Why? What? How? Christianity.
TRANSCRIPT
Intro
So, you’re just starting out, or perhaps you’re seriously considering Christianity and want to know more. Or, as common in my own experience, you are a Christian who has sat in church services for years without understanding the fundamentals of the faith.
The idea here is to present the basics, the warnings, what it is, what is isn’t, the whys, whats, hows of the Christian faith with no gimmicks, no nonsense. In no way is this comprehensive, and it will be natural to be left with questions. I’ve tried to include quotes or references to bible passages to back up everything I’m saying so you can check for yourself.
Some of this may go straight over your head and you’ll forget it. Don’t worry, you can’t remember what you had for dinner two weeks ago, but it still did you some good. That’s why this will be in video form, an audio podcast, and you can read the transcription on the website for study and to search the scriptures in your own time.
It may seem a little long winded, but hey, your life depends on the gospel.
Here goes…
THE BIBLE
Christianity is grounded in the Judeo-Christian scriptures called the bible. The bible is made up of 66 parts, with history such as Genesis and the gospels of Mathew, Mark, Luke and John; Poetry such as in the Psalms; Books of wisdom like Solomon’s proverbs; Books of prophecy which predict the future; There are letters written to individuals and churches; And this library was written by around 40 authors over a 1600 year period, in three different languages all with the same story of grace throughout—the redemption of mankind and the earth, by God’s anointed Son Jesus.
Christianity is not based on feelings or emotions—or least shouldn’t be. It is not a blind faith, rather it’s based on the creator of the universe, revealed in his Word. Hebrews says, “faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen” (Heb 11:1). Believers have convincing proof: the soul seeing what the eye cannot see being founded on the truth in the person of Jesus the Christ, his miracles and teaching. Christ, from the Greek, or Messiah, from the Hebrew, is a title meaning ‘the anointed one’. And so, we have been called Christ-ians.
No other religious writing has been scrutinised like the Bible. Christianity’s unmatched holy scriptures have stood the test of time with history, archaeology, science, textual criticism, and prophetic facts demonstrating its accuracy and reliability.
Christians believe the bible to be the inspired, inerrant, authoritative Word of God, and of supreme and final authority in faith and practice (2 Tim 3:16; 2 Pet 1:20-21). It means we can trust what is says about the past and what it says about the future. It is God’s guide for us to live by, understand who he is, the purpose of life, the consequences of our actions, and his promises and plan to save us from this present age of suffering into the perfect restored world to come.
No wonder it is by far the best-selling book of all time with over 2,100 language translations.
If you want to know what is going on in the middle east, or around the world. If you want to hear from God and learn how you and your family can be saved from your death ridden bodies. You need to read the bible.
I highly recommend it.
WHY JESUS?
Everyone follows someone. Pop stars. Sport stars. Instagram celebrities. We follow Jesus. We try to imitate him. But Why?
Here’s the backstory:
Christians believe in One God (Deut 6:4-5; 1 Cor 8:4-6; Eph 4:5-6; Gal 3:20; 1 Tim 2:5; Ex 20:3; Isa 43:10; 44:6, 8), a triune God of three persons (Father, Son and Holy Spirit) who “created the heavens and the earth” (Gen 1:1) and all within which God declared was “very Good” (Gen 1:31).
The perfect world God created has been ruined by our sin. God has given us free choice to decide right or wrong. Adam and Eve the first people God created to populate the planet, disobeyed God and so has every descendant after them, including me, and so losing the eternal life and earthly inheritance, handing it over to Satan (an angel gone bad) who temporarily has authority to rule. From this point on, death and suffering would take over in “this present evil age” (Gal 1:4).
So, the world was very good, it’s now very bad, but God has promised to make it very good again. Right from the moment of that first sin in the garden of Eden, God promised a Messiah—an anointed man who would one day redeem the situation. Watch our video “Is Jesus the Messiah” here. Throughout the bible God reveals more about who this Messiah would be, how he would live, what he would accomplish, and about him reigning as King in the future restored world.
God revealed through patriarchs and prophets the way in which the messiah would restore and rule the earth. He promised to Abraham a land and a people to descend from him that would be a blessing to all nations. To Moses he gave a law and temple service, and to David he promised an everlasting King to reign. In Summary he promised a future Kingdom unlike any other and it’s the promised Messiah that would be the ruling King and “set up a kingdom that shall never be destroyed… and it shall stand forever” (Dan 2:44) and through His Kingdom would come the divine “restitution of all things” (Acts 3:21 KJV).
Around 2000 years ago God the father sent God the son to be born a man of a virgin, “born under the law” (Gal 4:4) of Moses, as a Jew and descendant of Abraham, being fully God but also now fully human, fulfilling all the prophetic descriptions of the Messiah [concerning his first coming]. He lived the perfect sinless life, fulfilling the Law completely, yet He chose to lay his life down and die a humiliating death on the cross, resurrecting to life on the third day. In this way he was able “to redeem those who were under the law, so that we might receive adoption as sons” (Gal 4:5) and “if children, then heirs—heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ” (Rom 8:17).
