by Malcolm Falloon | 26 Apr , 2024 | Articles, Christianity in New Zealand
Among the many things to commemorate this ANZAC day, we remember the cost of war and the sacrifice of those who served. We remember those who went to war and those who didn’t return, their willingness to serve, and the importance of standing up to evil and tyranny in our world. We remember the legacy of peace and freedom left to us by those who fought, and in remembering, we give thanks.
Our remembering should not preclude our acknowledging the horror of war and its destructive consequences. Nor do we forget that the causes of war lie not with any one nation, ethnicity or ideology, but are lodged deep in the intractable nature of the human condition, which the Bible calls sin. Yet we remember and honour those who despite these horrors saw it as their duty to take up arms and defend our country, trusting in the righteousness of their cause. We remember, and we give thanks.
But to whom are we to give thanks? The Christian answer, of course, is that we give thanks to God. Yet, here our modern secular culture faces an increasing difficulty. As God is removed to the periphery of our national life, our thanksgiving is left hanging in the air without a proper referent. To whom does a secular society give thanks? Are we to offer thanks to those who are now dead? Are we to congratulate ourselves that we have avoided the mistakes of the past (plot spoiler: we haven’t!)? Are we to turn a healthy expression of patriotism into an insular nationalistic jingoism? Yet every society needs to remember its past, and our human instinct is to give thanks.
It might be that our inability to give thanks is the God-shaped hole at the heart of our modern secular culture. For it is thanksgiving that directs our eyes to God’s providential care of our nation. It is thanksgiving that allows us to recognise our human need for God’s mercy and forgiveness.
Thanksgiving to God holds together, on the one hand, the honouring of those who served, with an acknowledgment, on the other, of the human frailties and sinfulness of the past. We thank God that it was through his gracious providence that we now live in peace and freedom, while acknowledging the great debt we owe to those who served and died for our country. Our peace and freedom has been won at a great cost, just as we thank God that through Christ’s costly sacrifice we can, by his grace, finally overcome the sinful consequences of our human condition.
May we continue to remember the sacrifice of those who served, but let us not forget to give thanks to God.
by Dr Stuart Lange | 12 Apr , 2024 | About Christianity, Articles, Christianity in New Zealand, The Church
In our contemporary culture, which often sees truth as flexible and individual choice as paramount, it can be unfashionable among some Christians to place a high value on biblical orthodoxy, or what the New Testament calls ‘sound doctrine’ (2 Tim. 4:3). Freedom to select and adapt is preferred.
All human beings – including Christians – think subjectively. Unsurprisingly, all Christians understand, weigh, and express the great truths of our faith a bit differently. Also, more than we may realise, we are all very influenced by our cultural settings.
Across the world, across denominations, and across the centuries, there has inevitably developed a wide variety of Christian beliefs, understandings, customs and practices.
Nevertheless, there is a continuous common core of Christian orthodoxy, anchored in the New Testament, and expressed in countless creeds and statements of faith.
Churches have often expressed or emphasised doctrines differently, or sometimes added some, but the common core of orthodox Christian faith continues to be things like:
- there is one true, living and triune God, Creator of all
- human beings are created in the image of God, created to know God, fallen and sinful, and alienated from God (Ephes. 2:1-3, Rom. 3)
- in his great love God sent his Son, who lived among us, died for our sin, rose from the dead, is alive forever, and who will come again to judge the living and the dead and to make all things new
- we are reconciled to God through faith in Jesus
- we should love God and others, and live under the Lordship of Christ
- the Bible, penned by human authors, is uniquely inspired by God’s Holy Spirit, is trustworthy and true, and is God’s written word to us
Do such solid doctrinal foundations for our faith still matter? See e.g. Col. 1:23, 1 Cor.15:1-4, Ephes. 4:14, Titus 1:9, 2 Tim. 3:16. Surely we are on very shaky grounds when we de-select some aspects of apostolic faith, or set aside the Bible where it does not suit us, or reinterpret it to say the opposite to what it clearly means.
