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Just A Thought: The Heart of Christianity

March 11, 2018 0 comments

Posted in: Just a Thought

The greatest danger today in all the talk about faith-based social organizations is that Christians will begin to think about their faith the way the world does. The temptation comes from outside and inside the church. The world views Christianity and other religions as useful, depending on what social, psychological, or physical benefits they may bring. In other words, the world does not believe that God must reveal our deepest need, and then provide the remedy in Jesus Christ. The world believes that we know our deepest needs and that religion can be respectable if it helps meet them.

An example of this, is a reporter interviewing a pastor. He immediately defines, by his questions, the categories for explaining Christianity: “What are you doing about affordable housing? How do you help people get jobs? What’s your strategy for improving health care?” Good questions. But if you let the secular mind determine your starting point and the categories for explaining Christianity, then you will arrive at the notion that the gospel and Christianity is not a revelation from God - but instead, an activity of man that is useful.

The heart of Christianity is that God is King of the universe, that we do not honor Him as we should, that we are therefore guilty of sin and under His wrath, and He alone can rescue us from His own condemnation, which He has done through the death and resurrection of His Son, Jesus Christ. Knowing this, if what we promote is housing, jobs, health care, sobriety, family life minus this message, we are not Christian – we are cruel.  Romans 1–7 lays it all out. Holy God, sinful man, coming wrath, perfect Savior, Jesus Christ crucified and risen, justification by faith, sanctification by faith. And now Paul sums up the message of Christianity in the great conclusion of Romans 8:1: “Therefore [in view of all] that there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.” That’s the essence of Christianity. That’s the central, foundational message of God to the world. This is what we announce. This is what we plead. This is what we lay down our lives to communicate to the nations and the neighborhoods: no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.

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