Why I Am A Christian

Why is John Stott a Christian? A summary by John F. Jones

The following are the six reasons John Stott finds to defend his faith as a Christian. None of the following is original with me; I have quoted Rev. Stott freely as a means of capturing his thought process. You can read the expounded reasons in his short book, Why I am a Christian (Downers Grove: IVP, 2003).

 Reason One | “The Hound of Heaven” Reflecting on poet Francis Thompson’s conversion, Stott find that other conversions (Saul of Tarsus, Augustine, Malcolm Muggeridge, and C. S. Lewis) also reflect the great pursuit of God for His children. The convert is hounded! Using Saul of Tarsus as an example, Stott notes three things: 1. Jesus was goading Saul in his mind. Saul was so troubled by Jesus that, despite the rumors that this Jesus was meek and compassionate, Saul could imagine only that Jesus was an imposter whose influence must be squashed. 2. Jesus was goading Saul in his memory. Saul could not stand the passion with which these Christians followed the teaching of Jesus and surely had Stephen’s passionate defense and meek death permanently burned upon his memory. 3. Jesus was goading Saul in his conscience. Saul was profoundly obedient to the Law, but the teachings of Jesus reminded him that Saul’s covetousness (Romans 7) was a motivating desire and that his love of the Law was purely outward. 4. Jesus was goading Saul in his spirit. Saul knew deep down that his failure to perfectly conform himself to God’s Law ultimately made him dead in his transgressions (Rom. 7; Eph. 2.1) and separated from the God he sought to follow. Stott reflects upon Saul and the others and says of God’s pursuit of him that it happened (a) first, his own sense of estrangement, separateness from God, and (b) second, through his sense of personal defeat at ever being able to bridge the gap. This alienation and failure, through God’s pursuit, became reconciliation and victory.

 Reason Two | Jesus’ Claims Are True Stott is convinced that three claims of Jesus in particular reverberate with honesty. 1. Relationship to the Old Testament: Fulfillment. Jesus claimed not just to be a prophet, not even the greatest prophet, but to be the one whom all of the prophets of the Bible pointed to. In particular, Jesus saw Himself as (a) the Son of Man (Daniel 7), a human with sovereign power and authority, and (b) the Suffering Servant (Isaiah 53, et al.), a human who would suffer and die for others.

A summary of John Stott’s, Why I Am a Christian | Page 1 www.intownchurch.com

2. Relationship to God as His Son: Intimacy. Jesus willingly called himself the Son of God in a unique way, as a reciprocal relationship of shared knowledge and mission (Mt. 11.27). As such, He is the only one who can truly address God as Abba and, in the history of Palestinian Judaism, He is the only one to have ever done so. 3. Relationship to human beings: Authority. Jesus always set Himself apart from everybody else with assertions like this: ‘I am the Good Shepherd,’ implying that He is the only one who is not lost, and everybody else is! He also routinely did things that no other can, for example, forgiving the penitent and judging the impenitent. It is this point in particular that Stott advises all to come to grips with. There have been many charlatans and lunatics in history, but this one has managed to delude (or persuade) millions of people. He seems like a lunatic, but is the most balanced human to live; He seems like an egoist, but is known for His humility.

 Reason Three | The Credibility of the Cross Stott is struck by the fact that, with all other significant leaders in history, their lives are proclaimed and their deaths are lamented. But the followers of Jesus all lay stress on the death of their Leader. This is all the more striking because Jesus did not exactly die a martyr’s death; He went willingly to his death (John 10.11, 18). 1. Christ died to atone for our sins. While some might suspect that Jesus did not have to die for us, that He could simply ‘wave us through,’ we must consider (a) how serious sin is and (b) how holy God is. With these considerations, we stop asking why God finds it difficult to forgive, but how God finds it possible to forgive. Consistently through the Bible, God is so holy that the only possible result of sin is death; we sin, but Christ dies. 2. Christ died to reveal the character of God. In human actions, our character is revealed. What is revealed at the cross is (a) the justice of God, and (b) the love of God. The latter reveals that the Giver was willing to offer an extraordinary cost (His Son) for undeserving recipients (the Christians). 3. Christ died to conquer the powers of evil. Not simply the resurrection, but the actual death of Jesus displayed the victory of God. In His death, the devil was not able to hold sin over Christ, for He was sinless. In His death, Christ finally crushed the head of the serpent (predicted in Gen. 3.15); the resurrection only endorsed this victory.

