"Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with him, and he with me." (Revelation 3:20)
The painting is of Jesus holding a lantern, standing outside the door of someone's house and knocking at it. It's sort-of cut-away so that you can see inside the house as well. When you look more closely, you suddenly notice that there isn't a doorknob on Jesus' side of the door - there's only one on the inside. In the same way, God doesn't force himself into our lives, but gently knocks and allows us to respond or not to respond. (It should be bourne in mind that in the social context of the time, eating with someone in their home signified a deep level of trust and relationship - that's what Jesus offers!)
Becoming a Christian is, essentially, opening that door and beginning a relationship with God. (I's not just about relevant beliefs, or 'head-knowledge' - there's a living, dynamic, growing relationship involved too.) OK, God could give us a 'love-potion' and /force/ us to do things and to acknowledge him, but then we wouldn't have free will, and would lose our identities. We wouldn't be able to love God (which is what he longs for us to do the most), as an automaton cannot love. God's out there, we can learn about him through creation, our consciences and the way he has consistently intervened in human history, throughout the Old Testament, coming as Jesus etc. He's revealed to us all we need to know what he is like, and to know how to respond to him - how to get right with him and enter into a relationship with him.
Going to church doesn't make someone right with God. Neither does reading the Bible. Neither does religiosity. Neither does doing good deeds. Neither does a certain attitide or philosophy. No one can get to heaven based on what they do or don't do - that's not what heaven is about! We have all hurt God by what we've said and done (ie we've 'sinned against him', to use some 'Christianese') : he has a just case against us, and could quite legitimately take each one of us to court, play through a 'videotape' of everything we've ever said, done and thought, and say "Well ... ?" Ouch. None of us are good enough in ourselves for God's standards - we wouldn't be able to stand in his presence. God's is perfect and must judge perfectly - the 'pass-mark' for heaven is 100% on the dot. Our just punishment is a 'death sentence', involving being cut off from God's presence for ever (since we cannot stand before him).
However, God loves us, and has provided a way out of this predicament, but since we are the guilty party, we can't come to him on our own terms, and have to come to him on his.
In many legal systems, it is possible for the injured party not to press charges, or to settle out of court. Most out-of-court settlements involve the guilty party paying a sum of money to the injured party, some sort of ransom that compensates for the crime. But what do we have that we can bring to God? We have little that is worth anything, far less anything worthy of paying off a death sentence! But because he loves us, God says "OK, I know that you can't pay the ransom you owe, but I tell you what, I'll pay it for you as a free gift. That way, justice is done. You can choose to accept my offer and we're reconciled, or you can choose to reject it, go to court, and let justice run its course." OK you say, but no amount of ransom money can pay for a life. Correct. God didn't pay in money, but with a life - he came himself and took the death sentence we deserve on the cross, despite being innocent of all charges. Because he is infinite, he can pay for an infinite number of death sentences, and can make this offer to everyone.
At this point I should also mention that as well as choosing to accept the ransom God offers and enter into a relationship with him, we can choose to say "Stuff you God, I'll do things my way!" Someone who is not a Christian, doesn't acknowledge that God is there, doesn't accept what God has offered etc etc doesn't have a relationship with God - they have not come to God on God's terms. Heaven is essentially a continuation of someone's relationship with God - being with the one who loves us the most for ever. Hell is a continuation of a lack of relationship with God - continuing to be cut off but realising what you've missed out on. Or as the Bible puts it :
"For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because he has not believed in the name of God's one and only Son. This is the verdict: Light has come into the world, but men loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil. Everyone who does evil hates the light, and will not come into the light for fear that his deeds will be exposed. (John 3:16-20)
Perhaps a helpful analogy is to imagine someone going into a gallery containing all of the world's finest artwork - the creme de la creme of all the greatest collections. Someone comes in, looks round the pictures, and comments to the caretaker : "Huh, I don't think much of your manky old paintings!". Now, who is being judged, and by whom? The punter thinks that they are judging the paintings, but actually they are passing judgement on themself by rejecting them. It's the same with Jesus to some extent - people effectively pass judgement on themselves by rejecting God's offer and choosing to go to court and face judgement.
As well as paying off our death sentence, God offers, should we choose to accept it, a new start, a new relationship and a new life with him. Most of the guidelines in the Bible on how to treat others, how to treat God, how to treat ourselves etc are to show us how we should live once in relationship with God (the term 'one of God's people' is often used in the Bible to mean such a relationship). Christianity is often perceived to be a rigid framework of rules and regulations, which must be obeyed to twist God's arm. At least, this is how the media portrays it in this country. In fact, any rules and regulations are analogous to God putting a fence along a dangerous cliff along with warning signs. You can choose to jump over it, it would be fun for a while, but very soon there would be problems! Similarly, I could get a new car, ignore the instruction manual and thrash it - it would be fun for a time, but after a while things would start to go wrong, the cylinders may need rebored, the gearbox may need to be tuned, and all sorts of long-term damage could have occurred. The rules that seem so restrictive actually provide a kind of freedom - a well looked-after car is a pleasure to drive in the long term and causes far less grief and frustration. God's 'instruction manual' for us is far more important! He made us, he knows what's best for us, he wants what's best for us, and he shows us how we can maintain the relationship we have with him. Sometimes God's reasons for things are obvious, sometimes they are less obvious, but ultimately he knows us better than we know ourselves and can be trusted with our lives! This isn't just about attesting to the 'right beliefs', but accepting God's offer and learning how to live in relationship him (by 'reading the manual'!), putting this into practise, and thus being open to receiving everything he wants to give us. Or as the Bible puts it :
"Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says. Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says is like a man who looks at his face in a mirror and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like. But the man who looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues to do this, not forgetting what he has heard, but doing it - he will be blessed in what he does." (James 1:22-25)
Well, that just about sums up the fundamentals of the Christian faith. I was certainly gobsmacked when I found out what it was actually all about - the things they never teach you at school, eh!
