Christianity

Some say it is a philosophy, others that it is an ethical stance, while still others claim it is really an experience. None of these really gets at the heart of the matter, however. Each of those things is something a Christian has, but not one of them serves as a definition of what a Christian is. Christianity has at its core a transaction between a person and God. A person who becomes a Christian moves from knowing about God distantly to knowing Him directly and intimately. "Now this is eternal life: that they may know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent." — John 17:3.

Christianity is knowing God.

Our desire for personal knowledge of God is strong, but we usually fail to recognize the desire for what it is. When we first fall in love, when we first marry, when we finally break into our chosen field, when we at last get that weekend house—these breakthroughs arouse in us an anticipation of something, which, as it turns out, never occurs. We eventually discover that our desire for that precious something is a longing that no lover or career or achievement, even the best possible ones, can ever satisfy.

The satisfaction fades away even as we close our fingers around our goal. Nothing ever delivers the joy it seemed to promise. Many of us avoid the yawning emptiness through busyness or denial, but, at best, there is only a postponement. "Nothing tastes," said Marie Antoinette. There are several ways people respond to this:

• Blame the things themselves and find fault with everyone and everything around them. Some people believe that a better spouse, a better career, a better boss or salary would finally yield the elusive joy. Many of the world's most successful people are like this: bored, discontented, running from new thing to new thing, often changing counselors, mates, partners, settings.
  
  
• Blame themselves and try harder to live up to self-imposed standards. Many people feel they have made poor choices or failed to measure up to challenges and to achieve the things that would give them joy and satisfaction. Such people are wracked with self-doubts and tend to burn themselves out. They think, "If only I could reach my goals, then this emptiness would be gone." But it is not so.
  
  
• Blame the universe and give up seeking fulfillment at all. These are the people who say, "Yes, when young you are idealistic, but at my age I have stopped howling after the moon." They become cynical and decide to repress that part of themselves that once wanted fulfillment and joy. But they become hard, and they can feel themselves losing their humanity, compassion and joy.
  
  
• Blame and recognize their separation from God and establish a personal relationship with Him. The Christian says, "Creatures are not born with desires unless satisfaction for those desires exists. A baby feels hunger: well, there is such a thing as food. A duckling wants to swim: well, there is such a thing as water. Men feel sexual desire: well, there is such a thing as sex. If I find in myself a desire, which no experience in this world can satisfy, the most probable explanation is that I was made for another world. If none of my earthly pleasures satisfy it, that does not mean that the universe is a fraud. Probably earthly pleasures were never meant to satisfy it, but only to arouse it, to suggest the real thing.” — C. S. Lewis

In order to form a personal relationship with God, we must know three things:

• God is love and justice. His active concern is for our joy and well-being. Most people love those who love them, yet God loves and seeks the good even of people who are His enemies. But because God is good and loving, He cannot tolerate evil. The opposite of love is not anger but indifference. "The more you love your son, the more you hate in him, the liar, the drunkard, the traitor." (E.H. Gifford) To imagine God's situation, picture a judge who is also a father, who sits at the trial of his very guilty son. A judge knows that he cannot let his son go, for without justice no society can survive. How much less can a loving God merely ignore or suspend justice for us who are loved, yet guilty of rebellion against His loving authority?
• Jesus Christ is God. Jesus is God Himself come to earth. He first lived a perfect life, loving God with all His heart, soul and mind, fulfilling all human obligation to God. He lived the life you owed—a perfect record. Then, instead of receiving His deserved reward (eternal life), Jesus gave His life as a sacrifice for our sins, taking the punishment and death you owed.

When we believe in Him:
Our sins are paid for by His death, and His perfect life record is transferred to our account. So God accepts and regards us as if we had done all Christ has done.

The term “gospel” was originally used to describe a proclamation–a piece of good news–announced by a royal messenger. When a messenger declared, “The army was victorious!” it meant the people were victorious as well. Likewise, when the messenger shouted, “By decree of the king, every person may now own one acre of land!” it was an exciting piece of news for the people of the kingdom.
 
For this reason, biblical writers adopted the term “gospel” to describe the historical reality and teaching associated with the life, death, resurrection and ascension of Jesus Christ. The gospel does not merely declare salvation; it affects it, saying, “God is reconciling broken people and this broken world to himself through the life, death, resurrection and ascension of Jesus! Believe upon Him as his kingdom is breaking in!”  
 
It has been said, “The gospel means that I am more flawed and sinful than I ever dared believe, but at the same time, I am even more loved and accepted than I ever dared hope because Jesus Christ lived and died in my place.” Much like the gospels proclaimed in the days of royal messengers, the implications of the gospel of Christ are personal, social and cultural in their scope.

On the one hand, you may feel very much that you "need" God. Even though you may recognize that you have needs only God can meet, you must not try to use Him to achieve your own ends. It is not possible to bargain with God. ("I'll do this if You will do that.") That is not Christianity at all, but a form of magic or paganism in which you appease the cranky deity to get a favor. Are you getting into Christianity to serve God or to get God to serve you? Those are two opposite motives, and they result in two different religions. You must come to God because 1) you owe it to Him to give Him your life (because He is your Creator), and 2) you are deeply grateful to Him for sacrificing His Son (because He is your Redeemer).

On the other hand, you may feel no need at all or interest in knowing God. This does not mean you should stay uncommitted. If you were created by God, then you owe Him your life, whether you feel like it or not. You are obligated to seek Him and ask Him to soften your heart and enlighten your eyes. If you say, "I have no faith," that is no excuse either. You need only doubt your doubts. No one can doubt everything at once—you must believe in something to doubt something else. For example, do you believe you are competent to run your own life? Where is the evidence for that? Why doubt everything but your doubts about God and your faith in yourself? Is that fair? You owe it to God to seek Him. Do so.

1. Make a list of issues that you perceive to be barriers to your crossing the line into faith. Here is a possible set of headings:

• Content issues: Do you understand the basics of the Christian message: sin, Jesus as God, sacrifice, faith.
• Coherence issues: Are there intellectual problems you have with Christianity? Objections to the Christian faith, which you cannot resolve in your mind?
• Cost issues: Do you perceive a move into full Christian faith will cost you something dear? What fears do you have about commitment?

2. Talk to a Christian friend about your questions.

3. Contact our church office. We would love to connect you with someone who you could talk to about these matters.

4. Consider reading:

• Making Sense of God by Tim Keller
• The Reason for God by Tim Keller
• Mere Christianity by C.S. Lewis
• Basic Christianity by John Stott
• Hope Has Its Reasons by Rebecca Pippert

— Adapted from Timothy Keller, 1991