Wandering Crusader #289 In the Real World

“For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men, teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world…” Titus 2:11-12

You need not be a Christian to recognize this truth. The major religions of the world do, and the minor ones generally have an amendment that says their deviations are really just another way of stating it. So, why bother with Christianity when there are easier alternatives?

Atheism and agnosticism are denials that the reality of human nature has “taught” them anything while expecting others to live as they “ought to”. The other religions agree in principle and rely on reformation by human will to accomplish the goals of sobriety (reason), righteousness, and godliness.

Christianity agrees with the goals while denying it is humanly possible to live them, at least to God’s standard. However, Christianity offers the forgiveness of past sins in the atonement of Christ and a power source capable of reaching them that is greater than human will—God in us. That power transforms rather than reforms. The change is both instantaneous and gradual. If that seems contradictory, it is because we are locked in time. God is not. He sees the end from the beginning, every moment in the present.

The new birth in Christ creates a new creature. Thereafter, Christian discipleship shapes that new person into the individual, flourishing creature God desires them to be. God knows where we are, what we will be, and every step in the transformational journey from one to the other.

Christianity preserves our uniqueness, our individuality. We are not lost in a heavenly sea. We are eternally the person God made us, known as we are known. We retain the joy of all our victories, the joy of every blessing we ever experienced, and the joy of a personal relationship with God.

Meanwhile, we are “Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ; who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people zealous of good works.” Titus 2:13-14

Maranatha