What is Christianity? Today it is hard to truly figure that out because the definition has become so broad in America. In the first century church the definition was pretty well defined because the cost to be a Christian or the Way, as they were called, was so high. It was literally life and death. Today people are called Christians if they celebrate Christmas, are not Catholic or now it includes Catholic, if you believe in Jesus at all, go to church etc. Then in the Evangelical camp you have extremes from extreme fundamentalism to the name it and clam it health, wealth, and prosperity. Is Christianity something you can try and then if it doesn't work for you you can try something else? The answer to that is no. Once you are have come to the Savior and know Him you won't leave. If you leave you never knew Him. What is it that Christian people all over the world throughout the centuries have died for? It is realizing how holy God is and how sinful you are and realizing that God sent His Son to come to earth for the sole purpose of dying on the cross for your sins and mine. When Jesus died on the cross he took the full wrath of God the Father. He rose the third day. It is putting your complete faith and trust in what Jesus did on the cross to pay the debt you owe to God for your sins. A debt you could never pay on your own. All the good works that you do to try and get to heaven are as filthy rags. They can't pay for the wrong you've done because the good works are not perfect and that is God's requirement. That is why God sent His Son to pay the debt. It is faith in Jesus Christ alone for your salvation. This is what men and women have died for through centuries as martyrs.
I grew up my Junior High - College years in a legalistic fundamentalist churches and school. Not by my choice necessarily. During my Freshmen year after attending a church that had an alter call and everything the pastor said was, "If you don't do this you are a back slidden Christian." Yes you need to continually examine and make sure you are in the faith but it is not about do's and don'ts. It is not about if you show up every time the church doors are open, or if you read your Bible everyday and in the early morning at that, or how many ministries you are involved in. All of these things are good things in and of themselves but they don't make you a "good" Christian. When God sees us He sees Christ's righteousness so all the things you do doesn't make you look better to God. If you do them to show you are a good Christian or with the reason that this is what I am suppose to do then I think you missed the point. Once your faith is in Jesus alone for your salvation it is about loving Christ with all of your heart, mind, soul and strength. The things you do is not to look better to God or get "points" but you do them because you love Jesus. That's it. I believe John Piper has it right to spend you life finding pleasure and joy in Jesus Christ. Do's and Don'ts places the weight of the law back on our shoulders. The law was just to show how sinful we are and how desperate we need a Savior because we cannot keep the law perfectly. The other extreme to the do's and don'ts is "I have freedom in Christ" where they take that freedom to indulge in less than God honoring activities meaning sin. Yes we have freedom in Christ but we are to use that freedom to draw nearer to God and further His kingdom not to follow the lusts of the flesh.
What do you do when you are in love with someone? You spend time with them. That is what you will crave to do, spend time with the Lord Jesus in prayer and His word. Be like the people from Berea in the New Testament they were examining everything they heard or read according to the scriptures to see if it is true.( Acts 17:10-11) The Word of God is to be your measurement for everything. If it doesn't line up to the Word of God you discard it. When reading be sure to gain the whole context of the scripture don't take verses out of context. Think of it this way. How you like people taking something you said out of context and then you tell them that is not what you meant and they twisted your words. What if they come back saying that your words can mean whatever they feel they mean to them. That doesn't make much sense in how we communicate and we don't like it when people do that. Why would we do that with God's Word. Revel in God's Word enjoy your time in prayer with Him. He's the one Person you'll never have to explain yourself to because He knows everything about you and loves you.
As you love the Lord Jesus you will follow Him anywhere and at any cost like the many Christians who have gone before us.
