Who are God's People?

A friend of mine mused, "I know how lucky I am to be born into a Catholic family where we have believed in God all our lives. But just as I was born into believing in God, there are also some people who were born to be Buddhists, Muslims etc. Can these people really be blamed for not believing in God since they were brought up to love their own religion? Does God not pursue these people of other religions? I know that there are some people who convert over time but what about those who have deeply grounded faith in their religions? Will God also pursue them?"

After a bit of pondering, I offered her my 2 cents worth:

The short answer is that God pursues everyone, and longs for everyone to acknowledge him as the Father and to acknowledge themselves as Children of God. (I'm not touching on Baptism in this email, suffice to say that inviting God to be a person's Lord and Savior is good enough for me to consider a person to have received redemption and salvation.)

However, God give us the freedom of choice, and there are consequences to the choices we make. Of course, those who are brought up in a Christian environment will have a more direct exposure to the saving knowledge of Jesus Christ, but we shouldn't discount those who are brought up in non-Christian backgrounds.

You rightly pointed out that we are fortunate to be born into Christian families, therefore, we should all the more be more zealous in bearing witness to our faith to others. The bible have warned of persecution when we embrace Christianity.

Think about the underground churches in China in the more severely communist days. We can say that they are unfortunate to be born into a country that does not allow for the freedom of worship, the same way we think of others as unfortunate to be born in a family with strong religious traditions.

But it doesn't mean we have to stop there. Look closer to our region; the Malay Catholics are facing sever persecution in Malaysia - an Islamic State. Do a search on LINA JOY. She is a Malay who became a Catholic, but being born a Malay in Malaysia, she is not allow her to choose her religion.

Lina Joy's persecution became public 5 years ago and its still going on. Just yesterday, I read that Malaysia insisted that a deceased Malay man cannot have a Christian funeral and rejected claims from his Catholic wife that he was indeed Catholic. Malaysian authorities took 9 days after the man died to settle these issues. The wife is now bravely sueing the Islamic Council.

Or take it even closer to home, my grandparents chased one of my uncles out of the house when he told them that he was Christian. He actually had to pack up his bags and leave home. But that paved the way for God to start working in the family. Although in the face of such opposition, my mother started attending church with my Uncle. And fast forward many many years, both my grandparents became Christians themselves.

Both you and I have been brought up in Christian families because somewhere along the family line, some brave relative dared to become Christian. I don't think that we should ever take for granted that finding ourselves in a Christian environment is only 'natural'.

These are just some examples of how God continues to pursue his people. In fact I believe that it is in the times and place of persecution that Faith thrives. Ironically, it is the countries that allow for the freedom of worship that abondon God the most.

I don't think that it is any 'easier' for a free-thinker to become a Christian than it is for someone who comes from a stauch religious background. In our day and age where personal freedom, human rights and all that glitters is the headline of the news, the new strategy employed makes people believe that we are god i.e. we have full control of our lives, we are self-sufficient, we can draw upon an inner strength, it is an amoral world where everything is grey, we do not need to depend on a higher being because there is none.

I believe that God has place the burdened in your heart feel for these people. The next question is, what are we going to do about it? Start by praying for missionaries and persecuted Christians, or even unsaved friends. I have prayed for friends to become Christian, and indeed they have. Perhaps support a mission team, or support a missionary you know of in prayer and resources.

I'll always remember an aphorism I came across in my church. 'You might be the only Bible that the world might ever read'. God uses people like us to pursue his people.

That is why Here I am Lord always moves me.

I will break their hearts of stone,
Give them hearts for love alone.
I will speak my words to them.
Whom shall I send?

Here I am Lord. Is it I, Lord?
I have heard you calling in the night.
I will go Lord, if you lead me.
I will hold your people in my heart.