NANJING PHOTO FILM
I have only seen excerpts of this film, but what I saw made me sick, it is heartbreaking.
My heart goes out to the people of Nanjing, innocent people were slain, but as the gospel says
Where sin abounded, Grace even more abounded.
I love the city of Nanjing and it’s people.
GENESIS 18
That be far from thee to do after this manner, to slay the righteous with the wicked: and that the righteous should be as the wicked, that be far from thee: Shall not the Judge of all the earth do right?
The film called Dead Man’s Rights has made a great impression on me. I am a foreigner who lives in the city where these terrible events took place, all the way back in 1937.
I have lived here since 2012 and live every day with the Chinese people. During this time, I have walked all over Nanjing, I have walked all round Xuanwu Lake, the centerpiece of Nanjing, and I walked on the impressive city walls.
So what can we, as Christian believers, learn from this film?
The first thing is that we realize that man is out of control because of his sinful heart and his rebellion against God.
Jeremiah 17 says:
9 The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?
Man is the highest piece of God’s creation, but he acts like the lowest. He parades his sin and rebellion as a trophy.
Sin, when it is fully grown, brings forth death. In James 1, it says:
15 Then when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin: and sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death.
Romans 1 is a devastating critique of man’s condition. Listen to these sobering words:
29 Being filled with all unrighteousness, fornication, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder, debate, deceit, malignity; whisperers,
30 Backbiters, haters of God, despiteful, proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents,
31 Without understanding, covenant breakers, without natural affection, implacable, unmerciful:
32 Who knowing the judgment of God, that they which commit such things are worthy of death, not only do the same, but have pleasure in them that do them.
Many times, it says, God gave them over, literally, he said, you want to go this way, go ahead.
The second thing is that the gospel is desperately needed; it is the only answer to man’s depraved and broken heart.
The gospel of Jesus Christ is the only solution to man’s heart problem. Man needs a new heart as outlined in these verses from Ezekiel 36:
25 Then will I sprinkle clean water upon you, and ye shall be clean: from all your filthiness, and from all your idols, will I cleanse you.
26 A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you: and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you a heart of flesh.
27 And I will put my spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes, and ye shall keep my judgments, and do them.
Jesus said to Nicodemus (John 3), Peter said to the Jews on the day of Pentecost, and Paul to the Philippian jailer in Acts 16: you need to repent and trust Christ and Him alone for salvation. It is only through trusting Christ that we can be rescued from a life of sin and misery (Psalm 40:1-3).
The gospel changes not only individuals but cultures. It is cultural and yet counter-cultural; it challenges the deep-rooted prejudices within societies and transforms them with its radical power.
The gospel also brings forgiveness. When you have been forgiven from all your sin, you can then truly forgive. This film will bring to life great hatred because one nation will not face up to its past, and another finds it hard to forgive. The gospel deals with the past; it wipes the slate clean for people.
Forgiving people from the heart is probably the most difficult thing to do, but it releases you from the pain.
The gospel also brings people together. God saves people not on the basis of country of origin, skin color, age, or background. He saves them because of His great grace and mercy through Christ. He is bringing together people from every country, language, and people group for His glory.
In Heaven there will be millions of Chinese and Japanese there will be no more anger between them, Christ brings all his people together, the Lord will save from every nation and culture.
There has been great suffering inflicted by one country on another. The suffering runs deep, but the gospel brings people in contact with the suffering servant who went through terrible suffering for us. He is completely able to empathize with our suffering; He knows everything we have gone through (Hebrews 4:14-16).
The gospel is one of eternal justice. People are brought into contact with the One who sees everything perfectly and who one day will deal out perfect justice. Did those people in Nanjing get real justice? NO
One day they will. Everyone will have to give account, and everyone will be judged with perfect justice.
Hebrews 9:
27 And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment:
Revelation 20:
11 And I saw a great white throne, and him that sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away; and there was found no place for them.
12 And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works.
13 And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged every man according to their works.
So, the gospel is the answer, but what lessons can we learn from this sorry episode?
Three hundred thousand innocent people were killed in a short time; terrible and evil atrocities were committed, but 250,000 people were saved. Foreigners in Nanjing, including Germans, British, Americans, and others, started a safety zone where many people were saved.
In today’s world, we have the chance to invite people to come to Christ; He is their safety zone, He alone is their refuge. How many people have you invited to the safety zone of Christ?
The ark was a place of safety, and Noah was a preacher of righteousness, but no one accepted the offer. Everyone thought Noah was nuts: “It’s going to rain? It hasn’t rained for years, don’t be so crazy.”
It should teach us to pray. The Japanese people number 120 million, but less than 1% follow Christ. My friend Michael tells me it’s a very difficult mission field; the ground is very hard.
Also, pray for the deep wounds of the Chinese people to be healed. There is deep pain for this country; wounds take time to heal, but through the healing balm of the gospel, they can be healed.
What did we learn? We learned that although man seeks to bring disaster and pain, God can bring love and grace through the cross and resurrection of Jesus.
The gospel brings hope, it brings healing, it allows people to have new hearts and gives them the ability to forgive.
It teaches us that the greatest need of the hour is to share our glorious gospel; time is of the essence.
In closing, remember these words of the Apostle Paul from Romans 10:
12 For there is no difference between the Jew and the Greek: for the same Lord over all is rich unto all that call upon him.
13 For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.
14 How then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed? and how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard? and how shall they hear without a preacher?
15 And how shall they preach, except they be sent? as it is written, How beautiful are the feet of them that preach the gospel of peace, and bring glad tidings of good things!
The walls of Nanjing are very high, they are very wide, indeed at some points 5 -8 cars can drive alongside each other.
Ezekiel 62:6 and Ezekiel Chapter 33 say we are watchmen on the wall, we see the enemy coming, we have to warn the people.
Likewise we have to warn the people around us about the coming of our Lord again, time is running out.
2 Corinthians 5:8-15
LET US TELL THE PEOPLE OF THE WORLD, THAT THERE IS REFUGE TO BE FOUND IN CHRIST AND ONLY IN CHRIST, THAT THEY CAN BE FORGIVEN AND GIVEN A NEW HEART, A NEW START, A NEW LIFE AND LIVE FOR THE GLORY OF GOD AND HIM ALONE
AMEN
Keith