Is Christianity still relevant today?

My esteemed church leader wrote to me in the below email, which I thought is helpful in addressing questions and issues surrounding Christianity today… So, I decided to post it as a devotional reflection…

Hi Gabriel,

My office kicked off the first session of the Alpha course today.  One of the things we asked the audience to do was write down (at least) one question which they’ve always wanted to ask Christians.  This is listed below (1 to 12).  I thought it might give you a useful snapshot of what some people (from the office crowd demographic) think of Christianity nowadays.

1. What happens to non-Christians who are good individuals?
2. Why do we give offerings (20%) to the church?  Is this faith based on the “guilt” that the video talked about?
3. What happens when a Christian marries a non-Christian?
4. Can you believe in the Christian god, but not the religion?
5. How do Christians view wealth and poverty?
6. Is Christianity still relevant in this rapidly changing world?
7. Why is it challenging at a lot of times to hear His voice / guidance / advice?
8. Why Christians are so centric to try to get together themselves only? * exclusive  Can they be more acceptable, easy to mingle with?
9. What if my whole family are Buddhists, they will feel betrayed for my exploring or accepting Christ?
10. Why Christians need to go through prosecutions?
11. Why should one choose Christianity over other religion?
12. How can I know when God is speaking to me?  Eg. whether a person is enlightening me by coincidence or whether it is through his / her that God speaks to me

Best Regards,

Hi,

Thanks for the questions. They are honest and soul searching questions. Here are my views and you are at liberty to share it. I will share the first installment, the second will follow tomorrow…

1. What happens to non-Christians who are good individuals?

By “good individuals”, I assume they have the following traits:

• They live according to their conscience to the best of their abilities… The standard of “conscience” is the 10 commandments albeit the religious elements therein.
• They respect persons in authority and submit to their leadership.
• They are willing to acknowledge their wrongdoings and restore to those they have defrauded.
• They are generally compassionate towards people who are suffering.

If such a good individual rejects Jesus as Lord and King, I would assume that he has yet to encounter God personally. I believe that an average person would not put all his savings into investments that he is unsure about and would do sufficient research in order to put his doubts to rest. How much more he must do his due diligence to settle his doubts in matters that have eternal consequences! Therefore, we must not come to the conclusion that all non-Christians do not believe in God. Many of them a true seekers of the truth. In the same vein, Paul warns the Jews against being complacent of their place in heaven,…

(God) will render to each person according to his deeds:7 to those who by perseverance in doing good seek for glory and honor and immortality, eternal life; 8 but to those who are selfishly ambitious and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness, wrath and indignation. 9 There will be tribulation and distress for every soul of man who does evil, of the Jew first and also of the Greek, 10 but glory and honor and peace to everyone who does good, to the Jew first and also to the Greek. 11 For there is no partiality with God. Romans 2:6-11

God will render to each person according to his deeds (as opposed to his religious affiliation and knowledge). Therefore, the Jews (the Christians of their day) and the Greeks (the non-Christians) are both judged by the same standard – the posture of their hearts and deeds that flow from it. If it is so, then what are the benefits to being a Christian? The Christian has the word of God through which he re-aligns the posture of his heart towards God. He also has the Holy Spirit to help him in preserving his heart towards righteousness. And the Spirit gives him an awareness in his spirit that he is a child of God. I can safely say that a person who possesses a heart that loves God and others (albeit his own imperfections) will possess a blessed assurance of salvation.

In a case of a non-Christian, if he possesses a values system that resonates with the heart of Christ, he will eventually be drawn towards Christ in repentance and faith. Jesus warned believers of his day not to place their confidence in their religious affiliation with Him but to repent of their wicked ways. Jesus said, “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven.” Matthew 7:21.

 

2. Why do we give offerings (20%) to the church?  Is this faith based on the “guilt” that the video talked about?

I am not certain how the figure 20% is derived. Whatever the amount, the crux of the issue is: What is the difference between faith and guilt? Or to rephrase: what are the benefits/consequences of giving by faith and by guilt?

Guilt is a natural response when a person knows what he has done is wrong, whereas faith is a conviction to do what is right regardless of the circumstances. Hence, faith and guilt are not antithetical. Guilt can be a momentary deviation from a course of faith. Hence, when a person entertains thoughts of letting the offering bag pass, he experiences guilt. But if he promptly rectifies it by giving, he acts out in faith. I believe even if a person gives grudgingly (being moved by guilt) as opposed to cheerfully, God will still bless him. God honors his effort in doing what is right despite of how he feels.

