By Bishop Hwa Yung

The title of this sermon comes from 1 John 4:4. The Apostle John writes concerning the battle against sin, heresies and false prophets in the Christian life. Against this background, he assures Christians that God is far more powerful than Satan, and, therefore, is able to give us victory against all the forces of evil arrayed against us.

This message is relevant to us at both the level of our personal spiritual conflict and growth, as well as that of the church’s wider responsibility in the socio-political context of our time. It speaks to the world of corruption in public life, political chicanery, power abuse, economic exploitation, and social evils of all kinds. Christians sometimes treat the Bible’s message as relevant only to personal salvation and individual spiritual change. The result, unfortunately, is that we often talk about discipleship in church without any reference to Christian socio-political responsibilities in the world.

The church is called to be a blessing to the world through her prayers, faithful witness, and holiness in believers’ lives. For Methodist in particular, we need to remember that John Wesley and his co-workers explicitly stated that they were called, ‘To reform the nation, especially the church, and to spread scriptural holiness over the land.’ Consequently, their ministry led to one of the greatest revival in modern history, bringing multitudes to Christ until almost 5% of England’s adult population became Methodist. Social change and national reforms followed!

Many Malaysians today are aware that we are a nation in crisis. Ethnic and religious tensions are at an all-time high. Never has there been so much politicking between the government and the opposition in our history. The culture of corruption has never run so deep, and distrust of the courts never so great. Despite the monotonous annual reports of students getting more and more lorry-loads of A’s in national examinations, everyone knows that our education standards continue to fall. And the list goes on!

More and more are leaving the country as they see its continuing slide downhill. In the past, it was largely the non-Malays who emigrated. Now even Malays are leaving! Many of our students continue to go overseas for studies. In one report, between March 2008 to August 2009, 50,000 students went. But the writer asked, How many will return? Behind that lies another question: What future does Malaysia have?

Like others, many Christians have left also; and more will go. Others may stay, but will tell their children to go. Some are trying to make a difference in our nation, but they are a tiny minority.

The majority just feel a sense of utter helplessness. Many have also taken the attitude of ‘If you can’t beat them, join them!’ With the problem of corruption running so deep in the corridors of political and economic power, sadly many Christians are caught up in the same cynical abuses, both in the public and the private sectors. Like Esau (Gen 25: 29-34), some of us are selling our birthrights for short-term monetary gain! That is the level of the Christian faith for many today.

What then are we to make of Wesley’s central theme was, ‘To reform the nation, especially the church, and to spread scriptural holiness over the land’? Does God call Christians in this country, and Methodists in particular, to play a similar role today? If so, are we up to the task? Will the Malaysian church fulfil God’s purpose for her in our day and age? Or, do we simply give up and say, Apa boleh buat?

Is change possible? Can anything be done to reverse the downward trends in our nation? On this, again, Wesley has something to say. Immorality was rife in 18th century England from the king down to the poorest masses, with a level of corruption far worse than most developing nations today. Gambling was the favourite pastime of the rich, as much as drunkenness through gin was destroying the poor. Economic disparity was so great that even within the church, a bishop’s salary could be 200 times that of a pastor. Against this background, Wesley’s stated goal, ‘To reform the nation, especially the church, and to spread scriptural holiness over the land’ seems naïve at best, and arrogant and stupid at worst!

Yet something happened in England, and by mid-19th century things had completely turned around! Victorian England was not only known for integrity and virtues, but also became the most powerful nation on earth! In describing this change, Professor Harold Perkins (The Origins of Modern English Society, 1969) said that, ‘between 1780 and 1850 the English ceased to be one of the most aggressive, brutal, rowdy, outspoken, riotous, cruel and bloodthirsty nations in the world and became one of the most inhibited, polite, orderly, tender-minded, prudish and hypocritical.’ Leaving aside Perkins’ sarcasm and touch of cynicism, the point is that something fundamental had changed!

Historians have noted two keys Christian influences that acted together with others to bring this about. The first was the 18th century evangelical revival under Wesley. This revival, which began around 1740, impacted largely the poor. Holiness lay at the heart of Wesley’s pastoral concern and class meetings, and through these the revival ‘spread scriptural holiness over the land.’ Two writers, Ronald Wraith and Edgar Simpkins (Corruption in Developing Countries, London, Allen & Unwin, 1963, p. 179f) described the results as follows: ‘The Methodist movement and its aftermath coincided with the industrial revolution, and was more largely responsible than any other infl uence for the integrity … of a large section of the working class.’ And it was this that gave to the emerging labour movement in the 19th century Britain ‘its stability, its thrift and its incorruptibility.’

