What Christianity is Not
GodWords Newsletter #62
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Christians often talk (mostly among ourselves, sadly) about what Christianity is. We seldom talk about what Christianity isn’t, and I thought it would be helpful to lay out some of the details.
Christianity is not Ethnic
While Jesus is Jewish, and His first followers were Jewish, anyone can follow Him. You don’t have to be Jewish, or convert to Judaism, to be a Christian. There are no ethnic preferences when it comes to following Jesus.
Christianity is not Financial
Anyone can follow Jesus, no matter how much money they have. Those who have much sometimes think they don’t need to follow Jesus, but there are no financial restrictions that keep people from following Him.
Christianity is not Local
While some religions have a “home base,” Christians have no headquarters. You don’t have to travel to Israel to be a Christian… or to Istanbul, or Rome, or America. You can follow Jesus wherever you are, and you don’t have to go anywhere.
Christianity is not a Club
Some people join groups that require initiation fees, or make you engage in specific rituals before being a member. There are no fees involved in following Jesus, and no special handshakes or membership quizzes.
Christianity is not a Political Party
Jesus doesn’t belong to any political party, and no political party belongs to Him. While following Jesus will certainly affect how we view politics, Christianity is not inherently political.
Christianity is not National
Because certain parts of the world have historically contained more Christians, it might be easy to think that Christianity is an American thing, or a European thing, or a Korean thing, or an Israeli thing… but it’s not. You can follow Jesus no matter where you live. Jesus has followers in every nation, and we should not pretend that He has favorites.
Christianity is not Just for Smart People
While it’s true that some of the smartest people in history have followed Jesus, you don’t have to be super-intelligent to be a Christian. Anyone can follow Jesus, no matter their education or ability.
Christianity is not Behavior Modification
A lot of Christians work hard to convince non-Christians to “follow the rules.” This may be good advice, but that’s not Christianity at all. Avoiding sin doesn’t make anyone a Christian. Following Jesus is a matter of the heart… our behavior only displays what’s in there.
Christianity is not Secret
Some people make a lot of money by claiming they know a secret that God has only told them. Don’t fall for it. While there are many who don’t know what Jesus taught, there are no hidden keys to success in Christianity. You can easily learn what Jesus taught, and then do it.
These days, a lot of people try to claim Jesus as their own. That’s backwards, of course. Jesus doesn’t belong to anyone. The right way to think about it is the opposite: do you belong to Jesus?
I love you all.
❤️
Thirty Years of Marriage
On the occasion of his anniversary, Timothy Paul Jones writes about what he might have said to himself three decades ago. This is good advice for any marriage.
Is Swearing a Sin?
I value articles like this one because they help people better understand how to understand the Bible… that is, what God has said to us. Most of us reduce our questions to a YES or NO, but most of our questions are matters of the heart.
A Beautiful Life is Made up of Ordinary Days
Social media, advertising, movies, and TV all work to make us feel unsatisfied… so they can sell us on their “satisfying” solutions. Kate Dreston reminds us that a beautiful life is made of far less than we think.
Discipleship as Imitation
Sound advice in any area of life, but especially in following Jesus: find someone who’s ahead of you, and do what they do. Being a disciple means being a student. We all need teachers. As long as they’re faithfully following Jesus, it’s okay to follow them.
The Doctrine of the Trinity
The doctrine of the Trinity is one of the most contested of Christian doctrines. As you might imagine, any attempt to explain or describe God might be met with skepticism or disagreement or outright condemnation.
It would seem that Our Lord finds our desires not too strong, but too weak. We are half-hearted creatures, fooling about with drink and sex and ambition when infinite joy is offered us, like an ignorant child who wants to go on making mud pies in a slum because he cannot imagine what is meant by the offer of a holiday at the sea. We are far too easily pleased.
- C.S. Lewis
Take a seat, pull up a chair
Forgive me for the disrepair
And the souvenirs from floor to ceiling
Gathered on my search for meaning
Welcome Home by Shaun Groves
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Great article! I would add that Christians are not “science deniers” some of the most prolific scientists in history have been Christian. Science tries to describe what God created, it does not disprove God.
good thoughts. maybe I would push back a little on not being political. certainly we are not a political party, but the kingdom has a King. At the least the apostles envisioned a new political revolution, Jesus kingdom. Allegiance is to Him supreme, not calling us to overthrow others but rather serve His kingdom despite the governing parties in their immediacy.