Sometimes it can feel like our faith is a fight – that following Jesus has to be defended. History shows that there has always been tension between faiths and worldviews; perhaps that’s because we don’t fully understand what God is doing in the world. As we begin this new series – and for some, as you seriously consider the Christian faith for the first time – we should keep 3 questions in mind: “Is it true?”, “Do I want it to be true?”, and “What would my life look like if this (Christianity) were my truth?”

1.  Aren’t They All The Same? (Acts 17:16-23)

• Very helpfully, the New Testament clearly lays out the historical origins of Christianity. First, the life and teachings of Jesus are captured in the 4 gospels. Then, the birth and growth of the early church is well documented in another historical account, the book of Acts.
• In a famous scene from Acts, the Apostle Paul finds himself in the city of Athens, where he takes the opportunity to preach about Jesus. As he notes, Athens is a “very religious” city, with idols set up for a host of gods – including “the Unknown God.” He’s the one Paul wants to tell them about…
• What Paul didn’t say was this: “All the gods are the same.” That might be what we expect from our perspective today, a perspective that developed over that last 100 years or so. Captured in a catch-phrase, that perspective would say that “All religions are just different paths up the same mountain.”
• But that perspective doesn’t stand up to examination. Each major faith (and each major non-religious worldview, as well) offers very different answers to the primary questions they’re tackling: namely, “What’s wrong with the world,” “What’s really wrong,” and “How can it be fixed?” And the “fix” for all of them – except one – is for humans to try harder and do more. 
• But the Way of Jesus isn’t the same as other faiths and worldviews. Jesus would say that “what’s wrong” is that we – collectively and as individuals – are lost. We’re not who we were created to be, and the real problem that makes us lost is sin. But unlike the other perspectives, the answer isn’t found in trying harder and doing more. The answer is grace, which is all the work of Jesus himself.

2. The Difference in One Word: Grace (Acts 15:10-11, 19; Romans 6:14)some text
   • The gift of grace “reverses the equation.” All other religions and worldviews say that the problem with the world is “out there,” and the solution is in you and what you do to fix it. Jesus reverses that; the real problem (sin) is in you, but the solution isn’t you – it’s him and his gift of grace. This can be difficult to accept for those who cling to the illusion of control and self-achievement.
   • Even the early Christian church wrestled with this concept as they were called to step completely away from the law and rules of Judaism as their means of “pleasing” God. But the account in Acts tells us that they realized quickly that grace alone was the only solution to the problems of the world.
   • Grace is different from all other answers; by itself, it answers everything that all other religions and worldviews try to achieve. Namely, it gives us:some text
     1. A meaning in life that suffering can’t take away, but can even deepen
     2. A satisfaction that isn’t based on circumstances
     3. A freedom that doesn’t reduce community and relationships to transactions
     4. An identity that isn’t fragile, or based on performance or the exclusion of others
     5. A way to both deal with guilt and forgive others without residual bitterness or shame
     6. A basis for seeking justice that does not turn us into oppressors ourselves
     7. A way to face not only the future, but death itself with poise and peace
     8. An explanation for the senses of transcendent beauty and love we often experience

ADDITIONAL SCRIPTURE

These passages may provide additional insights related to the subject of this week’s message. All verses are NLT unless otherwise noted.

Micah 4:1-5; John 14:6; Romans 3:20-24; 1 Corinthians 8:5-6; 1 Timothy 2:1-6; Titus 3:3-7

Video of the Week: Gospel by the Bible Project

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QUESTIONS FOR REFLECTION AND DISCUSSION

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1. If you’re a follower of Jesus, have you felt at times like you had to defend (or perhaps hide) your faith because of challenges from others?  Explain your answer.

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2. One of the biggest attacks on the Christian faith is that it’s perceived as being “exclusive” – that Christians are intolerant and don’t “coexist” very well because we believe our faith is the only true one. Would you say that Christianity is “exclusive”?  Why or why not? 

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3. Why do you think the Christian concept of grace can be so hard to accept by those who might follow other religions and worldviews? Do you find it hard to accept (now or in the past)?

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4. Read Romans 6:14 again. How, exactly, does grace bring us “freedom”?  Aren’t we still obligated to try to be “good people” as Christians?

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5. Review the list above of all the things that the gift of grace “answers.” Which ones do you find most appealing?

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6. If grace is really the answer to everything, then how would you answer the third question offered in the message: “What would my life look like if this (grace) were my truth?”

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