The other great Christian influence came from William Wilberforce and his group, called the Clapham Sect. (See, e.g., Stephen Tomkins, The Clapham Sect: How Wilberforce’s Circle Changed Britain, Lion, 2010.) They came from Anglicans who had been touched by the Wesleyan revival and strongly influenced the upper classes. Wilberforce, in 1787, wrote in his journal: ‘God Almighty has set before me two great objects, the suppression of the slave trade and the reformation of manners.’ Over the next generation, both objectives were brilliantly accomplished. Not only was slavery abolished throughout the British empire after an epic parliamentary battle of almost 45 years, but upper class morality was profoundly reformed. In summing up the impact of Wesley and Wilberforce, together with the Utilitarians and others, Wraith and Simpkins (p. 182) concluded: ‘Had not these religious currents flowed so strongly under the surface of national life during the nineteenth century, it is questionable whether corruption would have been virtually destroyed by the century’s end.’

In more recent times, the South African church has another lesson to teach us. In 1994, the old era was finally coming to an end. The country was preparing for democratic elections for the first time, after decades of apartheid rule. Yet everything was not well, with racial tensions, having built up for centuries, finally ready to explode into a massive civil war! The three main political groups, the National Party, Inkatha Freedom Party and the ANC, representing the Afrikaans, the Zulus, and the majority of the blacks in the country respectively, could not agree to a formula for the transitional government. To find a way forward for reconciliation in the nation, two of the world’s most highly respected negotiators were brought in, namely Henry Kissinger and Lord Carrington. But by 14 April, the negotiations had collapsed and the international advisors flown off. South Africa was on the verge of imploding, with thousands or even millions of lives at stake!

But some Christian leaders refused to give up and, instead, called on the whole country to pray. Then three days later there was a vital breakthrough. Leaders from all three parties suddenly could agree on a carefully worked out formula, thus ensuring that a new unity government could be formed and a bloody civil war averted. All these happened in the VIP room of a stadium in Durban, where 25,000 Christians were praying at the same time for national reconciliation at a Jesus Peace Rally! When news of the breakthrough was finally flashed throughout the world, the word that summed up headlines everywhere was MIRACLE! The church, through persistent believing prayer, had become God’s instrument of a miraculous healing for a deeply divided nation. (See Michael Cassidy, A Witness For Ever, Hodder & Stoughton, 1995.)

Our nation is in turmoil. Corruption, misguided practices of affirmative action, self-seeking leadership and politicking have eaten away at the nation’s socio-economic growth. The rampant growth of interreligious and interethnic conflicts left unchecked will eventually destroy the delicate socio-political fabric of our country and any remaining confidence in it. The church is called to be an instrument of healing and reconciliation in the world (2 Cor 5:18f). But are we willing to embrace our God-given task? Do we have what it takes?

There is a well-known story in the Old Testament (2 Kings 6:8-17) where one day the prophet Elisha and his servant woke up in the city of Dothan and found themselves surrounded by enemy soldiers, sent by the Syrian king to nab the prophet. The servant’s reaction was, ‘Alas, my master! What shall we do?’ Elisha’s response is instructive: ‘Do not be afraid, for those who with us are more than those who are with them.’ Through eyes moulded by faith, he could see the angelic host all around. And when God finally opened his eyes, the servant could see ‘the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha’!

As we look at our nation, Malaysia, what do we see? Do we see the powerful forces of evil all around us and Satan doing his level best to destroy this nation and the church? Or, do we see the angelic host all around us? Do we recognise that ‘He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world’ (1 John 4:4)?

If the Malaysian church is to become God’s instrument of redemption and healing for our nation, then several things must happen. First, our own lives must be put right before God. For ‘without holiness no one will see God’ (Heb 12:14)! Second, the Malaysian church must go on our knees and to pray with such earnestness and authority that the prevailing spiritual darkness over our nation will be decisively lifted and powerfully cast aside. This will usher in a revival that will sweep multitudes into the kingdom of God, and plant strong, vibrant and praying local churches up and down the country.

Third, as in the 18th century evangelical revival, we must teach Christians to live holy lives, both personal and social. For unless Christian lives are virtuous and clean, what right or moral authority do we have to attack the prevailing corruption and evils around us? Fourthly, we must ask God to raise up men and women of integrity to work for reforms at every level of society. This will open the way for lasting social and culture change. Finally, do not expect quick-fixes! They don’t last. Are we prepared for the long haul?

(A modified version of the sermon preached at the 125th Anniversary Service of the Methodist Church in Malaysia, 12 August 2010, at the Chinese Methodist Church, Kuala Lumpur.)