What Is Christianity?

The Merriam-Webster Dictionary defines the word Christianity as

“The religion derived from Jesus Christ, based on the Bible as sacred scripture, and professed by Eastern, Roman Catholic, and Protestant bodies.” (“Christianity.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/Christianity. Accessed 8 Apr. 2020.)

Wow! Does that definition still hold true, today? Yes, Christianity is “professed by Eastern, Roman Catholic, and Protestant bodies”, but

• Is the Christian religion that you practice, and
• Is the Christian religion that you see all around you, in the churches, and in the lives of its members
  • “Derived from Jesus Christ”, and
  • “Based on the Bible as sacred scripture?”

In fact, as we look around for that do we know what we are looking for? What would that look like? Who can tell us? Who can show us? Where is that standard of what Jesus called “the way” to be found?

In “the Word of God”, and nowhere else. Thats right! There in the Bible where it is validated, reliably definite, and clearly and heavenly exact.

Focus then with me upon what… God… hath… said. As Jesus prefaced what he had to say when contending against Satan’s failed temptings in the Wilderness, “It is written.”

“Then saith Jesus unto him, Get thee hence, Satan: for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve.” (Matthew 4:10)

I. Christianity begins with Christ!

“My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not. And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous: and he is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world.” (1 John 2:1-2)

Sin and salvation through Christ!

Most sermons that many of us have heard end with this life-changing world-altering subject, but not God, as given in his word in the portion of Scripture which we just read, above. So then, if this is good enough for God, let it be good enough for us!

Oh, how we love the way that God does things! Whose format could be better to follow. And so, in the passages which we begin looking at this evening, we shall follow the Master and allow Him to have his own way.

To Jesus we shall now look: here at the beginning and not in the end. At the start of this message; as it should be at the start of everyday, at the initiation of our every plan, in the living of our lives!

• He is the “advocate with the Father.”
• He is “Jesus Christ the righteous.”
• “He is the propitiation [the payment]

o   “For our sins:

o   “And not for ours only,

o   “But also for the sins of the whole world.”

II. Christianity is keeping his commandments!

“And hereby we do know that we know him, if we keep his commandments. He that saith, I know him, and keepeth not his commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him.” (1 John 2:3-4)

Now, Jesus, right before ascending back up into Heaven, said two things that, although being recorded in two different books of the Bible, were very connected.

First, he said,

“All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth.” (Matthew 28:18)

And then he said,

“But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me..” (Acts 1:8) *

Ah, yes! And then he ascended. And then we stayed. And what do we do, now?

• Do we “know that we know him?”
• Do “we keep his commandments?”
• Or do we “saith, ‘I know him’, and keepeth not his commandments.”
  • If so, then we are “a liar, and
  • “The truth is not in” us.

III. Christianity is an expression of God’s love to the world through our obedience!

 “But whoso keepeth his word, in him verily is the love of God perfected: hereby know we that we are in him.” (1 John 2:5)

Love is the greatest and most powerful force in the universe.

• Jesus said,
  • “A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another.” (John 13:34)
• And so this new law of love is perpetuated, even beyond the Gospels, and throughout the remainder of the New Testament; yes, and even restated in such passages as this,
  • “…Not as though I wrote a new commandment unto thee, but that which we had from the beginning, that we love one another.” (2 John 1:5)
• And thus it is that we find this “new” action to later be even more profoundly stated. Yes, this “new commandment” that Jesus was so keen, so obviously excited, so happy to finally give us, was and is to share the very essence of God. As “it is written”,
  • “Beloved, let us love one another: for love is of God; and every one that loveth is born of God, and knoweth God. He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love.”

How then shall we divinely, supernaturally, do as a Christian ought to do, and “love one another?” For, after all, as it says, “Love is of God.”

Simple. As it is written, and as we have just read above,

1. We shall be those who “keepeth his word”; and
2. Thus in us shall it be said (by both those who are within and those who are without the Body of Christ) that in us “verily [definitely] is the love of God perfected [made complete].”
3. And so “hereby know we that we are in him”, as we
   1. “Rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory:
   2. “Receiving the end of your faith,
   3. “Even the salvation of your souls.” (1 Peter 1:8-9)

As it is written,

“And now abideth faith, hope, charity, these three; but the greatest of these is charity.” (1 Corinthians 13:13)

Yes, hallelujah! It is worth it. The result of keeping “his word” is so worth it!

IV. Christianity is Jesus!

“He that saith he abideth in him ought himself also so to walk, even as he walked.” (1 John 4:6)

Come and leave all that falsely calls itself Christianity behind.

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Here this scripturally-driven statement taken directly from the “About” page of this ministry’s website.

     Who We Refuse to Be

• “Sheep not having a shepherd.” (Mark 6:34)
• “An evil and adulterous generation [which] seeketh after a sign.” (Matthew 12:39)
• Pharisees “making the word of God of none effect through your tradition.” (Mark 7:13)

Can we sum that up? Yes!

• We refuse to practice a twisted partial religion: a Christianity falsely so-called!

Yes, and especially when true Christianity is literally at our fingertips!

Now do something casually dramatic, as we attempt to leave an imprint that could possibly be used to change your life from this day on.

• Hold up the Word of God, now! [I’ll pause as you do so.]
• Now, look at it!
• There it is. There, in your hand is true religion!

Now, my dearly beloved, be full of faith and glory; and as our above text says to do in 1 John 2:6,

• “Abideth in him.”
• “Walk” in him.
• “Even as he walked.”

Wanna find out how? Get excited, be excited about doing what God says to do in that book in your hand.

• God’s Word
• The Commandments of Jesus Christ
• The Bible

* Just a note: As we always ask, please remember to look up and study the verses given in this message, since what is said in the Bible is so much more important than anything that we or anyone else has to say.

OUTLINE:

 What Is Christianity?

1. Christianity begins with Christ!
2. Christianity continues by keeping his commandments!
3. Christianity changes the world through our obedience to Jesus!
4. Christianity is Jesus!

“If ye love me, keep my commandments.” (John 14:15)