The Simplicity of Christianity

The only simplicity to be trusted is the simplicity on the far side of complexity.
Alfred North Whitehead

After we’ve removed the man-made traditions, techniques, denominational emphasis, artificial preservatives that make Christianity complicated and confusing, what we’re left with is an astonishingly simple set of beliefs and practices.

Or is it?

I recently spoke to my mom about this blog. I was curious if she’s read any of it and if she’s received any benefit from it. Her only reply was, “Well… it’s kind of deep…” I understood what she meant.

The kinds of things we’ve discussed in First Things are certainly different from what we’re used to hearing about Christianity. Anytime we’re exposed to something new and unfamiliar, it has an appearance of complexity–at least at first. But once we’ve considered the new perspective, evaluated the ideas, and begin seeing how it all fits together, we can start to experience the simplicity on the other side of the complexity. Just like with those weird 3D posters that were popular in the late 90’s, we can now begin to see through the matrix of theology, history, philosophy, ethics, principles, traditions, precepts, mystery, liturgical activity, and our everyday experiences to consider the Christianity with the clarity the Lord intends. We get to see truth, not bound in a religion or an institution but in the person of Jesus Christ.

Simplicity of the Gospel

The good news of Jesus Christ is simple and straightforward. But if you were ever formally introduced to the “gospel message”, I’m guessing that it focused on the saving power of Jesus and His ability to deliver you from the wages of sin. This is true, but it’s vastly incomplete view of the gospel. In light of what we’ve learned of first things, here is how I would present the gospel message to others, based on four distinct truths presented in the following order:

First, the universe is fractured.

Mankind rebelled against God’s perfect will. This decision was an infinitely wicked transgression against an infinitely perfect God.
The decision severed man’s relationship with God. It also fractured creation in ways we can’t begin to imagine. The tragedy, violence, anger, and despair in the world we see today are a direct result.
For thousands of years, mankind has failed to fix this fracture. This is because humanity itself has been affected by it.

Second, Jesus Christ is now Savior and King.

God’s law requires sacrifice to make things right again. But rebellion was an infinitely wicked transgression that required a perfect sacrifice to allow complete forgiveness and allow God to accomplish His eternal purpose.
Only God is perfect. Only He could be the worthy sacrifice that man needed. Because He loved mankind despite their rebellion, the Father sent His perfect Son, Jesus Christ, to be sacrificed for the sins of mankind.
His sacrifice reestablished the relationship between God and man for those who trust Him as their Savior.
Not only did He die for mankind’s sins but three days later He was resurrected from the dead. Through His resurrection He is victorious over death and inaugurated King over all creation.

Third, Jesus Christ is making all things new.

Today, Jesus Christ invites all people to trust Him as their Savior and King.
Those who do are forgiven their transgressions and brought back into fellowship with God. Jesus Christ takes residence in them through His Holy Spirit. It’s only through this intimate connection that Jesus Christ leads, directs, empowers His people.
Jesus has established His Kingdom here on earth to proclaim, embody, and demonstrate His present rule as King over all other authorities.
It’s through His people that Jesus Christ continues His work of expanding the Kingdom in making all things new under His reign.

Fourth, the King will return.

We anticipate the physical return of the King when His Kingdom will arrive in fullness, heaven and earth are once again unified, and He completes the work of mending creation and accomplishing His eternal purpose.
When He returns, He will destroy death and suffering once and for. He will judge all people against His own perfection.
Those who have trusted Him as Savior and King will be found blameless and will jointly rule and reign the new creation with Him forever.

While the wording could be tweaked here and there, I think this message captures the core of Christian belief and practice. I like it because it keeps me focused. It provides the “bread crumbs” for me to return after a brief sojourn down some theological rabbit hole. It nudges me toward the bigger picture. It reminds me that I’m part of something much more expansive than what my physical eyes reveal around me.

The problem I’ve always had with evangelistic tools like the Romans Road and the Four Spiritual Laws (aside from some theological quirkiness) is that they seem to focus on getting people to accept Jesus but leaves out the bigger picture. They leave out what we’re really entering into and the means of our power, authority, and involvement.

As an evangelistic tool, what I’ve laid out does not focus on what the listener gets out of it, but on the Lord and what He is doing. It offers the solution as part of God’s grand narrative and invites others into it. It’s intriguing. It doesn’t invoke a response based on fear and salesmanship. Instead, it invites the receiver to ask questions, providing us opportunities to “fill in the blanks” with what we know, but always returning to the larger narrative. It gives us the whole picture rather than ending it at “accepting Jesus”. It takes the focus off of you and me and places it on the Triune God of eternity. It spurs us to action–inviting us into a mission. It awakens people’s sense of purpose. If you read carefully, its a message of deep sedition against the pretender kingdoms of this world. (And who secretly doesn’t want to be a part of something like that?)