He paid our debt of sins and wiped the slate clean to justify us in his sight. The animal sacrifices under the Jewish law foreshadowed the very real way, Jesus’s sacrifice, his blood, bought back the earthly inheritance and everlasting life that we lost through sin. And it’s not just Jews who have the promise of salvation, “but those who are of faith are blessed along with Abraham, the man of faith” (Gal 3:9). If you put your faith in Jesus, then you are Christ’s, “And if you are Christ's, then you are Abraham's offspring, heirs according to promise” (Gal 3:29). So, any person from any background, nation, you name it, that follows King Jesus and has faith in his name will be part of the renewal of everything on heaven and on earth and enjoy an eternal life in his Kingdom.
What was a mystery within the scriptures was that Jesus the Messiah would appear in two separate comings. First to suffer and pay our debt, and secondly (beginning with the nation of Israel), to come and set up his Kingdom and restore the earth to its original perfect Edenic conditions.
One day soon Jesus will return as King “might to save” (Isaiah 63:1), and while those who refuse to except Jesus as their Lord and saviour shout “hide us from the face of him” (Rev 6:16), Christians “who have loved his appearing” (2 Tim 4:8) will rejoice as “he will send out his angels with a loud trumpet call, and they will gather his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other” (Matt 24:31) He will be the King of kings, and “He shall judge between the nations… nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war anymore” (Isaiah 2:4). His Kingdom will be one that has true justice, and reward those who “have fought the good fight… finished the race… kept the faith” (2 Tim 4:7), and “He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away” (Rev 21:4). “The wolf shall dwell with the lamb, and the leopard shall lie down with the young goat, and the calf and the lion and the fattened calf together; and a little child shall lead them” (Isaiah 11:6). A new order of things and an expression of God’s law of liberty will be established, “and many nations shall come, and say: “Come, let us go up to the mountain of the LORD, to the house of the God of Jacob, that he may teach us his ways and that we may walk in his paths.” For out of Zion shall go forth the law, and the word of the LORD from Jerusalem” (Mic 4:2).
I want to be part of that new world to come. I want to be welcomed into his Kingdom. I am so thankful that Jesus has paid my debt, so I can worship him as King and be showered by his grace. That is why I put my faith in Jesus. That is why I follow him. That is why I tell people about him.
A Christian is someone who follows Christ Jesus as their example, saviour, and coming King.
WHAT’S THE DIFFERENCE?
Here are two key reasons why Christianity is unlike any other religion.
SAVED BY GRACE, JUSTIFIED THROUGH FAITH
Every religion says: We’re good, you’re bad, join us and there’s a possibility you could be included in a heavenly or better afterlife.
Christianity says: We’re all bad, “for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Rom 3:23), only one man was good, His name is Jesus and he lived the life we never could, died a death he didn’t deserve to pay for our debt of sins.
The bible says, “…we must all appear before the judgement seat of Christ, so that each one may receive what is due for what he has done in the body, whether good or evil” (2 Cor 5:10). Equally, “we know that a person is not justified by works of the law but through faith in Jesus Christ” (Gal 2:16). “So then, the law [given to Moses] was our guardian until Christ came, in order that we might be justified by faith. But now that faith has come, we are no longer under a guardian, for in Christ Jesus you are all sons of God, through faith” (Gal 3:24-26).
So, the law of Moses given to the Jewish people revealed our sin (see Romans 3:20), like a measuring stick of holiness, because in attempting to keep it we soon recognise that none of us can keep it fully. “For whoever keeps the whole law but fails in one point has become guilty of all of it” (Jam 2:10).
Think about the 10 commandments (ref. Ex 20:2-17; Deut 5:6-21) which are a summary if you like of the hundreds of commandments given for the Israelites. Have you ever told a lie? Have you ever stolen something even if small? Have you ever looked at a person in lust? You may well say “I’m a good person”, but no judge would dismiss a serious crime in court if the defendant motioned about doing charitable deeds at weekends. Your good doesn’t out way the bad. None of us can perfectly “love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might” (Deut 6:5). We know we haven’t always “love[d] your neighbour as yourself” (Lev 19:18). You are guilty and destined to punishment.
But rather than condemning us as law-breakers and leaving it at that, God provided a substitute—Jesus the Christ—who obeyed the Law perfectly for us. By faith in Him and accepting His work on our behalf, we are justified and made righteous.
Christianity is the only religion that believes in salvation by grace alone. That doesn’t mean we do whatever we want and become a law unto ourselves (see Rom 6:1-2). On the contrary, we do what our Father in heaven wishes in gratitude to him putting our previous life behind us. Like a father who gives his son a present, the son in gratitude does what his father asks, not that in doing so he can in any way pay for the present, but rather he responds with love to the love that he has received. We don’t do good to get to heaven, we do good because we get to go to heaven and be part of his coming Kingdom. Our good works are evidence of our living faith (ref. James 2).
THE RESURRECTION
The resurrection is the cornerstone of the Christian faith. We read:
“if Christ has not been raised, then our preaching is in vain and your faith is in vain” (1 Cor 15:14).
Jesus claimed to be God. No other religion has a man who claimed to be God. And he proved to be God by resurrecting to life from death, providing the only way of redemption for mankind.
