The central message of Christianity is not a worldview, a way of life, or a program for personal or societal change; it is a person and the message of the cross.
What does it mean to have life? In clinical or practical terms, we might state that having life means having a beating heart, respiration, and brain activity. But can life be defined only in a clinical sense? To gain a broader perspective, perhaps the right question is, "What is life?"
In Matthew 25, we find three stories of Jesus, told in the context of the end of this world. All of these stories talk about life. The most famous is the story of the sheep and the goats. In this story, Jesus returns to earth; he separates all of humanity into two groups: the sheep on his right and the goats on his left. The sheep are welcomed into the kingdom to inherit eternal life, and the goats are cast away into the darkness of eternal punishment. This eternal life is a shock to the sheep. They did not realize that they had inherited such a wonderful gift. It did not come from their work or effort but as a gift from a loving God, fulfilling a promise made to humanity at the fall.
Back in the garden, there was perfection and life. It was life eternal, given by a caring Creator. But when Adam and Eve fell into temptation and sin, death came into the world. This battle between life and death has preoccupied our collective consciousness for millennia. We must understand that death is not a natural phenomenon; it is punishment for sin. In the beginning, life was eternal, but sin has stained us and made us subject to mortality. Humans throughout history and culture have been looking for a way to avoid death.
In fact, all spiritual quests try to answer this question and solve the problem of death. Many try to solve this problem by doing more, fulfilling more requirements, doing good deeds and acts, and following specific guidelines. Most religions of the world put the impetus on human individuals to gain salvation: "As long as you do, say, or be this way, you can achieve life beyond this world." For many, all roads lead to life beyond this world. But the Bible has a radical view of life. Christianity is not one of many self-help programs that promise to end suffering and pain, nor does it provide a list of ways to be healthy, wealthy, and filled with joy and purpose.
C.S. Lewis once wrote, "I haven't always been a Christian. I didn't go to religion to make me happy. I always knew a bottle of Port would do that. If you want religion to make you feel really comfortable, I certainly don't recommend Christianity."
Like the sheep in Matthew 25, eternal life can only be inherited; it is not merited.
The best that some of the other religions in the world can offer is by following the "seven steps to success" or any other program; you can expect a good parking place, the best seat in the restaurant, and an upgrade to first class on our next business trip, and happiness at home. But the gospel of Jesus Christ tells us that God has taken all of the steps down, saving us not from the discomfort or the ills common to humanity in this present age but from the unholy trinity of sin, death, and the devil himself.
Christ comes to clothe you in his righteousness. In him, you are no longer condemned but adopted and made alive in Christ, and as Paul writes, "If children, then heirs—heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory" (Rom. 8:17).
According to Scripture, life can only be inherited, received, or entered. All of which must happen apart from us. Like the sheep in Matthew 25, eternal life can only be inherited; it is not merited. Life is received because of Jesus, not by works. Jesus opens the way to eternal life and delivers the invitation to you by hand. It's never earned or merited, only received and then entered. The world's other religions call for what is to be done, while Christianity proclaims what has been done in Christ.
What distinguishes Christianity at its heart is not its moral code but its story—a story of a Creator who, although rejected by those he created in his image, stooped down to reconcile humanity to himself through his Son. Real power and wisdom are not found in principles for victorious living but in the pronouncement of God's victory in Christ for you. Christ does not just show wisdom or talk about it; he has become our wisdom, but even more, he has become true righteousness and holiness and is our redemption.
The central message of Christianity is not a worldview, a way of life, or a program for personal or societal change; it is a person and the message of the cross. The heart of the Christian gospel is the Easter message that he who was dead now lives. Death has been robbed of its power. "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life" (John 3:16). Jesus Christ is in opposition to death itself. His resurrection to life abolishes death. Here are just a few of the descriptions of Jesus found in the pages of Scripture:
- He is the author of life (Acts 3:15)
- We are saved by his life (Rom. 5:10)
- He is our life (Col. 3:4)
- Our life is hidden with him in God (Col. 3:3)
- He is the resurrection and the life (John 11:25)
- He is the way, the truth, and the life (John 14:6)
- He is the true and eternal life (1 John 5:20)
If Christ's work establishes life, this work has already taken place, and this life is yours. For a follower of Jesus, eternal life is not just something hoped for; it is something possessed today. And since it is grounded in a completed act, our hope is sure and living.
"I tell you the truth, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life and will not be condemned; he has crossed over from death to life" (John 5:24).
The promise that God made to Adam and Eve of a crushing blow to death has come to pass in the person of Jesus. Paul writes, "For no matter how many promises God has made, they are 'YES' in Christ" (2 Cor. 1:20).
Living eternally today means that, in Christ, you can serve your neighbor in love and share with them that all the promises of God are yes in Christ for them as well. This is how life breaks through the stench of death in this world. Jesus knew why he came. It was not to help people find more happiness and success in life. His life was filled with suffering under the long shadow of the cross. "For this purpose, I have come" (John 12:27). His purpose was to bring you eternal life today and forever.
