What is Christianity?

--- a way of life
--- a state of mind
--- a special relationship with God

It is all of the above. The special relationship a Christian has with God produces a state of mind that is evidenced in the way he lives.

This cannot be manufactured. A man does not have the ability to bring about this relationship. The process does not work in reverse: a man cannot live a certain way in order to develop a state of mind that will bring him into him a special relationship with God. God is the initiator of salvation, as Jesus Christ pointed out "No man can come to me, except the Father who has sent me draw him." John 6:44

In the Bible, God clearly identifies the present standing of all mankind "As it is written, there is none righteous, no, not one, for there is no difference: for all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God." Rom.3:10,23

"The Lord looked down from heaven upon the children of men, to see if there were any that did understand, and seek God. They are all gone aside, they are all together become filthy: there is none that doeth good, no, not one." Ps.14:2,3

"All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned everyone to his own way." Isa.53:6

"If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us." 1 John 1:8

"scripture has concluded all under sin" Gal.3:22

Mankind is separated from God by sin "Your iniquities have separated between you and your God, and your sins have hid his face from you." Isa.59:2

"Know you not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God?" 1 Cor.6:9,10

Read also Gal.5:19-21.

Some people consider themselves to be reasonably good - clean living - morally upright - and don’t see themselves as God does. They make the mistake of comparing themselves with fellow human beings --- "but they, measuring themselves by themselves, and comparing themselves among themselves, are not wise." 2 Cor.10:12

They may judge their righteousness by how well they follow rules - man made or God given. Read Luke 18:9-14.

"For they being ignorant of God’s righteousness, and going about to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted themselves unto the righteousness of God." Rom.10:3

Before his conversion, Paul used his success in keeping the law to measure his righteousness --- but then he met Christ. Read Phil.3:4-9.

God has no illusions about mankind’s righteousness "But we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousness is as filthy rags." Isa.64:6

Morality is not Christianity.

People don’t realise the true condition of their minds, "The heart (mind) is deceitful above all things, and it is desperately sick: who can know it?" Jer.17:9 RSV

"the imagination of man’s heart (mind) is evil from his youth." Gen.8:21

"The Lord knoweth the thoughts of man, that they are vanity." Ps.94:11

"The carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be. So then they that are in the flesh cannot please God." Rom.8:7-8

Not only are men’s standards not acceptable to God, but sins have placed all men under the death penalty --- "Wherefore, as by one man entered sin into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for all have sinned." Rom.5:12

"the wages of sin is death" Rom.6:23

"to be carnally minded is death" Rom.8:6

All of mankind are under the control of, and are deceived by, the God of this world, Satan --- "He that commits sin is of the devil" 1 John 3:8

"Wherein in time past you walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now works in the children of disobedience." Eph.2:2

"the whole world lies in the evil one." 1 John 5:19 RSV

All of mankind are ignorant of God, His attitude towards them, His standards, His great plan of salvation and his purpose in creating them --- "Being darkened in their understanding, alienated from the life of God, because of the ignorance that is in them, because of the hardening of their hearts." Eph.4:18 RSV

"The natural man receives not the things of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned." 1 Cor.2:14

A natural human being is depicted by God’s word as a slave of sin, condemned to death, ignorant and deceived, in bondage to Satan and separated from God, a wretched state indeed.

God is love. [1John 4:8,16] He is not willing that any man should perish and is desirous that all should come to repentance. [2 Pet.3:9] God wants to give repentant human beings, who are learning to think and feel and love as He does, the greatest gift of all... eternal life. [Rom.2:7]

In order to do this, God determined, before He had even made the first man, to offer His beloved Son as a substitute ---- to die in our stead. Read John 3:16 -17; 1 Pet.1:18 -20; and Rev.13:8.

"For scarcely for a righteous man will one die; yet peradventure for a good man some would even dare to die. But God commends His love towards us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us." Rom.5:7-8

This process of reconciliation of mankind to God, planned and initiated by God, has several facets, all produced by the shedding of Christ’s blood ---- redemption, propitiation, justification and sanctification.

