Keeping Christianity simple

Wonder99 · Aug 25, 2015

Hello,

I was raised Christian (though my father has Hindu roots) but I've never really delved into my belief system to figure out what I really believe and why. I find Christianity intimidating at times because people can get into all sorts of long-winded discussions over one word in one verse.

So how does someone keep Christianity simple? How do we study in order to get the heart of the faith and not get stuck in nitpicky patterns?

I want to have a stronger relationship with God. I want to understand the Bible enough to not be swayed one way or another the second someone says something counter to what I've heard. I'll gladly consider different views, but I don't want to be wishy-washy. Most of all, I want my faith to be alive and real, not some ritual that doesn't do any ounce of good.

What advice would you give me?

SinnerInTheHands · Aug 25, 2015

1] Read the Bible. Regularly (though I often fail to).

2] Attend a strong Biblical church.

Wonder99 · Aug 25, 2015

What would you define as a strong Biblical church? What denominations? I think I have a sense but I readily admit I'm pretty clueless.

SinnerInTheHands · Aug 25, 2015

Generally I would recommend conservative/fundamentalist Protestant denominations.

For Lutheranism:

LCMS
WELS
ELS

For Presbyterianism:

PCA
OPC
RPCNA

You could go to evangelical churches, pentecostal, &c.

Winken · Aug 25, 2015

John 14:6, John 3:16-17, John 3:3, John 5:24, Romans 10:8-13, then rejoice in Ephesians 2:8-9.

No rituals. Period.

1watchman · Aug 25, 2015

Well, Christianity should be simple: 1) real faith and living devotion to Jesus, the Christ of God for salvation of one's soul; 2) study of the Bible to understand the essence of God's mind and ways; 3) be "rightly dividing the Word of Truth" as God says to see the major differences between the Israelite religion (which pointed forward to Christ) and Christianity in Jesus Christ; and the times of the Gospel by Jesus Christ ---His life, teachings, and sacrifice for sin; 4) see the three major aspects of Christianity in Redemption way, Church truth, and Spiritual life for spiritual growth; 5) find a sound Bible-only Christian fellowship to conform to the mind and ways of God for the Church and our walk. One needs to see there are no contradictions in the Word of God, and should take "all the counsel of God" as shown, and put the Lord first in one's life for peace, assurance, and joy for evermore. Reading the Bible daily is important to serious seekers, and for an initial overview I recommend reading John 1; John 3; John 14, before reading Bible history from the Old Testament.

Steeno7 · Aug 27, 2015

Simply, Christianity is Christ. Scripture testifies of Him. Get to know Him. Many know the Bible backwards and forwards, but unless and until we know Jesus as the risen, living and indwelling Lord and Savior, we simply will not know enough about Him worth saying.

1watchman · Aug 27, 2015

True, Steeno! That is the first thing to have any part in God; however, when one is saved by faith and devotion to the Savior, one needs to grow in the faith by communion with Him and study of His Word ---would you say?

Steeno7 · Aug 27, 2015

Surely Christ will finish the work He has begun in us?

hedrick · Aug 29, 2015

Unfortunately “Biblical” is a bit subjective, since everyone thinks their church is Biblical. If you reject evolution and support traditional roles for the genders, then you’re probably conservative. In that case, the list given by SinnerInTheHands is OK. If you accept evolution, the results of modern archaeology, and understand some of Paul’s teachings to have been based on 1st Cent circumstances, you want the mainline equivalents of those denominations (ELCA and PCUSA).

Both traditions believe they are following Scripture, but they understand it differently. It has to do with how you think the authors intended their work to be understood.

In my view there are three major Christian approaches:

Catholic / Orthodox
conservative Protestant
mainline Protestant

There are lots more, such as Baptist, Presbyterian, Pentecostal, etc., but the decision among those three is probably the most important.

Wonder99 · Aug 29, 2015

Thanks everyone for you responses. I have been following a church online (I'm currently recovering from a major car accident and unable to drive) and it is part of the Christian Reformed Church. I'm not sure where that falls in the three major Christian approaches. I'm wary of legalism (when I was growing up, Mom was rebuked by her church for buying milk on a Sunday for her kids because she had unexpectedly run out) and would like to avoid churches that would take that sort of attitude.

In the meantime I'm slowly working through the bible starting with Matthew. I'll read the full NT before going back to the OT.

hedrick · Aug 29, 2015

I'd say the CRC is borderline mainline, i.e. they're on the conservative end of the mainline. They don't require a belief in inerrancy. They ordain women. But they tend to adopt liberal positions a couple of decades later than most of the mainline churches. They started ordaining women more recently, and don't yet ordain gays. My sense is that they will, within 10 years or so, and maybe sooner.

I don't think the center of the CRC is legalistic in the sense you mean, but there may well be members and churches that tend in that direction. Most denominations have a range of churches, so it's hard to make statements that apply to absolutely every one.

Emmy · Aug 30, 2015

Dear Wonder99. Jesus gave us good advice, straightforward and easy to remember. In Matthew 22: 35-40:
Jesus tells us: " The first and great Commandment is: " Love God with all thy heart, with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. The second is like it: love thy neighbour as thyself." ( neighbour is: all we know and all we meet, friends and
not friends) In verse 40 we are told: " on these two Commandments hang all the Law and all the Prophets."
Matthew 7: 7-10: we are told: " Ask and you shall receive," then we ask for Love and Joy, thank God and share all love and joy with our neighbour. We keep asking and receiving, then thank God and share all love and joy with our neighbour. God will see our loving efforts, and God will approve and bless us.
The Bible tells us: " Repent and give up all selfish wishes and wants, and start loving and caring. Keep doing this and
find that people you meet treat you the same as you treat people. Love is very catching and you will gradually change from being selfish to be loving and caring. The Holy Spirit will help and guide you, and Jesus our Saviour will lead you all the way: JESUS IS THE WAY. That is Christianity simple and straightforward, we will Love God with heart, soul, and mind, and treat our neighbour as we would love to be treated. God is Love, and God wants loving sons and daughters. We might stumble and forget at times, but then we ask God to forgive us, and carry on being loving and caring. I say this with love, dear Wonder. Greetings from Emmy, your sister in Christ.

