Päivi Räsänen Has Witnessed God at Work
Discussing her lengthy legal ordeal, Dr. Päivi Räsänen said she has felt the power of people’s prayers and been encouraged by their support. She also has witnessed firsthand how “God is really an expert to turn bad things to good things.”
For example, “This case has opened wonderful opportunities to tell people what is the solution to the problem of sin in the Bible,” Räsänen said. “Without these criminal charges, I would not have had the exceptional chance to testify about Jesus in front of police officers, courtrooms, and through live broadcasts and press conferences straight to Finnish homes.”
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The doctor and politician described receiving correspondence from people who came to faith in Jesus because of her witness. The experience also has strengthened her own trust in God, Räsänen said. She described discovering “a purpose for this process,” saying it’s “not in vain to speak about the Bible in public and teach what the Bible tells about humanity and about God.”
In an Oct. 24 interview, Räsänen told CitizenGO about her Christian upbringing, her medical training, and her decision to enter politics in order to defend Christian values and the sanctity of life. Before posting about the Helsinki Pride Parade in 2019, she prayed about what steps to take. Instead of leaving her church or denomination, Räsänen said, “I got a very clear vision when praying that it is not my time now to jump out of that sinking boat of church, but to try to wake up those who are sleeping inside it.”
Räsänen said she worried that if church leaders’ teachings contradicted the Bible, then readers of the Bible—especially young people—wouldn’t trust its message. Despite some “dark moments” during the legal fight, Räsänen said, “on the whole I have felt that this has been my calling.”
About her lengthy interrogation by police, Räsänen said, “I do not renounce my faith. I do not apologize [for] what the Apostle Paul has stated, because it is not only my opinion. It is what the Word of God says, and because I’m a Christian, for me that Word is the Word of God.”
Jesus’ Promises Are ‘Absolutely Faithful’
When asked to advise other people who are being persecuted for their faith, Päivi Räsänen said, “It has been a great joy for me to see how concrete the promises of Jesus are in difficult times and even in persecutions.” The doctor and politician added, “I want to encourage that no one should be afraid of possible persecutions or restrictions, because they are what God uses…to do something good through it.”
It is “our task as a Christian church” to “bring the teachings of the Bible also to the secular world where we are living,” no matter the consequences, Räsänen said. “Do not be afraid of them, because God uses these difficulties to his good,” she added. “Jesus is absolutely faithful in his promises…in the Bible to be with you every day until the end, until he comes back again.”
