Is Christianity Christian?

Simeon Stylites was a very dedicated Christian who lived in the fifth century A.D. Upon his conversion from paganism, he desired to make a total commitment to the Christian faith. He wanted to understand its essence, its meaning, so that he could devote his life to it. Immediately selling his large inherited estate, he set aside enough to sustain his sister and donated the remainder to the church. Then he committed his life to monasticism.

Withdrawing in seclusion to a cave near his native village, he devoted himself to meditation. Soon disciples gathered around him and nearby villagers crowded in to be close to the pious monk. In order to escape the world, he moved farther into the wilderness and built a tower upon which to live. When his disciples erected towers around him so that they could share his piety, he constructed even higher towers in order to achieve his goal of piety. According to tradition, he finally lived out his life on a tower 60 feet high—sufficient to separate himself from the world and allow uninterrupted meditation in freedom from the distraction of the crowds below.

Did Stylites find the true substance of Christianity? What lies at the core of Christianity?

People understand Christianity in many different ways. For some, it is a legal religion. Obey its laws, and you are a Christian. Keep the commandments, pay tithe (add a few extra cents for safety’s sake), attend church, eat right—that’s what makes Christianity Christian. For others, Christianity is a knowledge religion. If you know that the seventh day is the Sabbath to observe from sundown to sundown, that the dead are not conscious, that the investigative judgment began in heaven in 1844, and that Christ will return soon in a literal, visible manner, then you have achieved Christianity.

Others would see the essence of Christianity in socially correct living—giving to the poor, establishing schools, caring for the homeless, and healing the sick. And some would agree with Stylites that meditation best sums up Christianity.

Each approach demonstrates how far humanity will go in its attempt to define Christianity. It illustrates how hard we will work, think, give, or meditate to achieve our own salvation, to make ourselves presentable to God. If we can only find the right thing to do, then we can be saved and will be ready for the Second Coming.

Paul expressed concern about religion based upon human effort. In Romans 1 he reviewed the status of the Gentiles. They have established their religion on human activity. The final result of their human endeavor was the worship of the creature instead of the Creator. Next, in Romans 2, Paul discussed the Jews. Although they possessed special revelation from God, they also sought to obtain salvation by works. Finally, in chapter 3, Paul declared that all have sinned (both Gentile and Jew) and come short of God’s glory (Rom. 3:8–18, 23). Therefore, the deeds of the law will justify no one (Rom. 3:20; Gal. 2:16).

Paul had similar concerns for religions based upon wisdom and knowledge. God will destroy the wisdom of even the wisest, for we cannot come to know God through human wisdom (1 Cor. 1:19–25). Instead of affirming a knowledge-based approach to religion, Paul prayed that we will instead experience the love of God that surpasses all other knowledge (Eph. 3: 19).

Christianity is not a ladder that we use to climb to God or a checklist of do’s and don’ts on how to live. Neither can we reduce it to meditation or a list of doctrines. It is not a human philosophy.

Christ Himself summarized for us the essence of Christianity: “‘And this is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent’” (John 17:3, NKJV).1 The sum and substance of Christianity is to come to a knowledge of God and Jesus Christ. The word knowledge here does not refer to facts and figures, such as the distance between two cities, the substances required to produce soap, or the specific parts needed to fix a car. Rather, it involves the kind of knowledge that leads to a personal relationship. The goal of salvation is to enter a full, rewarding, and mature fellowship with God and Jesus Christ.

God created us for communion with Himself. The very first evening of human creation God spent in the garden fellowshipping with Adam and Eve. He made us in His own image because only thus can we have fellowship with Him. When our character is in harmony with that of God, we can relate to Him with no barrier in between. The Lord desires such close fellowship with us that the Bible often uses the imagery of marriage to describe it. “‘I am married to you,’” God declares (Jer. 3:14).

When we are married to the Lord, we “shall know the Lord” (Hosea 2:20). We will enter a personal relationship with Him, the real substance of Christianity. As Christ said, to know God is life eternal (John 17:3).

Unfortunately, sin shattered the beautiful picture of life in harmony with God, rupturing face-to-face communion with Him. All have sinned and come short of the glory of God (Rom. 3:23) and as a result, every human has become “an unclean thing” (Isa. 64:6). Our condition in sin cuts us off from fellowship with the Life-giver. We are like a branch sawed off from the tree, a lightbulb unscrewed from its socket, or a water faucet disconnected from the rest of the plumbing.

Why does sin sever us from God? Because sin is the transgression of the law (1 John 3:4). And why is transgressing the law so dreadful? Because the law is a description of the character of God. It is God’s very nature. When we break His law, we are going against His character, and to violate the character of an individual is to distort or break one’s relationship with that person. We are not at peace with God, because our characters are out of harmony with His. Furthermore, by going our own way, we have chosen to live independently of God (Isa. 53:6). Lost in sin, “We can do nothing, absolutely nothing, to commend ourselves to                                             

divine favor. We must not trust at all to ourselves nor to our good works.”2 As a result, we cannot rectify our situation with God by our works, knowledge, meditation, or any other human effort.

