Braden’s Thoughts on Christianity

Just a week ago, I was having a discussion with a friend of mine about how many Christians stress the “what-not-to-do’s” of Christianity. It seems that today, Christianity is about not doing drugs, not drinking, not smoking, not having extramarital sex, not doing this, not doing that. Is that what being a Christian has been reduced to? Is it all about towing a strict moral line, avoiding social evils at all costs in hopes of simply being a “shining light”?

Of course, I’m not making a case against living a moral life or even being a shining example for the world to see. But is that all we’re called to do as Christians? Hardly!

Christianity is supposed to be inherently proactive. It’s not just about what you don’t do, it’s about what you are doing. Christ’s message of being a shining light to the world isn’t about what you avoid, it’s about others being able to see the fruits of your faith.

Christ taught that we should go the extra mile, love our enemies, pray for those who persecute us, spread the good news of His teachings to the world, things that are very proactive. If His message was constantly a list of things not to do, little would separate the law of Christ from the Old Testament law of sin and death.

So often I hear the old adage, “you may be the only Bible someone ever reads.” However, I think we limit the real essence of what that saying is about. Unfortunately, many times the implication is that if we’re not involved in all those evil things of the world, then we’re being a good example, and such an example will result in some vague form of evangelism. That’s an ill-conceived and foolish notion at best.

Instead, we should be actively following Christ’s teachings by getting out there and doing what Christ Himself would do. Therefore, I suggest a new adage, “don’t simply be the only Bible someone ever reads, get out there and show them the real thing!”

Another symptom of our flawed ideology is that we think that simply bringing someone to our local congregation will cause them to obey the gospel. It’s almost as if we think that the “magical powers” of our church buildings will convert a sinner! This concept allows the believers to become more comfortable in their own surroundings rather than forcing them to realize that there’s a world outside that needs God’s grace.

On the contrary, I believe that one-on-one interaction on a personal level is a major and often overlooked part of evangelism. The message of the gospel is much easier to spread this way.

We must understand that even if our faith counted for nothing when we died, our lives and the lives of those around us would still be better as a result of following Christ’s teachings.

Our lives as Christians must be demonstrative, not reactive to the world around us, but proactive in spreading the message of the gospel.

Now I’m certainly not here to promote a “Christian nation” ideology like the one referenced in the movie “Jesus Camp.” Instead, I want Christians to take the opportunity to reach souls and hearts by love and truth, not by force and ignorance. We should continually be reaching out to those around us, willing to share the greatness of God’s word.

This type of proactive Christianity can’t be achieved by confining ourselves to the walls of a church building. Rather we should be spread the truth in each other’s homes, in our workplaces (if possible), in our schools (if possible), and wherever we can.

If we understand this facet of Christianity, the side that calls us to act, Christianity will spread. Of course we should abstain from the evils of this world, but abstaining is simply doing nothing if that’s all we’re committed to. We must act. We need to go the extra mile, love those who hate us, pray for those who persecute us, and commit ourselves to doing, not establishing a record of what we are not doing. As a result, we may reach the lost of this world and show them the true light of the world (Matthew 5:14-16).