REASONABLE RELIGION

Why should anyone ever consider embracing Christianity? Seriously, isn’t that about the same as becoming a nun in a convent or making it one’s sole objective in life to eradicate all that even closely resembles fun? Furthermore, isn’t Christianity just an encyclopedia of rules that more or less keep one from enjoying life? Such is the perspective, with little exaggeration, from many who stare through the glass windows of the Christian Faith and are often times left dazed and confused by what they see. It would seem that Gandhi’s permeating sentiment that “Christ is likable, it’s the Christians that leave something to be desired”[i] is around to stay. Yet, both in Gandhi’s case as well as the case of the modern adherents of the “Fun Movement”, there seems to be a gross misunderstanding of Christ and the Christian Faith.

In the case of Gandhi’s sentiment, it’s clear that his assessments of Christians were anything but favorable. Still, I seriously doubt the Jesus he liked was the one of Scripture. Like many others throughout history, Gandhi likely had a man-made Jesus in mind; one who was soft and cuddly. In like manner, the Christianity of the modern skeptic or unbeliever is also more likened to something man-made.

Though it may not fit the world’s description of “Fun”, the Christianity of Scripture is anything but boring! Furthermore, although it is true that the Bible is full of rules, regulations, commands and principles to live by , it consists of so much more! As a matter of fact, Christianity rightly understood provides the only reasonable answer to man’s deepest needs.  

In other words, for those who fluently speak the mysterious language of “cliché”, “Jesus is the Answer”. No doubt, most Americans have heard this phrase uttered an innumerable number of times; however, if Jesus is the answer, what is the question? Endless pages could be written upon unpacking all the questions that Jesus is the answer to; however, for our purposes, we will consider only a few. For starters, let’s consider the question that seems to haunt the rich, poor, young and old alike, “Why am I here?”

Why am I here?

It was C.S Lewis who once said, “A man can no more diminish God’s glory by refusing to worship him than a lunatic can put out the sun by scribbling “darkness” on the walls of his cell.[ii]” Nevertheless, it would not be too far off base to suggest that we live in a world full of professional sun-scribblers who try in vain to create an existence with no God and no worship. I suppose many are under the impression that worship is merely for the religious fanatic and with a little effort, he or she can live a good life with good intentions, minus the religious worship “stuff”.

Yet, let it be known without any ounce of ambiguity, everybody worships! It’s true. In one form or another, we are all worshipers of someone or something. Whether we recognize this or not is a different discussion. However, the fact remains, we are all devoting ourselves to something, spending our money and time towards some end goal and placing our trust in something or someone. This is in essence what it means to worship. It is the expression from an individual’s life that identifies that which he or she considers worthy enough to pursue. In some cases this may be a life devoted to prestige. In other cases it may be a life that finds security in money. Still, in other cases, it may be a life devoted to a person or group. Whatever the case, every person that walks the face of this planet is worshiping someone or something.

Considering just a few questions may prove helpful in ascertaining that which one worships. For instance, what is it that gives your life meaning? What is it that keeps you going in the midst of difficult times? What is it that could be taken from you and cause you to feel as though life is no longer worth living? What is it that you would do almost anything to obtain or keep, no matter the cost? What is it that makes you feel secure in this life and the absence of it would cause you to feel more than a little unstable? Your answer to any one of these questions will not necessarily help you to pin-point that which you worship, but your collective answers to each of them would most certainly point you in the right direction.

Here’s the kicker. If your answers to these questions are anything other than Christ (God) then you have sadly missed the point of life, the reason for your existence.

Timothy Keller describes the conundrum this way:

“In the beginning, human beings were made to worship and serve God, and to rule over all created things in God’s name (Gen 1:26-­28). Paul understands humanity’s original sin as an act of idolatry: ‘They exchanged the glory of the immortal God… and worshipped and served created things rather than the creator’ (Rom 1:21–25).  Instead of living for God, we began to live for ourselves, or our work, or for material goods. We reversed the original intended order. And when we began to worship and serve created things, paradoxically, the created things came to rule over us. Instead of being God’s vice-regents, ruling over creation, now creation masters us. We are now subject to decay and disease and disaster. The final proof of this is death itself.  We live for our own glory by toiling in the dust, but eventually we return to the dust—the dust ‘wins’ (Gen 3:17–19). We live to make a name for ourselves but our names are forgotten. Here in the beginning of the Bible we learn that idolatry means slavery and death.”[iii]

Perhaps this will come as a surprise to some of you but the fact of the matter is that you were created to worship God and express in some measure His glory. This seems to be the message of Colossians 1:16 “For by him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things were created by him and for him.” (NIV84)

Unfortunately, far too few ever grasp this fact and instead of a life of God-ward worship they spend their lives in a never-ending pursuit of happiness and fulfillment apart from God; something that is more or less a vain attempt of bottling up the wind. You see, the question to address is not whether or not you are a worshiper but rather “what” or “whom” do you worship? 