By ourselves, we are helpless and hopeless. We cannot come to God and say, “Let’s be friends and forget the past. Let’s build upon our mutual strengths and enjoy each other’s fe1lowship.” Nothing within ourselves can commend us to God.

The grace of God is that even while we were sinners—in fact, His enemies—He Himself reached down to us through His own Son, Jesus Christ, in order to reconcile us to Himself. God gave Himself to us in Jesus Christ in order that we may fellowship with Him (Rom. 5:8–11; 1 Cor. 1:9). Because of Him we can be grafted back into the Vine, can be adopted into God’s family.

If the basis of Christianity is entrance into a relationship with God, then what role, if any, do doctrine, the law, meditation, and lifestyle play? Instead of bothering with doctrine, why not simply concentrate on our relationship with God?

Consider some of the elements of a healthy relationship. If I wanted to enter a relationship with you, it would be necessary first of all for me to know something about you as a person. Without such knowledge our relationship would be meaningless. We could sit and stare at each other all day long, but there would be no substance to the relationship. Second, it would be necessary for me to know something about myself. A lack of self-understanding can easily lead to misunderstandings, causing relationships to flounder. Third, we would need to understand the kind of relationship that can appropriately take place between us.

The first two points seem obvious enough. Let us illustrate the third. Relationships vary depending upon whether one is relating to a spouse, a son, a daughter, a friend, a boss, or a secretary. Each of these relationships is unique, and therefore operates by a different set of guidelines.

Doctrines are essential to our relationship with God, for they provide the information we need to enter into deeper communion with Him. They tell us about God, about ourselves, and how we may appropriately relate to Him. Just as there are various types of unique relationships in the human sphere, so also there is a unique relationship appropriate with God.

What role do law and Christian lifestyle play in our relationship with God? Why not simply focus on the relationship and skip the standards of the Christian church? Because all healthy relationships are based upon clear guidelines. The Bible provides the criteria for living in a loving relationship with God and fellow human beings. Furthermore, since the law describes God’s character, abiding by its precepts means that we are living in harmony with the divine character. When our lives harmonize with that of God, then true fellowship with Him is possible.

Paul emphasized that Christ gave Himself for us in order that He might cleanse us and present us to Himself a “a glorious church, not having spot or wrinkle . . . that she should be holy and without blemish” (Eph. 5:26, 27). Only then can we truly enter a full relationship with God.

John discussed the role of the law in our relationship with God. He wrote that Christ came into the world to reveal the Father (John 1:18). This eternal life (Christ) was with the Father, and was manifest to us in order that we might have fellowship with both the Father and with His Son Jesus Christ (l John 1:1–4). “God is light and in Him is no darkness at all. If we say that we have fellowship with Him, and walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth.
 But if we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin” (vss. 5–7).

The law is not a burdensome checklist we must follow to obtain salvation. [t is a guide to relationship with God. No wonder David declared that his delight was in the law (Ps. 1:2; 119:47, 70, 77, 174).

In summary, Christianity is not Christian if it attempts to find its basis in knowledge of doctrine, works, meditation, or any other human effort. Neither the law nor doctrine is the goal of Christianity. However, they do provide the guidelines and the context within which a relationship with God can flourish.

Christianity is fulfilled when we are restored to a right relationship with God through Christ. It means that Christ is the center of doctrine, not simply because the study of the doctrine refers to His name, nor because His words are quoted when teaching doctrine, but because doctrine leads to knowledge of Him so that we can fellowship with Him.

Someone once asked a number of individuals in a Sabbath school class what they thought of when they contemplated the Second Coming and heaven. A number of things immediately came to mind: its glory, the fact that it will be visible worldwide, and that God will resurrect the righteous dead, who will join the righteous living on a journey to heaven. Heaven engendered visions of mansions, streets of gold. unbelievably beautiful gardens, and pet lions. Momentary silence followed, then someone spoke up. “You know what I long for most when I think of the Second Coming—communion with Jesus, my Savior!”

The goal of Christianity is to be restored to a right relationship with God. Its culmination will take place at the Second Coming when we will have face-to-face communion with God. We have seen that Scripture often compares the Christian life with marriage to God. Since the Second Coming is the climax of our relationship with God, it is only natural that the Bible should also describe it as a marriage. Christ used the parables of the wedding banquet (Matt. 22:1–14; Luke 14:15–24) and the 10 bridesmaids (Matt. 25:1–13) and the analogy of the groomsman (Mark 2:18–20; Matt. 9:14, 15; Luke 5:33–35) to depict various aspects of the Second Coming. John the revelator employed the same imagery: “‘Let us be glad and rejoice and give Him glory, for the marriage of the Lamb has come, and His wife has made herself ready.’ And to her it was granted to be arrayed in fine linen, clean and bright, for the fine linen is the righteous acts of the saints. Then he said to me, ‘Write: “Blessed are those who are called to the marriage supper of the Lamb!”’ And he said to me, ‘These are the true sayings of God’” (Rev. 19:7–9).

