Walking in the Light and the Need for Vigilance

We are delighted to once again have mainland scholars Mary Li Ma and LI Jin guest editing the summer issue of ChinaSource Quarterly on leadership ethics. This is their fifth issue of CSQ!^[1]

A foundational scripture passage for this issue comes from the apostle John:

If we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son, purifies us from all sin.

If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us.

If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.

If we claim we have not sinned, we make him out to be a liar and his word is not in us.

1 John 1:7-10 NIV

In a timely and relevant way, our editors and writers have chosen to bring the subject of leadership ethics within the church in China into the light. This is a sensitive topic. In the majority of cases we are thankful for spiritual leaders—for pastors and shepherds who have sacrificially invested in our well-being and the nurture of our souls. Also, we know the Holy Spirit has facilitated the rapid growth of the church in China through the lives of countless faithful leaders.

However, as we will read, if we romanticize our leaders, we will miss the opportunity for godly redemption, healing, growth, and kingdom fruit that remains.

We are reminded in this issue that all—even our leaders—“have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” (Romans 3:23)

As a local church pastor for twenty years, the Lord regularly reminded me that “his power is made perfect in weakness” (2 Corinthians 12:9). All authority and power is his. My calling was to daily receive and offer his grace and mercy, the distinguishing features of our walk in Christ.

It was often a bumpy ride because I wanted to be great for God instead of strong in him. I wanted to do great things to see his church grow and his kingdom advanced. He was calling me to be his humble worshipper and follower.

Leaders must be vigilant in waiting on the Lord and walking his path with their brothers and sisters. Otherwise they will easily become isolated outside of Christ’s community to their peril. I resonate with the themes of this issue. They are so relevant to my own experience and, I believe, to the life experience of leaders throughout the global body of Christ who have ears to hear and eyes to see.

In his review of the book The Apostates, by Wei Shi, Jeshurun Lin makes this stunning yet freeing observation:

With the life of each person in the novel exposed during that period of China’s history (a time of intense political campaign), one discovers that Wei Shi is expounding an important tenet of spiritual life stated by Calvin in his The Institutes of the Christian Religion: “Know God; know yourself.” During that era, it seems that only those who had come to recognize their own weakness and depravity under the light of God were able to truly stand firm. The recognition of one’s own lack of devoutness and holiness allowed one to trust in God in the time of testing and live out his mercy.

The light of the scriptures reveals this to be true in every era.