Redemption

Christ has redeemed us ---- He has taken on our indebtedness to God’s law, atoned for our sins, paid the ransom price to our slavemaster, Satan, and taken possession of us. Read 1Peter1:18 -19 ; Eph.1:14; 4:30.

The verses in Ephesians, listed above, point out that the Holy Spirit, given to men at conversion, is the "earnest" or downpayment that secures those purchased by Christ, until His second coming when their redemption will be consummated. Read also Heb.9:29.

Propitiation

By dying in our stead, Christ has paid the penalty for our sins. Justice has been satisfied. If we choose to take advantage of this we can go free, with a clean slate. This substitution was made for all men for all time. Read 1John 2:2 ; 4:10. Men can be cleansed from sin, and their "filthy rags" can be washed clean, by the blood of Christ. Read Rev.1:5 ; 7:14.

Justification

By having Christ pay the price for us and answer the need for violated justice to be satisfied, God is able to justify us ---- He can declare that we have been acquitted from all sin (the clean slate), and most importantly, He judges us to be righteous by imputing Christ’s righteousness to us ---

"For He has made Him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in Him." 2 Cor.5:21

Having been justified by the blood of Christ, as long as we remain in Him, we will remain justified ---

"Much more then, being justified by His blood, we shall be saved from wrath through Him. For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of His Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by His life." Rom.5:9-10

Thus God is able to overcome mankind’s inability to be righteous, by substituting Christ’s righteousness. A converted human being is made in God’s eyes through in faith in Christ, not by anything he does himself. Read Rom.3:20, 24, 28; Rom.5:1; Gal.2:16; Gal.3:11, 24.

The Bible calls this freely given, unmerited pardon --- grace.

"For by grace are you saved through faith; and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God : Not of works, lest any man should boast." Eph.2:8-9

A man can be justified only by coming under the blood of Christ.

Sanctification

Sanctification is the act of being made holy because of the total forgiveness of sins. It includes being set apart for a special purpose. All who have been sanctified by the blood of Christ are called saints. All saints are equally sanctified in Christ. No one has pre-eminence -- no one is more saintly than another. Sanctification is an act of God, not man --- "So Jesus also suffered outside the gate in order to sanctify the people through His own blood." Heb.13:12

"We have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all. For by a single offering, He has perfected for all time those who are sanctified." Heb.10:10-14

"He who sanctifies and those who are sanctified have all one origin. That is why He is not ashamed to call them brethren." Heb.2:11

"To the church of God which is at Corinth, to those sanctified in Christ Jesus, called to be saints." 1 Cor.1:2

Sanctification includes the process of regeneration and growth, experienced after conversion, by action of the Holy Spirit upon the mind of the believer ---

"But we are bound to give thanks to God always for you, brethren beloved of the Lord, because God chose you from the beginning to be saved, through sanctification by the Spirit and belief in the truth." 2 Thess.2:13

In understanding that it is the blood of Christ, and that alone, which redeems us and atones for our sins, it is equally important to acknowledge that, after conversion, a Christian who walks in faith, believing that Christ is able to "save to the uttermost", remains justified in God’s sight.

Some people believe they must keep a set of rules to be right with God. These rules may include meeting together on a particular "holy" day, in a particular "holy" place, not eating particular foods, abstaining from alcohol, giving a set percentage of income "to God" and many others too numerous to mention. These rules often constitute a convenient yardstick by which these people can judge themselves and others, thus breeding self-righteousness.

What such people fail to understand is that under the New Covenant between God and converted men, brought into operation at Christ’s death, God agrees to accept Christ’s righteousness as substitute for the righteousness men cannot achieve themselves. Anyone wanting to enter into this Covenant relationship must admit that he can never attain God’s standard and must let Christ do it for him. He must acknowledge that he has been "bought with a price" and has become "the slave of Christ". Read 1Cor.6:20 ; 7:22-23.

Once a man has this attitude, God can begin to change him, to remould his personality, his character, his motivations, his thoughts --- in other words --- his mind.

A man’s mind is the essential part of his being. It generates his thoughts and emotions. It can record knowledge, wisdom and understanding. It learns. The physical body is simply a convenient place for the mind to live while it is learning. To change a man, you must change his mind.

