Editor’s note: What does it mean to count the cost? For Chinese Christians, there is not just one cost, but many. Believers need to be ready to count the costs of following Christ, and to understand that there are many different pressures they will need to be ready to face. Christians need to be prepared to experience pressure from their families, lost face in front of others, and pressure or even persecution from the government.
But although it is difficult to follow Jesus, those who follow him are walking in truth. The costs that must be paid are worthwhile costs, and the rewards of knowing Christ are far more valuable than any cost that must be paid.
The Cost: Family Pressure
In the Chinese cultural context, what costs do people have to count in order to follow Jesus?
In today’s circumstances, Christians in China will probably have to face several different types of costs.
In today’s culture and environment, the first cost Chinese Christians need to count is the pressure they will receive from family.
The first cost is pressure from family. Chinese culture strongly emphasizes the importance of family relationships. But in China, Christianity is still perceived as something foreign to the country. Because of this, family members of believers might worry, misunderstand, or even feel fear about their loved one’s faith.
In today’s culture and environment, the first cost Chinese Christians need to count is the pressure they will receive from family.
The Cost: Losing Face
The second cost is pressure related to “face.” [1] Chinese people put a lot of value on maintaining face. Because of this culture of face, Chinese people tend to have a mindset that prioritizes conforming with others. There are still not all that many Christians in China, so when someone chooses to follow Christ, they will probably stand out in public. They will not conform to the crowd.
Chinese Christians have to confront the psychological pressure related to maintaining “face” in front of others. I believe this is the second pressure Chinese believers must deal with.
When someone chooses to follow Christ, they will probably stand out in public. They will not conform to the crowd. Chinese Christians have to confront the psychological pressure related to maintaining “face.””
The Cost: Political Pressure
The third cost is that, in China, the government’s attitude toward Christianity is not particularly encouraging. In fact, there are even restrictions on the faith. Chinese believers will probably face a certain amount of political fear and pressure.
Because Christianity in China is not encouraged by the government, believing in Jesus creates pressure for his followers.
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If people come to know the truth through their faith, that very truth is sufficient to equip them to face those pressures.
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The Reward: Truth and Freedom
Yet the Christian faith is true. This faith teaches us about the origin of life, the origins of the world, and how we ought to live. Tim Keller, a pastor from New York, has said that without truth we have no hope. Similarly, Col. 1:5 says believers have “hope laid up for you in heaven. Of this you have heard before in the word of truth, the gospel.”
It is true that Chinese people will most likely face many different kinds of pressure when they come to faith. But I believe that, if people come to know the truth through their faith, that very truth is sufficient to equip them to face those pressures.
As Jesus said in John 8:32: “You will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”
[1] In Chinese culture, “face” (面子, miànzi) refers to social dignity, honor, and one’s public standing. To “lose face” can carry significant relational consequences, shaping behavior toward conformity and leading people to avoid actions that invite public scrutiny.
Zhang Fuyou is a pseudonym for a Chinese house church pastor in eastern China.
Pray for Chinese Christians to thoughtfully consider the costs of following Jesus — and to see that those costs are more than covered by the joy of walking with the Lord.
