Many years ago I went down to Taiwan to take care of my father as he was hospitalized due to his heart disease. Next to his bed stayed a veteran in his seventies who looked physically fit and his wife accompanied him alone without their any children and relatives. I had a short conversation with him during his hospital stay. He told me he was diagnosed with tumors and needed a further examination to see to it that they were benign or malignant. He assured to me further, “I am not scared of this disease or even death, because I ‘ve fought and defended this country for all my life and lived a clear conscience without hurting anyone.” He had a strong confidence in what he had done and the way he behaved.

As Paul was leaving for Jerusalem, he knew he would never see her friends back in Ephesus. He encouraged them instead to hold fast to the truth, to guard themselves and the people of God, and to continue to do the work of God. In Acts 20:24, she said to the church elders and leaders in Ephesus, “My life is worth nothing to me unless I use it for finishing the work assigned me by the Lord Jesus– the work of telling others the good news about the wonderful grace of God. Throughout all his life Paul was committed to testifying the grace of Jesus Christ without regarding himself. He knew everything he did was for the glory of God.

The old veteran I met shared the same character trait as Paul possessed–“finishing the work” assigned to him; but he trusted in himself and believed he would receive some reward based on what had accomplished. In fact, the grace of God is given but not earned.