When a man repents of what he has done, he is, in effect, repenting of what he is, and asking God to help him change. He is expressing a desire no longer to act and react as men naturally do, but to be Christlike in all that he thinks and does. He cannot bring about this transformation --- but God can.

How? ---- through the agency of the Holy Spirit

"be you transformed by the renewing of your mind" Rom.12:2

Initially, the external working of the Holy Spirit upon the mind of a man being called by God, produces in him a dissatisfaction with his actions and attitudes, a deep contrition for his sinful nature, and an earnest desire to accept Christ’s sacrifice and become a Spirit-born son of God. Undergoing the ritual of baptism, which symbolises the burial of the "old man" and being raised to a new life in Christ, the man receives the Holy Spirit, to work on his mind, to help him grow in grace and knowledge, to begin to produce the desired transformation. Read Rom.6:3 - 6.

The indwelling of a man’s mind by the Holy Spirit makes him a "new creature" ---- although his mind is still contained in his old human body, with its innate fleshly lusts and pulls, he now looks at life from a different point of view ---- God’s. He begins to "walk in the Spirit" not "after the flesh". This change is called --- "being born again". Read John 3:3-8.

"Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature : old things are passed away; behold all things are become new." 2Cor.5:17

"There is therefore now no condemnation to them who are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. For they that are after the flesh do mind the things of the flesh; but they that are after the Spirit, the things of the Spirit. "For they that are in the flesh cannot please God. But you are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you...
And if Christ be in you, the body is dead because of sin; but the Spirit is life because of righteousness. For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God. For you have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but you have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father. Rom.8:1,5,8,9,10,14,15

The converted man, "born again of the Spirit", is adopted into God’s family as an adult son with all privileges. Read Rom. 8:17; Gal 4:4 - 7. At the same time, spiritually speaking, he is a "new born babe", with much to learn and much growing to do.

"As newborn babes, desire the sincere milk of the word, that you may grow thereby." 1 Pet.2:2

"And I, brethren, could not speak unto you as unto spiritual, but as unto carnal, even as unto babes in Christ. I have fed you with milk, and not with meat: for hitherto you were not able to bear it, neither yet are you now able." 1Cor.3:1-2

"For when you for the time you ought to be teachers, you have need that one teach you again which be the first principles of the oracles of God: and are become such as have need of milk, and not of strong meat. For everyone that uses milk is unskilful in the word of righteousness: for he is a babe. But strong meat belongs to them that are of full age, even those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil." Heb.5:12-14

Christians are not to remain as spiritual babes. They are expected to grow to Christian maturity. This involves time, growth in knowledge and understanding, and experience in use of the Word and the Spirit in discerning between good and evil. A mature Christian makes decisions on how he should act by asking, "What would Christ do in this situation?", not by resorting to a set of rules or some external authority ---

"Brethren, be not children in understanding: howbeit in malice be you children, but in understanding be men." 1 Cor.14:20

It is the presence of the indwelling Holy Spirit that enables a man to understand spiritual matters ---

"Now we have received not the spirit of the world, but the spirit which is of God: that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God. Which things also we speak, not in words which man’s wisdom teaches, but which the Holy Spirit teaches; comparing spiritual things with spiritual. But the natural man receives not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned. But he that is spiritual judges all things, yet he himself is judged of no man. For who has known the mind of the Lord, that he may instruct him? But we have the mind of Christ." 1 Cor.2:12-16

Mature Christians think like Jesus Christ. This is a very important point to under-stand. A mature Christian, led and taught by the Holy Spirit, "judges all things"-- he can scrutinise, analyse and understand all things, and make appropriate and acceptable decisions.

A constant dependence on an externally imposed set of rules and regulations, designed to cover all situations, does not allow for growth ---

"When I was a child, I spoke as a child, I thought as a child: but when I became a man, I put away childish things." 1 Cor.13:11

God has placed within His church, the body of believers, teachers to help Christians to grow to maturity. Read Eph.4: 4-16. Note particularly Verse 13 ---- "Till we all come to in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ."

A Christian who is growing to maturity has as His goal to be like Christ --- to be conformed to His image. Read Rom.8:29.

