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Christianity without the Gospel?!
Written by Peter Youngren on March 11, 2009The title seems contradictory. Is there really such a thing as Christianity without the Gospel? It depends how we define Christianity. If it means to be born-again, saved and a follower of Jesus Christ then there is no Christianity without the Gospel. If on the other side we look at Christianity as an institutional religion, a doctrine or a mere Judeo Christian heritage, then it has little to do with the Gospel. Many today speak about threats against Christianity. There is a sense of being under attack from our secularized society, or from other religions, like Islam. We’re encouraged to fight against these forces if Christianity is going to survive, and many are doing just that: battling immorality, corruption and the secularizing forces.
If Christianity is about traditions and a heritage built on certain biblical principles, then there is a cause for concern. Will we survive? This line of reasoning leaves little room for the power of the Gospel. If Christianity is all about us, and our efforts to fight evil, what kind of Christianity are we actually defending? The very question itself about Christianity’s survival shows what we trust in, because for the one who believes the Gospel, this question doesn’t even exist; we know that the Gospel is God’s power and that it will be preached to all people (Matthew 24:14).
Christianity without the Gospel is not Christianity at all. It is certainly not worth fighting for. The Greek word “evaggelio” means “good news” or “glad tidings”. What is this glad message? That God was in Christ, and put the world’s sins on Christ that the world was reconciled to God through what Jesus did at the cross (2 Corinthians 5:18-19). Jesus solved the world’s sin problem once for all, died and rose again. This Jesus is now alive, and all who receive Him receive power to become the children of God. We repent of self-reliance and believe the good news, and at that point we become born-again; God’s own nature of righteousness and love takes residence in us. The gospel has power in itself to transform both the individual and society. The great question then becomes if we are born-again or not.
World Impact Ministries’ work around the world is about inviting people to be born-again. Muslims, Buddhists, Hindus, Shintoists, Atheists and especially “Christians” need to be born-again. We are not fighting to defend a heritage or tradition but we are concerned that the Gospel will remain. I hope many will rise up around the world and take up the battle against religion built on tradition and merits and for the Good News Gospel.
The word “Gospel” is important. As far as we know, Jesus never used the word “Christian” or “Christiandom”. But He spoke much of the Gospel. Paul and Peter continued in the same style. Today we hear little about the Gospel, but much about Christianity. Getting back to the Gospel is the key, not only for the survival of Christianity, but also for the victory of the believer and the salvation of the world. Your thoughts?
paula
~ niagara falls
thank you for kind of saying..the Gospel…that its power is the Power of God and the Power of God does not need people’s cooperation or activity. It is documented as a witness, in time, so that when we see the outright Power of God we Glorify Him as the Source of the action or event. God, the Father’s Kingdom of Heaven and creation doesnt need to rely on human activity or belief to endure, but we are all in the same creation and many ( not all) humans do need documented proof before we would believe, or admit anything. Even we deny so many truths. But…The Gospel goes on and is preached, and experienced even without human voice or hand, it could never be endangered by human activity, human inactivity, human anything really. All will learn, even those who dont ‘hear’ from humans will hear..from God…our living, loving Father..individually…alone..and unmistakenly. Jesus said..the Kingdom of Heaven is in you…he informed us…He told us God is a loving Father..the only Father…He said He is the Truth..to further inform that all He said could be trusted as true. if you need documented proof that this is not new information, it has been provided in the Bible, a book provided to humans for obvioius reasons. Many others just know and believe, and fully experience the love and interaction of the One and only Living God of all Creation.
PVT
~ This side of heaven
Geoff,
You are missing something buddy - you are missing the fact that it’s not about one’s ideology, theology or doctrine - it’s about the fact that Jesus paid the price for everyone’s sins and that His life is available to you. One doesn’t need to attend a Christian church to have the life of Christ - one simply needs to accept what He has done for them and invite Jesus into their life.
Dominic Cerisano
~ Just east of Eden
As Peter Karl emphasized Sunday afternoon, the problems with religions transcend mere christianity.
James 1:27 Pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this, To visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, [and] to keep himself unspotted from the world.
Doesn’t leave much wiggle room for exclusive sectarian doctrine, does it? Notice the priority given to matters of conscience.
Chinedu Chinweokwu
~ Nigeria
Religion, I believe, is the greatest disappointment of our time. Today’s brand of Christianity is the chief culprit. People are given laws, rules and regulations which instead of helping them seems to plunge them deeper into sin and fear of death. Why? The more we know, the more we find out that we are not good enough. The more rules and regulations we have, the more we see that have fallen short of the ideal. This kind of Christianity cannot be the answer. Religion cannot be that which we are looking for.
The sincere student of the life of Jesus cannot help but notice the paradox of today’s Christianity. The holiness that Jesus practiced did not intimidate the sinner, it attracted him. The average sinner flocked to Jesus. The holiness that Jesus preached attracted the sinner but repelled the religious. Isn’t it strange that today’s message attracts the religious but repels the sinner?
Religion meets the sinner and gives him guilt. Jesus met the sinner and gave him mercy.
Religion meets man and gives him laws. Jesus met man and gave him love.
Religion meets a man in trouble and explains to him that it’s the will of God, he deserves it. Jesus only solved problems.
Religion refuses to be touched by the stain of sinners. Jesus died a sinners death.
Christianity today is a system of self righteousness paying lip service to the finished work of Christ. Please take away the religion, give me Jesus. Him alone.
It’s a shame that we are sacrificing our lives to build walls, denominations, instead of building the body of Christ. Patenting His body. I’m not Roman Catholic [The church is made in heaven not in Rome], neither am I Anglican [The church is not made in England either], I’m not even Protestant [I wasn’t born in the 1500’s]. I’m not even Pentecostal [though I fellowship in a “Pentecostal Organization”]. I don’t have a denominational label. My only identity is Christ. I am from the beginning to the end a believer in Jesus. That alone.
Jesus never started any religion, we did.
Jesus was not denominational conscious, we are.
Jesus never emphasized dress codes, we do.
Jesus was not title conscious, we are.
Jesus never emphasized places. We do.
Jesus did not start the worship of altars, we did.
Religion has taken away may lord, we must find out where He is.
Don’t give me a candle, give me light.
Don’t give me a crucifix, set me free [it’s a shame that the only Jesus some will ever see is a naked man hanging on a cross, dead]. The cross is empty. The tomb too. He is alive and well!
I don’t want “Holy Water”, quench my thirst.
Remove the “pulpit’, give me His message.
Don’t load me with guilt, set my soul free.
Give me Jesus, Him alone.
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Comments:
Geoff
~ Toronto
Christians since you all disagree with each other so much?
What makes you Christians so certain that your path is the correct path?. There are so many different sects of Christianity and they all seem to think that they are the only way to your “god” .
Do you feel confident because your group feels emotionally right. Is it because your interpretation of the Bible fits with your group’s ideology. Are you nervous that you might be wrong and therefore heading to Hell? Am I missing something?