In these matters it is good to be faithful, clear-minded, humble, and gracious. Strong doctrinal foundations really do matter, along with being spiritually born anew and alive in Christ, being indwelt and empowered by the Holy Spirit, loving God with all our heart, and truly loving and serving others.
by Dr Stuart Lange | 29 Mar , 2024 | About Christianity, Articles
The current TV series Escaping Utopia is somewhat sensationalist and has its own biases, but it has usefully highlighted some serious issues in the Gloriavale Christian Community.
Many secular New Zealanders may wonder if Gloriavale is what all Christians are like.
Historically, there have countless examples around the world of separatist Christian communities, where a group of believers are moved by a vision of holy communal life and opt out of normal society. Monasticism was such a movement: it has had its problems, but along the way has also done much good.
Withdrawal from society always carries risks. Separatist groups can develop tunnel-vision, and can sometimes become cultish, coercive, and corrupted.
The biblical beliefs and sincere Christian faith and life of many people within Gloriavale are beyond doubt. Despite that, sadly, it does appear that the Community has in some respects gone wrong.
If Escaping Utopia has depicted matters at all fairly, some red flags about Gloriavale would include leadership that is highly controlling, cases of sexual abuse, limited freedom, reports of intimidation, subjugation of women, the way in which loyalty to the community can be prioritised over the marriage bond, and insistence that those who leave will be damned to hell (this implies that there is no salvation outside of Gloriavale). It needs to be understood that none of these things are normative Christianity, or biblically warranted.
‘…where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom’ (2 Cor. 3:17)
‘For God did not give us a spirit of fear, but of power, love and self-control’ (2 Tim. 1:7)
by Malcolm Falloon | 28 Mar , 2024 | About Christianity, Articles, Christianity in New Zealand, The Church
- Because the resurrection still gives the best account of the human condition.
- Because the evidence for the resurrection is still compelling.
- Because the resurrection still has power to transform lives.
On the first of those points, the resurrection challenges our notions of the world and our place in it. It enables Christians to be both realistic and hopeful about the world in which we live: realistic about the human condition without the grace of God, yet hopeful about the future by the power of God.
There are two conflicting narratives propagated in the world today. Firstly, a story of progress and the power of science and technology to lead us from the darkness of the past into a future full of light. Things, we are told, are getting better and better, and any hurdles we face can be overcome by the power of human ingenuity. Yet it is a narrative that struggles to account for the darkness of the human condition and is powerless to address the problem of the human heart, a problem the Bible calls sin.
There is also a second narrative – one in tension with the first – that speaks of crisis and impending doom. Humanity, we are told, faces an existential crisis, whether due to the impact of environmental, economic, geopolitical, or biological causes – take your pick. It is a narrative that causes us to despair for the world our grandchildren will inherit and gives a sense of hopelessness. Yet it is a narrative that does not factor in the power of God, who remains faithful to his promises and continues to sustain his creation, even while holding us accountable for our stewardship of what has been entrusted to our care.
The resurrection of Jesus, however, is both realistic about the human condition, and hopefully about the human future. Through the resurrection of Christ, God has conquered the power of sin and death and as a consequence, Christians are aware of the need for God’s grace to transform our lives if we are to make true progress. At the same time, Christians will remain optimistic about the future, not because we are in denial with regard to the state of the world, but because of God’s power to bring about his purposes through the one he has raised from death and upon whom he has bestowed a name that is above every name (Philippians 2:9).
by Dr Stuart Lange | 15 Mar , 2024 | About Christianity, Articles, The Church
Some marks of a spiritually healthy church
No church (including those in the New Testament) has ever been 100% spiritually healthy. But it’s good to want our churches to be as spiritually healthy as possible.
Here’s seven indicators to think about.
A healthy church…
1. worships God in spirit and in truth, and keeps Jesus at the centre
We are called to truly honour and worship God, in a spirit of humility, faith and adoration (John 4:23-24, Psalm 96:9). In worship, it is ultimately not things like worship style, instruments, vocalists, liturgy or tradition that really matter, but our heart before God. We need to keep the central focus on Jesus: Son of God, Light of the world, crucified Saviour, Risen Lord, and coming King. No matter how excellent our church, pastor, programmes, music, building, or whatever – all these must be secondary to the Lord himself.
