DB Clips: How Do I Know Christianity is Real?
Today we’re thinking through a fundamental question of our faith- How Do I Know Christianity is True?
One of the common beliefs in today’s culture is that all religions are basically the same, so as long as you’re sincere and consistent in your personal faith, no one can make the claim that what you believe is wrong and what they believe is a better way. Those who hold to this philosophy often use a story about an elephant to prove their point.
In the story, an elephant walks into a village where everyone is blind. The villagers, having never encountered an animal like this before, are fascinated by this strange creature! One villager touches the elephant’s leg and declares it’s like a tree. Another grabs the elephant’s ear and argues it’s a large fan. A third villager holds the tail and states it must be a snake, and so on and so on. Soon arguments begin to break out, as each villager discovers a different part of the elephant, but no one has the ability to fit all the parts together. In the same way, many claim that the religions of the world hold pieces of truth, but no single religion holds it all. Therefore, we shouldn’t argue over which is better, but accept all belief systems equally and learn from one another.
While at first this may sound convincing and even gracious, there is a major flaw with the elephant story: while the villagers are blind, the person telling the story can see- indicating there exists at least one belief system (the storyteller’s) that understands the whole picture. If all religions truly are limited but also equal, no one would have the knowledge to tell the elephant story!
So if it seems unlikely that all religions are the same- how do we know Christianity is true? What evidence exists that separates and elevates it above all other spiritual ideologies and belief systems?
The answer, quite simply, is Jesus.
One of the more powerful New Testament passages that demonstrates the uniqueness and superiority of Jesus is 1 Corinthians 15:3-8. Biblical scholars believe that in this passage the apostle Paul is quoting an early Christian creed, formulated within just a few years of the life of Jesus and handed down to Paul shortly after he began to follow Jesus. Paul writes:
For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures, and that he appeared to Peter, then to the twelve. Then he appeared to more than five hundred brothers and sisters at one time, most of whom are still alive, though some have fallen asleep. Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles. Last of all, as to one untimely born, he appeared also to me.
In this passage Paul summarizes the heart of the gospel message with four important phrases:
Christ died
Christ was buried
Christ was raised
Christ appeared
If we zoom in even further, it’s the third phrase- Christ was raised– which represents the historical event that proves the deity of Christ and as a result, radically shapes our faith. Consider for a moment just how crazy it sounds for a person to rise from the dead! We know the first followers of Jesus were surprised, because as they approached the tomb, nobody expected no body! And yet Jesus, who claimed to be the resurrection and the life in John 11:25, would not be conquered by death. The Christian faith hinges on Christ’s resurrection, which is why Paul states later in 1 Corinthians 15 that if Christ has not been raised, then our faith is in vain and we are of all people most to be pitied.
In Colossians 2:8 Paul warns his readers of philosophies that can delude a person’s mind and take them captive. These empty, deceitful, man-made “isms” of life are an attempt to replace the reality of Jesus with artificial “saviors.” But who Jesus is, and what Jesus accomplished, is unmatched in this world. In the end, it really is all about Jesus!
As C.S. Lewis stated, “Christianity is a statement which, if false, is of no importance, and if true, is of infinite importance. The one thing it cannot be is moderately important.”
If you’d like to learn more about this topic, go to our website, dbcc.com, click on Grow, then Sermons. Look for the teaching series Colossians – Jesus Plus Nothing Equals Everything, and click on the sermon titled Beware of Empty Philosophies.
Thank you and may you grow closer to Jesus this week!