Christians choose to allow the Holy Spirit free access and rein in their lives. Thus Christ can live His life through them and overcome the flesh for them. The more they surrender themselves to God, the more the Spirit is able to perform, and to produce in their lives the desired fruit ---

"The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance : against such there is no law." Gal.5:22-23

You cannot make yourself righteous --- allow Christ to live His life in you.

On receipt of the Holy Spirit, the Christian begins a special relationship with Christ and God the Father. They dwell in him, and he in Them --- through the Holy Spirit ---

"If a man love me, he will keep my words: and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him." John 14:24

"Know you not that you are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwells in you?" 1 Cor.3:16

"For you are the temple of the living God ; as God has said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them ; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people." 2 Cor 6:16

"For through Him we both have access by one Spirit unto the Father. Now therefore you are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellowcitizens with the saints, and of the household of God. And are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone; In whom all the building fitly framed together grows unto a holy temple in the Lord: In whom you also are builded together for an habitation of God through the Spirit." Eph.2:18-22.

Read also John17:20-23.

Jesus Christ said, "I am the vine, you are the branches: He that abides in me, the same brings forth much fruit: for without me you can do nothing." John 15:5

Many people worry about whether they can live up to God’s standards. The answer is always the same - they cannot - but Christ can, so why should they not let Him do it for them? Yield control to Christ, and He will take care of what needs to be done. After all, He knows better than you what He wants to do with you.

People who insist that Christians must observe certain holy days and dietary prohibitions etc. should consider the following questions ---

If you are living every day in the closest possible relationship with your Father, must you be compelled to set aside a special day each week to sustain contact with Him? Does Christ need to do that? Does Christ need a list of commandments to tell him what to do in any given situation? Then why would Spirit guided Christians indwelt by Christ be any different?

If Christians are called to be lights to the world, living in such a way that people who see their good works glorify God, what are such people more likely to be impressed by --- the fruits of the Spirit, or adherence to religious ritual and abstinence from forbidden foods? This world’s religions are rife with examples of men’s attempts to appease their gods by self-denial.

Is the Kingdom of God food and drink? Read Rom.14:17.

Which is God concerned with ---- what goes into a man through his stomach, or what comes out of a man from his mind? Read Mat.15:17-20.

Why persist with shadowy symbols of Christ when you can come to the reality? Read Col.2:16-17 --- "body" = "reality"

Which is a person more likely to say ---- "I believe that there is a God of love who can change men from the inside because I have met a man who demonstrates love, joy, peace, longsuffering etc. towards his fellow man" or "because I have met a man who doesn’t eat pork"?

Christians are married to Christ. To seek to follow the Law as given under the Old Covenant is to run the risk of committing spiritual adultery. As Paul explained so many times, it is one or the other, the Law or Christ. One cannot save --- the Other can save to the uttermost. Read Rom.7:1-6. Note particularly ---

Wherefore, my brethren, you also are become dead to the law by the body of Christ, THAT YOU SHOULD BE MARRIED TO ANOTHER, EVEN TO HIM WHO IS RAISED FROM THE DEAD --- and --- THAT WE SHOULD SERVE IN NEWNESS OF SPIRIT, AND NOT IN THE OLDNESS OF THE LETTER.

Christians will be successful in keeping Christ’s commandments, called in Gal.6:2, the law of Christ, to the degree that they allow Christ to live through them. To do this requires faith --- faith in Christ to perform as He has promised. Many people feel insecure with this arrangement, and prefer a checklist of physical "do’s and don’ts" to measure their right-standing with God. One of the reasons God gave the Law to Israel through Moses was to demonstrate that this cannot work ---

"Therefore by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in His sight---" Rom.3:20

"For by grace are you saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast. For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God has before ordained that we should walk in them." Eph.2:8-10

"Christ is become of none effect unto you, whosoever of you are justified by the law; you are fallen from grace." Gal.5:4

Christians are called to obey the will of God. A converted man has surrendered his will to God, has become the slave of God and has said to God, "Use me as You will." This far exceeds the keeping of rules and observing of times ---

"I beseech you therefore brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. And be not conformed to this world : but be you transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect will of God." Rom.12:1-2

A reading of the remainder of Romans12 reveals that "reasonable service", or "spiritual worship" as it may be translated, involves demonstrating unselfish love towards all other men in spite of the way they may treat you.