2. preaches the genuine biblical Gospel
A healthy church preaches human sinfulness before God, God’s wonderful grace, that Christ died for our sins, that we must turn to him in faith, and that we must be born of the Spirit and follow Jesus as Lord.
A healthy church does not preach a pseudo gospel: that everyone is good, or that because God is loving everyone will ultimately be saved, or that there are many roads to God, or that salvation comes from being a caring person, or that salvation comes from religious observance, or that salvation does not need repentance.
3. teaches soundly and carefully from the Word of God
A healthy church treasures the Bible as the inspired and authoritative Word of God (2 Tim. 3:16), and interprets it humbly and carefully, and with good understanding and application (2 Tim. 2:15). Its teaching makes sense, and neither distorts nor waters down the Word of God (2 Tim. 4:1-4). Its teaching feeds the soul, challenges and strengthens, helps people know God and become more Christ-like. It helps people read and study the scriptures for themselves.
A healthy church doesn’t mix Bible truth with earthly thinking, or lead astray (Acts 20:30). It doesn’t see the Bible as just a spiritual source book, or as a launching pad for our own ideas, or as something able to be interpreted however we wish.
4. has good fellowship and unity
A healthy church is welcoming and hospitable, and it cares for people. It treats everyone well, and practises forgiveness and mercy (e.g. Acts 4:34-35, Rom. 12:4-21). It guards its spiritual unity (Eph. 4:3). A disharmonious, fighting church (1 Cor. 1:10) is a disgrace, and does much damage.
5. is a constantly praying church, and looks for God to move in power by his Holy Spirit
The church is called to “pray constantly” (1 Thess. 5 17) and to “pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests” (Eph. 6:18). Where the church really means what it prays, prayer is powerful, and God changes hearts and grows his church. Acts 4:31: “After they prayed, the place where they were meeting was shaken. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and spoke the word of God boldly”. Where a church only prays in a minimalist or perfunctory way, it may only limp along.
6. reaches out to the world, in word and action
A healthy church takes seriously the call to reach the world with God’s grace and salvation in Jesus (Matt.28:19-20). It actively connects with the world: with love, with serving, and with the Gospel. It encourages its people to share Jesus with others, in the power of the Holy Spirit. It sees conversions, baptisms, and changed lives. A church where the people are unable or unmotivated to share the Gospel stagnates.
7. grows in numbers
“…the churches were strengthened in the faith and grew daily in numbers” (Acts 16:5). Church growth is not an end in itself, there are many internal or external factors that may impede numerical growth, and it is not easy to reverse an established decline. But growth is something we may pray and work for: A growing church often includes many new believers, children, and young people.
SO…
- How spiritually healthy is your own church fellowship?
- Whose responsibility is it to make the church spiritually healthy? The church’s leadership, or its people?
Wise and Godly church leadership can make a lot of difference. But surely the church’s spiritual health reflects the spiritual health of both leaders and people.
All church leaders are accountable to God for what they do or do not do. But so is every Christian. No church can rise above the level of faith, prayerfulness, Christ-likeness, and commitment of its average member. For our church to become more spiritually healthy, perhaps it starts with us!
by Dr Stuart Lange | 14 Mar , 2024 | Articles, Christianity and Social & Moral Issues
Within hours of the tragedy, the
New Zealand Christian Network put out the following statement….
‘The New Zealand Christian Network has expressed horror and great sadness about the violent attacks today on Muslim people and mosques in Christchurch. A spokesperson for the network, Dr Stuart Lange, said the attacks are “utterly appalling” and will be deplored by all New Zealand people of all faiths or none. The network urges people to pray for all the families and communities which will be deeply affected and to offer them support in every way possible’.
