Veritas Road - Covert Missions: Ethics

The question of missions to closed countries is ethically debated in many congregations and amongst believers regardless of denomination. Where is the line across which one must obey God in contradiction of man's law? And furthermore, at what point does discretion become distorting the truth? On the basis of Acts 4:13-20 (obedience to God) and Matthew 21:23-27 and 22:15-46 (discretionate question answering), I proceed with the following series of rhetorical questions.

"Then they [the Sanhedrin] called them [Peter and John] in again and commanded them not to speak or teach at all in the name of Jesus. But Peter and John replied, 'Judge for yourselves whether it is right in God's sight to obey you rather than God. For we cannot help speaking about what we have seen and heard.'" Acts 4:18-20

12 Theses on Missions to Closed Countries

Is not every believer's primary purpose in life to attest to Christ's work and salvation?
Does this Calling, which is unconditional and unilateral to all who claim Christ, have exception clauses based on geography?
If one is changing geographical locations, does the Calling vary in its explicity depending on one's purpose for travel/change?
If I am traveling to Italy (for example) for my job of working on computers, is my command under Christ any less or more serious than if I were going for vacation?
What if I was going to Italy primarily for missions, but also to serve by fixing computers in order to enable my stay, either monetarily or in exchange for housing?
Would I be compelled any more or less in either situation (#4 or #5) to declare God's Calling on all believers, and thus me, to preach His name when I enter or reside in that country?
If indeed every believer's true, supreme, and ultimate calling from the point of salvation until death is to proclaim Christ, can any believer travel to or through a closed/persecuted country where they might ask what your purpose is in the country? (regardless of whether your earthly purpose is business, vacation, or missions)
Does a believer's obedience to the Calling or fleshly purpose in traveling affect the truth of the priority of the Great Commission?
Is #8 any different from the question, "does an unbeliever's recognition of God's sovereignty affect or in any way invalidate the truth or control that God has over his or her life?"
Therefore, when on a business trip if we can answer, "business", to a customs official who asks, when in fact it is truly our secondary purpose (in light of our Calling), why can we not answer, "business", "medicine", or "teaching", when we recognize God's first Call on our lives, and practice our skills to give us a doorway into such a place?
God has given us the passions of our hearts (if we are aligned with His will) and the skills and gifts with which to work and serve.
Consistency demands either (1) a complete abstinence from traveling to/through closed countries -- in recognition of the true supremacy of our Calling, which mandates the declaration of our true purpose everywhere -- or (2) the allowance for discretion and faith when traveling to/through closed countries -- for the same purpose -- in order to take the Gospel to "all nations" (Matthew 28:19).

God is sovereign whether we are willing to penetrate the veils of darkness over many countries or not. Choosing against such endeavors is close to "trusting" God's sovereignty for a bountiful harvest, but abstaining from the toilsome labor of planting, pruning, and gathering. For a historical reference of following God's will in challenging circumstances, consider the story of Corrie Ten Boom. In one instance when asked point blank by a Nazi soldier where the Jews were that she was hiding, she (or her sister) answered the truth, "under the table." The soldier, by God's grace and sovereign will, mistook her honest answer for jest and left without finding the Jews.

The same Lord is over all mankind and can provide ethical and righteous passage into closed countries both in the absence and presence of questions. Again, if I ask you today why you are in the United States (or wherever you are while reading this), and your life depends on whether your answer complies with the State's religious position, can you tell me with a clear conscience the discretionate truth that you are here as a teacher, a computer specialist, a doctor, or a business person?

Remember...your indiscretionate, supremely true answer is that you are here as a witness to Christ's death, burial and resurrection. So, what's your answer?

Is not every believer's primary purpose in life to attest to Christ's work and salvation?
Does this Calling, which is unconditional and unilateral to all who claim Christ, have exception clauses based on geography?
If one is changing geographical locations, does the Calling vary in its explicity depending on one's purpose for travel/change?
If I am traveling to Italy (for example) for my job of working on computers, is my command under Christ any less or more serious than if I were going for vacation?
What if I was going to Italy primarily for missions, but also to serve by fixing computers in order to enable my stay, either monetarily or in exchange for housing?
Would I be compelled any more or less in either situation (#4 or #5) to declare God's Calling on all believers, and thus me, to preach His name when I enter or reside in that country?
If indeed every believer's true, supreme, and ultimate calling from the point of salvation until death is to proclaim Christ, can any believer travel to or through a closed/persecuted country where they might ask what your purpose is in the country? (regardless of whether your earthly purpose is business, vacation, or missions)
Does a believer's obedience to the Calling or fleshly purpose in traveling affect the truth of the priority of the Great Commission?
Is #8 any different from the question, "does an unbeliever's recognition of God's sovereignty affect or in any way invalidate the truth or control that God has over his or her life?"
Therefore, when on a business trip if we can answer, "business", to a customs official who asks, when in fact it is truly our secondary purpose (in light of our Calling), why can we not answer, "business", "medicine", or "teaching", when we recognize God's first Call on our lives, and practice our skills to give us a doorway into such a place?
God has given us the passions of our hearts (if we are aligned with His will) and the skills and gifts with which to work and serve.
Consistency demands either (1) a complete abstinence from traveling to/through closed countries -- in recognition of the true supremacy of our Calling, which mandates the declaration of our true purpose everywhere -- or (2) the allowance for discretion and faith when traveling to/through closed countries -- for the same purpose -- in order to take the Gospel to "all nations" (Matthew 28:19).

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