Tell me why I should buy into the Christian doctrine?

As an agnostic, I’m always interested in what various religious groups have to say. A friend of mine told me about this site and I must say I applaud you guys taking on tough questions and answering honestly. It’s refreshing. That being said, there are still a multitude of differing religions and I’m still of the opinion that we’re born, we live the best life we can, and we die. So if you want, tell me why I should buy into the Christian doctrine?

A:   Thank you for your very thought-provoking question that many ponder, including myself.  For many years, I thought much the same……in other words, why Christianity over other religions like Judaism, Islam, Buddhism, etc.

My thoughts below are prefaced by making an assumption from your question that you do believe in some kind of higher power of some sort, and that is the underlying reason you mentioned living “the best life we can”.  Given that assumption (hopefully, I didn’t misstep here), permit me to at least point out the distinguishing factors about the Christian faith that make it demonstrably different than all other doctrines:

• The Resurrection: Christianity is uniquely rooted in the historical claim that Jesus of Nazareth died by crucifixion and rose from the dead. Believers argue this event validates His claim to be God and provides proof of victory over death.

It is worth pointing out that in establishing the historicity of the resurrection, we do not need to assume that the New Testament is inspired by God or even trustworthy. While we at Third Rail Theology do believe these things, we are going to focus here on three truths that even critical scholars admit. In other words, these three truths are so strong that they are accepted by serious historians of all stripes. Therefore, any theory must be able to adequately account for these data. The three truths are:

1. The tomb in which Jesus was buried was discovered empty by a group of women on the Sunday following the crucifixion.
2. Jesus’ disciples had real experiences with one whom they believed was the risen Christ. These same disciples went to their deaths proclaiming the reality of the resurrection.
3. As a result of the preaching of these disciples, which had the resurrection at its center, the Christian church was established and grew.

Virtually all scholars who deal with the resurrection, whatever their school of thought, assent to these three truths. We will see that the resurrection of Christ is the best explanation for each of them individually. But even more significantly, when these facts are taken together, we have an even more powerful case for the resurrection–because the skeptic will not have to explain away just one historical fact, but three. These three truths create a strongly woven, three-chord rope that cannot be easily broken.

• Grace vs. Works: Almost all other major religions require followers to earn their way to heaven or enlightenment through moral deeds and rituals. Christianity teaches that salvation is a free gift of grace from God, earned by Jesus on the cross rather than by human effort. Is grace something we can earn? Are people able to earn some grace from God through their good deeds or perhaps even good thoughts? Do hours of meditation and prayer leave God wanting to give us more of his grace? The simple answer is: No!

Now, why is that? Doesn’t God appreciate and bless those who are constantly seeking after him and doing their best in following his commandments? Of course he does. God doesn’t withhold his good things from those who live righteously (Psalm 84:11). Jesus himself said, “Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled,” (Matthew 5:6). There are obviously blessings that come from living a godly life by following God’s commands, but these blessings do not fall under the category of ‘grace’.

But the definition of grace we’re talking about here is favor that is unmerited, or unearned. Built into the concept of grace is that it is completely separate from anything that can be acquired through one’s own merit. The apostle Paul laid out exactly how grace functions in his letter to the Romans. In it, he contrasts grace and works:

And if by grace, then is it no more of works: otherwise grace is no more grace. But if it be of works, then it is no more grace: otherwise work is no more work (Romans 11:6).

Before dissecting this statement, we should first define what Paul means by “works.”

Earlier in Romans, Paul explains what it means to have something dependent on works. In Romans 4:4, Paul wrote,

“Now to him that worketh is the reward not reckoned of grace, but of debt.”

In this passage of Scripture, Paul contrasts biblical faith with a works-based righteousness. Previously, Paul explained how our salvation is dependent upon our faith (Romans 3:28). Now, Paul demonstrates how works are opposite to being saved by faith.

If someone works, then they are owed. Think about this in a modern setting. If someone mows a lawn for the agreed price of $25, once they are done with the job, that is the amount they are owed. The homeowner paying that amount would not be “grace” because he is giving the lawnmower what he earned—$25 dollars. This is what Paul meant by a “work” or “works.”

Thus, Paul stated that grace is no longer grace if something is by works. The two are contradictory. A work is, by Paul’s definition, merited and costly. Grace is a gift; it is unmerited and free of charge. Eternal life is not earned like a paycheck but received as a gift of grace.

Christianity states that the work of God was the placing of his one and only Son on the cross to “earn” the right to purchase us back to a relationship with God through the shedding of his blood. Christianity uniquely holds to salvation by grace alone through faith alone.

• The Incarnation: Unlike other faiths, where a prophet or teacher serves merely as a messenger to point the way to God, Christianity teaches that God Himself entered human history in the form of Jesus to take the punishment for humanity’s sins. Incarnation is a term used by theologians to indicate that Jesus, the Son of God, took on human flesh. The word incarnation means “the act of being made flesh.” It comes from the Latin version of John 1:14, which in English reads, “The Word became flesh and made His dwelling among us.” The Son of God came in the flesh in order to be the Savior of mankind. First, it was necessary to be born “under the law” (Galatians 4:4). All of us have failed to fulfill God’s Law. Christ came in the flesh, under the Law, to fulfill the Law on our behalf (Matthew 5:17; Galatians 4:5).

