Misrepresenting the Christian Faith
Christianity is not simply about ‘loving enemies, washing feet and selling all you have for the poor’
In a recent Twitter exchange, Tyler Huckabee, a senior editor for Relevant magazine, made a statement that Christianity:
“is about loving enemies, washing feet and selling all you have for the poor.”
His comment was in response to a tweet by Jack Posobiec that said “Christianity will have power.”
My intent here is not to jump into the fray with these two prolific writers. They can have it out on their own without interruption by little ol’ me.
What is Christianity really about?
I want to take off on Tyler’s portrayal of what Christianity is about, because I think it’s a woefully incomplete and misleading description.
No one would argue that loving our enemies, serving our brothers and sisters in Christ, and being generous to the point of personal sacrifice aren’t the kinds of fruit that should be typical of a devout follower of Christ.
Good deeds are evidence of a healthy root…one that is planted deep in the rich soil of a sold-out Christian life.
But to define Christianity in this way is not only incomplete; it overlooks the central tenet of the faith…that Jesus Christ came into the world to save sinners (1 Timothy 1:15). It frames Christianity in a way that leaves out this important truth and robs it of its uniqueness among the world’s religions.
Jesus did not come simply to show us how good it is to feed the hungry or love our enemies, although He did all those things. But they were peripheral to His main mission. He came to give His life on the cross as a sacrifice for those who would put their faith in Him.
Jesus performed miracles like healings, feeding multitudes with a tiny bit of food, and casting out demons to demonstrate His divinity. Of course, the crowning glory of His ministry was His resurrection and ascension to heaven where He was and is seated at the Father’s right hand.
Christ’s charge to His disciples
If the main reason Jesus came to earth was to be a nice example for us to follow, His last charge to His disciples would have been something like this:
“Go into all the world and feed people. Be kind to everyone, especially to those who mistreat you. Accept everyone for who they are. Be generous. And, remember, My example will be with you always.”
Ok, Christians should be compassionate and all those things. You know, like most other religions. Heck, even most atheists believe it’s good to treat others the way you want to be treated. There is really nothing distinct about the belief that it’s right to be kind to your neighbor.
But, this is what Jesus actually said upon His departure:
All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age. (Matthew 28:18–20, ESV)
Because Jesus has been given all authority, we are to make disciples of the nations. He’s given the church the authority to teach the nations His commandments.
Jesus, basically, told His disciples to go out and conquer the world through their teaching of the truth with the power He demonstrated in His resurrection.
We are to baptize new believers. Baptism is a bold declaration that the person has repented of his or her sin and that they intend to live a “resurrected” life as a dedicated follower until death.
To characterize Christianity as a non-offensive, soft-spoken “do good” religion devoid of any authority or power is to castrate the gospel.
The gospel changes lives. Through the power of the Holy Spirit, it can, and will, conquer and disciple the nations.
The evil forces in this world do not want the followers of Christ to exercise any authority or power. So they insist that Christians should just be nice and stay out of the way. Don’t make waves. Just go with the flow.
Christianity will have power
Ok, I was a bit dishonest when I said, above, I didn’t want to enter the fray between Tyler and Jack. I’m siding with Jack Posobiec’s comment that “Christianity will have power.”
But I’ll clarify and summarize by saying this. Because Jesus has all authority in heaven and on earth, He has all power. And because He commanded His followers to disciple the nations, He will empower them to disciple the nations. So, yes…
Christianity will have power. The earth will be Christianized. The church will accomplish what Jesus commissioned us to do!
So we keep on praying for you, asking our God to enable you to live a life worthy of his call. May he give you the power to accomplish all the good things your faith prompts you to do. Then the name of our Lord Jesus will be honored because of the way you live, and you will be honored along with him. This is all made possible because of the grace of our God and Lord, Jesus Christ. (2 Thessalonians 1:11–12, NLT)
