Have you ever thought about how completely out-of-the-box Biblical Christianity is compared to every other belief system in the world? And when I say “religions,” I really mean any philosophy, teaching, or way of life—because even people who don’t consider themselves religious still believe something. Whatever you believe shapes your life, your decisions, and your worldview. In essence, that’s your “religion.”
Christianity is so different that C.S. Lewis once said this uniqueness is ultimately what led him to believe in it because it’s just something you can’t make up.
Almost every belief system starts with a teaching or philosophy. You learn it, you agree with it, you start practicing it, and you become a follower. Think of founders like Buddha or Muhammad. You might learn about their lives, but whether every story about them is true or not doesn’t really matter because what matters that you’re following the teaching.
Biblical Christianity flips that on its head. The gospel doesn’t start with the Ten Commandments or the Sermon on the Mount. In fact, the gospel isn’t a teaching—it’s good news about what God has done. Jesus was born, lived, died, and rose again. That is the gospel. Yes, Christianity has teachings, but the teaching is not the gospel. The gospel is a report of God breaking into our world to accomplish salvation for us. If this report were false or never happened, no amount of belief or devotion could make it benefit you in any way.
Every other religion says, “You take the initiative. You practice the teaching. You work to reach your goal.”Christianity says, “God takes the initiative. God reaches down and comes to you.” Paul reminds us in Romans that fallen humans cannot seek the true God on their own. Salvation only happens when God breaks through to us. The gospel is that God broke through into our world to accomplish salvation for us. And the gospel must break through our hard hearts for us to even accept and believe in it. As the saying goes: Salvation is all of God. The only part we contribute is our sin. We are only recipients. The gospel never starts with what we do—it always starts with what God has done.
So what does it mean to be a Christian? Some people think it’s purely intellectual—you agree to a set of beliefs, and you’re a Christian. Others think it’s purely behavioral—you live a good life, love others, follow Jesus’ example, and that makes you a Christian. And some think it’s a mystical experience—you feel something profound, and that defines your faith.
The Bible, however, teaches something different. Peter says in 1 Peter 1:10 NIV, “Concerning this salvation, the prophets, who spoke of the grace that was to come to you.” To have God’s grace come to you means God Himself comes to you. Being a Christian means recognizing that the initiative is always God’s and that you have been divinely invaded. And when God invades your life, it changes everything. If your life has been touched by Him, you will never be the same again.
I just thought this was so amazing and wanted to share!
This reflection is based on a sermon by Tim Keller called Basics.
