Ethical Issues

Some of the following issues involving mission may seem basic, but it can only be a sign of spiritual ill health when Christians consider certain questions off-limits or inappropriate. One legitimate criticism that has been leveled at the evangelical church in recent years is its resistance to basic questions. An inquiring mind is usually a sign that the Holy Spirit is at work rather than of unbelief. There is a case for questioning a faith that can not ask questions!

What, Where and Why?

Do all religions lead to the same thing? At first glance, religions appear to be very similar, leading to the same sorts of things in the same sort of way. Yet this only appears to be the case on the most superficial of levels. The reality is that the different world religions teach mutually incompatible ideas. Hindus believe that all are part of the divine and therefore not sinful. Islam proclaims the existence of Allah as he has revealed himself through his prophet Mohammed. Buddhism denies the concept of there being one God entirely. Islam proclaims salvation exclusively through submission to Allah, Christianity insists any other message apart from the gospel will be 'eternally condemned' (Galatians 1:8-9). There are similarly contradictory ideas in what different religions aim for. For example, Christianity teaches that the ultimate goal for forgiven people is full and personal fellowship with God in heaven; Buddhism aims to break out of the corruptible physical world and away from the spiritual realm to achieve enlightenment.

It is logically impossible for all these religions to be true. To claim that all beliefs are equally valid is to say that what is at the heart of each – what makes it distinctive – is ultimately indifference. Rather than accepting all religions as true such a viewpoint only really succeeds in dismissing all religions as 'being the same but not really realizing it'. This may at first seem sophisticated and tolerant, but in reality is unspeakably arrogant and intolerant.

What’s so unique about Christianity?

Christianity is unique in its very essence; it is not trying to do what other religions do.

Jesus claimed his mission was to provide a specific solution to a universal problem (Luke 5:31-32). He claimed that every human that has ever lived urgently needs forgiveness from God, and that he himself is the only place where that forgiveness can be found. In saying this, Jesus insists that all people everywhere are unacceptable to God. All reject God’s right to rule their lives, though he made and owns each. Some are too tied up with their own ego and are hostile to a God who threatens their perceived autonomy. Others are just indifferent; but the effect is the same: God is pushed to the circumference of life.

There is no other belief system or religion that:

1. Has such a candid view of human nature. Romans 1 describes humans as utterly depraved; Romans 3:11 and 13 insist that no one is capable of genuine goodness or of loving God. The sinfulness of people is the most provable Christian doctrine, and there is evidence in every person you’ve met today (not to mention the person you were looking at in the mirror this morning!)
2. Can truly deal with human evil. Other religions readily admit that human nature is flawed, but tend to assume that there is the human capacity to overcome evil. By contrast the clear teaching of the Bible is that our sinfulness is so endemic that we are utterly helpless: we are described as slaves (John 8:34), blind (2 Corinthians4:4) and dead (Ephesians 2:1). Our problem is in our hearts (Mark 7:14-15). Only understanding the extent of our sinful condition will show us the radical help we need. Since other religions don’t recognize this deep-seated spiritual condition they cannot adequately help. You cannot fight cancer by applying cosmetics. Sin is in our heart and affects our whole life. Jesus alone can help us (2 Corinthians 5:21, Acts 4:12) and in the Bible he insists that he must die as a ransom for us (Mark 8:31, 10:45).

Further Reading:
Chris Wright, Thinking Clearly about the Uniqueness of Jesus (Monarch)
Norman Anderson, Christianity and World Religions (IVP)

Is it right to convert people?

Mission (and therefore OMF) is not about missionaries ‘converting’ people. Nowhere do we seek to force our beliefs on others. In any case conversion by coercion doesn’t really work. A quick look at the communist attempts to stamp out religious affiliation in Eastern Europe shows that the effect is usually just to make religions more resilient. The Bible does not tell us to convert people, but we are given the mandate to offer the Christian message to everyone. Conversion is never the missionary’s decision but a private matter between the convert and God. Conversion is the job of God alone (see 2 Corinthians 4:6) .The Christian’s job is to provide the opportunity for conversion; to help people understand Christianity, to show them that it’s reasonable and withstands objections.

Is missionary work racist? If Jesus’ message of free forgiveness is true then it is the best news anyone can ever hope to receive. It is not western either in origin or in scope: it came from the Middle East and Jesus said its intended audience was to be the whole world. We share it with other people out of love for them, irrespective of their race or culture. Not telling certain people based on ethnic background or race would be true racism. God purposes a global church made up of people from all nations (Revelation 7:9).

Have missions not just been a front for imperialism in the past?

Sometimes it’s difficult to sort out our Christian baggage from our cultural baggage. It’s true that a number of missionaries in the past have struggled unsuccessfully or else haven’t bothered to struggle in the first place. There have been occasions when missionaries (knowingly or otherwise) have been guilty of furthering the British Empire more than the Kingdom of God. We are right to expose this whenever we see it. Christians must never impose one culture over another (for the gospel is transcultural), nor be completely uncritical of any culture (for all express fallen human nature). Indigenous African or Chinese Christianity is no less authentic than British or American Christianity, since both express the same timeless truth in different cultural clothing, and both need the same reforming work of the Holy Spirit.