On [the following] Tuesday, the National Church Leaders meeting (which includes the heads of many Christian church denominations) unanimously declared…
‘The National Church Leaders gathered in Wellington today (Tuesday 19th March 2019) to express their profound horror at the terrible violence towards Muslim people in Christchurch mosques last Friday. We are deeply saddened by these tragic events and we strongly condemn these acts of racial hatred and murder. We feel very deeply for our fellow New Zealand faith community, which was so cruelly attacked as worshippers peacefully gathered for prayer.
We extend our prayerful and heartfelt sympathy to the Muslim community here in New Zealand, and around the world. The whole Christian church community in New Zealand is praying for the Muslim community: praying for the healing of the wounded, comfort for the bereaved, and for God’s peace upon all who have been traumatised.
At this time of deep shock, grief, and anxiety, we ask and pray for all New Zealanders to stand united, to have great love and compassion, and to show unfailing respect and kindness for all people who live in this society of Aotearoa New Zealand, regardless of ethnicity or religious affiliation. We believe there is absolutely no room for racial hatred in our land, and we are determined that we must stand together as one people, united as human beings created by God, and as fellow New Zealanders. May goodness overcome evil, and peace and goodwill prevail.’
Who signed this? See here.
by Malcolm Falloon | 5 Mar , 2024 | About Christianity, Articles
“May I glory with your inheritance” (Psalm 106:5).
These words of Scripture invite us to find our true and lasting joy in the enduring spiritual heritage of God’s people. In a similar way, the Apostle Paul speaks of the riches of Christ’s glorious inheritance in the saints (Ephesians 1:18). The Apostle’s words encourage us not to base our joy on outward appearances of success – the horizontal dimension, if you will – but on the vertical dimension of Christ’s delight in his people, now and forever.
Sure, it is good to consider the horizontal dimension of church life. We should rightly be concerned about the current state of the church in New Zealand. According to Dr Geoff Troughton in his presentation to NZCN’s New Zealand Christian Leaders’ Congress last year, the number of those identifying as Christians in New Zealand has for the past 50 years declined by 1% per year. But just as concerning, of those identifying as Christian, it is likely that less than half have attended a church gathering in the previous month. The sobering reality is that, as churches, we are not doing very well even among those who identify as Christians!
What is to be done? Yes, we need to search our hearts about whether the church is faithful enough, prayerful enough, committed enough, and pro-active enough. Quite likely we also need to change how we go about some things.
But one thing is also for sure, we need to look to Jesus, the Lord of the Church, and to continue to find joy where the Lord finds joy. In Luke 10, the returning seventy-two disciples were rejoicing in the success of their ministry, but Jesus reminded them that their true joy was to be found not in their effective ministry, but in the joy of their salvation (Luke 10:17–20).
Distinguishing the horizontal from the vertical helps prevent us from conflating worldly success with God’s blessing, or the opposite, and helps us not be too frustrated and depressed when things do not go as we would have hoped. Whatever the future of the Church in New Zealand, God has that in hand, and true joy in ministry comes when we align our joy with that of God’s delight in his own inheritance: those who belong to him in Christ.
by Dr Stuart Lange | 5 Mar , 2024 | About Christianity, Articles, Christianity in New Zealand, The Church
In any country, successive new governments are usually at pains to say how terrible the previous government was, and how they are now cleaning up the mess and bringing in a new golden age. Arguably, though, every government (regardless of where it may sit on the political spectrum) has some areas in which it will be reasonably wise, competent, and efficient, and some other areas in which it may be less surefooted and appropriate.
Christians, just like other people, have a range of political preferences. But can we, as Christians, also look at the policies of any Government not primarily from the perspective of our political leanings, but through the wider lens of general biblical ethics?
Of any government, can we ask question like these? How well does it…
• honour God? (e.g. Hos. 12:6, Ps. 2:10-11)
• discern the difference between good and evil? (e.g. Is. 5:20)
• govern with justice, righteousness, mercy and kindness? (e.g. Ps. 33:5, 89:14, Jer. 29:7, Zech. 7:9)
• help the nation to prosper?
