“For I delivered to you first of all that which I also received,that Christ died for our sins according to the Scripture, and that He was buried, and that He rose again the third day according to the Scriptures” (1 Corinthians 15:3-4).
“For Christ also suffered once for sins, the just for the unjust, that He might bring you to God” (1 Peter 3:18).
As I write these lines, Christians around the world are remembering the Passion of our Lord on what we call Good Friday. It is “good” because on this awful day long ago, the eternal Son of God, who had taken on human nature and become one of us, bore our sins in our place, so that all believers in Christ could find forgiveness with a holy and righteous God, be reconciled to our Maker, and have intimate fellowship with him forever by the Holy Spirit.
We do so with full faith in the momentous victory of the Resurrection, which certified the death of Jesé as an acceptable sacrifice to God and vindicated him as the Messiah, the Christ, the only Mediator between God and sinful humanity, who now reigns at God’s right hand and who has promised to return to judge the living and the dead.
What message could be more desperately needed at a time when millions are suffering the horrors of war in Ukraine, much of the world trembles at the prospect that the conflict will spread, and several billion souls languish in spiritual darkness, “having no God and without hope in this world” (Ephesians 2;12)?
Taiwan’s Spiritual Plight
No doubt, you have noticed that news commentators and world leaders often mention Taiwan as perhaps the next most volatile flash point that could erupt into another war with global impact.
The people of Taiwan are facing two very real dangers. The first is that the government of China has consistently declared its intention to “recover” what it considers to be a rebellious breakaway province, and it has never renounced the use of force to accomplish this goal, which is deemed the highest priority. If Taiwan ever formally declares political independence from China, Beijing threatens immediate action.
Meanwhile, the leaders of Taiwan insist that the island has never belonged to the People’s Republic of China and that it is already an independent political entity. Only a few governments recognize Taiwan, but many have various sorts of diplomatic and economic ties. More and more, the United States has insisted that it will help Taiwan defend itself from any military invasion, and hints that it may even intervene in a conflict. Other nations are building stronger relations with Taiwan, seeing it not only as an important beacon of democracy but also as an island of critical strategic importance.
To put it bluntly: Powerful forces are building on both sides of the Taiwan Strait that could plunge the region into crisis at any time. Though most people are talking about a possible invasion, China could use other means to gain control of Taiwan without an outright attack. Some people consider such a move to be imminent.
The Greater Danger
Taiwan’s 23+ million inhabitants have another, and much more serious, peril: More than 97% do not know the true and living God through faith in Christ. The Christians in Taiwan, though in many ways mature and faithful to the gospel, comprise only a tiny minority. Some churches are growing, to be sure, but they are only a few points of light in an otherwise terribly dark place.
Outright idolatry grips the vast majority of the people, with government support. Not only so, but most Taiwanese are complacent about the potential threat of a communist takeover. They are placing their hope in protection from America and its strategic partners. The government also feeds this complacency. Most people seem to be entirely caught up in the affairs of this world, gripped by the pursuit of earthly security and satisfaction.
Our Ongoing Connection to Taiwan
Dori and I lived and served in Taiwan for ten years, until 1988. Since then, I have returned more than two dozen times to preach, teach, and visit our friends. Most of my Chinese-language books are published there, with two more slated to come out soon. Two couples who are China Institute Partners are active in evangelism, teaching, and pastoral care. Another couple serves with OMF International; the wife is a former president of the Chinese Christian Fellowship at UVA.
Recently, I have been trying to call our friends there more frequently.
Please pray for Taiwan. Ask God to open blind eyes and cause many to turn to Christ; to shine the light of the gospel through the Christians who are trying to be witnesses of Christ; and to enable us to help prepare our friends for the future.