Mohammed didn’t rise from the dead, Buddha didn’t rise from the dead. Confucius did not rise from the dead. Krishna did not rise from the dead. Only Jesus rose physically from the dead. It is the most amazing event in all human history. Either this is true… or it’s false. How else do you explain an empty tomb that had a huge stone over it, with a roman seal hammered across it, guarded by professional roman soldiers desperate to squash any rumours about him?
There can only be one truth and one way. Christianity embraces the Truth in the person of Jesus of Nazareth. Jesus was either mad, bad, or the Truth. But the fact is, he doesn’t leave it open to conjecture. You can’t say he was just a good teacher, or perhaps a prophet, or a nice guy who spoke well. He doesn’t leave you guessing. He conquered death, he performed miracles for everyone to see, and claimed “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me” (John 14:6).
The lyrics of the talented Jaye Thomas who I had the pleasure of fellowshipping with in Israel, resonate:
No other god can be called a Father
No other god can be called a Friend
No other god can be called Redeemer
No other god's coming back again
[We Love Your Name]
HOW DO YOU BECOME A CHRISTIAN?
BORN AGAIN
How we start our Christian journey is important. But do those of all faiths go to heaven? Jesus said, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God” (John 3:3). Jesus was speaking foremost of the necessity of the nation of Israel to be born again (John 3:1-15). In the same way each individual follower of Christ is required to be born again which literally means born from heaven becoming a child of God.
So much more than an alter call where the preacher asks the crowd to put their hand up repeating a sinner’s prayer, being saved is a process from that immediate decision to put your faith in Jesus, to the day you are resurrected to glory. There are four things we should do for a proper start in our new Christ like life. Repent, Believe, get Baptised, and Receive the Holy Spirit.
REPENT OF SIN AGAINST GOD
The first step is repentance (Mark 1:14-15, Luke 3:1-18, Acts 2:37-39), which means turning away from our sins and turning towards God. It starts with a Godly sorrow, recognising our wrongs in a humble manner (ref. Jam 4:9-10). Often God will reveal to the surface of your mind many things that you’ve forgotten about in the past that require to be brought before Him, asking for forgiveness.
Repentance means we turn away from our previous life to a new one in thought (ref. Rom 12:2), word (ref. 1 John 1:9), and deed (ref. Luke 3:8, Luke 19:8-9, Acts 26:20). We begin to think how God thinks, align our thoughts with his, and when we understand more about God’s holiness it should lead to ever more repentance. We confess with our mouth our sins and renounce them. Repentance is evident in our deeds. Our new life is free from addictions, anger, bitterness, resentment, jealousy, and immoral habits that enslave us.
Paul told the Ephesians to “put off your old self, which belongs to your former manner of life and is corrupt through deceitful desires, and to be renewed in the spirit of your minds, and to put on the new self, created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness” (Eph 4:22-24). John teaches that “No one born of God makes a practice of sinning, for God's seed abides in him, and he cannot keep on sinning because he has been born of God” (1 John 3:9).
As we said a moment ago, in no way do we earn salvation. As Paul reminds us, “if righteousness were through the law, [doing good] then Christ died for no purpose” (Gal 2:21). In fact, “You are severed from Christ, you who would be justified by the law; you have fallen away from grace” (Gal 5:4). We don’t repent in an arrogant sense of thinking we are gaining our own salvation. Jesus warned the Pharisees of placing their trust in their own religious works and traditions. It would be like a man who is being pulled to safety by a lifeboat thinking by holding on to the rope he his saving himself. We do our bit by holding onto the rope (in which you have the choice to let go), and God pulls us to safety. It is clear the person pulling him to shore is saving his life. Jesus’ death to pay for our sin is a free gift—and we choose to die to ourselves and live for his ways. Jesus said, “If you love me, you will keep my commandments” (John 14:15; see John 14:23). Rather than carving out your own identity, we die to it. Not that we lose our unique personalities, but that we honour God in all that we do rather than develop our own worldly passions. Becoming a Christian is not a label or status we achieve. Instead we receive our identity in Jesus through the Spirit.
BELIEVE IN THE LORD JESUS
Being a Christian means to believe in the Lord Jesus Christ. As I mentioned earlier, our faith is not based on feelings but rather facts.
Our faith is based on History: “that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures” (1 Cor 15:3-4). And “If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved” (Rom 10:9). Your “faith is counted as righteousness” (Rom 4:5).
It’s a personal faith. Jesus is alive. He is our leader and saviour and a God we can talk to and know as friend. Having faith in him means we trust in his ways and his will: we obey him. I’ve heard it said that it’s ok to have a faith, but keep it to yourself. If I’ve truly discovered the creator of the universe, and found that he loved me in my mothered womb, relentlessly pursued me, set me free from the slavery of my sins, gave me grace to turn my life around, whose blessed me, who comforts me, who has sealed me for coming glory, whom I relish in a personal relationship, with great joy and hope, and will one day welcome me into his Kingdom… Then you should expect that I tell others about it. Good news is to be shared. If you are not… You may need to examine your faith.
