Teen Our Daily Bread
BIG QUESTIONS ABOUT . . .
Christianity
Christianity
W
hat is Christianity really? A club for old people?
A life of do’s, don’ts and hard rules?
And what does it really mean to be part of it?
Here are a few big questions about Christianity, answered for you by readers in the Our Daily Bread Ministries family. So get stuck in! And if you want more, check out Does going to church mean I’m a Christian? at ourdailybread.org/teen
Isn’t Christianity
just a list of things to do?
M
any religions are all about the good things you do, how nice you are during your life or the special places that you visit. Many people believe that these things can get you ‘brownie points’ to help decide if you will go to heaven. But that’s a hard way to live, never knowing if you have done enough work or are nice enough to get there. Life can become miserable when you worry about whether or not you’re breaking a rule or not measuring up. However, Christianity isn’t like that at all. It 100% isn’t about a list of things to do or not do to earn these ‘brownie points’. The reason Christians do good things isn’t so they get something special from God. Christians already have special favour with God! Someone else did the work for them. Christians are already certain of
going to heaven through something called grace.
Grace means getting something we don’t deserve. We don’t deserve to go to heaven because of all the selfish things we do and think, and because we quickly cut God out of our lives. But Jesus has taken what we do deserve, God’s punishment and death, so that we can get what we don’t deserve: heaven. So when Christians do good things and are nice to people, it’s because they are thankful for what God has already done—and they want to please him (it’s not because they are trying to work their way into heaven). “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith–and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—not by works, so that no one can boast” (EPHESIANS 2:8-9).
What about
the 10 Commandments in the Bible?
W
e all need rules to live by. Just think of films like the Mad Max series or the Book of Eli and it’s pretty easy to see what our world might be like if we all did what we wanted without having to answer to anyone else! Without laws and rules, there would be absolute chaos. The 10 Commandments were given by God as guidelines for the type of life that he wants us to live. He knows what’s best for us, and if we follow his rules, then we will be living our best life. Sometimes the 10 Commandments are misunderstood or completely forgotten! So here’s a quick paraphrase of them: 1. Nothing else should come before God in your life. 2. You shall not make your own ‘gods’ out of anything and then follow them instead. 3. You shall not misuse the name of God to swear, show your frustration or make jokes. 4. Remember to have quiet times in your week to focus on God. 5. Respect your parents. 6. You shall not murder. 7. You shall not commit adultery. 8. You shall not steal. 9. You shall not tell lies. 10. You shall not long for other people’s stuff.
What about
the 10 Commandments in the Bible?
Many years after God gave the 10 Commandments, Jesus summed them up in a way that is easy to remember—and helps us to understand the main point of them. When Jesus was asked which of the Commandments was the most important, he answered: “ ‘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 neighbour as yourself’ ” (MATTHEW 22:37-39).
1) “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind,” explains the first 4 Commandments. God gave these commands because he wanted our focus to be on him. He knows that life will get really messy really quickly when we love other things more than him. Only God, who really loves us and knows all our needs, can properly satisfy us. That’s why the first commands are all about giving God first place in our lives. 2) “Love your neighbour as yourself” sums up the last 6 Commandments. If we were to take care of others like we take care of ourselves, then school life and home life would be much better. If we don’t follow the last 6 Commandments, we will be really self-centred and hurtful. Fighting with our parents or friends, stealing, gossiping, jealousy and lying are all things that show we are more bothered about ourselves, rather than God or anyone else. The 10 Commandments are all about knowing how to live our best lives!
Is Christianity just
for people who think they are better than everyone else? T
he short answer is no! The Bible teaches that either we are good or we are not (CHECK OUT LUKE 18:19). And Jesus makes things crystal clear when he tells us that only God is good. The book of Romans also says that there are no people who measure up to God’s standard of goodness (ROMANS 3:23). So we are all in exactly the same boat.
