Do to others whatever you would like them to do to you. This is the essence of all that is taught in the law and the prophets. (Matthew 7:12)What is Christianity? Is it how you dress, or what you eat or drink? Is it what you do or don’t do?
People tend to view the Christian life as a life of what you can or cannot do. A Christian can’t drink alcohol or eat meat with blood in it. A Christian can’t wear shorts or go see R rated movies. A Christian can’t associate with certain types of people or go to certain places. A Christian must have a certain political mindset or read a certain translation of the Bible.
By the time we are through defining a Christian, we have taken all of the freedom out of it and put ourselves into a stronger legalistic prison than the Old Testament people were in.
Add to all that the fact that Jesus said we are not to even think about doing wrong (Matthew 5:27-29), we have even entered into the realm of thoughtcrime.
In the Old Testament, people figured that you could think about it, but as long as you didn’t actually do it, you were fine. Jesus came along and said that it is not the action, but the intent that matters.
Does that mean we are condemned daily by our very thoughts? How in the world could anyone ever go to heaven if this is the case. Quite frankly, it is hard to even go by the underwear stores in the mall without breaking several commandments.
But, as I asked, what is Christianity? Is it what you do or don’t do? Or is it something more? Is it who you are? Is it how you react, how you think, how you love?
The essence of Christianity is not things you do. It is how you are, your attitude, your mindset. It is what you think about, how you react to others, it is more than actions.
In Micah 6:8, the Lord says this about the life of the believer:
No, O people, the LORD has told you what is good,Love, mercy and justice are what truly matters. You can do everything to the perfect degree, but unless you love God and love others, it is worthless.
and this is what he requires of you:
to do what is right, to love mercy,
and to walk humbly with your God
In the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5-7), Jesus tells his listeners that it has never been about what you did, even back in the day when there were thousands of commandments. There was a point, hopefully at least, that people would begin to realize that there was something more than doing things. There was the God behind the things.
In Mark 12, Jesus was asked by someone what the great commandment was. His response: The most important commandment is this: ‘Listen, O Israel! The LORD our God is the one and only LORD. And you must love the LORD your God with all your heart, all your soul, all your mind, and all your strength.’ The second is equally important: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ No other commandment is greater than these.”
One of the men listening made the connection. He answered: This is more important than to offer all of the burnt offerings and sacrifices required in the law. Jesus told him he was close to the whole point. It is mindset and not actions that save.
Your treatment of others will show how you love your God. He treated you well, so how in the world can you treat others badly? If the Lord really lives in you, you will reflect his love to others.
That is the whole Bible in a nutshell. Isn’t it strange that we make it into things that do not matter, and ignore the ones that do?
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