We are to have a living faith. Anyone can believe something but chose not to act on it or live in wilful ignorance to that belief. You may believe a parachute will save your life, but unless you put it on when you jump out the plane you hardly had faith in it. We read, “Even the demons believe” (Jam 2:19). Satan and his demonic followers know God exists. They know Jesus died on the cross and rose again, but hold a dead faith, choosing to live contrary to God’s will. James said, “faith without works is dead” (Jam 2:20). Rather than a dead faith, we have a living faith which means we live it out. It’s not secret. It’s one that should be obvious to those around us.
Faith is ongoing, it perseveres, endures (ref. Gal 2:20, 2 Tim 4:7, Heb 11). If you bail out at the first hurdle, it was hardly a faith you live and trust by. If you jump out of a plane with a parachute, it’s because you trust the parachute to save you. But if you take it off on the way down, not only did your faith and trust vanish, you thought it was a hindrance to your journey. It’s a lifelong faith we have and mature in. We go on believing, go on trusting. It’s an ongoing faith that saves.
It’s important to note that it wasn’t a case in the Old Testament times that people were saved through their works of the law of Moses but now it’s by grace through faith. No, we understand “It is by hearing with faith, just as Abraham “believed God, and it was counted to him as righteousness”?” (Gal 3:5-6). It was those who believed God and truly put their trust in him that were counted as righteous, whether that was boarding the Ark, or offering a priestly sacrifice, just as we are counted righteous in faith in Jesus (see Heb 11).
GET BAPTISED
All believers in the early church were baptised (Acts 2:37-42, 8:12, 8:36-38, 10:47-48, 16:13-15, 16:32-34, 18:8, 19:4-5, 22:12-16). Which means to be dunked in water.
We follow in the footsteps of Jesus. He was baptised, and he told us to be baptised too: “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit” (Matt 28:19).
Baptism is an event whereby a person is spiritually cleansed (ref. 1 Pet 3:20-21). To “wash away your sins, calling on his name” (Acts 22:16), and a burial of the old self (Col 2:12, Rom 6:3-4).
Why was it done? Jesus said, “Whoever believes and is baptised will be saved” (Mark 16:16). You can’t just be baptised as a baby and be set for life. It’s those who first believe and then are baptised that will be saved.
Peter told them to, “Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit” (Acts 2:38).
Peter wrote that baptism “saves you, not as a removal of dirt from the body but as an appeal to God for a good conscience” (1 Pet 3:21).
Baptism is deliverance. We are baptised into Christ's death, buried with Him and raised with Him (see Rom 6:3-11, Col 2:11-12). Just as the Israelite’s were “baptised into Moses” (1 Cor 10:2) and out from Pharaoh’s callous rule, through the Red Sea, so too, when you are baptised you are delivered from the territory of Satan: “giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of the saints in light. He has delivered us from the domain of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved Son, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins” (Col 1:12-14). The son or daughter of the “Father of lies” (John 8:44) is now dead. The new born son or daughter of the great God and King is alive and well. “I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me” (Gal 2:20).
The Israelites were born as a nation on Sinai. Their journey started in the desert and they would need all the help they could get.
RECEIVE THE HOLY SPIRIT
For the journey in your new life, you require the Holy Spirit. Jesus tells us we must be “born of water and the Spirit” (John 3:5) to enter the Kingdom of God. Baptism cleans you out and deals with your past life. But now you need to be filled with the Holy Spirit for the future as was Jesus. How do we get the help from the Spirit? Jesus tell us: “ask the Father, and he will give you another Helper, to be with you forever, even the Spirit of truth” (John 14:15-17). When we repent and believe, the evidence of which is in keeping his commandments, and we’ve been baptised, we can simply ask in prayer and he will give Him to us (Acts 2:37-39). It is also seen in the early church where the Spirit would come during prayer while laying hands on someone (Acts 19:6). We must also go on asking (Luke 3:21-22, 11:9-13, Acts 8:15-17) and be renewed by the Spirit, to clean out the continual build up baggage and replenish us.
You will receive gifts of the Spirit such as prophecy, the gift of healing, or the gift of tongues. Paul writes, “earnestly desire the spiritual gifts” (1 Cor 14:1). Remember this isn’t anything to be scared of. A good God gives good gifts. Jesus said your own dad wouldn’t give you a scorpion if you’d asked for an egg, “how much more will the heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!” (Luke 11:11-13).
Now, you may have heard or seen things in churches or religious TV that looks weird, some of which may not even be biblical, but remember that the fruits of the Spirit include self-control (Gal 5:22-23). So, if people are claiming to receive the Spirit but they are not in control of their body, it’s not the Holy Spirit. It’s not the Holy spirit for example that makes people fall over. The accounts of people falling over in the bible were because they were in shock or in fear of what they witnessed. Often an angel tells them to get back up to their feet.
When the Holy Spirit lives in a person, they are transformed. We read: “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come” (2 Cor 5:17). We don’t just know God in the sense of academic knowledge, we know God in sense we experience a very real relationship with God. When we soften our heart towards him, He speaks to us through our conscience and a variety of ways.