Those who embrace Christianity claim unabashedly that life is to be lived in complete worship of the one true God. This is the foundation of the Christian Faith and it is that which underpins the assertion that Christianity alone provides the answers to man’s deepest held questions. This is so, primarily, because Christianity is not a religion that focuses on how man can claw his way to God but rather a set of beliefs, historical facts, records and good news that tells the story of how God engaged in the greatest condescension in history and came to man. One has to love the way Eugene Peterson paraphrases this insight in his rendering of John 1:14, “The Word became flesh and blood, and moved into the neighborhood. We saw the glory with our own eyes, the one-of-a-kind glory, like Father, like Son, Generous inside and out, true from start to finish.” (The Message)

This is the message of Christianity and this is the answer to at least one of man’s deepest questions; namely, “Why am I here?”

We exist, no matter our color, race, economic status or age, for a single mind-boggling purpose; to know and worship the God who stepped out of the grandeur of heaven, clothed himself with humanity and moved into our neighborhood.

In his excellent commentary on the book of Ecclesiastes, Kent Hughes reflects on the wisdom of C.S Lewis regarding this topic.

No one has ever explained the implications of our longing for eternity better than C. S. Lewis, who said, “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 prove 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.” “The sweetest thing in all my life,” Lewis wrote in one of his novels, “has been the longing … to find the place where all the beauty came from.”9 Elsewhere he describes this longing as “the scent of a flower we have not found, the echo of a tune we have not heard, news from a country we have never yet visited.”[iv]

In summary, Lewis understood all too well that this world and all of its trinkets was never intended to be that which satisfies the longings of the human heart. God alone in the person of Christ is able to satisfy the yearnings of the soul. Unfortunately, as Lewis would go on to say in another one of his works, perhaps the problem is that we are too easily satisfied. No matter what one’s opinion may be of those who claim “Christianity” for their religious adherence, one fact is indisputable, the Christ of Christianity cannot be ignored. He alone stands on every page of human history and refuses to be ignored. His life, death and glorious resurrection demands our attention and once we give it…once we turn our gaze upon him, we realize in a most astounding way that he alone gives value and purpose to an otherwise meaningless existence and he alone satisfies the parched soul.

Though this alone should be reason enough to embrace Christ and the Faith that He embodies (Christianity), there are other questions that Jesus and Christianity answer and which deserve our careful attention. The questions I speak of pertain not so much to the reason of one’s existence but to the past regrets, present struggles and uncertain future of existence.

How do I deal with the reality of my past present and future?

Like an ever-present driver side mirror, so many in this world wonder through life giving only the appearance that their past is far behind them. The reason for this is quite simple; “undealt with guilt”. The unbelieving world may claim to be “just fine” with an ear to ear smile, but make no mistake, behind every plastic smile and hollow response resides a person who carries with him or her the regrets of dashed dreams, the scars of self-inflicted harm, the anguish of hurtful decisions, the haunting of a life wasted and the stain of sin. I dare say, very few if asked will actually share in humble transparency their true state of mind when asked the question, “How are you?” Nevertheless, one need only look at the rate in which people consume substances that deaden the senses or take in meaningless activities to pass the time or spend the sun-filled hours of the day under a thin veil called a sheet to realize how many are encumbered by the heavy weight of guilt and desperation.

Who in this life has succeeded in never thinking a malicious thought, never speaking a needlessly cutting word and never engaging in a wicked action?  The fact of the matter is that the whole of humanity stands guilty when such a question is asked. Even those who might be so fortunate as to receive a passing grade in one area or another stand guilty in God’s eyes. It’s for this reason that the book of James states, “For whoever keeps the whole law and yet stumbles at just one point is guilty of breaking all of it. For he who said, “Do not commit adultery,” also said, “Do not murder.” If you do not commit adultery but do commit murder, you have become a lawbreaker.” (James 2:10–11 NIV84)

