Offensive Christianity (Part I)

Have you ever wondered why Christianity is so offensive to some? Let me stop here and provide some context because without that, the list would be infinite.

I spent some time trying to figure out how to clear the clutter and get to the heart of this blog and I find it best to differentiate between Christianity and Christians so we can exclude Christians. I know that sounds a bit absurd, but I am confident that my explanation will be acceptable to most.

 

Aside from the fact that only God truly knows our heart and therefore is the only one who can validate any claim we may make about our faith and beliefs, I believe it is a fair statement to say that not everyone who claims to be a Christian is a Christian. Attending church makes a person no more a Christian than a fan attending a football game makes them a football player. Similarly, being “baptized” in some ceremony as an infant in no way makes you a “member of the club.” Our parent’s faith does not provide any supporting evidence for any claim of Christianity we may make. Our adherence to ritual, rules, or conditions can never bring us into the Christian family. Any suffering, sacrifice, or penance we might endure will never justify us in the eyes of God. And finally, we cannot bribe, buy, coerce, blackmail, or steal the title of Christian.

To help you understand my position on Christianity, I believe at a minimum, a Christian is someone who has accepted Jesus Christ as their personal Lord and Savior. Included in that belief are the following verses:

 

John 14:6 – “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” 

Acts 4:12 – “Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved.” 

Romans 10:9-10 – “That if you confess with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.”

Ephesians 2:8-10 – For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith – and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God – not by works, so that no one can boast. For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.”

Unfortunately for those on the outside looking in, a Christian is recognized by the Christian’s claim, a social circle, a national citizenship, or an ethnic or cultural affiliation. Since we have already established that not everyone who claims to be a Christian is a Christian, there is a real distortion in perception.

Add to this the consistent an utter failure of all mankind, Christian or not, to follow the example set by Christ, I find it impossible and even insane to look at man and expect to find the definition of Christianity beyond one simple principle; man has fallen into sin and needs a Savior in order to come back to his Creator. To clarify that last statement, without Christ there is no way to become right with God. We will always carry the stain of sin and therefore our future will be the eternal and complete separation from God.

If the sole reason why someone is offended by Christianity is the Christians, then the offense lies with man and has nothing to do with Christianity.

Since we just eliminated Christians from Christianity, it would seem we are stuck. What else is there? Part 2 will go into that.