Pastor Rico Ricafort of Victory Ortigas shares how we can live out the gospel and bring hope and healing to others.

 

How has the gospel ministered to you and transformed your life?

The gospel has transformed my life in every possible way. It gave me hope, purpose, and joy. It affected all of my relationships: the way I treat my family, my parents, my loved ones, my colleagues. It made me realize that I can live a life that is pleasing to God because I don’t have to struggle anymore to gain His favor. I already have His favor. I already have His grace.

The things I used to struggle with no longer had a hold on me. I was able to overcome them and walk in victory through God’s grace. Experiencing His grace changes the way we live; it empowers us and gives us a fresh start. The Bible says, “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come” (2 Corinthians 5:17). His grace enables us to live a life of victory over sin, over our past, and over our weaknesses.

And when God forgives us, He doesn’t just cleanse us and give us the power to overcome sin; He also empowers us to advance His kingdom. When I received Jesus into my life, my entire family did as well. Being a Christian affects not just our lives but even the lives of the people around us.

 

How can we effectively communicate the gospel today? How can we bring hope and healing to others?

I think the best way to communicate the gospel is to live it out. We shouldn’t just preach the gospel; we should also show other people what it means to live for Christ. Proclamation and demonstration go hand in hand. Jesus said, “By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another” (John 13:35). The grace that we have received is the same grace that we can extend to others.

Wherever we are, we can bring hope and healing to the people around us—especially those who are sick and running out of hope—by sharing how God has brought hope and healing into our lives. There’s a lot of negativity and pessimism out there, but we can always be an encouraging voice. We can always be the voice of faith that will remind people that God is for us, not against us. By encouraging others, we get a chance to point people to God, our true source of hope.

If we look at God’s eternal plan for us, we will realize that whatever we’re going through right now is just temporary; suffering is temporary. Even Jesus went through suffering, but because of the joy that was set before Him (Hebrews 12:2), He endured the cross. We should be encouraged knowing that the grace that helped Him endure and overcome suffering is the same grace that He will give to us so we can overcome our hardships.

 

Our lives can be beautiful testimonies of God’s love and grace. Let us live out the gospel and extend the same love and grace to others.

 

Pastor Rico serves as the senior pastor of Victory Ortigas. He and his wife, Kitty, have been married for 13 years. They have three children: Alba, Maja, and Catya.

Beyond the Series is a set of interviews with Victory pastors on topics related to our sermon series.