No reasonably observant person could deny the brokenness of our world and likewise, it takes very little investigative prowess to notice the brokenness of people and families. Such is the horrible cost of sin and it is sin that fertilizes the heart and mind of a guilt ridden person. At the end of the day, the issue here is not how much or to what degree one has broken the law of God but rather the fact of being a law-breaker, even if in a single area. In fact, this is made painfully clear in Romans 3:23 where the Apostle Paul declares that “all have sinned and fallen short of God’s glory”. Surely, this is bad news…but in reality it’s worse than one might think. As a matter of fact, just a little later Paul goes on to explain that the wages of sin is death (Rom 6:23a). In other words, once we get past the familiar Christian jargon we come to realize that what we get for what we do (sin) is death. Keep in mind, when Paul speaks of this he is harkening back to the dreadful consequence of the first rebellion when God said to Adam and Eve that the result of rebellion would be sure death. When we read the Genesis account we may find ourselves at first perplexed after noticing that both the man and woman still live even after the act of cosmic treason. Nevertheless, the whole of Scripture seems to display the fact that on that fateful day in the garden, not only did the process of physical death begin but spiritual death was immediately experienced which would eventually lead to eternal death and separation if not dealt with. Such is the case with all of humanity. No one escapes the sting of death and no one will escape the horrid ramifications of spiritual death if not dealt with.

Unfortunately, the guilt we carry over past sin will never subside until we find a way to have it removed, released and dealt with. Some attempt in vain a life of the great balance, seeking to do more good than bad, but the problem is that no measure of good can ever erase the bad. To further complicate matters, in spite of the effort, the daily battle against sin seems to be a losing one. In fact, it would seem, and rightly so, that what we need is not only deliverance from those things we have done in the past but also deliverance from the pressure, difficulty and constant struggle of today. As if this were not enough to deal with, is there anyone with a reasonable capacity to think and contemplate who hasn’t found themselves concerned about the hereafter? In other words, how is one to deal with the fear, inevitability and uncertainty of the future? Such are the questions that hang around the neck of humanity. Yet, such questions are precisely why Christianity is to be considered a priceless diamond in the rough terrain of man-made religions. Rather than being merely a good option, Christianity is the only option available for those who wish to deal with the struggles of the past, present and future. This is so precisely because it is at this juncture that Christianity and the Christ who embodies it steps forward with the answers we all so desperately need.

We see this beautifully described by Paul in Colossians 1:19–22 “For God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in him, and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through his blood, shed on the cross. Once you were alienated from God and were enemies in your minds because of your evil behavior. But now he has reconciled you by Christ’s physical body through death to present you holy in his sight, without blemish and free from accusation”

Don’t miss the beauty of this word “reconcile”. The heart of this rich biblical term is best understood in the concept of restoration. In essence, when we see Christ hang on the cross, pouring his blood out for all mankind, we should equally see the Father holding his hand out in peace towards mankind. Restoration is made possible through Christ and the sins of our past are wiped clean. In fact, according to this passage we receive the amazing blessing of being presented both without blemish and without accusation when we embrace the reconciliation that was made possible through Christ. Without a doubt, the aroma of Christianity is never sweeter smelling that when we see the bloom of God’s grace in the lives of those who have gone from a rebellious enemy of God to a child who calls Him Father. Those looking for a reason to embrace Christianity need look no further than the sin littered road of their past and then realize for perhaps the first time, that Christ died to clean it all up once and for all.

This is what theologians refer to as Justification and though much more could be said about this great theological term, at minimum it teaches us that those who place their trust in Christ are saved from the penalty of sin. Without question this includes the death that the Apostle Paul spoke of but perhaps it is well within reason to also include the guilt that so many desperately long to relinquish.

Though freedom from the penalty of past sin is worthy of celebration, it’s not merely our past that must be dealt with but the ever consuming struggle of the present. Here we can introduce another rich theological term; sanctification. Consider the following:

Sanctification—involves more than a mere moral reformation of character, brought about by the power of the truth: it is the work of the holy spirit bringing the whole nature more and more under the influences of the new gracious principles implanted in the soul in regeneration. In other words, sanctification is the carrying on to perfection the work begun in regeneration, and it extends to the whole man (rom. 6:13; 2 cor. 4:6; col. 3:10; 1 john 4:7; 1 cor. 6:19). It is the special office of the holy spirit in the plan of redemption to carry on this work (1 cor. 6:11; 2 Thess. 2:13)[v]

In summary, though the process of sanctification pertains to several aspects of our life, it most assuredly pertains to the daily battle against sin. Who doesn’t need such a resource? Amazingly, not only does Christ secure for all who place their trust in Him deliverance from the penalty of past sin but also deliverance from the power of present sin.

