Christianity in a nutshell is “Accept Christ Jesus as Lord” (as in Acts 16:31, 2Cor. 4:5 & Col. 2:6).
The elaboration of what this imperative implies includes:
- There is a/one all-loving and just Lord or Creator God (Deut. 6:4, John 3:16, 2Thes. 1:6), who loves sinful humanity (Rom. 5:6-8, John 3:16) and who is both able (2Tim. 1:12) and willing (1Tim. 2:3-4, Ezek. 33:11) to provide all morally accountable human beings salvation or heaven—a wonderful life full of love, joy and peace forever.
- Human beings are selfish or sinful (Rom. 3:23, 2Tim. 3:2-4, Col. 3:5), miserable (Gal. 5:19-21), and hopeless (Eph. 2:12) or hell-bound at the judgment (Matt. 23:33 & 25:46) when they reject God’s salvation (John 3:18, Rom. 2:5-11).
- Jesus is God’s Messiah/Christ and incarnate Son, the way that God has chosen (John 3:16, Acts 16:30-31, Phil. 2:9-11) of providing salvation by means of his atoning death on the cross for the payment of the penalty for the sins of humanity (Rom. 3:22-25 & 5:9-11), followed by his resurrection to reign in heaven (1Cor. 15:14-28).
- Thus, every person who hears the NT Gospel needs to repent and accept God’s grace or justification in Jesus as Christ/Messiah the Lord or Supreme Commander (Luke 2:11, John 14:6, Acts 16:31), at which moment God’s loving Holy Spirit of Christ indwells/baptizes the believer into the church (Rev. 3:20, Rom. 5:5, 1Cor. 12:13).
- Loving Christ Jesus as Lord (Luke 2:11), God the Son (Matt. 16:16) or God in the human dimension (Col. 2:9) means reflecting divine love as empowered by the Holy Spirit, thereby obeying His command to love one another (Matt. 7:21, 22:37-40, John 13:35, Rom. 13:9)—forever (Matt. 10:22, Psa. 113:2), which will eventually achieve spiritual maturity on earth and heaven after Christ returns at God’s resurrection (John 14:6, 17&26, Rom. 8:6-17, Gal. 6:7-9, Eph. 1:13-14, Phil. 3:12-16, Heb. 10:36, 12:1, Jam. 1:2-4).
Christianity in a nutshell per Jesus is Matthew 22:37-40, but his first few teachings are these:
TOJ #1: Jesus is the Son of God. [Luke 2:49]
Jesus’ first pupils were His parents. By the age of twelve Jesus realized that God was His heavenly Father (in fulfillment of Psalm 2:7). John 1:14 states that God’s Word/Spirit was incarnate in Jesus. Hebrews 1:3 says that Jesus is God’s Son, “the exact representation of his being.”
Insofar as it is possible for the almighty, immortal and invisible God (1Tim. 1:17) to reveal Himself in a mortal human (Rom. 1:3), that person is Jesus (1Tim. 2:5). Jesus is the fullest possible revelation of the superhuman God (Col. 1:19) in the human dimension (Phil. 2:7-8). And with God all things are possible that do not contradict who He is (Matt. 19:26, Heb. 6:18).
The “insofar” of this theophany is sufficient, so that the Son of God (Matt. 3:17, 17:5) or Messiah/Christ may be considered as Immanuel (Matt. 1:23) or God the Son {John 5:17-27, 10:25-38, 14:9f., 17:1-5}. This means that God may be understood as a Triunity (See TOJ #7, #49, #52 & #178).
TOJ #2: Obey God’s will. [Matt. 3:15] Notice that the accounts of Jesus’ baptism in the other gospels (Mark 1:9-11, Luke 3:21-22, John 1:31-34) omit this teaching. However, it is a major theme in John’s gospel. {John 5:17, 17:4} (See TOJ #34 & #153.) By being baptized Jesus taught John and others present that He obeyed God’s will for Messiah to identify with sinful humanity.
In John’s gospel Jesus called doing his Father’s will/work His “food” {John 4:34}. It included giving eternal life {John 5:19-21,36}. The work of dying Jesus called His “cup” {John 18:11}, which surely is what was “finished” on the cross {John 19:30}. Jesus also spoke of His coming obedience unto death (TOJ #54) as a “baptism”. {Luke 12:50, Mark 10:38-39, 14:36}
Obeying God’s will as codified in most of the Ten Commandments is TOJ #107. Peter taught this truth via a negative example {in Matt. 16:23//Mark 8:33}.
