Simple Christianity

by: Gary L. Hutchens

​   God has given us the greatest lifestyle system the world has ever seen- Christianity!  No other discipline even begins to measure up to the quality and promise of the Christian lifestyle.  Everything the world has come up with on its own pales by comparison.  In fact, any philosophy devised by man that removes God as its central tenet generally brings misery and is doomed to failure.

   Christianity is the best, most rewarding, satisfying and fulfilling of all lifestyles, bar none!  It holds the greatest realistic hope for its adherents.  When analyzed carefully, one of Christianity’s most impressive features is its simplicity.
   Many people make Christianity more complicated than it really is.  They see the Christian lifestyle as a system filled with rules and regulations, commandments and prohibitions.  God has given us instruction as to how He wants us to live, but those instructions are not capricious.  They’re designed for our well being, and God’s wisdom and love are inherent within them.  Simply put, they make our life better.
   God’s word certainly includes some specific instruction: how to be forgiven of our sins, how to be saved, how to worship according to God’s will, how to live a faithful life before Him… But, basically, God has simply instructed that we abstain from the evil ways of the devil and live righteous lives, thereby drawing close to God (Jas. 4:7-8).  There are certainly commandments that must be obeyed, but “His commandments are not burdensome” (1 Jn. 5:3).
   God has not left us to grope around in the dark, wondering what to do in order to please Him.  He has given us His word- the Bible- to guide us in His will.  All we need to know in order to live faithfully and pleasingly before God is contained within His word (2 Tim. 3:15-17).  The Bible is not a book of enigmas.  It is, for the most part, straightforward and easy to understand.  Its instructions are basic, they make sense, they’re reasonable and practical. 
   In fact, the teachings of Christianity actually clear up many of life’s questions.  Christianity makes life more simple, gives clearer direction and greater purpose.  It tells us who we are- beings specially created in God’s image (Gen. 1:26-28).  It assures us that we’re not meaningless, cosmic accidents but that our lives have importance and purpose.  Christianity provides us with direction and ultimate hope and allows us to live each day with certainty, assurance and confidence.
   It is man, reasoning on his own, who complicates things.  When man wants to become his own god, to do things his own way, and subsequently twists and changes God’s teachings to suit himself, things get really complicated quickly.  God’s way brings order to life.  It clears up the uncertainty.  It gives life meaning, and it brings peace.
   If you’re struggling through life without real fulfillment, purpose or direction, looking for hope and wishing for, but never quite finding, true and lasting peace, then examine God’s simple lifestyle- Christianity.  See if it does not offer all that you’ve searching for, all that’s been missing in your life- and a whole lot more...
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