Added to our justification and sanctification is glorification, deliverance from the very presence of sin. If Scripture is true, and we believe it is, there is a life that awaits those who place their trust in the Christ of Christianity and no one in their right mind would want to miss it. It’s a life where the color of skin never impedes the expression of love, the value of convenience and comfort never trump the blessing of life, a life where pain is no more, where tears cease and where death is swallowed. Such is the hope of the future according to the Christian Faith.

 “Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and there was no longer any sea.  I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband. 3 And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Now the dwelling of God is with men, and he will live with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.” (Revelation 21:1–4 (NIV84))

Christ and Christianity offers the world what no other can; namely, peace with God. Though fancy theological terms may seem unattractive to most people, the notion of finding freedom from guilt, power to live rightly and sure hope for the future resonates with all who refuse to settle for the cheap pleasures of this world that satisfy for only a fleeting moment before being rendered ineffectual. Nevertheless, the unfortunate reality is that many do settle for the pleasures of this world or the philosophy’s of man or the dead ends of man-made systems. Like a bird bathing in puddles of mud when a gushing fountain is merely feet away is the person who settles for the solutions peddled in the marketplace of this world when God offers a life beyond imagination. Yet, it happens. In some cases it happens because one is convinced that Christianity is simply a life with a great shortage of fun and a surplus of rules. In other cases Christianity is rejected because the looking world is determining its validity on the basis of those who commit spiritual malpractice. These and many other reasons have been given throughout history to justify the rejection of Christ and the Christianity He embodies. Nevertheless, when the smoke of rejection clears Jesus, His life, His death, His resurrection and His word remains. Alas, what is one to say to a lost world blinded by unbelief? Perhaps the account of the Apostle Paul’s exchange with King Agrippa will suffice:

Acts 26:22–29 (NIV84) — 22 But I have had God’s help to this very day, and so I stand here and testify to small and great alike. I am saying nothing beyond what the prophets and Moses said would happen— 23 that the Christ would suffer and, as the first to rise from the dead, would proclaim light to his own people and to the Gentiles.” 24 At this point Festus interrupted Paul’s defense. “You are out of your mind, Paul!” he shouted. “Your great learning is driving you insane.” 25 “I am not insane, most excellent Festus,” Paul replied. “What I am saying is true and reasonable. 26 The king is familiar with these things, and I can speak freely to him. I am convinced that none of this has escaped his notice, because it was not done in a corner. 27 King Agrippa, do you believe the prophets? I know you do.” 28 Then Agrippa said to Paul, “Do you think that in such a short time you can persuade me to be a Christian?” 29 Paul replied, “Short time or long—I pray God that not only you but all who are listening to me today may become what I am, except for these chains.”

May the same be true of all who read this feeble attempt of persuasion. Whether in a short period of time or long, perhaps the beauty of the Gospel will be found in the frailty of these words. Whatever the case, the fact will remain that Christianity, rightly understood, provides the only reasonable answer to man’s deepest needs. When this is understood and experienced, not only does one soon discover that the Christian Faith is far more than rules and regulations, but also that the duty so often associated with the Christian Faith is beautifully transformed into delight when it is painted on the canvas of God’s unmatchable grace.

As one author states, “An emaciated gospel leads to emaciated worship. It lowers our eyes from God to self and cheapens what God has accomplished for us in Christ. The biblical gospel, by contrast, is like fuel in the furnace of worship. The more you understand about it, believe it, and rely on it, the more you adore God both for who He is and for what He has done for us in Christ. ‘Oh, the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God!’ Paul cried (Rom. 11:33), and it was because his heart was full of the gospel.”[vi]

[i] This is a loose paraphrase of the statement credited to Gandhi which is originally understood to have been “I like your Christ. I do not like your Christians. Your Christians are so unlike your Christ.”

[ii] Mark Water, The New Encyclopedia of Christian Quotations (Alresford, Hampshire: John Hunt Publishers Ltd, 2000), 1140.

[iii] “Talking About Idolatry in a Postmodern Age” Tim Keller, April 2007

[iv] Philip Graham Ryken, Ecclesiastes: Why Everything Matters (Preaching the Word; Wheaton, IL: Crossway Books, 2010), 93.

[v] M. G. Easton, Easton’s Bible Dictionary (New York: Harper & Brothers, 1893).

[vi] Greg Gilbert, What is the Gospel? (Wheaton, IL: Crossway, 2010), 20-21