The Second Coming is a time of rejoicing, not only for the saints, but also for God! “As the bridegroom rejoices over the bride, so shall your God rejoice over you” (Isa. 62:5). One of the greatest sorrows in any relationship is the pain of separation—the end of a family visit, the death of a loved one, or divorce. One of the joys of salvation is that the Second Coming marks the beginning of an eternal relationship with God in which we will never feel the pain of separation again. ·

We may delineate the events just before and after the Second Coming and describe its exact manner. All these biblical teachings are essential. But if we forget the central fact that it is Jesus who is returning, we have missed the whole point.

The doctrine of the Second Coming tells us that Christ is Lord and King, our Savior and our Judge. It reminds us that we are His subjects, and that were it not for His salvation, we would stand under His condemnation. God is not only the almighty, all-knowing, everywhere-present Ruler of the universe, but He is a personal God who is coming to completely restore us to Himself so that He might take us home to be with Him throughout eternity. The promise of His soon return fills us with hope in the present and dominates our lives as we look forward to His coming. If we emphasize only the details of the Second Coming, as important as they are, and miss the God revealed to us in the doctrine, we are majoring in minors. We are making the detail of doctrine and the letter of the law the center of our life rather than Jesus Christ.

Just as there is a vital connection between the doctrines and fellowship with God, so also an interrelationship exists among the doctrines themselves. They are a systematic whole. Sometimes we succumb to the temptation to look at doctrine in isolation from other aspects of Christianity. Often, we separate the doctrines from each other. We may attempt to pick and choose among the doctrines. For example, some say that one may accept the Sabbath and the Second Corning doctrines, without the need to hold to a literal 24-hour consecutive six-day Creation week.

Doctrine also plays an important part in the Christian life because it has a direct impact on character. It is a law of the mind and character that they form according to the thing or person that we respect most in life. If we admire God supremely, and if our conception of God is one true to His character, it will transform our lives in harmony with His. This in turn will allow a closer walk with Him. But if our conception of God is false, and we embrace that false image so that it dominates our lives, our character will then begin to reflect our false view of God. This will result in distortion if not destruction of our relationship with God, for our character will not harmonize with His. Furthermore, just as misunderstanding the character of another person leads to a misconception of that individual, so also a misunderstanding of the nature of God leads to a confused relationship with Him. Thus, biblical doctrine plays a key role in our relationship with God, for it brings us His revelation of Himsel£

John says that eternal life comes from knowing the only true God. Not just any god, not a deity created from our own imagination—a “designer God”—but God as He has revealed Himself to us in the living Word, Jesus Christ (John 1 :18), and in His written Word, the Bible. Ellen G. White also makes this point, “Wonderful, wonderful words, almost beyond comprehension! Will the teachers in our schools understand this? Will they take the word of God as the lesson book able to make them wise unto salvation? This book is the voice of God speaking to us. The Bible opens to us the words of life; for it makes us acquainted with Christ who is our life. In order to have true, abiding faith in Christ, we must know Him as He is represented in the word.”3

Through the Word of God, we may begin fellowship with God now. “As he [the Christian] studies and meditates upon the themes into which ‘the angels desire to look,’ he may have their companionship. . . . He may dwell in this world in the atmosphere of heaven, imparting to earth’s sorrowing and tempted one’s thoughts of hope and longings for holiness; himself coming closer and still closer into fellowship with the Unseen; like him of old who walked with God, drawing nearer and nearer and threshold of the eternal world, until the portals shall open, and he shall enter there. He will find himself no stranger. The voices that will greet him are the voices of the holy ones, who, unseen, were on earth his companions—voices that here he learned to distinguish and to love. He who through the word of God has lived in fellowship with Heaven will find himself at home in heaven's companionship.”4

John did not say that we should know God by whatever we think He is! Nor did he suggest that we should get to know some designer god. He emphasized that we should know the only true God! Preparing for the Second Corning is not like getting ready for a blind date. It is preparation for marriage with someone we already know because we have met God in the doctrines revealed in His Word, someone with whom we desire to spend eternity because of what we already know about Him.

Biblical doctrine is important, for it leads us to a knowledge of God, who is coming to take us home with Himself. However, we must be cautious not to make doctrine an end in itself. Knowledge of doctrine is not the goal of Christianity, but a means to an end—to a full, meaningful, joyful relationship with God and Jesus Christ. We must open our lives to Their teachings, in order that we might come to know Them in person Themselves, whom to know is life eternal!

NOTES AND REFERENCES

1. Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture references in this column are quoted from the New King James Version of the Bible.

2. Selected Messages, 1:353, 354.

3. Fundamentals of Christian Education, 433. Italics supplied.

4. My Life Today, 264.