It is comparatively easy for a human being to keep rules involving physical observance of sabbaths or other holy days, or abstaining from certain foods or alcohol, but it is impossible for him to love his fellow carnal human beings as God does. He needs the Holy Spirit to do that.

In Rom.7:15 -25, Paul identifies the conflict that is experienced by a man who wants to do the right thing for God but is subject to the pulls of his flesh. The Holy Spirit gives him the ability to begin the transition from a life dominated by his sinful nature to one controlled by Jesus Christ ---

"I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord. So then with the mind I myself serve the law of God; but with the flesh the law of sin." Rom.7:25

When God gains control of a man’s mind, that man no longer habitually sins. Habitual actions are a good indication of a man’s character. The divine power given to one born of God prevents him from habitually sinning ---

"According as His divine power has given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him that has called us to glory and virtue : Whereby are given exceeding great and precious promises: that by these you might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust." 2 Pet.1:4

"Whosoever is born of God does not commit sin; for His seed remains in him: and he cannot sin because he is born of God." 1 John 3:4

Note - "does not sin" is translated from Greek. It reads literally "does not to be sinning". Similarly, "cannot sin" reads literally "cannot to be sinning". The sense is "an ongoing practice of sinning" - a habit of sinning. John is saying that Christians are empowered by the indwelling Holy Spirit to overcome the habitual sins that human beings naturally commit.

In summary:

The history of mankind is the record of the quest for peace and happiness, following every philosophy and religion conceivable, except obeying God. God has given man free will, and free rein to explore every avenue he could possibly imagine. In the battle for the mind of man, God has allowed Satan to do his worst, and man has been learning the hard way that there can be no hope for peace as long as man’s mind is unchanged. Read Gen.11:6 ; Isa.59:8 ; Luke1:79 and Jam.4:1. God is allowing mankind to discover that man’s way and Satan’s way bring suffering and misery, and ultimately, the annihilation of all life on earth unless Christ intervenes. Read Pro.14:12 and Mat. 24:21-22.

When Christ does return, men will not be able to say, "You did not give us long enough. We had almost discovered how to live without you."

While permitting the majority of mankind to go their own way, God has called some people to an understanding and acceptance of His way, to demonstrate to all men what He can do with converted minds ---

"For you see your calling brethren, how that not many wise after the flesh, not may mighty, not many noble, are called: But God has chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the things which are mighty ; And base things of the world, and things which are despised, has God chosen, yes, and things which are not, to bring to nought things that are: That no flesh should glory in His presence. But of Him are you in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption : That, according as it is written, he that glories, let him glory in the Lord." 1 Cor.1:26-31

God uses those commonly considered foolish, weak or of no consequence to emphasise that it is Christ’s indwelling that makes men acceptable, not their own self-discipline, morality or character. God’s purpose is to exclude all opportunity for men to boast about their own worthiness.

Paul identified the mystery that God has hidden from mankind since the beginning as "Christ in you, the hope of glory." Read Col.1:26-27. In his letter to the Colossians, Paul was at pains to point out that they should not allow anyone to divert them from their liberty in Christ to a seeking to justify themselves by adherence to alternative teachings of philosophy (Col.2:1-10), legalism (Col.2:11-17), mysticism (Col.2:18 -19), or asceticism (Col.2:20-23).

Paul warned against basing one’s acceptability on observing these "rudiments of the world", yet many organisations and well-meaning people insist upon such observance. His inspired advice to the Colossians is just as relevant to Christians today ---

"As you have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk you in Him : Rooted and built up in Him, and established in the faith, as you have been taught, abounding therein with thanksgiving. Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ. For in Him dwells all the fullness of the Godhead bodily. And you are complete in Him." Col.2:6

God is not waiting to see what you can do for Him ---- He wants to show the world what He can do with you.

A Christian does not live righteously in order to be a Christian ---- he lives righteously BECAUSE he is a Christian ---- because he is indwelt by Christ and allows Christ to live through him ---

"If you then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sits on the right hand of God. When Christ, who is our life, shall appear, then you shall also appear with Him in glory." Col.3:1-4