Many New Zealanders are “unbelieving, apathetic, distracted, confused, and spiritually resistant,” says Dr Stuart Lange, national director of the New Zealand Christian Network (NZCN) and senior research fellow at Laidlaw College. But “the world has always been like that, in every time and place,” he adds as he encourages Christians to talk about their faith with others.
In a recent article titled “Sharing the Good News of Jesus in today’s New Zealand”, Lange encourages his fellow believers not to hesitate to share the gospel with a society in spiritual need.
The light of the gospel continues to shine in the darkness, he says, and reminds Christian New Zealanders that “God remains at work, by his Spirit calling people to himself, and empowering believers to live and speak for him.”
Roughly half the population no longer adheres to any religion, while Christianity stood at around 37% in 2018, down from three-quarters of the population in the 1990s.
Christians are spiritually “immensely privileged” as the ones who have gotten to know the gospel, Lange says.
“We have been reconciled to the awesome Creator of the whole universe, through his Son we have received grace, forgiveness, love, truth, and restoration, the Spirit of God is renewing our hearts and minds, and we belong to God for ever. All this is very good news.”
Yet believers are not called “to keep that good news quiet.” Christians carry a special calling to witness to Jesus “in our lives, actions and words,” Lange says.
“We are called to be light (Matt. 5:14-16), reflecting the Light of the world (John 8:12). We are called to be Christ’s aroma (2 Cor.2:15-16), his living letters (2 Cor.3:3), his ambassadors (2 Cor. 20), his witnesses (Acts 1:8), his apologists (1 Pet. 2:15), his disciple-makers (Matt. 28:19-20), his workers in the harvest (Luke 10:2), and those who go ‘fishing for people’ (Mark 1:16),” he writes.
Lange calls on Christians in New Zealand to share the good news of Jesus in conversations: be prayerful, and led by the Holy Spirit; be friendly, kindly, caring, empathetic; be humble; don’t judge; be good at listening, asking questions, and discerning where individual people are at (they may know very little, or may already have some understanding); always show ‘gentleness and respect’ (1 Pet. 3:15b); be ready to address barriers to belief, giving sensible reasons for faith (1 Pet.3:15a), but don’t argue.
He advises believers to lead conversations from general questions about life and God to specifics about Jesus himself – how he shows us God, how he rose from the dead, and how he can reconcile us to God and give us new life and hope. He added that sharing personal testimonies of God’s goodness can also be helpful.
“We may gently challenge, but don’t push – leave it to the Spirit of God to bring conviction of sin and righteousness, and to grant faith and new life in Christ. Mā Ihowa koe e manaaki, mana koe e tiaki (May the LORD bless and keep you)!”
