Certainly one of Jesus’ key teachings was to love others. And
he backed up what he preached by loving the outcasts and the down-and-out of
his day. At the same time, love isn’t all he spoke about. He also talked a lot
about sin and holiness, as I discuss in Chapter 5.
The God of Christianity is a God of love and holiness (see
Chapter 7). People have always had a hard time trying to grasp the balance
between the two, which is why some people tend to focus on holiness and justice
and forget about love. Others dwell on love and forget about God’s holy nature.
But, as Chapter 5 discusses, Jesus walked the tightrope between these two
extremes.
Christianity doesn’t mean “no fun”
Christians are often portrayed as being “sticks in the mud,”
or people who want to suck all the fun and happiness out of life. However,
biblical Christianity says the opposite – that God is the one who created fun,
a sense of humour, wonderful food and drink, sex, and adventure.
Popular culture today says that excess – food, alcohol, sex,
or whatever – means fun. In contrast, Christianity says that “more” initially
seems liberating, but it ultimately ensnares and dehumanizes you, making you a
slave to physical desire rather than allowing you to maintain control over
yourself through your mind and will. Or to quote from the popular film Sabrina,
“More isn’t always better; sometimes it’s just more.”
Christianity insists that in order for these activities to
be fun for you now and in the long run, you must do them in the right context
and with the right amount. Consider, for example, the yeast that goes into a loaf
of bread. Because yeast is the active ingredient, thinking that the more yeast
you put into the batter, the better the bread will be is only natural. But, as
any cook can tell you, you only spoil the loaf by doubling the yeast. Tasty bread
features just the right amount of yeast put into the batter at the appropriate
time.
Christianity isn’t just a white man’s religion
Some people think of Christianity as a European or “white
man’s” religion. Although Europe has played a key role in the history of the Christian
Church over the past two thousand years, don’t confuse Europe’s role as
catalyst with being the original source. Jesus was a Jewish carpenter, a Middle
Easterner who never set foot in Europe or the United States. The early Church
consisted of people from across the Mediterranean region – Palestine, North
Africa, Asia, and Italy. As you discover in Chapter 10, it was only a couple
hundred years later that Europe stated to play a dominant role in leading the
Church. Obviously, Europe was a torchbearer of the Christian faith for more
than 1,500 years, but the winds of change continue as the 21st
century unfolds. As I discuss in the “Putting It into Perspective: Christianity
in the World Today” section of this chapter, the majority of Christians are now
from the developing nations of Africa, Latin America, and Asia.
Christianity’s not a religion?
An expression that has become popular over the past 30 years
is “Christianity is a relationship, not a religion.” The notion that Christianity
is not a religion may seem perplexing or even ridiculous to many. If you think
of religion as referring to a belief system about God and the world around you,
then Christianity most certainly does match that definition. But Christians who
speak this phrase are referring to a popular understanding of religion that
means a set of rules that one has to follow to gain approval from God. In this
sense, people may consider Christianity an anti-religion, because by its
nature, Christianity affirms that humans can’t do anything to be approved by
God. Instead, it’s only by his grace that people are saved.
Jesus spoke against this notion of an earn-your-way religion
to the people of his day. Instead, he talked of faith as an intimate
relationship with him and his Father in heaven.
Christianity isn’t just one of many paths to the same end
Many people treat religions as essentially being the same –
as different paths to the same destination. However, each of the major world
religions holds fundamentally different, mutually exclusive claims about who
God is and what’s true. However, they can’t all be true without “dumbing down”
God into some kind of being who constantly bends to meet the fancies of any
human belief.
What’s more, from a Christian perspective, the Jesus of the
Bible didn’t allow for that “all roads lead to heaven” belief. On many
occasions, he made it clear that the only way to God is through him and him
alone. Most notably, in John 14:6, he said, “I am the way, the truth, and the
life. No one comes to the Father, except through me.” See Chapter 15 for more
on this hot potato topic.
Christianity isn’t just an hour-long obligation
To some, Christianity means going to church for an hour once
a week. Although the Bible does call Christians to come together and worship
God once a week, Christianity is more than just an obligation or an idea that
affects life only on weekends. Instead, biblical Christianity is meant to be
lived out 24/7 and should impact the way Christians think about every part of
their lives and the world around them. Jesus didn’t water down his message at
all to his would-be followers. He didn’t say, “Give me your spare change and a
couple hours during the week.” Instead, he said, “If any man would come after
me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me” (Mark 8:34). See
Chapter 13 for what his call means on a practical level.
Christianity isn’t just a touchy-feely thing
Many people think of Christianity, or any
religious faith for that matter, as an emotional tool, which Christians turn to
in times of trouble. The thought is: “Hey, if it helps you, great.” However, Christianity
claims that it’s not that kind of religion. Instead, Christianity claims to be
a historical faith, directly tied to real space-and-time history. Given that,
it’s either literally true and far more than a feel-good kick, or false and
therefore not worth investing your emotions in. (See Chapters 2 and 16 for more
on this subject.)
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