Walking With Christ

John 3:16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.(ESV)

I know I just did this verse, but other than “In the beginning” this is one of the best places to start a lot of conversations.

God loved the world before the first words were ever spoken. God didn’t create the world and then decide to love His creation. No, God is love and so spoke the world into existence in love. Creation poured out of God, in a sense. Love, mercy, and grace initiated everything that exists today.

Christianity is the only belief system in the world where God freely and independently initiates the relationship. He loved us before there was an us to be loved. I recently read that religion says. “I obey, therefore I am accepted” while Christianity says, “I am accepted, therefore I obey.” There is no other belief system in history where God’s feelings towards us had nothing to do with what we do or do not do. God initiates grace and love unconditionally, without preconditions of worthiness, merit, or specific action. Jesus loved Judas and Barabas the same as He loved John (the disciple Jesus loved) and Peter.

In Christianity, grace precedes works because God loves the relationship over the transaction which means we are motivated by love rather than fear. We run towards our goal of leaping into our Father’s open arms instead of running away from judgement, punishment, condemnation, or retribution. Christianity offers love, forgiveness, and acceptance as a starting point, and the transformed life is simply the overflow of a heart that has already been radically loved.

1 John 4:18 There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear. For fear has to do with punishment, and whoever fears has not been perfected in love.(ESV)

Nearly every other belief system throughout history has required human action to gain divine favor or avoid divine judgement. Even the systems that hold to karmic beliefs are dependent upon the initiating behaviors we exhibit. “What goes around comes around.” Other belief system say that their god (little ‘g’) will only love you based on your love for them. This means that their ability to love you is limited by your devotion to them (Hindu Bhakti). Even Islam requires strict adherence and obedience to Allah in order to gain favor.

Only Christianity has no prerequisites for us to experience the love, mercy, and grace of the God we serve.

Romans 5:8 but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.(ESV)

Ephesians 2:8-10 (8)For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, (9)not a result of works, so that no one may boast. (10)For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.(ESV)

Caveat: I don’t mean to grossly oversimplify any belief system throughout history and highly encourage everyone to do their own research and due diligence to truly understand the core beliefs of these systems as well as our own.