History and the faith

Lately I've been reading The Crux of the Matter by three professors at Abilene Christian University. This passage on christianity and history is worth passing on:

. . . unlike in many other religions, history is central to Christian belief. Christianity emerges from historical events and constantly focuses on those points in time when God broke into the world to be redemptively involved in the lives of his people: Abraham's call . . . The exodus . . . The coming of Christ, etc.

Christianity cannot be boiled down to a state of mind or ethical principles. the truths of salvation are events, not just abstract ideas. History is essential and redemptive. For Christians, the historical events of Jesus' life, death, and resurrection form the core of Gospel truth and the foundation of authentic religion. To be Christian means letting the Lord make my story part of the larger story of God's past and present saving work in Christ.

Amen.


From The Crux of the Matter: Crisis, Tradition, and the Future of Churches of Christ, Rev. Study Ed., by Jeff W. Childers, Douglas A. Foster, and Jack R. Reese. Abilene, TX: ACU Press, 2002, p. 48.