When the Australian Bureau of Statistics released the results of the 2021 Census last year, many Christians were surprised to discover that, for the first time in the history of our nation, less than half of Australians who completed the census identified as Christian. It came as quite a shock to some, but Christians are now a religious minority in Australia.
It has been fascinating to listen to people’s responses to this data. Some reacted by wanting to return to the time when most Australians identified as Christian, where Christianity was the dominant worldview that shaped our power structures and politics, and it was assumed that most people we knew would be in church on Sunday morning. Others are seeing these results as heralding the death of organized religion and the start of a new version of the Christian faith in Australia.
Last year’s census results clearly show us that Christian churches in Australia are facing challenges and opportunities that we have never faced before. We are no longer at the centre of society but are on the fringe. We are not in control of public opinion anymore but are often disregarded and dismissed as being old-fashioned and irrelevant. How do we approach these changes that are going on around us? As followers of Jesus, how do we be faithful to him in this rapidly changing cultural context?
In some ways, we are living in a time which more closely represents the situation of the early days of Christianity than the last one thousand five hundred years. When the New Testament was written, Christians were a religious minority. They had no voice in public policy or politics. They had no privileges in their culture. They were misunderstood, viewed with suspicion, and even persecuted for their faith. They were at times literally an underground movement, meeting in catacombs, underground burial tunnels, because it was too dangerous for them to meet in public.
This is the context into which the Apostle Peter wrote his first letter. He was writing to followers of Jesus who were suffering ‘grief in all kinds of trials’ (1:6 NIV). It was much harder for them to follow Jesus in their time and place than it is for us. However, as we read the words Peter wrote to them at that time, we can learn a lot about how to faithfully follow Jesus in our time.
For example, in 1 Peter 3:13-22 Peter encourages his readers to be missional in their lives. He doesn’t want them to be defensive about their faith, or to try to take control so they can start calling the shots. Instead, Peter urges Christians to discern and grasp the opportunities God is giving us to share the good news of Jesus with the people around us, even if they might be hostile towards us.
Peter’s missional strategy has two main steps. The first is to lead a good life and do what is right, even if it means suffering for it. Peter writes:
Who is going to harm you if you are eager to do good? But even if you should suffer for what is right, you are blessed.
(1 Peter 3:13,14a NIV)
Throughout his letter, Peter encourages his readers to do what is right and good, even in the face of ridicule and hostility. In verse 17 he writes, ‘it is better, if it is God’s will, to suffer for doing good than for doing evil’ (NIV). One clear way we can understand ‘right’ and ‘good’ as Jesus’ disciples is simply to love one another in the same way he has loved us (John 13:34). The kind of love Jesus teaches has its focus on what is good and helpful for the other person. This is in complete contrast with the self-focussed approach to life that is taught and embraced by the culture in which we live which asks and looks for what is good for me. When we do good by loving others in Christ-like ways, even if it costs us or we suffer for it, our lives will stand out as radically different from the people around us and open the door to Step Two of Peter’s missional strategy.
This second step is to ‘always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have’ (v 15 NIV). When people see the good we are doing, some might ask why we live our lives in a different way. Peter urges us to be ready to explain to others why we live the way we do and point to the difference Jesus makes in our lives. Faith in Jesus gives us hope, something a lot of people around us are searching for. When they see God’s goodness in us and ask us about it, we need to be ready to share our hope with them and the reasons we find hope in Jesus. When people ask us about our faith and hope, we can assume that God is already at work in their lives, opening their hearts and minds to the gospel, and opening the door for us to tell them about why Jesus is important to us. Peter also encourages us to give our reasons ‘with gentleness and respect’ (v15 NIV) so we can give a faithful witness to God’s love for us in Jesus. It’s not about trying to win a theological argument, but showing kindness to others in the way we talk with them.
In being ready to suffer for doing good and give the reasons for the hope we have, we reflect Jesus to others in both our words and actions. Peter writes, ‘Christ also suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring you to God’ (v18 NIV). When we suffer for doing good, we participate in Christ’s sufferings, and he is with us in ours. We can find strength and courage to do what is good and right in the faith that Jesus also suffered for doing good for people in so many ways. Just as Jesus triumphed over suffering and death in his resurrection, we can trust that he will bring us through our suffering to a better tomorrow as he raises us up to new life through faith in him. When we are ready to suffer for doing good, we can point to our hope in Jesus who has overcome suffering, defeated death, and who promises us an abundant life now and for ever.
The decline in number of people identifying as Christians in Australia presents us with the opportunity for mission and reaching out to people with the gospel that we have never had before. First Peter gives us a simple strategy to start thinking missionally, about how we can bring the good news of Jesus to our families, friends, and neighbours. As we follow Jesus, doing good for others and being ready to suffer for it, we walk with Jesus in his suffering. We can do this in the hope that God our Father will raise us up in the same way he raised his Son to new life. When people see the different way we live and ask us why, we can be ready to point to Jesus, the hope he gives us, and the difference he makes in our lives.
More to think about or discuss:
- What is your reaction to Christians becoming a religious minority in Australia? What challenges do you see? What opportunities might it present?
- What might ‘doing good’ look like in your life? Would you be ready to suffer for doing good? Please think about & share some reasons for your answer…
- If someone asked you to give the reason for the hope you have in Jesus, what would you say? How can we help each other be ready to give the answer for the hope we have?
Pastor Eugene Online 
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