Good grief, that is a strange question, don’t you think? 🙄
Okay, okay, if someone said Christianity was all about Christ, then we would wholeheartedly agree and could stop writing at this point. Nonetheless, that was not what we wanted to talk about here. Instead, we have often wondered whether we as Christians are more known for what we stand against than for what we stand for.
We could say, for example, that Armenians are against Calvinists and vice versa; fundamentalists are against gifts of the Spirit; Pentecostals tend to depend on what they “feel” regarding divine matters; house-church people are against organized religion and most Christians are against abortion, homosexuality, getting pregnant outside of wedlock…the list goes on and on.
It seems that all too often our identity is not in Christ, but in what we cannot tolerate. It is so easy to be against something. That is human nature! But to be moved by the love of God, THAT is a miracle of God that causes us to transcend our old adamic nature! Jesus told us to love those who hate us and do good to our enemies, yet is that an earmark of Christians today? If our identity is not Christ and His love for all, especially among those of us who believe (cf. Gal 6:10), what witness do we really have as being any different from those in the world without Christ? The Bible tells us that the (unbelieving) world will only believe that God sent Jesus when we are one in God and Jesus, just as our heavenly Father is in Jesus and as Jesus is in His Father (see Jn 17:21).
So, back to our question, “What is Christianity about?” Jesus Christ said, “Don’t you know that I must be about my Father’s business?” Are we as believers in Christ really about our Father’s business? Or have we made a business out of what we believe? When we take a stand against a perceived evil in the world, we as Christians want to organize. We make a business out of the stand. But is that what Jesus did when confronted with the woman caught in adultery or the needs of a hungry people? He just kept it simple and dealt with each need as it arose and did not dehumanize people in their individual needs by turning it into “a ministry.” In fact, our human nature tends to get so focused on the forest that we cannot see the trees any longer. Jesus, instead, never missed out on a chance to reach out to the individual, even when being pressed on by the crowd. While surrounded by a vast number of admirers, he focused on a hated tax collector, Zacchaeus, up in a tree. While being pressed in upon by sick and needy people, He focused on one woman who touched the hem of his garment because she had faith that she could be healed by Him in doing so.
Well, one might argue, aren’t we called as Christians to take a stand for what is right and what is wrong in our world today – by any means? Yes, you are right, but maybe not so much by telling the world what is still wrong, but rather by doing what is right. Or in other words,
A Wilderness Voice 
A much needed reminder. As Christians, we are to be known for our love…not our self-righteousness. Thank you both, as always. ❤
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Thanks for your comment, Anna. This is so true. God bless you dear sister!
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Yes we are to be about our Fathers business not the devils.
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Thanks, Ken. Not knowing who’s business we are about will lead to the confusion that Jesus prophesied about in the final judgement…
“Not every one that says unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that does the will of my Father who is in heaven. Many will say to me in that day, ‘Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in your name? and in your name have cast out devils? and in your name done many wonderful works?’ And then will I profess unto them, ‘I never knew you: depart from me, you that work iniquity.'” (Matthew 7:21-23 KJVCNT)
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Thanks to you both for the post. Lord Jesus, be in us.
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You are welcome, Pat. And yes, when we are IN Christ we are of one mind and one heart. You are dear to us both, dear sister. God bless you, always.
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Yes, indeed! It is SO easy to get sucked into the organized works of the Christian World. But many, if not most, of them are works of the flesh.
Father, help us to do only the work you put before us, and to do it humbly in your love.
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Dear Louise, I say Amen to your comment and prayer! After getting into many years of dead works that are in religion, I found out why the author wrote, “LABOR therefore to enter into His rest.” It is a labor that is like beating your head against the wall… IT FEELS SO GOOD WHEN YOU QUIT! Oh, the sweet joy and rest of knowing you your heart that Christ has fully filled up the just requirements of God for us and all we have to do is rest and trust in Him as our Kinsman Redeemer, our Bridegroom who loves us.
God bless you, dear sister.
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I thank God for the building up which I have seen and experienced from you, Susanne, and the others who fellowship here. God bless~
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Louise, I am blessed to hear this from you. It is wonderful how Father has assembled us all together on this blog with such kindness and love for one another. Won’t His final assembly of His living stones be glorious? Even this foretaste is such a blessing!
God bless you, too, dear sister!
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Thank you. Just what I needed to be reminded of. Thanks 🙂
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David, I am glad to hear that our article spoke to you. You are welcome.
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