Living in Australia, I’ve become used to Christianity being a minority. In Kiribati, where I spent nearly two weeks reporting on Kiribati for Christ, that’s not the case. Ninety-eight per cent of I-Kiribati people identify as Christian, though only 2 per cent are Adventist, and despite a mostly Christian nation, there is a solid Adventist evangelistic effort.
It is remarkable that we are part of a global family—that wherever you go, it seems there’s an Adventist church, filled with people whose faith is thriving. People who gather together on Sabbaths, who take their beliefs seriously and want to share them with their wider community. Adventism is a way of living; it offers a place to belong (we hope) and a set of beliefs in line with the Bible.
But my experience in Kiribati reminded me that Adventism is just one denomination among many others, that we all share a commitment to the gospel. This really got me thinking about evangelism in a context where everyone is Christian, and if Adventism has anything to offer other Christians, especially Protestants, who may already be committed to the central truths of Christianity.
The very definition of a Christian is someone who follows Jesus and His teachings. The gospel message, saved by grace through faith and not by works (Ephesians 2:8,9), is at the core of the faith of many non-Adventists—and it really is what’s truly important. The unconditional love that we receive from God enables us to express love to others (1 John 4:19), and we come to what Jesus said were the two greatest commandments: to love God with all your heart, soul and mind, and to love others as yourself (Matthew 22:37-40).
I’ve been reflecting on some of our beliefs that are distinctive from other denominations, and how they fit into the big picture of Christian faith. Two things that the Bible promises over and over is that through Jesus and the gospel we receive abundant life (John 10:10) and freedom (2 Corinthians 3:17). Our Adventist truth that we embrace embodies this abundant life and freedom, and consequently, the Gospel, in beautiful ways.
One thing that makes us unique is the Sabbath, a day of rest, that separates us from our daily worries and brings us back to God. I can’t imagine my life without Sabbaths—having that rhythm and rest truly does contribute to an abundant life in the present. As does the health message. Plant-based eating and avoiding smoking and alcohol have been popularised now because of science, but Adventists were doing it 150 years ago, creating healthier ways of living.
Prophecy, when focused on Jesus, brings us freedom from fear of the future: “You will hear of wars . . . but see to it that you are not alarmed” (Matthew 24:6). Likewise, the belief Adventists hold about the state of the dead brings freedom from the fear of death and hell and brings hope for the resurrection and the second coming.
These beliefs are not rules to follow, but good news that brings hope and life—this is why Adventist evangelism in mostly Christian spaces is still so important. Adventism is a lens through which we can show others the gospel, and through this lens of Adventist truths, we see Jesus, the Giver of abundant life and freedom, the One who loved us first so that we may then show love to others.
You see, we are Christians first, Adventists second. Everything we do and everything we believe should fit around the beautiful promise of grace, the promise of life given and a hope to hold onto.
As South Pacific for Christ continues over the next few years, we have an incredible opportunity to reflect the gospel to thousands and thousands of people, through our Adventist identity. With OneVoice27, a Christ-focused initiative based on media, who knows how far our reach could be?
But though we are Adventists and stand by our truths, we must remember that evangelism begins and ends with the message: that we love, because He first loved us.