We must bear in mind that racism is an inherent part of our sinful nature that affects us all, however much we genuinely throw our arms up against it. We all carry the seed of any sin, there is nothing beneath us, and nothing we’re incapable of doing given enough provocation or opportunity. The solution to the problem of racism creeping into missionary work is therefore not to up the ante of twenty-first century tolerance and enlightenment. Rather we must recognize our prejudices and doing so, submit them more and more to the word of God.

Is it not more important to stay at home than work overseas?

Looking at the great spiritual needs of our home countries, we (or others) might think considering work elsewhere to be shirking responsibilities. But we must be careful to look at the needs in any one place in proportion to the needs of the world. For example, compared to some nations Britain looks to be in a desperate spiritual condition; but it must also we admitted at the same time that Britain has been richly blessed with large Christian numbers and general ease of access to the gospel. Statistics alone certainly do not conclude that British Christians should stay at home.

We must think of the strategic implications of where we live, where our skills could be best used, and what ministry we would have if we stayed and whether that was reason enough to stay. Above all we need to search our heart and ensure our motives for staying are determined by the cause of the gospel, rather than laziness or fear. Too often our commitment to our home country and our work place can be a fig leaf donned to disguise our cultural chauvinism, or an excuse to idolize our careers.

Further reading:
Michael Griffiths, A Task Unfinished (Monarch/OMF)

Isn’t it better to help the poor?

The Bible provides ample evidence to show that Christians have a moral obligation to help the poor and needy (see for example: 2 Corinthians 8:10-15; James 1:27, 2:15-16; 1 John 3:17-18). Yet it is important that we neither undertake social action outside the context of addressing deeper spiritual needs, nor involve ourselves in merely spiritual outreach when there are material needs to be addressed. The first mistake will lead to the presumption that gospel matters are ultimately of indifference; the second will create the impression that God is not concerned with our physical well being.

Evangelism and social concern should reinforce each other. At the same time, it is important to recognize the supreme urgency of preaching the gospel above all other activities. Countries such as Japan may have little material needs compared to say Cambodia or Mozambique, but have enormous spiritual needs. We must be careful not to let our culture’s emphasis on development distort our biblical view of what ultimately matters.

Further reading:
Craig Blomberg, Neither Poverty Nor Riches (Apollos)
Dick Dowsett, God That’s Not Fair! (OM Publishing/OMF)

Where does the Bible talk about world mission?

World mission is a theme that reflects the plan God has always had. Because the whole Bible resonates to this theme, there are many passages where the theme is discussed prominently. These are just a few, but give a flavor of some of the others.

Genesis 12 - For the first time God explicitly mentions his intentions for the world. The very first promises made to Abraham indicate that the whole earth would enjoy the benefits of all that God was to do. God was not establishing Abraham’s nation Israel to be an end in itself. His focus was always wider. Sadly through the Old Testament we see the Israelites frequently forget this. At times they become inward looking and chauvinistic to those around them. At other times their interest in the surrounding nations is for all the wrong reasons; rather than being a living advert for the unique privilege they have in knowing God, they try to outdo the nations in their paganism!

Psalm 117 could be described as a sample of Bible DNA! It picks up the thread of world mission with what is quite a striking summary of God’s plan. The writer outlines that the nations are to praise God because of his commitment to his people. In other words, God’s treatment of us is to be so striking that it moves our pagan, heathen neighbors to speak well of him! Again, God has his eyes fixed firmly on the furthest horizons, Israel is rebuked for her parochialism, and it is God’s reputation that drives the nations to praise him.

Matthew 28 is well known as the standard text to wheel out whenever the word ‘mission’ pops into the agenda! Yet it is famous for good reasons: it is one of the clearest statements that all God’s followers are to play a part in bringing about God’s plans in the world. World mission is no longer an optional extra for the geography geeks. The command is not restricted to the immediate disciples. All future additions to the fold are to participate: ‘teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you’. Each successive generation is responsible for continuing the task. Commitment to world mission is woven into the matrix of our discipleship. Any who names Jesus as the Lord of heaven and earth must be concerned to see that lordship recognized in heaven and earth.

Acts 2 - The Holy Spirit of God arrives on earth and the rubber hits the road for mission! The indwelling of Jesus by his Spirit equips and emboldens his people. It is worth noting that the early church never needed another command to reach the Earth with the gospel. The great commission had been written on their hearts so that it issued forth as a natural consequence of being filled with the Spirit. Acts 1:8 is the contents page, the rest of the book the commentary.

Revelation 7 - John is allowed a peep into the future realization of God’s plans. There he sees gathered the end result of world mission; ‘a great multitude ... from every nation, tribe, people and language...’ That is the conclusion towards which God’s plans are unswervingly headed; we must mould ours around it.

Further reading:
Peter T O’Brien, God’s Plan and Ours: The Task of Telling the Nations (The Good Book Company)
Andreas Kostenberger and Peter T O’Brien, Salvation to the Ends of the Earth (Apollos)
David Burnett, The Healing of the Nations (Paternoster Press)
John Piper, Let The Nations Be Glad (IVP)