If one was to ask a group of people what the point of Christianity was they might receive the following responses:
- To get to heaven
- To live a good life
- To be good
- Jesus
- The gospel
- To be saved
- To tell others
The number of answers may be as many as the number of people asked. I think the point of Christianity is to love God and love your neighbor.
This is different than the gospel. The gospel is the good news of Christianity, it's primary message. That message is the Jesus died for sinners. The news that by faith in Jesus, we can be forgiven by God for our sins. But that isn't the end of Christianity.
The response to get to heaven seems to be the end state of Christianity, that we go to heaven when we die. However, getting to heaven is only the beginning of eternity, which is a long, long time. Further, we don't live there yet, at least I don't at this moment. I live on earth, as a Christian, and I think my faith is more than just waiting around to die.
Since we have heard the gospel and received God's grace through faith in Christ, we are changed. Jesus refers to this as a new birth when he is talking to Nicodemus.
Now there was a Pharisee, a man named Nicodemus who was a member of the Jewish ruling council. He came to Jesus at night and said, “Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher who has come from God. For no one could perform the signs you are doing if God were not with him.”
Jesus replied, “Very truly I tell you, no one can see the kingdom of God unless they are born again.”“How can someone be born when they are old?” Nicodemus asked. “Surely they cannot enter a second time into their mother’s womb to be born!”Jesus answered, “Very truly I tell you, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless they are born of water and the Spirit. Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit gives birth to spirit. You should not be surprised at my saying, ‘You must be born again.’ The wind blows wherever it pleases. You hear its sound, but you cannot tell where it comes from or where it is going. So it is with everyone born of the Spirit.”
John 3:1-8So now that we are born again, now what?
I have always felt the Bible taught two things, how to become a Christian and what to do now that you are a Christian. How to become a Christian, that's the gospel. What to do now that you are a Christian, that's how to live in this new life.
So what is the point of Christianity? What are we to do now that we are Christians and have a new life? Love.
Jesus sums it up nicely for us.
“Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?”
Jesus replied: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.”
Matthew 22:36-40What is the point of Christianity? To love. To love God and to love your neighbor. But it sure is hard to do sometimes.
