A friend asked me today whether Christianity was simple or complex and I have been thinking more about the question throughout the day. I think this is one of those questions that can not be answered in a single word. Christianitiy is not entirely simple or entirely complex. Some parts of the religion are very simple and I'd submit the most important and essential parts are simple enough for a child to fully grasp. The complexity comes in when other things get mixed into Christianity. The primary culprit of the complexity of Christianity is sin and the second culprit is us.
Let me say that Christianity is first a lifestyle and then it is a belief system. A christian then is one who's lifestyle identifies that person with Christ and in addition to that lifestyle are the various beliefs and dogmas that must be adopted. Now before the fall back in Genesis 3 all man knew was good and Christianity was very simple. What did man know, 1st, that God had created Him. (Genesis 2:7) 2nd, God had created him to do God's work. (Genesis 2:15) All Adam knew was good, he had no concept of evil and so life was very simple. Adam's purpose was to get up and enjoy God's blessings and presence while seeing to the duties God had assigned him such as Eve, the animals, and the garden. I think that really all that's required to be a Christian are those two beliefs. We must recognize that God created us which wil keep us submissive. Then we must find our purpose, in doing God's work this will keep us busy. Sadly the story does get more complex but lets not forget the initial simplicity of what God intended.
So the fall happens and sin enteres the world and suddenyl following God becomes complex. Now to be a Christian still requires the same simple beliefs but since sin has entered the world a whole host of problems have grown up. As sin grew in the physical world and also in the spiritual world different remedies were required to stem its spread. The most important of these remedies is the life, death and ressurection of Christ which once again opens the gates of heaven that humans might walk with God as Adam did in the garden. So we have now added another core belief to the simplicity of the Christian life. In adition to knowing that God created me and that I am here to do His work I must also accept the mystical rebirth through the ressurection of Jesus Christ. A distinction exists though between understanding and applying. So if I understand that Jesus died that I might very literally have His relationship with God and His rightessness for myself then the way has been opened for me to have those things. However if I do not apply that understanding I merely sit outside the gates and mock the truth by thinking about it but not living it out.
That was a bit of a ramble, back to my original question. Basically my answer is this, "as sin becomes more prominent in your life or the world around you the more complex your life will become. The essential truths of Christianity remain awesomely simple. It's the relationships between truth and our lives which are complex. Like most relationships the problems are usually all with, "the other person" and so it is in this case. God and His word are simple and we are the problem with the relationship because we are always trying to manipulate God's truth so that we can still get what we want. Rather then go on a whole rant about our human tendency to rationalize sinning b convincing ourselves we're doing God's will, I will end this post here.
"Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust."
II Peter 1:4
Let me say that Christianity is first a lifestyle and then it is a belief system. A christian then is one who's lifestyle identifies that person with Christ and in addition to that lifestyle are the various beliefs and dogmas that must be adopted. Now before the fall back in Genesis 3 all man knew was good and Christianity was very simple. What did man know, 1st, that God had created Him. (Genesis 2:7) 2nd, God had created him to do God's work. (Genesis 2:15) All Adam knew was good, he had no concept of evil and so life was very simple. Adam's purpose was to get up and enjoy God's blessings and presence while seeing to the duties God had assigned him such as Eve, the animals, and the garden. I think that really all that's required to be a Christian are those two beliefs. We must recognize that God created us which wil keep us submissive. Then we must find our purpose, in doing God's work this will keep us busy. Sadly the story does get more complex but lets not forget the initial simplicity of what God intended.
So the fall happens and sin enteres the world and suddenyl following God becomes complex. Now to be a Christian still requires the same simple beliefs but since sin has entered the world a whole host of problems have grown up. As sin grew in the physical world and also in the spiritual world different remedies were required to stem its spread. The most important of these remedies is the life, death and ressurection of Christ which once again opens the gates of heaven that humans might walk with God as Adam did in the garden. So we have now added another core belief to the simplicity of the Christian life. In adition to knowing that God created me and that I am here to do His work I must also accept the mystical rebirth through the ressurection of Jesus Christ. A distinction exists though between understanding and applying. So if I understand that Jesus died that I might very literally have His relationship with God and His rightessness for myself then the way has been opened for me to have those things. However if I do not apply that understanding I merely sit outside the gates and mock the truth by thinking about it but not living it out.
That was a bit of a ramble, back to my original question. Basically my answer is this, "as sin becomes more prominent in your life or the world around you the more complex your life will become. The essential truths of Christianity remain awesomely simple. It's the relationships between truth and our lives which are complex. Like most relationships the problems are usually all with, "the other person" and so it is in this case. God and His word are simple and we are the problem with the relationship because we are always trying to manipulate God's truth so that we can still get what we want. Rather then go on a whole rant about our human tendency to rationalize sinning b convincing ourselves we're doing God's will, I will end this post here.
"Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust."
II Peter 1:4
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