Thessalonians 5:24)! Boast in the hope that you have – which is the glory of your God (Romans 5:2)!

3. Bold faith liberates

“But whenever anyone turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away. Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. And we all, who with unveiled faces contemplate the Lord’s glory, are being transformed into his image with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit.” (2 Corinthians 3:16-18)

For freedom, Christ set us free! Stand firm in this freedom, and do not let yourselves be held hostage, slaves to whatever bondage we suffered in our years B.C. (Galatians 5:1).

We are free! Free to shed the scars of our past, the unpleasant bits of our personality, the persnicketiness of our personal preferences! We are free to embrace transformation, to grow up in every way to be like Jesus (Ephesians 4:15)!

Why be a generation that sells itself short – that sees Jesus with a veil yet to be removed – that knows Him in part, not fully (1 Corinthians 13:12) – that does not dare to enter into His rest (Hebrews 4:3)?

Know that because of the ascent to heaven of our great High Priest Jesus Christ, we are free to approach Father God with confidence. And there at His throne we find the grace and mercy to help us with whatever need we may have (Hebrews 4:16).

4. Bold faith perseveres

“Therefore, since through God’s mercy we have this ministry, we do not lose heart … We always carry around in our body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be revealed in our body. For we who are alive are always being given over to death for Jesus’ sake, so that his life may also be revealed in our mortal body.” (2 Corinthians 4:1, 10-11)

Life is hard, and it only gets harder. The world will hate us followers of Jesus (John 15:20-21), and that pressure will only escalate.

Bold faith perseveres.

It knows that when we have to suffer for righteousness’ sake, we view it as blessing and a privilege (1 Peter 3:14-18). It knows that persecution for our faith is a spiritual compliment. It knows that having to persevere through trial grows character and hope (Romans 5:3-5), maturity in the faith (James 1:2-4).

Storm? Struggle? Suffering? Don’t give up! Take heart (John 16:33)! The very journey of your overcoming is testimony to the glory and goodness of God. If you are more than a conqueror, it is through Him who loved you (Romans 8:37).

5. And finally, bold faith proclaims Jesus

“Since we have that same spirit of faith, we also believe and therefore speak … so that the grace that is reaching more and more people may cause thanksgiving to overflow to the glory of God.” (2 Corinthians 4:13-15)

Bold faith prays the prayer that Paul called for in Ephesians 6:19-20: “Pray also for me, that whenever I speak, words may be given me so that I will fearlessly make known the mystery of the Gospel, for which I am an ambassador in chains. Pray that I may declare it fearlessly, as I should.”

All the writing and works of this generation of believers in Singapore – this Thir.st generation – will mean nothing in the final reckoning if it does not result in souls saved from the fire.

Paul knows it is fear, and not chains, that can limit his ministry. Fear of ridicule, rejection, retaliation.

What overcomes this fear? The spirit of faith (2 Timothy 1:7). Perfect love (1 John 4:18). The peace of God (Philippians 4:6-7). The presence of God (Joshua 1:9).

The true mark of maturity in a disciple is his/her passion for the proclamation (Colossians 1:28). An eagerness to do the work of an evangelist, in and out of season (2 Timothy 4:2). A missional, Commissional heart that longs to labour in the harvest (Matthew 9:37-38).

Bold faith proclaims Jesus, light of the world, hope for the nations, salvation for all who will believe.

If there has been a personal takeaway for me after five years running Thir.st, it is this:

All the writing and works of this generation of believers in Singapore – this Thir.st generation – will mean nothing in the final reckoning if it does not result in souls saved from the fire.

It is my firm conviction, now more than ever, that this is the only vision we need to hold ourselves to. It must be our waking thought, our passionate desire, our reason for being.

Bold faith proclaims Jesus. Rise up and sing His praises.