Essential Christianity is:
Christ living in you,
Producing glorious hope.
There are some essential behaviors, beliefs, and heart-changes that are required for growing in Christ. It’s not passive and automatic. Spirit-led orthodoxy isn’t an oxymoron, but its the lived experience of millions of passionate Christ-followers around the world.
The essential “assembling ourselves together” involves connecting heart-to-heart with one another and with the risen Jesus. Authenticity is essential to following Christ. “Walk in the light.” Much that modern Christianity promotes and values, is not essential to following and obeying the risen Jesus.
Humility is essential to authentic Christianity. “God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble.” The living Jesus is essential to my daily life. He continually shows me that apart from Him, I can do nothing.
Grace was never intended to make a Christ-like lifestyle nonessential for church goers. Christ, living in you, makes it possible everyday.
The Bible says, “We are fools for Christ.” Perhaps “a little bit of crazy” is essential for wholeheartedly following Jesus.
Jesus walking bodily out of His tomb and being genuinely present with His followers, is essential to biblical Christianity. If we focus on casual Christianity, we might not ever get around to the essential and the radical biblical instructions.
Nonessentials are often distractions. The Bible puts it this way: “Having food and clothing, with these we shall be content.”
Many people believe that pretense is essential to happiness. However, Jesus shows that honesty and humility are. “The truth shall set you free.”
