The Christian Life

Updated 4/01/2025

In a world that values religious tolerance, the Christian life is too often misunderstood and misrepresented—through television, social media (Facebook, YouTube, X, etc.), and online ministries of which I am a part. Having personally participated in these misunderstandings and misrepresentations, as my testimony reveals, I humbly present this snapshot of Christianity—spanning from eternity past to eternity future and everything in between—for the glory of God and your good.

It is profound to consider that even before the creation of the world, the triune God—Father, Son, and Holy Spirit—established a sovereign plan (Ephesians 1:3–14). In His boundless grace, love, and mercy, the Father chose a people in Christ, who would redeem them through His sacrificial death and triumphant resurrection. The Holy Spirit would then enable and seal their conversion, guaranteeing their immediate and future adoption—the redemption of their physical bodies.

With the creation of the world, the fall of Adam (through which sin entered the world), and the first promise of the gospel (Genesis 1–3:15), the sovereign plan of God began to unfold. The Old Testament foreshadowed a coming Savior—one who would be born in Bethlehem (Micah 5:2), forsaken by His Father (Psalm 22:1), become a sacrifice for sin (Isaiah 53:4–6), and rise again (Psalm 16:10) for the justification of many (Isaiah 53:11).

This plan was fulfilled in the New Testament (Luke 24:44) with the birth of Jesus (Matthew 2:1), His abandonment on the cross (Matthew 27:46), His death for the sins of the elect, and His resurrection—resulting in their justification (Romans 4:25). God thus forgives their sins and declares them righteous the moment the Holy Spirit enables (John 16:8–11) submission to the imputed righteousness of God through faith in Christ—the very purpose of the law (Romans 10:3–4).

Having been washed, sanctified, justified (1 Corinthians 6:11), and sealed with the Holy Spirit, we are helped by Him (John 14:16) to keep the commandments of Christ, beginning with water baptism (Matthew 28:19). This Spirit-led life of loving obedience and joyful suffering continues within and beyond the church in this present age—symbolically understood as the thousand years of Revelation 20—as we hold the promise that Jesus will be with us until the end of it (Matthew 28:20).

Near the end, numerous signs (Matthew 24) will precede the visible descent of our Lord from heaven (1 Thessalonians 4:16). At that time, we will receive our promised adoption: resurrected bodies conformed to His glorious body (Philippians 3:20–21). Following our transformation, we will give an account of our lives at the judgment seat of Christ (2 Corinthians 5:10) before inheriting all things in the age to come (Revelation 21:7). Such is the essence of the Christian life.