In 1996, I began studying at the University of NSW (UNSW) in Sydney. I moved into New College, an Anglican residential College on campus, and it changed my life forever. New College had a vibrant community life, including a community of Christian university students who were serious about their faith and growing in their knowledge of the Bible. The ministry at UNSW known as Campus Bible Study (CBS) was led by arguably one of the best Bible teachers in the English-speaking world, Phillip Jensen. Phillip had been on campus since 1975, and his Bible teaching through Campus Bible Study shaped generations of students, including me.
Campus Bible Study celebrated its fiftieth anniversary in March of this year, and I had the pleasure of attending. I caught up with many old friends. We heard from Phillip (who moved on from CBS in the early 2000s) and others, including those who headed up the ministry after Phillip—Paul Grimmond and now Carl Matthei. It was a chance to thank God for what he has achieved through Campus Bible Study over these fifty years. It was an opportunity to hear about how the ministry is going now (under God, very well). And a time to hear about what was coming next: what the vision is for the next fifty years.
I had a tinge of nostalgia as I remembered my time on campus hearing Bible talks at CBS during this formative period in my life. I felt thankful to see so many former students persevering in their faith, trusting in Jesus through life’s ups and downs. Yet, there was also sadness in hearing about the struggles of old friends who had faced tough times since leaving CBS.
Here are some of my reflections.
The Christian Copernican Revolution
One of the most significant impacts of CBS and Philip’s teaching was giving Christian uni students the Christian Copernican Revolution. We were confronted with God’s amazing goodness and glory through His word and realised that we’re not the centre of the universe; the Lord Jesus Christ is. For many students, including myself, this changed the trajectory of our lives.
If the risen Jesus is Lord, then this changes everything about my life. If I’m not the boss of my life, I must not be the one calling the shots. Period.
We Need to Live Life Backwards
So much of secular life is about the here and now: ‘You Only Live Once’. But if life is heading toward the glorious hope of the new heavens and the new earth, how can that not shape the present?
Hearing Phillip preach again at the reunion and listening to the students’ enthusiasm for the gospel reminded me of the danger of becoming physically comfortable. It can lead to spiritual sleepiness. If we have a pseudo-heaven, a false sense of security and comfort, offered to us on a platter (which we often do in Australia), this can distract and dull our desire for the real heaven and the true satisfaction that comes from knowing and serving God.
Moreover, we live in a culture where authenticity and identity are driven by the feelings of your heart. But Jesus says great evil comes from within our heart (Matt 15:18-20). In his presentation, Paul Grimmond gave a taste of the training students experience today. He engaged with the culture of ‘expressive individualism’ that we’re all swimming in: How do we speak to a culture that looks within for authority and meaning and rejects external authority? We apply salient parts of the gospel to our culture, such as what Jesus says about the heart.
We Must Proclaim the Gospel
The physical comfort we experience here in Australia can dull our desire to proclaim the gospel. But if Jesus is ruling at God’s right hand, nothing is more important (2 Tim 4:1). I must preach the gospel with ‘urgent patience’ (2 Tim 4:2). I must do it urgently, as Christ will return. And I must do it patiently, as it often takes people time to understand, let alone accept the gospel (2 Tim 4:2).
I preach the gospel because it’s true, but also because it’s the most loving thing I can do. What could be more loving than telling people the one message that will rescue them from the rightful judgement we all deserve?
Gospel Proclamation and Persecution
If I hold to the gospel, then I will suffer persecution. Phillip preached to us from 2 Timothy and reminded us of what Paul says: ‘Everyone who wants to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted’. (2 Tim 3:12). While this was a theoretical truth when I was at uni in the late nineties, it’s much more real and present in modern secular Australia (albeit nowhere near as bad as many other countries).
It’s not simple, however. Because doing good can help people become curious and interested in the gospel. As Peter writes: ‘Live such good lives among the pagans, that though they accuse you of doing wrong, they might see your good deeds and glorify God on the day he visits us’. (1 Pet 2:12). On the other hand, doing good can also provoke people to hate you and the gospel, later on in the same letter, Peter concedes that ‘even if you should suffer for righteousness sake, you are blessed’(1 Pet 3:13-14).
I couldn’t help thinking how fast time has flown—and how it continues to fly as I get older. It’s been twenty-five years since I left CBS. In twenty-five years’ time, my CBS cohort and I will be in our early seventies. Life is brief. Soon I will be standing before my Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ. So I am challenged afresh to think: how can I best use this short life that he has given me?
An earlier version of this article was published on Akos’s blog.