The tallest man who ever lived, according to current records, was Robert Wadlow. He measured at 8’11”. Compared to everyone else, he was huge. Photos show him towering over other people. If, however, Robert Wadlow were compared to Mt. Everest, he would seem tiny. Then the difference between his height and an average person would be pretty insignificant. God’s goodness is like Mt. Everest. We could line up the whole of humanity at the base of the mountain and none of us would even come close. Imagine how silly it would be for people to stand on tip-toes just to look better than the people next to them. It’s a bit like that when we compare who’s ‘better’ in our own lives.
Christians are not people who think they are better than everyone else. They are people who realise none of us measure up to God’s standards. They have asked Jesus to make them right with God, because they know they’re not good enough. It’s true that Jesus wants his followers to live to please God, following his standards of right and wrong. But the point is he helps them to do it. On our own, none of us can please God. The point of being a Christian is not that we think we’re the best, but that we’ve seen how much of a mess we’ve made—and that we need Jesus to rescue us! The only goodness that Christians have is the goodness God gives as a gift to everyone who trusts him. It’s a gift that anyone can come and receive.
Do I need to
go to church as a Christian? T
he idea of church is really boring. It’s full of old people, longwinded prayers and people up the front saying big words. Surely we could just do our Christian faith on our own or with our friends? Imagine a world without doctors or hospitals. What would we do? Who would help us? We need our doctors! In the same way, church isn’t an option—we need it!
It may surprise you, but church isn’t the building where Christians meet together. It is the name given to Christians as a whole. Church happens most obviously on a Sunday when we meet together: the Bible is taught, we pray and sing songs of praise. But church is more than just that. Church is family. And God tells us to be
actively involved in his family throughout each week.
Why? Just as we need doctors to help us when we’re ill, we need the church family to help us keep living for Jesus. It’s in the church where we find out more about Jesus by listening to the Bible. Through the Bible teaching and learning from other Christians, we can come to know Jesus better and learn how to live for him more and more. But even though we go to church, we’ll still have struggles and problems that we’ll need help with. And it is in church that we get encouragement and support. God has given us teachers and leaders to explain the Bible’s teaching. He has given us other Christians to pray for us and encourage us. And he has given us youth groups so we can do this journey with others who are probably asking similar questions to us and going through the same sort of stuff. Together, and with our church and youth leaders, we can face anything, knowing we have a loving family supporting us. Church isn’t perfect. People fall out and struggle with each other sometimes. But that’s why it’s so great as well! It’s our spiritual hospital to continue looking out for each other (especially in the difficult times). The Christian life is much better when we realise we’re not alone!
Is Jesus exclusive? John 14:1-12
I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me (V.6).
I
once saw a Christian being interviewed on the TV. The interviewer asked, “Are you one of those Christians who believe that Jesus is exclusively the only way to heaven?” He added, “You know how mad that makes people these days!” Without blinking she replied, “Jesus is not exclusive. He died so that anyone could come to him for salvation.”
What a great answer! Christianity is not a special club limited to the few people who fit perfectly. Everyone is welcome, no matter who they are or where they come from. While this is true, Jesus’ words in John 14:6 continue to upset and offend people. Jesus is the only way—the only option that works. All of us are guilty before God. We are sinners and cannot help ourselves. Our sin had to be dealt with. Jesus, as God in skin, died to pay the penalty for our sins and then rose from the dead. No other religious leader offers what Jesus gives us in his victory over sin and death. The gospel of Jesus is offensive to some, but it is the wonderful truth that God loves us enough to come and take care of our biggest problem—sin. And as long as sin is the problem, the world needs Jesus! JS Thank you, Father, that I can belong to you and your family because of Jesus. Help me to share the good news of him with my friends and family.
HERE’S THE GOOD NEWS: JESUS IS THE SAVIOUR FOR ALL WHO BELIEVE. This article is from the Our Daily Bread Teen Edition annuals. Fancy getting hold of them? You can ask for your copies and see all our other resources at ourdailybread.org/teen
Christians are people who realise none of us measure up to God’s standards. Scripture taken from Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved. © 2019 by Our Daily Bread Ministries. All rights reserved.
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