what's the story?

If you had to define Christianity, or what it meant to be a Christian, what would you say?

I ask that to students who claim the Christian faith as the religion that they subscribe to. I get a variety of answers. Most of the time, I hear something along the lines of this:

It means you believe in God. It means you try to be a good person. You know follow the golden rule. Don't curse, don't drink, don't smoke, don't have sex before your married. You know stuff like that. You go to church.

I always find it curious that students neglect an important part of their definition. They complete leave out the "Christ" aspect. Christ is the Greek translation of Messiah, which of course means savior.

Christianity is all about the need for a savior.

The suffix "ity" is used to form nouns expressing the condition corresponding to the root word. Therefore, Christianity encompasses those who have a savior, those who have been saved.

What makes you a Christian is not some high moral code that you abide by. It's not about how many Sunday's you've gone to church.

It's about admitting your need for a savior. It's about having a personal relationship with the God of the universe. It's following a man who died, but you won't find him in any burial site. Instead, you'll find him on a throne.

It's about knowing a God who loved the world, even a world that hated him and wanted nothing to do with him. Despite the rebellion, God offers an olive branch. An exchange, a trade, a substitution took place that looks like a poor business transaction, a poor career move. Jesus abandons his post by the side of the Father to walk in  a world that mocked him and put him to death? The very world he was trying to save? What kind of a God does that?

A God that loves the world and wants to dwell with his people. Who wants to know every single of us intimately. One that hates sin and loves righteousness.

It's Holy Week. It's the home stretch of the Lent. For some that means next Friday you don't have to eat a fish sandwich from McDonald's or Wendys. For others, they can resume drinking pop and eating chocolate. 

Jesus didn't die so you could go on a diet for 40 days. He didn't die because he wants you to live by a moral code. He died because he wants to know you, he wants to walk with you, and live with you for eternity.

He died because he loves you.

That's a #truestory