Unlike other religions, we can be assured of our salvation. The Holy Spirit dwells in us as a down payment of what is to come (see Eph 1:13-14).
SAVED
“so Christ, having been offered once to bear the sins of many, will appear a second time, not to deal with sin but to save those who are eagerly waiting for him” (Heb 9:28).
God is in the business of salvaging and restoration, which is a life-long process for Christians. We are born again into a new life through repentance and faith which we call conversion. Then the regeneration of God in baptism and receiving of the Holy Spirit. We need both Conversion and Regeneration to be alive in the Kingdom of God.
So God Justifies you in his sight [Justification], accepts and forgives you (see Rom 3:20-30;5:1-10;8:30-34, Gal 2:16-17,Titus 3:4-7). Then he sanctifies you in your Christian walk and makes you holy [Sanctification] (see Rom 6:19-22;12:1-2, 1 Cor 6:11, 1 Pet 1:1-2). Finally, God will give you a new resurrected body [Glorification] in the newly restored heaven and earth to come (see Rom 8:28-30, 2 Cor 3:17-18, Phil 3:20-21).
From now on, in this new lifelong commitment, Jesus is your lord and the bible is your authority. And so, you will find that you start to fellowship with people you’d never normally be friends with. Race and culture prejudice leave you, our way of thinking changes as we form a biblical worldview, we see the good fruit in our lives, and support others in the faith, we restore fractured relationships, we work for reconciliation and peace, and all because now “the love of Christ controls us” (2 Cor 5:11-21).
SIDE NOTE – KINGDOM NOW AND THEN
As a side note I just want to be clear about the hope of the gospel of the Kingdom.
KINGDOM NOW THEOLOGY
Today many are preaching that the Kingdom of God has already come. They are of the mindset that society will progress continually (sometimes called Dominionism) until Christians take over the world ready for Jesus to return. Some believe that we receive all the blessings of the Kingdom now, from total healing to complete national revivals [Having said that, the remnant of Israel will all bless the Lord in a national revival when the Lord returns (Rom 11:26; Mat 23:39)].
This is incorrect and causes damage to Christian communities. The bible is clear that things will get worse before he returns—otherwise what is He saving us from? Are we really building the Kingdom ready for him to sit in it as King? No. He will build his church and He will establish his Kingdom formed “by no human hand” (Dan 2:34). Plus, if the Kingdom has come now—I’m not impressed. Is this it?
HOW IT PLAYS OUT
The inevitability of “Kingdom Now” theology is that it produces disappointment. Many may fall way from the faith, having put such emphasis on the hope for today, believing their body will be completely healed now from head to toe, or they are guaranteed children now, or in hope they will reach a hyper-spiritual level of never feeling any less than exuberant [For clarity, God can and does physically heal people today, but nothing is guaranteed. Suffering and death are part of the fallen condition before our resurrection at the Lord’s return]. When they discover that life isn’t quite aligning with their kingdom-now worldview, it leads to a misplaced anger at God, feelings of being inept and not good enough. Among other things, too much emphasis on Kingdom-now produces an impotent gospel robbed of a glorious future hope, and often a prejudice against the nation of Israel.
FUTURE KINGDOM
The bible is clear that “when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and believed in him, were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit, who is the guarantee of our inheritance until we acquire possession of it, to the praise of his glory” (Eph 1.13-14).
The entire thrust of the bible is future. All 126 New Testament passages that speak of the Kingdom have a future context. The leopard does not yet lie down with the goat (Isaiah 11:6), death has not yet been eradicated (Rev 21:4), wars will continue until the end of the age (Dan 9:26; Isaiah 2:4), for now “we prophecy in part… we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face” (1 Cor 13:9,12). The Kingdom will not be established until Jesus returns, saves his people, and reigns and rules from Jerusalem.
WHAT IS NOW?
For now, He has “Set his seal of ownership on us, and put his Spirit in our hearts as a deposit, guaranteeing what is to come” (2 Cor 1:22 NIV). We have “full assurance” (Heb 6:11) of our future inheritance. We are sealed, guaranteed, we have the down payment, we are engaged waiting to be fully saved by the Kingly bridegroom.
We are ambassadors of the Kingdom, we “guard the deposit entrusted to” (1 Tim 6.20) us, we speak of the future Kingdom, we show signs that point to the Kingdom, we prepare, we sow, we plant, we proclaim as “stewards of the mysteries of God” (1 Cor 4:1).
FUTURE HOPE
We’ll discuss this more at length another time. But I just wanted to point out that our hope is not fixated on this world and what we can achieve as the church, but rather the world to come, the Day of the Lord when Jesus returns and establish his Kingdom that shall have no end.
SUFFERING AND GLORY
WHAT IT ISN’T
This is the bit where I tell you if you become a Christian you’re going to get rich, realise all your dreams, and live happily ever after.
Of course, if I did I’d be lying. There is no big sell, but a truly great hope.
SUFFER BEFORE GLORY
Many who come to faith in Jesus immediately discover life to become tougher. In many parts of the world Christians have no choice but to meet and worship in underground churches and smuggle bibles in fear of persecution. Children can be mocked in western schools for believing the bible. When you are the first person in your family to become a Christian, it can be tough walk. Christians that work in academic institutions can come under huge pressure to conform and align with the consensus.
