What is the minimal belief for becoming a Christian? What must be done to gain my assurance for future spiritual safety? Asking some questions may make us appear cowardly in fearing mystery. The questions are important for several reasons, the first of which is to make sure that the minimal requirement is met, even if there is failure in meeting some implications attending acceptance of a person by God. So vast is the gulf between a created being and God, that we do not have the competency to answer many nagging questions about God and mankind. Down deep we feel adequate for consideration by an infinite God, but we do feel that somehow we arrived here and someone must be responsible to provide a way for us. We may try to work things out on our own with philosophy, or moralistic/legalistic forms, or gimmickry from nature, or some such. These latter, do not work in any logical context for ultimate hope, even if they may serve as aspirin for spiritual headaches. They may provide sufficient distraction to carry us through to death. Certainly, that is not enough. If spiritually alert we appeal to Divine source for guidance.
There were times during the earth presence of Christ, and since, when persons wanted to know what they needed to do to gain salvation. The most repeated English reference appears in John 3, where Nicodemus, an eminent fellow in the community, approached Jesus at night and inquired of him. Jesus explained that it was an initial experience that he termed: born again. It was a spiritual birth, and well clarified that it was not physical. The term born again has finally entered even the secular press so to differentiate the persons claiming to be born again from those who claim to be Christian but do not identify it as a spiritual birth. Currently there is a political fury in the United States, in which candidates are being identified as Catholic, Mormon, Christian, and born again Christian. A golfer is being identified as from a Buddhist mother. Several Hollywood persons are identified as Scientologists. The atheists and agnostics tend to communicate their beliefs and denials in group programming, or in some intellectual context, so to ease open conflict with vast populations believing that somewhere and somehow there is an eclectic god.
In the stew of concepts, we ought to seek biblical Christianity. From Scripture we have been assured by the founder of Christianity that here is the introduction to life truth. The entry point is not everything, but it initiates life. Paul and Barnabas returned to Jerusalem following a remarkable missionary journey. There were many converts, and the story was perceived as the first major report to the church. For many persons, Christianity was seen, in those early years, as an extension of the Jewish Temple Worship, even recognized by some synagogue attendance. Disciples (Apostles) were present at this first meeting. Other leaders participated, likely including some orthodox from the long established order. All these tried to do what persons commonly do – add-on. One add-on for this occasion from the Old Testament teachers was that converts from Gentiles be circumcised and keep the Mosaic Law. Objecting evidence was presented by Paul and Barnabas, with the final statement that persons are saved through grace (unmerited favor) offered by Jesus Christ. The conference went on with some magnificent statements, but the minimum boundary was determined. The minimum is that Christ offers redemption as a gift for all those who enter under his forgiveness through prayerful repentance of sin and mediation. That forgiveness is assimilated at the behest of Jesus Christ, who gives it to anyone requesting his free offer. There is nothing added for Christian initiation, but nothing less will achieve redemptive status. There is much to follow to grow into spiritual maturity, for lives of converts. The pattern has held for the centuries, and worked to the witness of masses of faith persons. For a massive public this procedure of penitence, faith in the offering of Christ, and commitment to follow him is not to their liking. There is resistance to the idea of sin as an affliction of the race; to the call of humility to acknowledge the need for spiritual life in human repair; for the demands that righteousness makes on Christians; and, the monumental problem of the struggle between good (God) and evil (Satan). This last is exacerbated by dark concepts of hell and eternal suffering. The Christian recognizing the problems accepts personal belief in the redemptive gospel, and doesn’t presume to tell a gracious God how to work out the context. Faith wins. *Mark W. Lee, Sr. — 2016, 2020