What is Christianity’s Basic Message?
“Christianity’s basic message differs at the root with the assumptions of traditional religion. The founders of every other major religion essentially came as teachers, not as saviors. They came to say: “Do this and you will find the divine.”
But Jesus came essentially as a savior rather than a teacher (though he was that, as well). Jesus says: “I am the divine come to you, to do what you could not do yourselves.” The Christian message is that we are saved not by our own record, but by Christ’s record. So Christianity is not religion or irreligion. It is something else altogether.” (Tim Keller http://timothykeller.com/books/the_reason_for_god/)
Do you have a comment to share? Please do so below.
If we look at this from a historical perspective, we’ll find that historically speaking, all religions are full of men who have claimed that they bore messages from God, or that they were send by God or that they were God. However, everyone of them has a right to be heard and to be considered. But as a yardstick external to and outside of whatever to be measured will be needed in order for them to be justified in their claims, otherwise, who is to say what the truth is? Here’s the test of these categories: Reason and History. Reason, because everyone has it, even those without faith. History because everyone lives in it and should know something about it. A reason is an explanation of a situation or circumstances which makes certain results seem possible or appropriate. Without a doubt then, reason should and does dictate in a matter of speaking, that, anyone of the claimants who professed to have come from God, should be validated by God. In other words; the least thing that God should do to support their claim, is to pre-announce their coming. Reason further assures us that if God did not do this, then there would be nothing to prevent any claimant from appearing on the stage of history saying “I came from God” or “an angel appeared to me in the desert with this message” In such cases there would be no objective in a historical way of testing the messenger. If on a human level, we know how to validate any visitor who comes from a Foreign Government to Washington, D.C. as a Diplomat, our Government would ask him/her for his passport and other documents testifying that he/she is who he/she said to be. Their papers would have to antedate his/her coming as expected. If such proof of identity are asked from delegates of other Countries, reason certainly ought to do so with each messenger who claims to have come from God as His representative. To each claimant therefore reason says: what record was there before you were born that you were coming and to be expected? With this kind of test everyone can evaluate all the claimants. Let history speak for itself when it pertains to such monumental event. For all claimants that said they came from God, only one stood out among them, Jesus Christ. His was the only life ever to be pre-announced and His coming was not unexpected. Since there were no predictions about anyone else, but with Jesus there were commentaries and predictions beyond expectations. Others just came and said “here I am, just believe me” these were, therefore, only men among men and not the Divine among the human. Jesus Christ alone stepped out of that line saying” Search the Scriptures, the Old writings of the Jewish people and the related history of the Babylonians, Persians, Greeks, and Romans. The whole world expected Him from the Magi of the East through the prophesies of Daniel, to Tacitus speaking to the Romans, Cicero recounting of the ancient oracles, and Confucius spoke of a Saint, the sibyls of a Universal King; these and many others spoke from the gentile side of history. This was the first expected aspect of His life. The second aspect was, that once He appeared, He struck history with such an impact that He split it into two periods; B.C. / A.D. and even those who attack Him, the so called Religious entities must date their attacks with one of these periods. And thirdly, a final aspect that no one has considered. A critical fact that separates Him from all the others is this; Every person who has come into this World, came into it to live. However, He came into it to die. Therefore, death was a stumbling block to all the other claimants . But to Christ, death was the goal and fulfillment of His life. Few of His words and actions are intelligible without reference to the Cross. He presented Himself as a Savior, than merely as a teacher. It meant nothing to teach men to be good, unless He also gave them the power to be good after rescuing them from their frustration of guilt and sin.
This is a very thoughtful apologetic, Michael! Thank you for taking the time to break it down as you have. And yet, the “prince the air” continues to blind most as to the validity of the claims of Christ. Those who truly seek, will, of course, find Him, as He promises, but we, his children, must also be in fervent prayer asking the Holy Spirit to change hearts, for only He
has the power despite our most reasoned intellectual arguments. Really appreciate your comments!