• lead with impartiality, uncorrupted by undue influence of the rich and powerful? (e.g. Prov. 29:14)
• work for the wellbeing of all its citizens?
• respect citizens of all ethnicities and cultures?
• care for the poor, the sick, the weak, and the vulnerable? (e.g. Prov. 14:31, Is.1:17)
• provide for the homeless?
• help strengthen marriage and families?
• uphold the sanctity of human life? (Gen.9:6, Ps. 139:13-16)
• restrain lawlessness? (1 Pet.2:13, Rom.13:3.4)
• help protect God’s wonderful creation?
• defend the nation?
• enact good and helpful laws?
All governments should be respected for the responsibility that has been given to them (Rom. 13:1-2). All governments can get some things wrong. All of them need our support in prayer (1 Tim. 2:2).
by Dr Stuart Lange | 18 Feb , 2024 | About Christianity, Articles, Christianity in New Zealand, The Church
Although God is ceaselessly at work, and there remain countless wonderful Christian people and churches in this county, in our current context the New Zealand church is undoubtedly not as robust or effective as it could be.
Within many churches there appears to be some weakening of confidence in the uniqueness of Christ, the power of the Gospel, and the truth and authority of the scriptures, and some waning of spiritual zeal. Among many Christians there is also some uncertainty about biblical moral values.
Across much of the church, there is a crisis with regard to evangelism. Many Christians feel unmotivated to share the faith with unbelievers. Others feel intimidated by the world views of many people in our post-Christian society, and unsure how to connect with them about God and the gospel in a way that will be heard.
There also appears to be a shallowness in Christian discipleship. Influenced by society’s moods of consumerism, individual choice, pleasure seeking, and scepticism, many churchgoers have fallen away.
Some churches do reasonably well in proclaiming the Gospel, and some churches do quite well in loving service to those in need. Some do both, and some do neither. Not all do well at both.
Across secular society, a growing number of people have rejected God, and have become wary of the church. Reported sexual abuse in church-related contexts has helped lower respect for churches. Also, some social legislation in recent years has cast some shadow over Christians’ freedoms of belief and expression.
In the face of such challenges, what should Christians and churches do? Succumb to pessimism? Lie low? Blame someone else? Give up?
No, challenges to Christian faith are neither new nor surprising. The purposes of God can never ultimately be thwarted. Difficult challenges are always a call to Christian believers to be more faithful, more genuine, more grace-filled, more loving, more prayerful, more discerning, more whole-hearted, more strategic, and more truly active in God’s work. (See 1 Cor. 15:58 and 16:13).
Living Lord, by your Holy Spirit powerfully renew and strengthen your Church in 2024 – beginning with every one of us.
Ma Ihowa koe e manaaki, mana koe e tiaki
May the LORD bless and keep you
by Dr Stuart Lange | 9 Feb , 2024 | Christianity in New Zealand
Thanks for all the feedback to last week’s blog/article, in which we sought to give a balanced Christian perspective on Te Tiriti matters. If you didn’t see it, here’s the (slightly revised) website version.
On Waitangi Day earlier this week, against the backdrop of much concern and pain, and heard by large crowds and the whole range of politicians, there were some outstanding Christian voices. We particularly commend the talk at the Dawn Service by Dr Alistair Reese, who spoke inspiringly of the Christian undergirdings of Te Tiriti, You can watch it here [Please note you’ll need to sign in to Shine], or read his script. He also spoke similarly at the interdenominational service later that morning. Watch here, or read his script. You may also wish to watch the whole Dawn Service or the whole Interdenominational Service. In the former, it was great to watch the testimony of Angela Pehi.
In the footage, both on the platforms and in the crowd, many good friends of NZCN, both Māori and Pākehā can be seen. These include Bishop Pikaahu (who gives excellent Christian leadership), and Andrew Urquhart (fronting the SHINE coverage).
Let’s continue to pray for our nation, that this unique taonga that is the Treaty of Waitangi may be upheld in a way that honours God, and that a renewed Christian faith, love and generosity of spirit may grow in this land, among all its peoples.
