Pastor John, we have an increasing amount of questions coming in from missionaries out

in the field, and this is one from Brent, who's in China.

He asks, quote, can a missionary lie in order to do ministry in a closed or persecuted

country?

For example, can he sign a statement saying he agrees to obey the laws of that country

when he actually plans to break some of them, particularly religious-based ones?

End quote.

What would you say to him, Pastor John?

I would say no.

I don't think you should lie in order to get into a country, especially something as

blatant as signing a statement that you intend to do, what you don't intend to do.

No, having said that, and the reason I say that is because I think that kind of distortion

of reality and manipulation of the facts will undermine your witness, it will undermine

your courage, it will undermine the Lord of truth that you serve, and will probably

backfire pretty profoundly.

However, here's the less clear part.

There are other issues in how a person describes what they're doing in a country because

unbelievers cannot grasp entirely the real meaning of gospel grace, the real meaning of

what you're there for, so that there are things that you're going to say they're not

going to be able to grasp, and in a sense then you're not telling them all that's true

because they can't grasp all that's true.

If you say, I am here to bless your people, to love your people, to good to your people.

...