As we come to the end of another year, Chinese Christians are facing even greater restrictions and Chinese society is spiraling downward into hopelessness, so stories of hope can appear to ring hollow. The hoped-for outcomes seem as far off as ever. Proverbs 13:12 says, “Hope deferred makes the heart sick…” Should we tell different stories? Do we, perhaps, have a misplaced hope?
Whatever stories previously published by ChinaSource about hope in China may promise, our hopes are more than looking forward to an ideal future. It is not tied to what we believe ought to happen; it is rooted in the conviction that God is at work, often in ways we cannot understand. As we embrace the mystery of the incarnation, so we embrace the mystery of how Christ is revealed in our lives and in the lives of those we love.
Hope that does not disappoint
Hope... emanates from character, which is formed through endurance, which is produced by suffering.
Romans 5:3-4 speaks of the hope that emanates from character, which is formed through endurance, which is produced by suffering. The preceding verse defines this hope as hope in the glory of God.
If our hope is for God to work in a certain way to bring about a set of defined outcomes in China, or elsewhere, we will likely be disappointed. Yet the hope spoken of here does not disappoint. It does not put us to shame. Our anticipation springs not from being confident about how things will turn out, but from the expectation that we will experience God’s transforming love here and now, poured into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, as God is glorified in ways we could never anticipate.
This passage also reminds us that the pathway to hope passes through suffering, a lesson lived out in the lives of countless Chinese Christians who have learned to walk the pathway of the cross. We all can learn from that. We rejoice, not because there is anything inherently life-giving about the suffering we endure. Suffering is not pleasant. We do not suffer for suffering’s sake.
Rather, we rejoice in the anticipation of hope. We rejoice, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance, character. We rejoice in the confidence that, as we are formed into the image of Christ, God will be glorified.
The story that emerges is not about a changed China, but about changed people, refined through suffering, transformed by love, living in the hope of the glory of God. For those who serve, it is not just a matter of pursuing what we believe God wants to do in and through China, but, more importantly, leaning into the formative work he is doing in us.
The anticipation of advent (the observation of which starts this weekend) points us forward to the joyous celebration of a hope that has been realized. For those seeking God’s glory in China, our anticipation is firmly rooted in that eternal hope.
Without the benefit of hindsight, however, the events of the Nativity by themselves paint an intriguing yet inconclusive picture. Only by looking back at God’s unfolding plan can we begin to understand the meaning of those disparate events.
God in his mercy may give us glimpses of how what we perceived as hope deferred has actually served to advance his purposes. But only as future generations look back in hindsight will the whole story begin to come into view. For now, we live in anticipation of Christ’s ongoing work in our lives and in his Church, forming us into people of hope, who will not be disappointed.
Originally published by ChinaSource. Republished with permission.
Dr. Brent Fulton is the founder of ChinaSource and served as its first president until 2019. Prior to that, he served as the managing director of the Institute for Chinese Studies at Wheaton College, and before that as founding US director of China Ministries International and the English publications editor for the Chinese Church Research Center in Hong Kong. Dr. Fulton holds MA and PhD degrees in political science from the University of Southern California and a BA in radio-TV-film from Messiah College. Currently, Dr. Fulton facilitates a network of member care professionals serving missionaries sent out from China and also consults with other organizations on the impact of China's religious policy.
ChinaSource is a trusted partner and platform for educating the global church on critical issues facing the church and ministries in China, and for connecting Christians inside and outside China to advance the kingdom of God globally. ChinaSource's vision is to see the church in China and the global church learning and growing together, engaging in ministry that powerfully advances the kingdom of God.
