WHAT SETS THE CHRISTIAN FAITH APART

Devotion by Steve Long

What Sets the Christian Faith Apart from All Others?

Everyone has faith in something. If anyone says they don’t believe in God, they probably believe in themselves which actually sets themselves up in the place of God.

What sets faith in Christ apart from the many faiths of this world?

Is it our unique experience? Having trusted Christ, most all believers have felt a peace that passes understanding. There is nothing quite like knowing that Jesus died for our sins and that all has been forgiven. He removes our guilt of sin and we are free at last to follow him without the dark cloud of judgment hovering above our heads. So, yes, Christians do initially and often experience great peace.

But there may be days when the peace is lacking. Whenever Christians get busy in life and don’t take time to give thanks to him, the peace may be sorely missing. When we find ourselves walking outside of God’s revealed will, choosing to sin, we lack peace then too. When we wrestle in prayer over a son or daughter, we may not feel great peace. Sometimes Christians may experience unexplained depression, thus reducing peace down to almost nothing.

Is it our changed life that makes Christianity unique? Christ does make a big difference in the believer’s life. The bible says, “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.”

What happens though, when a believer in Christ backslides and falls into sin? I know some non-Christians who seem more morally upright than some who call themselves Christians. I am a Christian and have seen some non-Christians conduct themselves better than I did at times. Does this prove the gospel to be untrue? If this were all that our faith is about then, yes, it might cause many to doubt what they’ve been taught from the bible. In fact, many young adults are leaving the faith by the droves right now – partially because they became disenchanted with what they have seen from Christians. A famous man is purported to have said, “I would be a Christian if it were not for Christians.”

There is one very unique thing which truly sets faith in Jesus Christ apart from all other beliefs. This truth, having been verified, will be a solid rock upon which all those who are in the faith of Christ can continue to stand. It will never change or be disproven. That thing is the truth of the resurrection of Jesus Christ.

Jesus’ resurrection is a fact that was historically testified to by hundreds of eye witnesses. The four gospel writers wrote about the historical veracity of his resurrection. Paul (whose given name was Saul) the apostle went from Christianity’s greatest persecutor to its most powerful defender after he encountered the resurrected Jesus. (See Acts chapter 9). He was himself one of the most persecuted individuals ever to walk on this earth, all because of his newfound faith in the Lord Jesus.

In fact, all the disciples and many thousands of early Christians gave their lives for this truth – that Jesus had indeed risen from the grave.

If Jesus had been merely a good man, merely a prophet, merely a founder of a new religion, merely a great teacher, this belief would be no different than any other. But because he is risen indeed, he can indeed save. Because he is risen indeed, he did indeed die for our sins. Because he is risen indeed, he did ascend to heaven and he will indeed come again. And because he is risen indeed, he can indeed give us peace and make us a new creation in him indeed.

For more blogs by Steve Long visit: http://stephentlong.blogspot.com/2017/04/what-sets-christian-faith-apart-from.html