What’s So Special About Christianity?
Posted: Sunday, March 07, 2010
by Joel Kontinen
http://joelkontinen.blogspot.com/
Throughout the ages and in all cultures, people seem to have had a need to worship someone bigger than themselves. Secular prophets who have predicted the end of religion have time and again had to admit that it is impossible to uproot the spiritual dimension in man.
Their failure was not due to a lack of effort, however. Men like the Russian dictator Joseph Stalin and the Albanian strongman Enver Hoxha did their utmost to eradicate religion in general and Christianity in particular. Furthermore, millions of trees have been cut down to print books and pamphlets attacking belief in the supernatural.
Three millennia ago, the wise king Solomon wrote, "He [i.e. God ] has put eternity in their hearts". Writing to the Roman church, the apostle Paul stated, "What may be known of God is manifest in them, for God has shown it to them. For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made."
But people have often taken the wrong approach to this all-important issue. The attitude of the rich young ruler described in Mark 10:17-21 illustrates this quandary:
"Now as He was going out on the road, one came running, knelt before Him, and asked Him, 'Good Teacher, what shall I do that I may inherit eternal life?' "
When individuals approach God they often feel that they must do something in order to gain His acceptance. All religions except one have this emphasis on human deeds.
The odd one out is Christianity. When Jesus Christ uttered, "It is finished!"(John 19:30), He meant that He had accomplished everything that had to be done to redeem fallen mankind. In other words, we cannot do anything to merit salvation but we can put our trust in the One who was worthy and who certainly could.
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Top-level comments on this article: (1 total)Interesting article Joel.
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