TOJ #3: Learn God’s Word (LGW). [Matt. 4:4//Luke 4:4] This is
the first of three truths Jesus tried to teach the devil during a period of testing in the desert (Mark 1:12-13). Satan first tempted Jesus to perform a miracle; just like he tempts us to want to walk by proof rather than by Faith (Matt. 24:24). However, Jesus indicated that God’s Word is the fuel, food {John 6:26-27} and medicine for souls, so if we do not LGW, then we will run out of gas, fail to grow and be spiritually sick. Or, in terms of another passage, our house (life) will be destroyed. {Matt. 7:24-27//Luke 6:47-49}
This TOJ prompts the question:
what is God’s Word? The NT affirms most of the books in the OT, and most Christians affirm the books in the NT. The next TOJ indicates that “truth” is God’s Word. Some people identify every word in the Bible with truth, but this view ignores the need for an infallible interpretation in order to establish an inerrant canon and to explain discrepancies, such as one instruction to pray for God’s will to be done (TOJ #34) and another to ask for anything (TOJ #51). A perfect revelation might also be expected to have included teachings to head off future controversies (such as “Thou shalt not murder babies in the womb”) or to answer crucial issues like “God does not prove His will to humanity because doing so would abrogate volition.” (Cf. the next TOJ.)
TOJ #4: Harmonize all truth. [Matt. 4:7a]
Jesus implied this important logical principle to apply when seeking the correct understanding of GW
by saying, “It is also written”. If the Spirit of God inspired the biblical writers (2Pet. 1:20-21) and created the world (Gen. 1:1-3), then the best interpretation of a TOJ should harmonize the totality of revealed and scientific knowledge. In his second temptation
the devil quoted Scripture (Psa. 91:11-12) as though he were heeding the TOJ about LGW,
but he attempted to deceive Jesus with a false interpretation so He would perform a miracle. Although Jesus did perform miracles, it was only as necessary in order to establish His church so that Christians could preach salvation via saving Faith in the Gospel/kerygma. (See TOJ #77 & #78.)
TOJ #5: Life is God’s test. [Matt. 4:7b//Luke 4:12b] The verse of Scripture to which Jesus alluded (DT 6:16) shows that
it is human souls who must prove to God whom they will serve (Josh. 24:15).
TOJ #6: Worship only God. [Matt. 4:10//Luke 4:8] The account of the third temptation is slightly fuller in Luke (where it is mentioned second).
What Satan claimed in verses six and seven (in Luke) are lies. God has not given all authority to Satan; Satan tries to usurp it (Rom. 13:1-5). The only power Satan and people have is permission to disobey and rebel against God’s authority within limits (Gen. 2:16-17, 3:22-24, 6:3, 11:6-9, Job 1:12, 2:6; TOJ #136).
TOJ #7: Accept Jesus as the Lord’s Messiah/Christ. [Luke 4:18-22, 43] This event is omitted in Matthew and Mark. By saying the prophecy of Isaiah 61:1-2 (cf. Isa. 49:5-7, 52:13) was fulfilled, Jesus was teaching that He is God’s Messiah {Matt. 16:16a//Mark 8:29//Luke 9:20}, whose mission is the next TOJ. Jesus asserted this teaching directly {in John 4:25-26}, and it was also taught by the miraculous resurrection of Lazarus. {John 11:25-44}
Another term for Messiah is Son (TOJ #1), which may be why those who doubted asked, “Isn’t this Joseph’s son?” Although Jesus’ role as God’s Messiah is equivalent to His role as God’s Son {Matt. 16:16-18}, both terms are significant enough to justify listing these teachings separately. (Also see TOJ #49, #52 & #131.)
TOJ #8: Repent of Sin/Believe GRFS. [Matt. 4:17//Mark 1:15 & Luke 4:43] Jesus was sent for the purpose of proclaiming the Gospel (good news) about how to be saved from death and hell to eternal life in the kingdom of God/heaven.
The way to be saved is to repent of the sin of unbelief or atheism (2Pet. 3:10-13), and believe—not merely in God’s existence (Jam. 2:19), but—in the way that satisfies GRFS.
Repentance or saving Faith was
the central theme of Jesus’ preaching. {Mark 1:38} Salvation/heaven was signified by freedom from poverty, captivity, infirmity, sins and their just (miserable) consequences {Matt. 11:4-6//Luke 7:22-23}.
Many people scoff at this imperative invitation of Jesus, because “everything goes on as it has since the beginning” (2Pet. 3:3-4). Unfortunately for them, the miraculous proof they demand will be the second coming of Christ in judgment, when it will be too late to repent of sin/evil that results in the opposite of heaven (TOJ #195).
TOJ #9: Blessed are Believers. [Matt. 5:3-12] Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5-7) begins with a series of blessings called the Beatitudes. (The verb “beatify” means to bless or make happy.) Believers have the Faith implied by “because of me” (Matt. 5:11). Peter’s confession {Matt. 16:16-17} showed his Faith in Jesus as Messiah/Christ/Son of God. Although Believers experience many blessings in the midst of earthly troubles, God’s ultimate blessing is eternal life in heaven (TOJ #154), which is the proper reason or motivation for obeying God’s will, beginning with TOJ #7 & #8 {John 13:17}. (See TOJ #198.) The Beatitudes might be viewed as one general teaching comprised of eight specific examples of ways all true Believers will be blessed, but we will consider each beatitude separately.
LIC, GWH
