“In the world you will have tribulation [trouble]; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.” (John 16:33)
“We must through many tribulations enter the kingdom of God.” ( Acts 14:22)
“Beloved, do not think it strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened to you; but rejoice to the extent that you partake of Christ’s sufferings, that when His glory is revealed, you may also be glad with exceeding joy.” (1 Peter 4:12,13)
In late February, I spoke to a nearby church group about the astounding growth of Christianity in China since 1950. When listing some of the possible causes for the explosion in the number of Christians, I mentioned suffering.
“When everyone in China was suffering, Christians suffered differently,” I said. “They suffered as people with faith, hope, and love.” Since the pandemic was just beginning to pose a serious threat in the United States, I added, “And we may have that opportunity soon also.”
Little did I know how fast and furious would be the onslaught of this plague, how many people would become sick or even die, or how devastating to the economy this would become.
The Old Normal
We hear about “the new normal” a lot these days, but actually, for much of mankind over much of its history, suffering was normal, especially for Christians.
Jesus never concealed from his disciples the very real risks entailed in following him. Indeed, he not only promised that Christians would suffer, but made faithfulness in following him through suffering a condition for eventual salvation (see Matthew 24:13, for example).
He went so far as to say, “If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow Me.” (Luke 9:23) True disciples of Christ commit themselves to daily death.
To be sure, Jesus and the Apostles referred primarily to the hatred of a hostile world, and even deadly persecution, but warnings of such extreme tribulation surely include all forms and degrees of physical and mental distress and pain.
Christians in the West, especially in North America, have not known national disasters since World War II, not to mention widespread violent attacks on believers simply on account of their faith. Have we become complacent, accustomed to safety and comfort, and even vulnerable to the heresy that the Christian life should be marked by health, wealth, and security?
“For such a time as this”
When young Queen Esther shrank from danger, her uncle Mordecai challenged her: “Who knows whether you have come to the kingdom for such a time as this?” (Esther 4:14)
Surely, today’s Christians are in this dangerous world at such a time to be witnesses of Jesus Christ, who gave himself so that others might be saved. We are not immune from this illness, nor from the horrendous social and economic turmoil and troubles that will surely come in its wake.
The question is, How will we respond? With fearful self-preservation? Or with faith, hope, and love?
Examples of courageous acts of love and witness have already come to us from China’s Christians. Will we take heart from their bold and faith-filled words and deeds that demonstrate that the living Christ dwells in us individually and corporately?
I suggest that you take inspiration also from the lives of men and women in the past, whose stories you can find in the pages of the online Biographical Dictionary of Chinese Christianity.
Perhaps you can start your search with J. Hudson Taylor, Maria Taylor, Emily Blatchley, John Sung, and Wang Mingdao, who proved to be “more than conquerors through Him who loved” them (Romans 8:37).