"For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to
give his life as a ransom for many."
"... the gospel of God - the gospel he promised beforehand through his
prophets in the Holy Scriptures regarding his Son, who as to his human
nature was a descendant of David, and who through the Spirit of holiness
was declared with power to be the Son of God by his resurrection from the
dead: Jesus Christ our Lord. Through him and for his name's sake, we
received grace and apostleship to call people from among all the Gentiles
to the obedience that comes from faith. And you also are among those who
are called to belong to Jesus Christ."
"Now, brothers, I want to remind you of the gospel I preached to you,
which you received and on which you have taken your stand. By this gospel
you are saved, if you hold firmly to the word I preached to you.
Otherwise, you have believed in vain. For what I received I passed on to
you as of first importance : that Christ died for our sins according to
the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day
according to the Scriptures, and that he appeared to Peter, and then to
the Twelve. After that, he appeared to more than five hundred of the
brothers at the same time, most of whom are still living, though some have
fallen asleep. Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles, and
last of all he appeared to me also, as to one abnormally born."
"Remind the people to be subject to rulers and authorities, to be
obedient, to be ready to do whatever is good, to slander no one, to be
peaceable and considerate, and to show true humility toward all men. At
one time we too were foolish, disobedient, deceived and enslaved by all
kinds of passions and pleasures. We lived in malice and envy, being hated
and hating one another. But when the kindness and love of God our Savior
appeared, he saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but
because of his mercy. He saved us through the washing of rebirth and
renewal by the Holy Spirit, whom he poured out on us generously through
Jesus Christ our Savior, so that, having been justified by his grace, we
might become heirs having the hope of eternal life. This is a trustworthy
saying. And I want you to stress these things, so that those who have
trusted in God may be careful to devote themselves to doing what is good.
These things are excellent and profitable for everyone."
"As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins, in which you
used to live when you followed the ways of this world and of the ruler of
the kingdom of the air, the spirit who is now at work in those who are
disobedient. All of us also lived among them at one time, gratifying the
cravings of our sinful nature and following its desires and thoughts. Like
the rest, we were by nature objects of wrath. But because of his great
love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even
when we were dead in transgressions--it is by grace you have been saved.
And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly
realms in Christ Jesus, in order that in the coming ages he might show the
incomparable riches of his grace, expressed in his kindness to us in
Christ Jesus. For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith--and
this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God - not by works, so that
no one can boast. For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to
do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do."
"Men of Israel, listen to this: Jesus of Nazareth was a man accredited by
God to you by miracles, wonders and signs, which God did among you through
him, as you yourselves know. This man was handed over to you by God's set
purpose and foreknowledge; and you, with the help of wicked men, [1] put
him to death by nailing him to the cross. But God raised him from the
dead, freeing him from the agony of death, because it was impossible for
death to keep its hold on him. David said about him: "`I saw the Lord
always before me. Because he is at my right hand, I will not be shaken.
Therefore my heart is glad and my tongue rejoices; my body also will live
in hope, because you will not abandon me to the grave, nor will you let
your Holy One see decay. You have made known to me the paths of life; you
will fill me with joy in your presence.' "Brothers, I can tell you
confidently that the patriarch David died and was buried, and his tomb is
here to this day. But he was a prophet and knew that God had promised him
on oath that he would place one of his descendants on his throne. Seeing
what was ahead, he spoke of the resurrection of the Christ, that he was
not abandoned to the grave, nor did his body see decay. God has raised
this Jesus to life, and we are all witnesses of the fact. Exalted to the
right hand of God, he has received from the Father the promised Holy
Spirit and has poured out what you now see and hear. For David did not
ascend to heaven, and yet he said, "`The Lord said to my Lord: "Sit at my
right hand until I make your enemies a footstool for your feet."'
"Therefore let all Israel be assured of this: God has made this Jesus,
whom you crucified, both Lord and Christ." When the people heard this,
they were cut to the heart and said to Peter and the other apostles,
"Brothers, what shall we do?" Peter replied, "Repent and be baptized,
every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your
sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. The promise is for
you and your children and for all who are far off--for all whom the Lord
our God will call."
All quotations taken from the New International Version (NIV). An online
version can be found at gospelcom.net.
Mark 10:45
Romans 1:1-6
1 Corinthians 15:1-8
Titus 3:1-8
Ephesians 2:1-10
Acts 2:22-39 (Peter speaking)