by Ernest Capraro

Created on: July 15, 2008

"The God that Some Christians Forgot"

The Christian faith is a splintered and chaotic entity. From a single, fairly united church, it has divided and divided again throughout the centuries. New approaches, new doctrines, and even new beliefs are regularly introduced, with the churches all the while claiming the title "Christian". This article is intended to take a look at one fairly modern trend in a number of churches, particularly those which strive to reinvent themselves through popular messages and glamorous evangelism.

The central premise of the Christian faith is that it accepts Jesus as the Christ - the Messiah promised to the Jewish people. It recognizes Jesus as the son of God, himself divine. From that point on, things start to get hairy.

The popularized version of the church often creates a fervent atmosphere of praise for Jesus. The same message is broadcast through mainstream Christian music, on Christian radio stations. The phrase "Praise Jesus" is regarded as an ultimate expression of belief, and prayers of "Save me Jesus" and "Thank-you Jesus" are simple, but enthusiastic utterances. The entire culture of this movement is built around the excitement of glorifying Jesus. Certainly, this does not sound like a terrible thing, and therein lays the trap.

The Christian faith was not founded to worship Jesus. It was founded to follow Jesus, and his teachings. Jesus never taught his followers to praise him. Jesus himself praised God, and taught his followers to do the same. Indeed, when they asked him how to pray, he instructed them to pray "Our Father, who art in Heaven...". It was to God that he told his followers to pray.

Christians are asked to believe in Jesus as God's son. The key verses here are "For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life" and "I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me." In short, the Bible indicates that following and believing in Jesus is the pathway to being with God. That is the ultimate goal then - to look to a future with God. It is still God who is most worthy of human praise. Jesus sought to glorify God, not himself. Jesus is the son of God, and even a part of God, if you like the Trinity approach to things, but in the end it is God who was the creator, and God who provided humanity with its savior. That Jesus was willing to lay down his life to save ours is praiseworthy. We simply cannot forget that his entire mission, indeed, his entire purpose on Earth, was a gift of God's love.

Christianity is not a religion created to worship Christ. It is a religion to worship the God who loved us enough to give his son for us. When you hear a Christian raving about everything that Jesus has done for them, pause. Stop, think, and maybe even ask them: "What about God?"

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