We learn from the Israelites that when they started out their new life in the desert, they were grumbling, saying this life seems harder than being slaves under Pharaoh. Paul taught Timothy that, “all who desire to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted” (2 Tim 3:12).
We follow in Jesus’ footsteps and he gave us a pattern of suffering before glory. He came to humble himself, serve and be crucified before his glorious resurrection and will one day reign as King over the earth.
When we become a Christian we are “saved” in the sense we are free from our old self, the chains of sin that once held us captive, and guaranteed and sealed by the deposit of the Spirit, but we are not ultimately saved until Jesus returns.
“Jesus told his disciples, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it” (Mat 16:24-25).
We don’t find ourselves as the world says. We’re not on a path of self-discovery, building an identity as we chose. We deny ourselves, receive our identity in Christ, and carry our cross of sufferings in following Jesus. All the apostles faced persecution and died horrific deaths—except John who remained as a political prisoner on the Island of Patmos. From the prophets before them to millions throughout the centuries many have suffered and died proclaiming the gospel of Christ. Following Jesus is not always the popular option.
It’s not that we seek suffering. I want to provide a nice environment and life for my wife and children. But we understand that in this age we dwell in the midst of the fallen state, “patiently enduring evil” (2 Tim 2:24) with death and disease and heartache. Yet we balance this out with the great hope and knowledge that in the age to come, when Jesus returns and sets all things straight, we will be resurrected to everlasting life. For we “consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us” (Rom 8:18).
JOY AND COMFORT IN TRIALS
God doesn’t want his creation broken and suffering. He doesn’t even take “pleasure in the death of the wicked” (Ez 33:11). The good news is about God redeeming all things.
Paul says we worship “the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our affliction, so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any affliction, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God. For as we share abundantly in Christ's sufferings, so through Christ we share abundantly in comfort too.” (2 Cor 1:3-7). If you are poor, so was Jesus. If you have a step dad, so did Jesus. If you lost your dad and had to provide for the family, so did Jesus. If you are lonely, hungry, exhausted, rejected, slandered, wrongly imprisoned, Jesus too knows what that feels like.
James exhorted, “Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing” (Jam 1:2-4).
Happiness frequently portrayed on Facebook and Instagram depends on the happenings of the moment. Usually the split second the photo is taken. Joy from God is regardless of the trials that surround you.
The whole purpose of this life is not to build identity, wealth, or even security, rather to shape and mould you into the image of Jesus.
ULTIMATELY, IT’S LIFE AND DEATH
To persuade you, and reason with you I would say this. You are made in the image of God. When you feel pain and joy, know that He too feels those things. When you’re angry at injustice it’s because your made in the image of a just God. And when God returns he will judge the wicked and wipe away every tear. He is a person who we can know, and who wants to be known.
A man can live for glory now—and die “in the midst of his pursuits” (Jam 1:11), ultimately paying for his own debt of sin in an eternal lake of fire. Or, he can live for Jesus and his honour and be included in His glorious future Kingdom.
Jesus warned, “you will be hated by all for my name’s sake. But the one who endures to the end will be saved” (Mark 13:13). Jesus encouraged: “Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth” (Mat 5:5).
When I started to walk with God, I wondered why I hadn’t chosen this path earlier in my life. I have no idea how people go through the roller-coaster of life without hope and the God of comfort by their side.
THE CONFUSION
COUNTLESS DENOMINATIONS
I have to admit. It can be confusing. Christians haven’t always explained the gospel well. There are hundreds of denominations with different traditions. We do not always demonstrate our faith well, and so hypocrite can be a reasonable title.
TRADITIONS
Humans love traditions because we always want to do it our own way. Even if we do the right thing we often want to do it in our own very special way.
Traditions aren’t necessarily a bad thing, occasionally helpful. Traditions are acceptable as long as they aren’t contrary to the bible’s teaching or create a stumbling block for faith seekers. If you can’t find it in the bible—it isn’t required. The question is—does it help rather than hinder discipleship.
CULTS AND NEW AGE SPIN OFFS
There have been countless cults and new age movements spun off Christian thread.
It can be particularly confusing when other religions have creeds and practices that sound similar, and even use biblical wording in their titles. Common cults include Jehovah witnesses, The Church of Jesus Christ of latter day Saints (Mormonism), The United Church of God, Christian Science, even Islam is a spin off.
Below is a link to a comparison of a few impostor examples.
https://carm.org/cult-comparison-chart
Calling yourself a Christian doesn’t mean you are a “Christ-ian” in God’s sight.
Jesus warned, “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven” (Mat 7:21-23). Paul further warned to the Ephesian elders in the book of Acts, “I know that after my departure fierce wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock; and from among your own selves will arise men speaking twisted things, to draw away the disciples after them” (Acts 20:29-30).
Jesus told us to expect people to imitate him saying, “See that no one leads you astray. For many will come in my name, saying, ‘I am the Christ,’ and they will lead many astray” (Mat 24:4-5), and to “Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep's clothing but inwardly are ravenous wolves” (Mat 7:15). Wolves don’t look like wolves. A hunter will disguise him or herself.