Also, I’ve purposefully left out scripture references. If needed in your discussions with others, they can be found in our posts under the blog’s First Things topic. Quoting scripture verses to support your narrative is not the best use of your time. Besides, non-believers aren’t necessarily going to trust the source of a book or pamphlet. But they might trust a messenger who they see living out those beliefs. To be frank, unless you’re practicing the reality of what the gospel means, I’d suggest you avoid sharing it until it becomes real to you.

Simplicity in Our Identification

Today, over two billion people in the world identify with Jesus Christ. This group is divided among three major groups. These groups are further sliced and diced into countless other denominations, each with their own separate sets of beliefs, traditions, and emphasis. While the church began two thousand years ago as twelve first-century Jews under the headship of Jesus Christ, His Body has now been split into thousands of tiny fragments. Each split was caused by some theological disagreement–some being critical and some superficial (which one depending on who you ask). There are others (like myself) who claim no name or heritage other than Jesus Christ.

It all begs the question, “Who are the real Christians?”

To provide a simple, yet accurate definition of a Christian requires us to approach identity from two different angles: internally and externally. The internal definition describes a Christian from not what they have done but from what the Lord has done. From this angle, a Christian is:

Someone in whom the Spirit of Christ dwells

This one is non-negotiable. This definition is taken from passages such as Ephesians 1:13-14 and 2 Corinthians 1:22. While I don’t ascribe to certain reformed doctrines that suggests the posture of an individual’s heart has nothing to do with receiving the Spirit, I can’t discount the Lord’s sovereignty in providing it. Man cannot demand this gift. It’s a sovereign act of the Lord. It must be granted.

As a side note, some wonder if the Spirit could ever leave a person. I’m working through this theologically, but I personally believe He can. But this isn’t a result of the Lord’s decision in a vacuum, but the result of a Christian who consciously rejects the Spirit, preferring instead to return to their former life of following the ways of the world. (I think it’s connected to the ‘unpardonable sin’ that Jesus referred to in Matthew 12:31-32). But again, I’m still working through this.

All this said, it’s not enough simply to possess the Spirit of Christ. For an authentic Christian there must be a partnership that has to occur between themselves and the Spirit. This brings us to the external definition. From this perspective, a Christian is:

Someone who trusts in the work and identity of Jesus Christ

Christ’s “work” was to take on the full weight of mankind’s transgression, becoming sin, and allowing Himself to be sacrificed to reestablish the relationship between God and man. This was accomplished on the cross. His “identity” is King of Kings–sovereign authority over all creation. This title was earned by His resurrection from death, making Him master over not only death, but all lesser authorities as well.

A Christian “trusts” in the work and identity of Christ. But there’s a lot implied in the word “trust”. Trust is synonymous with having faith in someone. I’ve spoken about what faith is in an earlier post. We learned that faith was not a one-time mental ascent to a list of theological precepts, but rather a continuous recognition of Jesus’ identity that we confirm with the way we live our lives.

Throughout our lives we’ll be continuously faced with the decision to trust Christ or to trust something else. When we rely on the world’s systems for security such as our bank account, our retirement plan, are we really trusting Christ as our provision? When we’re following the advice and ‘common knowledge’ of the world are we really trusting Christ as our direction and empowerment? If we’re not careful, trust in the wrong things can creep into our lives like a Trojan horse. Of course, the trust of every believer is imperfect. At times we will fail at trusting the Lord. Failure by no means revokes our Christianity (which is why the first definition above is important). But the hallmark of a believer is the continuous practice of trusting the Lord. Even when it’s faith as small as a mustard seed.

Inevitably the question comes up, “How much faith do I need to get into heaven?”. This idea comes straight out of salvation theology so often baked into our evangelistic script. That line of thinking needs to be jettisoned to the farthest reaches of outer space. The underlying idea is that our “real goal” as believers is to get to heaven. When this is their goal, their interest in Jesus Christ is limited to the transaction that needs to take place to get them there. We have not so learned Christ! When Christians are compelled by the beauty and glory of their King, His preeminence overshadows any thought of hell. As we come to know Him, we are driven to press deeper into His Kingdom.

What about those who claim Christ but abuse His grace by continuing to willingly engage in besetting sins? Are they Christians?

I would say that any person who meets the two criteria we described above is a Christian–bar none. This is regardless of the sin they’re committing or even whether or not what they consider what they’re engaging in to be a sin. I get this view from Paul’s treatment of the Corinthian church and the freedom he described in his letter to the Galatians. However, this sin will also create a barrier to their continued spiritual maturity. They will only be able to press so far into the Kingdom unless the sin is recognized for what it is and dealt with. (We’ll talk about the root definition of sin in a future post.)

God has a way of making us aware of His undeniable truth and what we need to repent of. It’s in those moments that we have a choice. We can bow to the Lordship of Christ and repent, allowing Him to increase in us. Or we can remain recalcitrant in our sin and face discipline designed to get our attention. He loves us too much to withhold either.

What about those who believe and profess doctrines that (in my view) are unbiblical? Are they still Christians?

