On occasion, it has come to mind what to say if an acquaintance or friend, knowing something of my worldview, were to ask, "What is Christianity?"
Suppose also that the individual desired more than any other consideration, brevity. How to respond?
"Yes, a Person, a Unique Person, for Jesus Christ is the Second Person of the Trinity, that is, Jesus is God, the Son of God the Father: A Unique Person with a Unique Message, the Gospel of Jesus Christ." The Gospel Message, the Spirit of Truth declares in four simple propositions
- Jesus Christ died for our sins;
- Jesus Christ was buried;
- Jesus Christ rose again the third day; and
- Jesus Christ was seen by the apostles and many disciples.
These propositional truths speak of the person of Jesus Christ and the Gospel of Jesus Christ. These two, the Person of Jesus and the Message of Jesus are inseparable, for the message is what Jesus accomplished and proclaimed during his short life and ministry on earth. He came to earth as God-Man to offer His life a ransom for many, to save sinners from the destiny of Adam's disobedience and rebellion leading to eternal death in hell.
Matthew 20:28. Even as the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many. 1 Timothy 2:5. For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, 6. Who gave himself a ransom for all, to be testified in due time.
JESUS IS THE WAY
Now if anyone thinks that the Way is a method, or a simply a system of religious practices or rituals, or a set of rules or laws to achieve entrance into the Kingdom of God, in other words, a "works religion," that person should think again. When Jesus said that He was The Way, He described it as a journey of Self-Denial. The way of a disciple of Jesus Christ is the way of the mortification of Self, the I or Ego as the ultimate reference for all meaning, significance, knowledge, truth, value, and even life turning to Jesus Christ as the Ultimate Reference for all life now and forever.
The regenerated sinner robed in the imputed righteousness of Jesus Christ experiences a transformation of the renewed image of God in man to the image and likeness of Jesus Christ by the indwelling power of the Holy Spirit. This transformation is the work of Sanctification accomplished by the Holy Spirit as the Spirit applies the benefits of the atonement of Jesus Christ to the life of the renewed believer.
Death, the exit from space-time existence, completes the Sanctification of the believer and advances the disciple of Jesus Christ to eternal life with Him (Intermediate State) awaiting the resurrection of a glorified body at the Final Judgment. "And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment." (Hebrews 9:27) This Judgment precedes entrance into the Kingdom of God to be with Jesus Christ forever enjoying eternal fellowship with the Triune God, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. The Augustinian non posse peccare state (Not-Able-To-Sin) is finally realized for life in Eternity.
Luke 9:23. And he said to them all, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily and follow me. (Matthew 16:24 & Mark 8:34)
Matthew 10:37. He that loveth father or mother more than me is not worthy of me; and he that loveth son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me. 38. And he that taketh not his cross, and followeth after me, is not worthy of me.
The Way of Jesus is the way of a disciple who denies Self, takes up his cross, and continues daily in the Word following Jesus, guided by the Spirit of Truth and Power.
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*A fact is a value with a variable error of Zero, according to Gordon H. Clark.