A few days ago I asked you guys to briefly define Christianity in your own words. I had five great responses, with each one touching on a different aspect of our faith. But the truth is, as one follower stated, “…Christianity is a small term that defines a big thing.” In light of this, I think it would be very difficult (if not impossible!) to condense the Christian faith  into one comment or blog post. But as difficult as it’s going to be, I’m going to try it anyway!

“For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures;
And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures:”

          -1 Corinthians 15:3, 4

First of all, Christianity is putting into action your belief in these truths. After all, faith without works is dead (James 2:17), and so “believing” it without putting it into action is worthless. A true belief that “Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures” will do more than just permeate our mind; it will affect the very way we live our life. To take it a step further, if we truly believe that Christ indeed rose from the dead, why do we so often live as if He is still dead? As the saying goes, actions speak louder than words, and God doesn’t care about what we profess with our mouth nearly as much as He cares about what we are professing with our our actions.

“I tell you, Nay: but, except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish.”

                                                            -Luke 13:3

Secondly,  Christianity is much more than just a decision. Modern-day ministers often urge their congregations to “make a decision for Christ” without ever mentioning the need for repentance or Godly sorrow (II Cor. 7:10). They might speak of “being saved”, yet people leave without an understanding of what they even need to be saved from (i. e. sin and its consequences) . This type of “Christianity” might draw a larger crowd and appear to bring about more conversions, but it is without Biblical foundation and thus is not Christianity at all.

Finally, Christianity is (or at least should be) a lens through which we look at life. Those who have received salvation through the blood of Christ shouldn’t confine their faith to the four walls of their church, but instead allow it to shape every part of their new life. It should alter the way we view issues such as abortion and homosexuality, and even who we vote for in political elections. Not only that, but we should allow it to determine where we work, who we hang out with, and the amount of time and money we spend on nonessential things. You see, Christianity is more than simply a religion or a political standpoint; it is a way of life that we should be living out from day to day.

I know this is a somewhat of a broad definition, but I did my best to cover it as well as possible in a single post. Thank you guys for your input, as it helped me tremendously in putting this together. I hope that we all gained a deeper understanding of what Christianity is all about, and the weight of our words when we claim the name of a Christian.