The Simplicity of Christianity

 

"The Second Mile" (used only with Michael Belk's permission

"I question the simplicity of the Christian invitation to accept the gift of salvation; 'Just accept Jesus as your Lord and Savior' and you will have it all - redemption from sin and a seat in Heaven."

(That's a quote from a devotional by Michael Belk found in YouVersion. I first met Belk through his photographs, now he has a fuller site as he shares his faith and invites us to "Come Along for Journeys with the Messiah.")

The person being quoted is absolutely is right - there is a simple answer to the question:

Then he led them out and asked, "Sirs, what must I do to be saved?" They answered, "Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved---you and your family." (Acts 16:30-31 GNB)

- and Belk is right in saying it's a bit wrong. Living as a follower of Christ is not simple.

The speaker reworded John 3:16’s simplicity without the “believeth in him,” which Paul basically repeated in Acts 16:30. So let’s take a look at how those believe in words impact the simplicity. 

Believing in Jesus requires believing what He said about Himself.  

Believing in Jesus requires we keep God’s commandments, which include loving God and our neighbors.

Believing in Jesus means we understand that we will break some commandments. We also need to understand how/why we receive forgiveness for doing so. 

If we believe what Jesus says about Himself, He is God. Just this month I used a scripture example where religious leaders condemned Jesus:

The Jews answered him, saying, For a good work we stone thee not; but for blasphemy; and because that thou, being a man, makest thyself God. (John 10:33 KJV)

Yet many today will tell us that Jesus did not mean that He was God, ignoring a verse just above that one:

I and my Father are one. (John 10:30 KJV)

Paul also quoted scripture he knew to confirm who Jesus was:

Thus saith the LORD the King of Israel, and his redeemer the LORD of hosts; I am the first, and I am the last; and beside me there is no God. (Isaiah 44:6 KJV)

But to us there is but one God, the Father, of whom are all things, and we in him; and one Lord Jesus Christ, by whom are all things, and we by him. (1 Corinthians 8:6 KJV)

There are other such scriptures, but this would be way too long to read if I copied many more, so let's move on to keeping God's commandments. Begin with my favorite:

Then one of them, which was a lawyer, asked him a question, tempting him, and saying, Master, which is the great commandment in the law? Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets. (Matthew 22:35-40 KJV)

Jesus answered and said unto him, If a man love me, he will keep my words: and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him. He that loveth me not keepeth not my sayings: and the word which ye hear is not mine, but the Father's which sent me. (John 14:23-24 KJV)

Believing in Jesus means understanding what God wants us to do besides believing He exists and following His commandments:

But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him. (Hebrews 11:6 KJV)

The primary reward is being with God for eternity - which brings us back to John 3:16 and preceeding verses:

And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up: That whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life. For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. (John 3:14-16 KJV)

Jesus was not a Christian. We who strive to follow His example were first called Christians in one city after spending a year spreading the good news that Jesus was born, preached the Word of God, died for the sins of others, and rose on the third day to show mankind what God was and could do.

Then departed Barnabas to Tarsus, for to seek Saul: And when he had found him, he brought him unto Antioch. And it came to pass, that a whole year they assembled themselves with the church, and taught much people. And the disciples were called Christians first in Antioch. (Acts 11:25-26 KJV)

Jesus came to change the lives of individuals. His life showed what we should do about governments, and there was never a move to overthrow anyone - except greedy money changers who turned our Father's house into a den of thieves. 

A house of prayer. That's pretty simple, too. We are to talk to God, read His word, follow His commandments. They are simple, too. Love God and love our fellowman. Yet we fail at that simplicity, and God still loves us. We all are coming up short on any measurement against God's plan for us, but God is able to forgive a repentant soul

But God has shown us how much he loves us---it was while we were still sinners that Christ died for us! By his blood we are now put right with God; how much more, then, will we be saved by him from God's anger! (Romans 5:8-9 GNB)

What makes all that simplicity difficult is an enemy promising us mirror images of God's reality. Here's Peter's example and encouragemenet:

Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you. Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour: Whom resist stedfast in the faith, knowing that the same afflictions are accomplished in your brethren that are in the world. But the God of all grace, who hath called us unto his eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after that ye have suffered a while, make you perfect, stablish, strengthen, settle you. To him be glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen. (1 Peter 5:7-11 KJV)