What is this thing called Christianity?

Doveaman said:

Is Christianity defined as obedience to God?
Is Christianity defined as love for God?
Is Christianity defined as a relationship with God?

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It is all three.

Doveaman said:

Is my love for my mate defined as obedience to my mate? I think not.
Is my love for my children defined as obedience to my children? I think not.
Is my love for my parents defined as obedience to my parents? I think not.
How then is my love for God defined as obedience to God?

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It is a Parent/child relationship.
The Socratic method, here, obscures direct Scripture,
“If you love Me, [you will] keep My commandments." John 14:15 NKJV

" 'He who has My commandments and keeps them, it is he who loves Me.
And he who loves Me will be loved by My Father,
and I will love him and manifest Myself to him.'

Judas (not Iscariot) said to Him,

Jesus answered and said to him,

Doveaman said:

What is Christianity?
How is Christianity defined?

Is Christianity defined as obedience to God?
Is Christianity defined as love for God?
Is Christianity defined as a relationship with God?

The most popular answer is that Christianity is a relationship with God.

How then do we define a relationship with God?
Is a relationship with God defined as obedience to God?
Is a relationship with God defined as love for God?

The most popular answer is that a relationship with God is love for God.

How then do we define love for God?
Is love for God defined as obedience to God?

Is my love for my mate defined as obedience to my mate? I think not.
Is my love for my children defined as obedience to my children? I think not.
Is my love for my parents defined as obedience to my parents? I think not.
How then is my love for God defined as obedience to God?

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Change the word obedience for respect and you'll get a different answer.

Loving God is about respecting Him, others and yourself.

Christianity is the message of God's eternal redemption for the world through Jesus Christ, His Son.

OP question: What is this thing called Christianity?

A group/Body of people. That thru faith placed in Christ's sin atoning payment & resurrection.

Have received the eternal sealing/saving gift of Christ's indwelling Holy Spirit.

We have Christ in us = Christian.

What is Christianity? Not only a thing, but . . .

as Doveaman said:

relationship with God

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and said:

love for God

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and said:

obedience to God

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Plus what Jonaitis said:

Christianity is the message of God's eternal redemption for the world through Jesus Christ, His Son.

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And I will offer > it is relating with God, in submission to Him in His own peace being shared with us > this is a basic of our calling "in one body" >

"And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to which also you were called in one body; and be thankful." (Colossians 3:15)

Therefore, we discover Christianity - - - not by only theoretically explaining it, but by living in sharing with God and one another as His family . . . "in one body" > relating >

"with all lowliness and gentleness, with longsuffering, bearing with one another in love," (Ephesians 4:2)

"in love, as also Christ loved us and gave Himself for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet-smelling aroma." (in Ephesians 5:2)

Doveaman said:

Is my love for my mate defined as obedience to my mate? I think not.
Is my love for my children defined as obedience to my children? I think not.
Is my love for my parents defined as obedience to my parents? I think not.

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But we do obey the ones we love, by obeying what we know they would enjoy and obeying what they let us know they need. But in Christianity, this is not merely about helping others to gain what they selfishly want us to do > but > this is in relating with God >

"submitting to one another in the fear of God." (Ephesians 5:21)

Doveaman said:

How then is my love for God defined as obedience to God?

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Obedience is not the whole of the definition, but is included. And we keep finding out how it is better than we might have understood and tried to define > it is to be discovered.

Doveaman said:

What is Christianity?...

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In Bible Christians means a disciple of Jesus. And a disciple of Jesus is a person who remains n the words of Jesus.

When he found him, he brought him to Antioch, and for a whole year they were guests of the church and taught a large crowd. It was in Antioch that the disciples were first called Christians.
Acts 11:26

Jesus therefore said to those Jews who had believed him, "If you remain in my word, then you are truly my disciples. You will know the truth, and the truth will make you free."
John 8:31-32

Because of that, Christianity should mean the group of disciples of Jesus.

Doveaman said:

Would it be correct to say, then, that Christianity is a relationship with God established through obedience to God?

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First, there is the obedience of Christ, on the cross.

Doveaman said:

The more we obey God the more we discover God, and the more a relationship with God is formed.

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I would say the relating brings the obedience >

"for it is God who works in you both to will and to do for His good pleasure." (Philippians 2:13)

God produces how we are willing, then comes the obeying. Relating is in and through it all. I would say you can't have one without the other.

In any case it is obedience according to how God in us has us becoming obedient, if God is the One who works so we will and do what He wants. The obedience of Jesus came first, then, on the cross, then has come God producing what He wants for obedience.

And our Apostle Paul is an example >

"striving according to His working which works in me mightily." (in Colossians 3:15)

In order for us to work according to His working . . . this is obeying and there needs to be relating, then, with His working, in order for us to obey how He in us works us to will and do what He desires.

In any case, this is personal and in sharing with God . . . so Christianity includes personal sharing with God in His personal correction and guiding . . . and this in His peace >

"And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to which also you were called in one body; and be thankful." (Colossians 3:15)

Being personally ruled by God's peace, then, is included in Christianity. This takes God in us ruling each of us, and this needs our submission to be the way God works us so we are submissive, and we have the relating and personal sharing which is included in this. So, all is together, I would say.

And Jesus is our Lord of all, meaning Jesus owns and rules all. But, for us who obey Jesus in His peace, we benefit the best from how Jesus is ruling all, including how this peace "will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus." (in Philippians 4:6-7)

Therefore, obeying God is not a self-puppeting thing, but in relating and sharing with God in His peace. And there is how we become loving, because of this. We relate as God's family (Ephesians 4:31-32), with one another, while caring in prayer for any and all people > with hope for anyone, at all > 1 Timothy 2:1-4 > love "hopes all things" (in 1 Corinthians 13:7).

So, my impression is, that there is relating included in the obeying . . . obeying how God has us relating in His love with one another as family. And so obeying is included in the relating

Doveaman said:

The most popular answer is that Christianity is a relationship with God.

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The "most popular answer" is wrong.

Doveaman said:

Isn't keeping commandments an act of obedience?
Is this the summary of what Christianity is - obedience?

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Obedience is complying to what the Holy Spirit has revealed to you thus far (not necessarily compliance with the rest of the "Law" that you have not yet been taught).

Does it surprise you that the Spirit of the Law is analogous to the Letter of the Law?

Would you rationalize away the obedience aspect of our love relationship with God that is expressed in John 14?