NJA · Sep 2, 2015

Over the centuries, Christianity has come to mean something different to what the New Testament actually teaches, and indeed that is the root of many problems people have concerning "Christianity", "Christians" and "the Church".

You need to receive what all the disciples received at Pentecost to be a Christian - Acts 2:4, 39; Romans 8:8-9.

Once you have received the Holy Spirit, all you need to do is tune into Him daily and know what he is saying to you.
Praying in the Holy Spirit (in tongues) enables this, and then just reading the sincere milk of the word (the bible, not someone else's thoughts about it), and being in fellowship with people that are doing the same. I've been with these since 1989.

Sharon Hayes · Sep 5, 2015

Memorize the Ten Commandments, and two more Jesus reiterated in Matthew 22:37 & verse 39. Live by them. The rest is common sense and the moral choices Jesus requested (you'll come across them in the new testament).

Too many Christians are in bondage because of un-important rules and beliefs learned from their respective religions. If it's not in the word of God, and you're not feeling what you're being told, let it go in one ear and out the other. Live free in the Lord and the glory of his might, because whomsoever the Lord makes free is free, indeed.

Gary the Kid · Nov 9, 2015

This is as simple as it gets. Go to Mark 15:38 and just "Go In". It's the Portal to the Father in Heaven. If you can't see it. Go to the flowing Blood and Water from the Side of Jesus and Wash in His Water and mark yourself in His Blood. Then return to the Open Temple and go in to never return..................That simple.

toLiJC · Nov 9, 2015

it is all about seeking/invoking and staying faithful to That Who really is the only true Lord God (of all the boundless universe - no matter how much it is boundless, even if it is absolutely boundless) - only He and you, and no one else (when it comes to exercising (the) faith)

Matthew 6:6 "when thou prayest, enter into thy closet, and when thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy Father which is in secret; and thy Father which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly."

the closet inside you, your serious attitude/approach - hide yourself in His Light, think you are just one of the many people/souls of the universe and there is a sanctity/privacy in Him for everyone...

i personally do not advise you to read the Bible more than once, twice or thrice, because until now there was something like a trap in the repeated Bible reading - it often turned out that the constant readers of the Bible perceive its words wrong exactly because of the fact that when reading the Bible constantly they usually try somehow to understand the biblical words that they read and thus interpret many things wrongly, and find and hold many imperfect and wrong interpretations

Blessings

ISTANDBYJESUS · Nov 9, 2015

You will find God by hearing his word coming out of the mouth of the Lord Jesus Christ.

grandvizier1006 · Nov 21, 2015

Unfortunately, this very simple question tends to get tons of different answers, seeing as how you've been given dozens of different verses to rad and other people kindly narrowing down the denomination you should pick. All you really have to do is focus on Christ, rather than petty politics or debates. Look for other Christians that, regardless of their specific denomination or beliefs, are capable of helping you edify your own faith and will remind you how God truly works.

seashale76 · Dec 5, 2015

Well, one must pray, read the scriptures, and go to church to partake of the Holy Mysteries (sacraments). However, what makes things complicated are all of the deviations from the truth that are out there (and everyone here is going to push their own group as being the truth- as evidenced by pretty much every post in this thread). There is one Truth and Christ has one Church- however- plenty of people have introduced their doctrines of men over the centuries- which is how people are- they try to recreate God in their own image instead of submitting themselves to what God wants. It is easy to want to give up and make things easy on yourself so you don't have to have a faith that works. There is such a thing as wrong beliefs and doctrines, but people don't want to hear about that around here usually.

Simple intellectual assent to the existence of God isn't going to do you or anyone any good. That doesn't cut it. You have to get up, come and see, and then 'do'. What people don't want to tell you because it isn't a pat and easy answer: You must be baptized into Christ. You must go to church. You must partake of the Holy Mysteries/Sacraments. You must live a life in Christ and participate in the life of the Church (this includes good works, prayer, et cetera). You must endure to the end. There is no such thing as altar call theology.

"If you wish to save your soul and win eternal life, arise from your lethargy, make the sign of the Cross and say: In the name of the Father, and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost. Amen. Faith comes not through pondering but through action. Not words and speculation but experience teaches us what God is. To let in fresh air we have to open a window; to get tanned we must go out into the sunshine. Achieving faith is no different; we never reach a goal by just sitting in comfort and waiting, say the Holy Fathers. Let the Prodigal Son be our example. He "arose and came."" (Luke 15:20).
~Tito Colliander The Way of the Ascetics.

"Faith, like active prayer, is a grace. For prayer, when activated by love through the power of the Spirit, renders true faith manifest - the faith that reveals the life of Jesus. If, then, you are aware that such faith is not at work within you, that means your faith is dead and lifeless. In fact you should not even speak of yourself as one of the 'faithful' if your faith is merely theoretical and not actualized by the practice of the commandments or by the Spirit. Thus faith must be evidenced by progress in keeping the commandments, or it must be actualized and translucent in what we do. This is confirmed by St. James when he says, 'Show me your faith through your works and I will show you the works that I do through my faith.'" (cf. Jas. 2:18.)
~St. Gregory of Sinai, The Philokalia, Vol. 4.

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