In the early church there were false leaders just as there are today. Paul writes, “For such men are false apostles, deceitful workmen, disguising themselves as apostles of Christ. And no wonder, for even Satan disguises himself as an angel of light. So it is no surprise if his servants, also, disguise themselves as servants of righteousness” (2 Cor 11:13-15).
FALSE TEACHING IN THE CHURCH
Leaders can begin their ministry well but end up being motivated by the big stage, drawn into pop psychology, watering down the gospel, which inescapably leads to false teaching, and often the congregation which has now become an audience expectant of entertainment, thirst for weekly milky treats. "For the time is coming” Paul explains “when people will not endure sound teaching, but having itching ears they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own passions, and will turn away from listening to the truth and wander off into myths" (2 Tim 4:3).
Then there are those who are not so much in it for the fame but rather the authority, pomp and ceremony. As Jesus instructs his disciples, “Beware of the scribes, who like to walk around in long robes, and love greetings in the marketplaces and the best seats in the synagogues and the places of honor at feasts… for a pretense make long prayers” (Luke 20:46).
Paul also reveals that some leaders act in pretence: “Some indeed preach Christ from envy and rivalry, but others from good will. The latter do it out of love... The former proclaim Christ out of selfish ambition, not sincerely” (Phil 1:15-18). And the Holy Spirit revealed to him that “in later times some will depart from the faith by devoting themselves to deceitful spirits and teachings of demons” (1 Tim 4:1-2).
While many stand true to God’s Word, sadly the main stream church in the UK has lent further and further away from God’s Word on to man’s word. The six-day creation which is the foundation of understanding has been replaced with the dark theory of evolution; Gender roles in the home and church have been thrown out; The clear teaching on marriage is being washed away; The election of Israel and the Jewish people has been discarded; Even the doctrines of justification have been ebbed away. We wonder why the nation has turned its back on God. Because the church has walked away from the Word. We’re reaping the unrighteous fruit from the unrighteous seeds sown.
And it should be no surprise that entertainment industry and main stream media aren’t always the best advertisement for the church. Christianity can get a bad rap, sometimes for good reason. Amongst all the craziness remember that at its core, at its simplest, the Christian faith is beautiful. Remember Paul’s words that, “we may lead a peaceful and quiet life, godly and dignified in every way” (1 Tim 2:2).
This may all seem a bit heavy for someone starting out in their faith. But it would irresponsible to send someone on a journey without preparing them first. I wish someone had discipled me in some of pitfalls and correct practice when I set out. So, we must keep watch of the sign of the times, the church we’re part of, and who we fellowship with (see 2 Cor 6:14-18). It’s not about being paranoid, remember “God is not a God of confusion but of peace” (1 Cor 14:33). Rather we’re required to behold Godly discernment in stewarding the mysteries of the faith well.
John warned, “Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, for many false prophets have gone out into the world” (1 John 4:1). Paul encouraged us to, “test everything; hold fast what is good” (1 Thes 5:21). Jesus told, “You will recognise them by their fruits” (Mat 7:20). Do they produce good fruits or rotten fruits? Not good fruits according to the world, but biblical good fruits. That is why you have this [the Bible] so you can check what they are saying is in the bible and makes sense in the context of the passage.
I think when we get to the age to come—we’ll be surprised who isn’t included and who is.
ISN’T CHRISTIANITY A SPIN OFF FROM JUDAISM?
Sure, but isn’t Christianity a spin off from Judaism? Judaism is centred on the Hebrew bible which we call the Old Testament, and from which they attempt to keep the Law the Moses. In Jesus’ day the Jews were expecting their Messiah spoken of in the scriptures to arrive and free Israel from Roman rule. The bottom line is that the majority of Jews didn’t accept Jesus as their Messiah. They didn’t want a King who was humiliated on a cross. They couldn’t see time-gap between his first coming to pay for sins, and his second coming to restore Israel. Having said that, thousands of Jews did believe, the early church was mainly Jewish with gentiles joining them. All the apostles were Jewish, and of course Jesus is Jewish.
Jesus lived by the law of Moses. Paul continued in keeping aspects of the law of Moses and confirmed “the law is holy… righteous and good” (Rom 7:12). However, these Messianic Jews, or Christians, recognised that Jesus was the long awaited messiah and that it’s faith in Him apart from works of the law is what grants everlasting life.
In a sense Judaism split in the second temple period. Those that believed in the Messiah Jesus, and those who don’t. Those who trust in Jesus and his accomplishments, and those who trust in their own accomplishments. I heard it said by a Jewish believer in Jesus: “Christianity is the True Judaism”.
“By this you know the Spirit of God” John writes, “every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God” (1 John 4:2).
What we call the New Testament scriptures from Mathew through to Revelation were then written, again entirely by Jews, with the possible exception of Luke.
Today hundreds of thousands of Jews believe in their Messiah Jesus, but the majority do not. However, one day all of Israel will know their God and King in the person of Jesus (see Rom 11:26).
