John Dickson is the Jean Kvamme Distinguished Professor of Biblical Evangelism and distinguished scholar in public Christianity at Wheaton College. He co-founded Australia’s Centre for Public Christianity, which he directed from 2007–2017. He has written over 20 books and produced and presented three historical television documentaries. His Undeceptions podcast remains Australia’s No. 1 religion podcast. This article is adapted from a talk Dickson gave at the 2022 Amplify Outreach Conference. To register for this year’s conference on October 17th & 18th go to AmplifyConference.org.
In 2008, I was involved in a very public debate … and lost. It changed the way I think about Christianity in public. The title of the debate was, “We’d be better off without religion.” Three academics argued for the motion, and three against. Entrance and exit polls for the debate were taken, and we lost both overwhelmingly, though one person did move favorably in our direction.
In the past, the problem with Christianity was that it was seen to be self-righteous. Now, it’s far more common to hear that Christianity is wicked and damaging to society. The number of Christians (or those associated with Christianity) in America has dropped from 78% (in 2011) to 63% (in 2021). In Australia, it’s down to 44%.
In light of these and many other statistics, I want to suggest that Christians in America are at the perfect place for public Christianity, that is, between an enduring plausibility for Christianity and a significant contestability. The friction between the two creates wonderful opportunities for a mixed approach toward the world. This mixed approach is seen in Peter’s first letter, where he exhorts us to be characterized by a cheerful confidence to jump into the fray, as well as a cheerful humility to lose well, if we must.
Becoming a Cheerful Loser
At the beginning of the second century, the Roman governor of the province of Bithynia and Pontus wrote a letter to Emperor Trajan, describing the great catastrophe that befell Christians of this region:
“I dismissed any who denied that they were Christians when they had repeated after me a formula calling upon our gods and made offerings of wine and incense to your statue, and furthermore had reviled the name of Christ; none of which things, I understand, any genuine Christian can be induced to do. I ask them in person if they are Christians, and if they admit it, I repeat the question a second and third time, with a warning of the punishments awaiting them. If they persist, I order them to be led away for execution; for, whatever the nature of their admission, I am convinced that their stubbornness and unshakable obstinacy ought not to go unpunished.”
Just a single generation before this, Peter had written 1 Peter to Christians within this exact region. Persecution hadn’t yet broken out to this degree, though these Christians had begun to experience a “fiery ordeal” (1 Peter 4:12). And it’s into this context that Peter urges believers to have the dual posture of a cheerful confidence and a cheerful humility:
“Finally, all of you, be like-minded, be sympathetic, love one another, be compassionate and humble. Do not repay evil with evil or insult with insult. On the contrary, repay evil with blessing, because to this you were called so that you may inherit a blessing. For, ‘Whoever would love life and see good days must keep their tongue from evil and their lips from deceitful speech. They must turn from evil and do good; they must seek peace and pursue it. For the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous and his ears are attentive to their prayer, but the face of the Lord is against those who do evil.’ 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. ‘Do not fear their threats; do not be frightened.’ But in your hearts revere Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect, keeping a clear conscience, so that those who speak maliciously against your good behavior in Christ may be ashamed of their slander” (1 Peter 3:8–16, emphasis added).
Peter’s two points of a cheerful confidence and a cheerful losing are connected in verse 15. It’s here we see that the degree to which we “set apart Christ as Lord” will be the degree to which we can stand up and jump in with confidence, always being “prepared to give an answer to everyone.” In other words, when we truly know that Jesus owns the room, we’ll be the best version of ourselves, because the best evangelism strategy is when we have a fresh vision of Christ’s majesty over all things. Alongside this confidence, Peter calls us to a cheerful humility to lose well. We are to treat “those who speak maliciously against” us and “slander” us (v.16) with “gentleness and respect” (v. 15), even while “[suffering] for what is right” (v.14).
Christians at their best have the ability to disagree with those who oppose them, while simultaneously loving them.
“Do not repay evil with evil or insult with insult. On the contrary, repay evil with blessing, because to this you were called so that you may inherit a blessing” (v.9).
Here Peter is recalling the Sermon on the Mount, which is the basis for his teaching on being a cheerful loser:
“Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are you when others revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account” (Matt. 5:10–11).
The more confident we are that Jesus is Lord—that he owns every room—the more relaxed and secure we can be when people verbally abuse us because of Jesus. We find the same thing in the life and letters of Paul. He’s unjustly thrown into prison in Philippi, and yet how does he respond? He sings hymns (Acts 16:24–25). Ten years later, we find Paul in prison again. This time he writes to the church in Philippi, since they’d become distressed about his well-being:
“Now I want you to know, brothers and sisters, that that what has happened to me has actually (or rather) served to advance the gospel. As a result, it has become clear throughout the whole palace guard and to everyone else that I am in chains for Christ” (Phil. 1:12–13).
What must have felt like a loss on so many levels for Paul was actually a win for him. He was the master at being a cheerful loser, partly because he knew that there’s probably a win for the gospel somewhere. Why? Because losses tend to turn out to be wins in disguise. Remember, we are the death and resurrection people.
The gospel calls us to a cheerful confidence to jump into the fray, and to a cheerful humility to lose well (if we must), knowing that the Father can take painful losses and raise them up to be gospel wins. And so, amidst all the changes in our society, lose well, dear brothers and sisters, so that one by one we might see people coming to Christ.
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