This covers a wide spectrum of stuff and I want to be careful to avoid specific examples so as not to unnecessarily offend. There are a lot of doctrines out there, but the one non-negotiable belief in the Christian faith is the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ as the perfect Son of God. If you don’t believe this, it doesn’t matter what shape is of the building is you spend your time Sunday morning, how much Bible you’ve memorized, how fancy your leader’s robes are, or how developed your sense of social justice–you are not a Christian. Now, there are doctrines that lead from is belief which are also important (which is where it can get complicated). But there are other beliefs that have nothing to do with it. To me, these can all be filed under “non-essentials”.

For example, if by rigorous study of Revelation you believe Jesus will one day return to earth to an angelic rendition of Tubthumping by the band Chumbawamba. Let’s say that you start a church that holds firmly to this belief. You still have the Spirit of Christ and you still trust in Christ’s work and identity. As odd as it is, your belief doesn’t run counter to the non-negotiables. You’re still a Christian. You’re just incorrect (in my estimation) in at least one non-essential aspect of your theology.

As I type, I’m quite sure that I’m incorrect about any number of things about my faith. Thank God that he’s not testing us on a complete and perfect understanding of all things religious. We would all fail that test. The “fix” of course is to hold your non-essential doctrines with an open hand so that the Lord can bring you to a greater awareness of His truth (John 16:13). This might just involve leaving our spiritual ghettos and rubbing shoulders with other believers who think differently than we do. Acts 18:24-26 gives us a wonderful picture of what this might look like in an environment of grace and understanding.

Simplicity in Practice

Now that we identify with Christ, how do we spend our days on earth? What is the crux of Christian practice?

Several activities may come to mind such as fellowship with other believers, being taught Christ, participating in the sacraments, loving others, helping the poor, worship, meeting together, demonstrating our faith, spreading the gospel message, praying, and reading scripture. There are hundreds of other things we could add to a list like that. When I was younger, being confronted with such a “to do” list made me feel overwhelmed. I was also depressed at being unable to keep all these plates spinning at once. But I later learned that these activities were only either the means or the result of a more foundational discipline.

In an earlier post, we discussed living by the divine life of Jesus Christ as a first thing. Living by His indwelling life is the root activity that allows us to be empowered by Jesus Christ and directed into His works. This is our purpose as believers. Working by our own strength and ability produces nothing of eternal value. Christ Himself must be our source of strength and leadership.

The practice of Christianity therefore is to engage in those disciplines that foster the exchange of His divine life and allow it to work in us. With Christ as our Source, we receive divine life from Him by abiding in Him and beholding His glory. Having received it, we also express it by following His lead both to reflect it back to Him and to offer it with others both inside and outside the church. This is not the result of the rote execution of a spiritual to-do list. Rather it comes about by way of an intimate, trusting, free-flowing relationship between the Master and His disciples.

For this reason, the practice of Christianity can be summed up simply as:

Pursuing a deep relationship with Jesus Christ

As humans we’re already familiar with relationships. We know what grows them, we know what poisons them. It’s no different with the Lord. The only difference is the senses through which we engage in the relationship. Today He is does not engage us in the flesh. He’s a life-giving Spirit (1 Cor. 15:45). Rather than engaging him in the physical, we pursue Him in the spiritual. While we’re experts at using our physical senses, this relationship requires us to develop spiritual senses and instincts. This takes time to develop since it’s something we’re not born with or used to. For this reason we don’t just “have” a relationship with Christ, we pursue it. It’s not automatic. It must be sought with with every fiber within us.

Pursing relationship with Jesus Christ is our goal and consuming occupation as believers. All Christian activity flows out of this relationship. This has always been the activity among the members of the Trinitarian Community. By the blood of Christ, you and I have been invited into that relationship. It cost the Lord everything. Because it was costly for Him it will be costly for us as well.

Brother? Sister? You are free from the laundry list of Christian expectation. Your work is simply to seek out Jesus Christ, to know Him deeply, and to follow Him where He leads you. There is nothing more simple or natural. This is our occupation. This work is done individually but it must also be done within a close-knit fellowship of other believers. How we engage in relationship with the life-giving Spirit of Jesus Christ practically will be the focus of the next several posts in a series called Pursuing the King.

We’ve attempted to present Christianity in all its sublime simplicity. Of course, we’ve found this simplicity on the other side of a dozen previous posts designed to re-shape our thinking away from common notions toward a more more robust and complete orthodoxy. If Christianity is a religion, it’s a deceptively simple one.

But I also think it would be a mistake to confuse its simplicity with shallowness. Christianity is Jesus Christ. There is simply nothing deeper or more alluring than the Son of God. If we think we have Him all figured out, we probably have yet to scratch the surface of exactly who He is. Those who are closest to Him recognize how far they are from fully knowing Him. So they press deeper. It’s in simplicity that we seek His depths.

So our religion isn’t a list of do’s and dont’s. Instead, it’s more like a dance between our spirit and the Spirit of Christ. Of course, in this dance He takes the lead. But it’s accomplished together as we follow His footsteps into something fluid, stark, and beautiful.