  Second, it was necessary for the Savior to shed His blood for the forgiveness of sins (Hebrews 9:22). A blood sacrifice, of course, requires a body of flesh and blood. And this was God’s plan for the Incarnation: “When Christ came into the world, he said: ‘Sacrifice and offering [under the Old Covenant] you did not desire, but a body you prepared for me’” (Hebrews 10:5). Without the Incarnation, Christ could not really die, and the cross is meaningless.

  God did an incredible work in sending His only begotten Son into the world and providing us with a salvation we do not deserve. Christians praise their Lord for that moment in which “the Word became flesh.” We are now redeemed “with the precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish or defect” (1 Peter 1:19).

 

• Historical and Textual Reliability: Scholars and apologists point to the Bible’s historical reliability, with the New Testament boasting an extensive collection of early manuscripts and corroborated archaeological findings compared to other ancient religious texts.

1. Broad Historical Corroboration: Many broad historical figures, locations, and events mentioned in the Bible are well-attested in non-biblical records. Kings, governing officials (such as Pontius Pilate), and major geopolitical events align well with Assyrian, Babylonian, and Roman records.
2. The Old Testament: Parts dealing with the later monarchies (e.g., the Divided Kingdom) are largely supported by archaeology and external inscriptions. However, earlier narratives—such as the creation account, the Exodus, and the conquest of Canaan—are often seen by modern scholars as theological or heavily mythologized accounts rather than strict historical journalism.
3. The New Testament: The Gospels and Epistles were written within decades of Jesus’s life by authors attempting to document the origins of their faith. While they contain historical truths, they are also works of faith meant to convey theological meaning. Historians use them alongside secular sources (like the Roman historian Tacitus and the Jewish historian Josephus) to verify the historical existence of Jesus and early Christian communities.
4. Textual Transmission: In terms of how well the original texts were preserved, the Bible is remarkably reliable. Thanks to thousands of ancient manuscripts and discoveries like the Dead Sea Scrolls, scholars have found that the texts were copied with incredible accuracy over the centuries.

• The Trinity: The Christian concept of God as one essence in three persons (Father, Son, and Holy Spirit) reveals God as a relational community, meaning God created humanity out of an overflow of love rather than loneliness.

When we talk about the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit as being “Persons,” we do not mean they are human beings or that they are like mankind in any way. In our everyday language, though, that is how the word person is often used, so it is understandable that some confusion surrounds references to the three “Persons” of the Trinity. When we talk about God, we are using the word Person to show that the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit each have personhood or personality. The personhood of the Father, Son, and Spirit can be seen in the distinct roles they have in relation to each other and the relationships that exist among them.

Each Person of the Trinity had a unique role in the salvation of mankind. The first chapter of Ephesians says that the Father chose us (Ephesians 1:4), the Son redeemed us (Ephesians 1:7), and the Holy Spirit sealed us (Ephesians 1:13). The Holy Spirit is a Person unique from the Father or the Son: the Spirit proceeds from the Father and the Son (John 15:26). The Father and the Son are also unique Persons: when Jesus prayed to the Father, He was not praying to Himself (see Luke 23:34). Each Person of the Trinity shares the same divine nature but has a distinct role. Using the word person is one of the only ways our language has to describe this concept.

All three Persons of the Trinity comprise the one, perfectly unified God. They share the same nature and essence—they are one being. They differ only in role and relationship—each Person of the Godhead is an eternal and distinct personal expression of that one undivided divine nature.

The fact that God exists in three Persons is important for several reasons. For instance, God is love (1 John 4:8). But, in eternity past, before God created any other being, how could He have truly been love?  Can love exist where there is no one to be loved? Because God exists in three coequal, coeternal Persons, love exists eternally, too. Eternal love has been expressed eternally among the Persons of the Godhead. The Father, Son, and Spirit have always loved each other; therefore, love is eternal.

God existing in three Persons is ultimately beyond our comprehension, but Scripture provides the clues that lead us to that conclusion. The triune nature of God is a biblical truth that we accept by faith.

Speaking for myself, the gift of Grace from God is the tipping point.  In other words, it is not rituals or rules that earn the way into salvation.  Instead, salvation has been freely given to us by God, earned by Jesus and the resurrection, rather than by human effort.   To my understanding, Christianity is the only religion that teaches us that good works alone will not result in salvation.  It is true that goodwill and service are important pillars of being a Christian, but this is also true of many other religions.

Exclusively, it is the gift of grace that is ours alone to claim as Christians.  Christianity is the only religion that teaches us that we don’t actually deserve salvation, which makes sense to me, knowing how flawed humanity actually is.  So, it comes to us as a gift from God, only asking in return that we believe in Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior.

I also am greatly persuaded by the actual historical and textual credibility from outside archeological sources, with regard to the Bible itself.

The Bible has the most archeological reliability because it is the word of God for all of us to learn from. In my layperson’s opinion, the Bible has the credibility of being “fact-checked”, so to speak.  Following that line of thought, I therefore believe the words and the stories within have a factual basis of being true.