 Reason Four | The Paradox of Humanity The question, “What is Man?” seems reasonable to Stott for three reasons: personal (self-knowledge), political (ideological awareness), and professional (relationships with others). The Bible teaches two things about human beings: 1. The glory of humans. The Bible affirms the glory of humanity (i.e., God’s image) with regard to humanity’s (a) capacity for rational thought, (b) capacity for moral choice, (c) capacity for artistic creativity, (d) capacity for social relationships, and (e) capacity for humble worship. 2. The shame of humans. At the same time, the Bible affirms that humanity bellows-forth in evil (Mark 7.21-23). Specifically, human evil (a) A summary of John Stott’s, Why I Am a Christian | Page 2 www.intownchurch.com

is universal to all humanity, (b) is acutely expressed in human selfcenteredness, (c) is sourced in the human heart, and (d) defiles human beings. If these two things are true, than being a human being is being a paradox; we are capable of lofty dignity and base cruelty. As such, this paradox presents a political problem (our sin and dignity must be taken account for), a psychological problem (we vacillate between self-loathing and hubris), and a personal problem (we need both a cleansing of the heart and new desires and aspirations).

 Reason Five | Jesus is the Key to Freedom Jesus Christ said of His own coming to earth that He was to offer freedom to prisoners (Luke 4.18). By this, Jesus meant that He was the One who was to bring salvation. Stott describes, first, what it is that a human being is free from in Jesus Christ. 1. Freedom from guilt and judgment. Looking to the past, a Christian has freedom from the wrath and judgment of God, which finally allows us to live without the burden of hiding or covering-up our lives. 2. Freedom from bondage of our own self-centeredness. Looking to the present, rather than be continually ‘turned in on ourselves,’ always subject to our hungry pride, in Christ there is a new Challenger to our sinfulness. 3. Freedom from crippling fears. Looking to the future, in Christ there is liberation from sickness that would hasten death, the meaninglessness and dread of life, and the uncertainty of what happens after life ends. But it would be foolish to stop here. Not only is Christ the bearer of freedom from, He is the bearer of freedom for. What Stott means by this is that Christ has given humans freedom to be exactly as God intended humans to be, as those who have knowledge of who they really are, those created to love God and to love others.

 Reason Six | The Fulfillment of All of Our Aspirations Human beings are continually engaged in three quests, and only Christianity adequately responds to these quests. Some will say that Christianity is a crutch for the simple-minded, or a fiction created to add emotional comfort. But the quests are real, and Christ really satisfies them. 1. Quest for transcendence. Human beings are spiritual beings, seeking for something transcendent, sacred, beyond our earthly limitations. In Christ there is a connection with the transcendent God, most acutely in the Word preached and Holy Communion of worship. 2. Quest for significance. It is not technology, scientific reductionism, or philosophical existentialism that will bring humans significance, but a God who reveals who He is and who we are. 3. Quest for community. Human beings aspire for love, real intimacy in which relationships can be places of unconditional trust and security, but this is only found in a relationship with Christ. In the words of Jesus in Matthew 11.25-30 (appended below), Stott finds two invitations and two affirmations. He identifies the latter, first. A summary of John Stott’s, Why I Am a Christian | Page 3 www.intownchurch.com

Two Affirmations: There are two realities that Jesus affirms. 1. God is revealed only by Jesus Christ (see verse 27), namely, inquiry into the truth of Christianity must be through Jesus of Nazareth. 2. God is revealed only to babies (see verse 25), meaning, the limitations of the human mind prevent any understanding of the infinite God of the Bible without a humble confession of humility. Two Invitations: Those who recognize their ‘heavy burdens,’ are offered two invitations. 1. Jesus says, “Come to me all who labor and are heavy laden (see verse 28).” This means that Jesus is inviting all who are aware of the human burdens of anxiety, temptations, loneliness, etc. and the heaviness of sin. He promises to ease our yoke, to replace our care for our anxieties with His own sweet peace and tranquility. He does this by lifting our burden of punishment and so identifying with us that He can take these burdens to the cross. 2. Jesus not only says, “come,” but also, “take my yoke upon you (see verse 29).” This is a marvelous exchange by which, in our newfound peace and tranquility, we find the freedom to submit to Christ’s burden of humility and meekness. We enter the school of Christ, to be disciples that submit to His teaching authority. Are these invitations hard? Jesus promises to do this freely, entirely by grace, utterly undeserved! While some are tempted to treat their worship as a means by which they deserve Christ, they only indict themselves as being no Christians at all, for the two invitations are freely offered! Matthew 11.25-30 (ESV) 25 At that time Jesus declared, “I thank you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that you have hidden these things from the wise and understanding and revealed them to little children; 26 yes, Father, for such was your gracious will. 27 All things have been handed over to me by my Father, and no one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son and anyone to whom the Son chooses to reveal him. 28 Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. 29 Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30 For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.”

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