People are naturally suspicious of what they don’t understand. Christianity is no exception. C. S. Lewis once observed of the skeptics he debated: “Our opponents had to correct what seemed to us their almost bottomless ignorance of the faith they supposed themselves to be rejecting.”
Blaise Pascal agreed: “Let them at least learn what this religion is which they are attacking before attacking it.”
And that’s the point. Many reject Christianity without ever really knowing what it is. The next time you have an opportunity to help someone understand the Christian belief system, I hope this week’s article will help guide you. We’re in a 10-week series adapted from my book What If Christianity Is True? with the goal of helping the people we care about overcome doubts and questions about faith.
This week we’re in Chapter 4: Understanding the Christian Belief System.
Confusing a Little Knowledge for a Lot
Have you ever studied something new—gardening, fitness, a hobby—and after a few months felt like you knew a lot? The truth is, you may know more than most but still not enough to speak as an expert. It’s easy to confuse knowing a little with knowing a lot.
That’s exactly how it works with Christianity. Many people have picked up enough clichés, sound bites, or cultural references to think they’ve understood it. But just as one gets just enough flu virus with a flu shot to build immunity, many people have heard just enough of a distorted version of the gospel to inoculate them against the real thing.
If someone fully understood true Christianity and then chose to reject it, that would be honest. But rejecting it without ever knowing what it actually teaches is another matter. Our task is to make sure people know what they’re saying “no” to.
What Is True Christianity?
Think of the old story about the three blind men describing an elephant. One grabbed its leg and said, “It’s like a tree.” Another grabbed the trunk and said, “It’s like a hose.” The third grabbed an ear and said, “It’s like a fan.” Each was partially right, but none captured the whole.
So what is the minimum description of Christianity that still explains the whole?
The Bible itself gives us a helpful way to break it down into two parts:
Just as you don’t need to know how a car engine works to drive a car, you don’t have to know everything Christianity teaches to become a Christian. You only need to understand the gospel.
The Gospel in a Nutshell
Paul put it this way: “For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 6:23).
In that one verse we see the three essential parts of the gospel:
This is a clear, simple, and memorable framework for explaining the Christian belief system to someone who is honestly seeking to understand what faith is and how it works.
Adam and Eve Failed
Christianity teaches that something catastrophic happened in the Garden of Eden. Evil entered the world, humanity turned from God, and sin corrupted the human race.
We all sense this loss instinctively. Saint Augustine put it best: “You have made us for Yourself, and our hearts are restless until they rest in Thee.”
Jesus Nailed
Christianity is rooted in a historical event—the life of Jesus. The God who created humans presented Himself as a human for a short while so we can better comprehend Him. We call this the Incarnation. (A helpful way to grasp just how logical such a move was is explained in the little sparrows illustration below.)
Jesus then offered His life as a “once for all and everyone” sacrifice, paying the penalty for our sin. Without the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus, Christianity would not exist.
The Bible makes a beeline to Him: “Salvation is found in no one else” (Acts 4:12a). Jesus Himself said, “I have come that they may have life… [I] came to seek and to save the lost” (John 10:10b; Luke 19:10b).
Why did God do this? One reason: love. “Because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions—it is by grace you have been saved” (Ephesians 2:4–5).
Grace Prevailed
Here is what makes Christianity utterly unique: Unlike every other religion, it is not about performance. It is not about trying to be worthy of God. In fact, the requirement is to admit you are not worthy. Salvation is not achieved; it is received. Grace prevails.
Paul wrote: “If anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. … For our sake [God] made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God” (2 Corinthians 5:17a, 21).
That’s the Christian belief system: No matter what you’ve done, you can be forgiven.
The Sparrow Story
There’s a story told of a man on Christmas Eve. His wife and children went to church, but he stayed home. He couldn’t understand what all the fuss was about Jesus.
As the snow fell, he heard thumping sounds on the window. He looked out to see several sparrows, cold and shivering, drawn to the light and warmth inside but unable to get in.
The man’s heart was touched. He opened his garage door to give them shelter. He tried to shoo them in, even crumbled crackers to lure them, but nothing worked. They only scattered in fear.
Then he realized the problem. To the tiny birds, he was a giant—a frightening, alien being. They couldn’t understand his intentions. Frustrated, he thought: If only I could become a bird, just for a moment. Then they would understand that I only want to help them.
In that instant, the meaning of Christmas struck him. Now I understand. That’s why Jesus came.
God humbled Himself to take on human flesh and came into our world—so we could experience His love and find our way home. This is the heart of the Christian belief system.
Once we truly understand it, we find it rings true in the deepest part of our souls.
Much love,
Pat
For Reflection and Discussion
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