Introduction
Christianity is one of the largest religions in the world that is based on the life and the teachings of Jesus Christ, the son of God. It is the largest religion, with a population of over 2.8 billion believers, otherwise known as Christians, spread across the globe (Denova, 2022). Christianity is culturally diverse in doctrines regarding ecclesiology, vindication and the nature of redemption, and theological doctrine. This paper delves into the beliefs a church, person, or organization has for rightful consideration as a Christian. The Bible provides guidance to a set of beliefs that defines who a Christian is.
Who Are Christians?
Rightly Christians believe that God is always present and cares for them. God loved the world so much that He offered Jesus Christ to die for the sinners and that whoever believed in Him shall have eternal life (John 3:16). God is concerned about the people who have fallen short of His glory, and He seeks to restore their souls. The parable of the shepherd who leaves 99 sheep to look for a lost one shows how God is concerned about the souls on the verge of perishing (Matt. 18:12). He values the souls of those still dwelling in the sin and those who have already sought and walked in salvation. Christians believe God shows Himself in nature and the Bible (Myers & Noebel, 2016). This enables them to better understand God’s presence through reading the scriptures and their mysterious nature.
Sin keeps Christians away from the grace of their God. Adam and Eve led comfortably in the garden of Eden only until when they ate the forbidden fruit. God punished them for their disobedience; Adam had to toil to get food while eve had to bear pain in childbearing (Gen 3:16). Adam blamed Eve for giving him the forbidden fruit, while Eve blamed the serpent for lying to her (Myers & Noebel, 2016). When people sin and God withdraws his grace, they become confused and start blaming everything for their miserable lives.
Christians engage in divine communication with God through inspired scripture. For them to comprehend the message relayed by the scripture, they must have an appropriate understanding of the Bible, what it says about humanity, what the Bible says about humans, and how Christians should live. To achieve a proper understanding of the Bible, a keen study, listening to the holy spirit and taking part in the body of Christ. Paul told Timothy to present himself to God as the approved one and not need to feel shame but can handle the word of truth (2 Tim 2:15). The scripture reveals how Christians should present themselves to God. Christians ought to understand and appreciate what the scripture says about them. God created man in his own image and likeness (Gen 1:26). This enhances the understanding of humans’ special position in all of God’s creations (Myers & Noebel, 2016). God communicates to Christians through the Bible; only those who have received the holy spirit will understand.
The Bible, generally, describes humans as always sinful in nature. The Bible explains that everyone is a sinner and has fallen short of the glory of God (Rom3:23). This constantly reminds Christians that they are sinners and should humble themselves and repent before God anytime; none is righteous. In addition, the scripture guides Christians to dwell in holiness (Myers & Noebel, 2016). The Bible says to take captivity of every thought to ensure it obeys Christ ( 2 Cor 10:5). The Bible describes what a Christian should do and what to avoid in order to live a righteous life that pleases God.
Ethics and morality are two fundamental features of a right Christian. In the Good Samaritan Parable, Jesus instructed loving God with all the heart, soul, mind, and strength (Luke 10:27). Through these, Christians honor the instructions given by Jesus to fulfill the will of God. Similarly, responding to the call to follow Jesus is another aspect of Christian ethics since it restores the focus on God’s glory (Mark 1:17). Christians experience challenges in making decisions on relativistic systems; faith does not prohibit worldly concerns such as feeding the hungry (Myers & Noebel, 2016). None of the ethical standards has been known to be absolute.
Standing by the truth biblical truth against biological research is another feature associated with rightly Christianity. Much scientific research differs from some with the Bible in many aspects. This makes it difficult for Christians to pursue science-based courses, especially biology. Christian students sometimes experience biased treatment compared to those from other religions and non-religious. This becomes a limiting factor for such students to pursue their dream courses since they are not accorded treatment like the rest (Barnes et al., 2020). It is also hard to comprehend or make decisions on religious science conflicting matters.
Conclusion
In conclusion, Christians believe that God is present and cares by restoration when they are on the verge of perishing; sin brings suffering and keeps them away from the grace of God, and they communicate with God through scripture that guides them. Humans are always sinful and should always seek God’s forgiveness. Ethics and morality are key pillars in the Christian life that fulfill God’s glory. Christians face tough times when making decisions on science-related matters that conflict with faith, and sometimes they experience biased treatment.
References
Barnes, M. E., Truong, J. M., Grunspan, D. Z., & Brownell, S. E. (2020). Are scientists biased against Christians? Exploring real and perceived bias against Christians in academic biology. PloS One. Web.
Denova, R. (2022). Christianity. World History Encyclopedia. Web.
Myers, J., & Noebel, D. A. (2016). Understanding the times: A survey of competing worldviews. Summit Ministries.