FIND A COMMUNITY OF BIBLE BELIEVERS
Here’s the trick. If you want to know what God says. Read the bible. Find a bunch of people who also read their bibles. If they read their bible, it means they will have one with them. And if they have one and it looks all brand new—it’s for show. Unless of course it is brand new, but if they read it, it will look well read. These are the people you want to fellowship with. Those who hold up the authority of the bible alone, those who proclaim Jesus is God in the flesh, who died and resurrected to life in the same human body, that he is the only way to the Father, the only one who can forgive sins, that being saved by grace alone through faith, evidenced by good fruit. Anything else, is what the apostle Paul called a “different gospel” (2 Cor 11:4).
As a warning: Be careful if: a community bang on about money or realising your goals and dreams; If the preacher is saying things that clearly contradict your plain reading of scripture; If they frequently praise one particular person over and over. We don’t follow the Pope, or Luther for that matter. We can admire saints and their teachings, but we don’t worship them. “For when one says, “I follow Paul,” and another, “I follow Apollos,” are you not being merely human?” (1 Cor 3:4). We follow Christ alone as the corner stone (ref. Eph 2:19-22; 1 Pet 2:5-7); If they will only allow one particular version of the bible—be careful; If they hold the traditions higher than scripture; If there is an unbalanced focus on one aspect of ministry way more than the bible speaks of it—weather it’s money, healings, whatever… lest us forget we require “the whole counsel of God” (Acts 20:27), not a stripped down version of your favourite topic.
Ask God to guide you by His Spirit, “For all who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God” (Rom 8:14).
It’s crucial to remember that the Bible is the inspired, “God-breathed” Word of God and that its teaching is the final authority in all matters of faith and practice (2 Tim 3:16; 2 Pet 1:20-21). Top tip: Believe and live by God’s Word, not man’s word.
THE ALTERNATIVE
If not God—what’s the alternative? The big bang? There was nothing, then nothing exploded, it rained on a rock and somehow life came from non-life, and we evolved through random processes 4.5 billion years ago, and now we’re having an intelligent conscious conversation about that that rock. I’ve not enough faith for that. For those who attempt to fit evolution into the Bible: Evolution is a process of death and disease, and suffering of billions of creatures over billions of years. That doesn’t sound like my God. The God of the bible is of life and light, not death and darkness. He gets it right first time. It’s us that have created the mess and brought about death and suffering, not God.
Our western society has been built on Christian foundations, and we’ve reaped of the fruit of it for a long time. But as we turn our back on God and become a law to ourselves, I pray we don’t become the alternative—the 20th century was a blood bath of secular wars. Take a look at other countries throughout history, and today, secular or religious—I’ll take a Christian country every time.
The real alternative is doing it your own way. But ultimately you will have to pay the price by being thrown into the lake of fire.
WHY DON’T PEOPLE FOLLOW JESUS
So why don’t people follow Jesus?
The bible says that “by their unrighteousness suppress the truth” (Rom 1:18). Really, I know that you know God exists. You can deny it all you like, but the reality is that if you deny God, you have chosen to be wilfully ignorant (ref. 2 Pet 3:5).
The apostle Paul said “For what can be known about God is plain to them, because God has shown it to them. For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse. For although they knew God, they did not honor him as God or give thanks to him, but they became futile in their thinking, and their foolish hearts were darkened. Claiming to be wise, they became fools, and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images resembling mortal man and birds and animals and creeping things” (Rom 1:19-23).
You know the creator exists, but instead of worshipping him, you follow a footballer, or a fashion icon, or a political leader, and yourself.
The bible says God has given his light to everyone (ref. John 1:9). Jesus who is the true light said, when you put that light out given to you, and dull that conscience, which is the inner knowledge of Gods existence, “how great is the darkness!” (Mat 6:23). You can choose to listen to your God given consciences or harden your conscience towards God.
“This is the verdict: Light has come into the world, but people loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil. Everyone who does evil hates the light, and will not come into the light for fear that their deeds will be exposed” (John 3:19-21).
You may say you can do good acts without God. Sure, though any good you do is because you are “made in the image of God” (Gen 1:27). Yet anything you do in your own strength without acknowledging the fact it is from God, means that pride smothers the good thing anyway.
Ultimately you love your sin. You don’t want to give up your alcohol abuse, pornography, gossip, anger, fornication, whatever. We love ourselves more than God. We’re the selfie generation. So, you choose to suppress the truth and deceive yourself.
And so, as the bible says:
“God gave them up in the lusts of their hearts to impurity, to the dishonoring of their bodies among themselves, because they exchanged the truth about God for a lie and worshipped and served the creature rather than the Creator” (Rom 1:24-25).
Sound Familiar? Why is it that Christianity that is all about the grace, truth, hope and love of God is so offensive and controversial? Deep down everyone knows that one day “at the name of Jesus every knee should bow in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father” (Phil 2:10-11; ref. 14:11).
I choose Jesus. I follow him. I get it wrong a lot of the time, but slowly I’m being formed, what we call sanctified into the likeness of him.
Jesus is “my King and my God” (Psalm 44:4). I hope and pray you choose Jesus.