 

3. What happens when a Christian marries a non-Christian?

When I first met my wife (then a fellow church friend), I was attracted to her depth of conviction of doing what is right and rejecting what is wrong. Knowing my propensity towards pragmatism, I guess she will be the one who will truly complement me. That is how we started to date. I have a call in my life, which I am determined to fulfill, and I decided the only way to do that is to marry a girl who loves God deeply even though romantic feelings may not be immediately apparent. 17 years on, we are still in love, serving God together and had plans to eventually “ditch everything” and head out to the mission field. You can’t do that with a spouse who is either a non-Christian or a worldly Christian!

However, I have also seen Christians marrying Christians who have zero passion for God nor concern for the sufferings of others. On the other hand, I see Christians dating non-Christians who have hearts of gold and who are willing to know God and be involved in charity works. Ultimately, the crux of the question is: Am I willing to let God lead me in this very important decision of my life? While the most important decision in life concerns Christ, the second most important decision concerns the one you are looking to marry. If you have so much as a hair of doubt in your mind, don’t marry in the wake of desperation, but give it time…  you only marry once.

 

4. Can you believe in the Christian god, but not the religion?

I guess the question can be rephrased as: Can I love Jesus and not His followers? Many are keen to accept the idea of Christ dying for sinners, but they cannot accept the sight of another sinner. Some may think that relationship with God is a personal matter; one can practice his faith in the confines of his room with a daily doze of GodTV. However, the practices of church sacraments have clearly defined Christianity as a community affair. For example, the church or the community of believers is described as the body of Christ. God Himself is a community consisting of the Father, Son and the Holy Spirit. The greatest virtue of God is love, which requires the context of a community in order to practice it. The Sabbath commandment of worship requires a temple and a body of believers. The Holy Communion, which commemorates the death of Christ, is practiced in the context of a community. The benefits of practicing faith in the context of a community are many. The gifts of the Spirit and the blessings of God flow when a community is bound together by the truth of God. Where one member suffers, all suffers together. And when one member is honored, all rejoice together. The psalmist wrote concerning God’s blessing upon a community:

How wonderful and pleasant it is when brothers live together in harmony! For harmony is as precious as the anointing oil that was poured over Aaron’s head, that ran down his beard and onto the border of his robe. Harmony is as refreshing as the dew from Mount Hermon that falls on the mountains of Zion. And there the L ord has pronounced his blessing, even life everlasting. Psalm 133

One who practices faith alone without the community will not experience abundant life in its full measure.

 

5. How do Christians view wealth and poverty?

The promise for godliness in the Old Testament belief system includes material wealth. However, the prize for godliness in the New Testament is no longer material wealth but dignity and honour. Christ openly challenged the rich young man to sell all he had to give to the poor (Matthew 19:21). Jesus, in response to Peter who claimed that he had forsaken all, said to him, “You will sit on the 12 twelve thrones judging the 12 tribes of Israel” Matthew 19:28, which signifies glory and authority. Christ Himself left an indelible example for Christians when He forsook all and suffered at the cross. Riches as taught in the New Testament infers dignity and honor, not material possession. Jesus taught, “For one’s life does not consist in the abundance of the things he possesses” Luke 12:15. The New Testament teachings encourages enduring wealth as opposed to temporal wealth. The eternal wealth of heaven follows those who above all seek the expansion of God’s Kingdom by upholding the truth, and helping the poor by spreading the gospel. One thing we can be sure of: God will provide for His children, and none of them will grow hungry (Psalm 37:25). It befits the children of God that in due time they will possess the land and prosper in it (Isaiah 65:21). In essence, the question should be the believer’s true focus: Is my life goal to seek out God’s commission and to fulfill it? Or is my goal to enjoy life and live off the goodness of God’s kingdom? While both may not be mutually exclusive, but when we are called to choose, which one would you have?

 

6. Is Christianity still relevant in this rapidly changing world?

The answer is: Christianity is critically relevant in this world, and even more so today. Its relevance is not confined in its moral positions concerning LGBT issues or creationism vs. evolution but in the spirit (or values system) of Christ. One reason that the relevance of Christianity is threatened is because of the detracted emphasis concerning the teachings of the Bible. The teachings that often dominate the foreground are the doctrine of salvation and grace? Or legalistic concerns: what are holy and unholy practices? But what is even more pressing that concerns the future of the society is the values system that Christ stands for:

• the call to carrying the cross,
• of putting the interests of the community above one’s own,
• of going an extra mile for a friend,
• of working not for rewards but to make the world a better place,
• of the importance of communicating the truth vs. amassing membership in the church,
• of humility by learning from the wisdom of a another religion (Christ never commented against another religion, but only the attitudes of his own people).

Because Christianity at large has ignored the very principles of Christ-centered living in preference for teachings concerning wealth and cheap grace, Christianity is relegated to where it is today. It did not help when churches are seen as busy amassing her own membership and promoting her own prominence. The world some times could not help but wonder if Christianity is a means of achieving the church’s corporate agenda as opposed to Christ’s.