Do we understand Christianity?

I am excited to have a blog. I plan on using this as a chance for me to have a regular opportunity to put my thoughts into words. For now, I wanted to thank my beautiful wife Vanessa for creating this page for me! She did a great job and I love her! I plan on writing on a variety of issues, but will focus on the Christian faith and clearing away a lot of common misconceptions that the world has of Biblical Christianity. So if you are antagonistic toward Christianity, please read on and see if your views of Christians are right, and if you love Christ already I hope you will be encouraged.

There are a lot of common misunderstandings about Christianity in America today. Some view Jesus as a genie who will give you what ever you want while others view Christ and Christianity as pure moralism. There are countless ideas in between but all are deadly. Needless to say, Biblical Christianity is radical. It's crux is on the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. This is radical and scandalous! It is hard for us in America today to grasp the force of what this message communicated to its first century hearers. To them, crosses weren't pieces of jewelry or something nice to hang on a wall. To them, crosses were an instrument of death for only the foulest and most loathed of the criminal world. They were despised! So what did Paul and the early Christians preach throughout the Roman Empire? They preached that the King of the Universe and Savior of the world was put to death on a cross!! This was pure folly to those who heard it. The closest comparison to modern life I can think of would be proclaiming that Jesus, who is God in human flesh, died on death row in the electric chair! Imagine what people would think if I preached this message. They would think its nuts! It's foolishness to those who hear. In fact, it's impossible to believe! But contrary to all reason, the message of the cross was received and churches were formed all throughout the Roman Empire! Why? The only explanation for this is the power of God. God works His power through the preaching of the gospel and people believe! The story doesn't end with the cross by the way. Three days later Christ was raised from the dead to never die again. He had raised people from the dead before as we read in Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. But, they all were to die again. There was something unique about the resurrection of Christ. He was raised in immortality to never die again! Thus, Jesus Christ conquered the power of death! That is the gospel. It is foolishness to the Gentiles and a stumbling block for the Jews...for in this message God was destroying the wisdom of sinful man! In Gods wisdom He devised a plan of salvation that would set man in his right position as a sinner and humble him greatly. Therefore, man shall not boast in himself but in God alone! In all of this Christ was taking upon Himself our curse and paying the penalty for our countless sins and setting all those who trust in Him free!

"For the word of the cross if foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. For it is written, "I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and the cleverness of the clever I will set aside." Where is the wise man? Where is the scribe? Where is the debater of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world? For since in the wisdom of God the world through its wisdom did not come to know God, God was well-pleased through the foolishness of the message preached to save those who believe."

-1 Corinithians 1:18-20