138th Edition
What do Christians believe in today?
I’ve been thinking about that question a lot lately. In today’s polarized, emotionally-charged environment, if you don’t determine and articulate clearly what you stand for, someone else is going to do it for you. Combine this with our current obsession with labels plus our addiction to social media and we have a real mess on our hands. Our country is underperforming its potential by a wide margin that shows no sign of narrowing. A rising stock market can mask the foundational decay and pervasive erosion in trust for only so long.
Christians can play an important role in reversing the current situation, but only if they state clearly what they believe in and then commit to living out these core beliefs every day. Simple formula, just not easy to do. So, back to the question – What do Christians believe in today? There are certain core beliefs that all true Christians espouse.
First, they believe in the two greatest commandments as stated by Jesus in Matthew 22:37 –
“Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.”
Christians don’t always do either of these two well, but they firmly believe in trying their best to do so. And when they or others fall short, grace and forgiveness play an important role. In other words, believing in these two great commandments doesn’t make a person perfect or even better. What it does is give a person a reordered heart. Transformation can only occur in response to a reordered heart.
Second, they have surrendered their will to the will of God. Again, this commitment involves a change of heart, a goal to aspire to. Every day, even the most dedicated fall short, but there is always the commitment to keep trying. Daily surrender is one of the disciplines Christians come to know intimately.
Third, Christians believe in the indwelling power of the Holy Spirit. From Galatians 5:22 – “…the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.” The fruit of the Holy Spirit is God’s gift to every believer. Can you imagine anyone who wouldn’t want all of these in abundance?
I think this might be a good place to stop. In summary, a Christian is committed to giving his best effort to be obedient to God’s commandments. He surrenders daily to God’s will and tries his best to live a spirit-filled life.
It should therefore be obvious that Christians do not hold any of the following beliefs: They aren’t racist, xenophobic, Islamophobic, (or any other kind of phobic), nor are they antisemites. They don’t believe in or support totalitarianism, socialism, or communism. They don’t advocate for, or support, programs that cause generational dependency. Meanwhile, they are vigilant to avoid the temptation of power, fully aware of its unquenchable nature and destructive force.
There is one last wrinkle we might try to straighten out. A person does not have to be a Christian to be a good person, citizen, or neighbor. But I’ve never met anyone who didn’t become a better person, citizen, or neighbor, as a result of their commitment to strive to live according to the Christian beliefs shared above.
The current mess our country is in is certainly unsettling. What gives me hope? That more people will turn to God. I have a sense that it is actually happening in our country today, particularly with young people. Finally, I pray that all who are alienated or discouraged will soon discover the wonder and indescribable peace that flows abundantly from an intimate relationship with our Heavenly Creator.
Please help me grow my readership by forwarding this to a friend(s). In the meantime, stay tuned for my next newsletter. Thanks!
Michael Kayes
*These views are my personal opinions and are not the viewpoints of any company or organization.