The 3 Questions: Question Three
England 2023:
• 60,000 CofE (Church of England) buildings and a similar number of other denominational buildings are scattered about in Parishes across England.
• The Coronation of Charles III at Westminster Abbey was watched and/or recorded by millions, with thousands lining the streets waving Union Jacks and cheering - with some Republican protestors present in a small minority.
• From beginning to end the Coronation was a Christian ceremony, the various articles of clothing and objects are deeply symbolic of rulership and authority from a biblical perspective. The words spoken and covenants assented to by Charles III were specifically grounded in having faith in Jesus Christ, and the anointing with oil, as conducted by the Archbishop of Canterbury, represented the anointing of King Charles III with the Holy Spirit.
• Constitutionally, we are a Christian nation.
And yet…
Stop the average Brit and ask the following 3 Questions and very rapidly the depth of adherence to, and understanding of, the Christian faith in England is apparent…even among the 5% who attend church services Sunday by Sunday.
Question One: Would you say you are a Christian?
Question Two: Have you ever wanted to believe in Christ?
Question Three: If you wanted to become a Christian would you know how to?
Question Three: If you wanted to become a Christian would you know how to?
The majority of those who live in England know that they are not Christians, in the same way that they know they are not Muslims, or Buddhists, or Sikhs, or Hindus, or Communists, or Fascists. Our religious history maybe ‘Christian’ but the present age, despite State Christian ceremonies such as the Coronation, is more difficult to define.
Question Three would, therefore, be answered by the vast majority with an honest ‘No, if I wanted to become a Christian, I wouldn’t know how to.’
Why? The reason is very simple. Despite our Christian constitution, despite the historically enforced church attendance of the past, despite Christmas, Easter, christening, church marriages, church burials, hymn singing, and prayers, virtually no-one knows what a Christian is. And If you don’t know what a Christian is, there is no hope of knowing how to become one even if you wanted to!
One of the significant barriers to holding a Christian faith isn’t its unpopularity as much as ignorance.
I am a case in point.
I had perhaps a sparse knowledge of some of Jesus’ parables, his miracles, the names of some of the New Testament characters, his mother, Mary, and the disciples. I knew he had, apparently, been crucified and rose again after three days. I knew that a Christian must believe in the resurrection and a few other facts but how to become a Christian or really what is a Christian? were outside my perimeter. All I knew, or felt I knew, was that I doubted the reliability of the New Testament, and therefore doubted the resurrection. I was an agnostic who argued with God that it was fundamentally unfair of Him to judge me if the evidence of His own existence was impossible to establish…and so on.
I was typical, I think of many in England, I had great admiration for Jesus – if he existed - but left in a state of ignorance about any evidence for the reliability of the Scriptures. Consequently, there was no sound basis on which to form a reasonable opinion, let alone belief. The lack of evidence of answered prayer or miraculous healing in the church I attended compounded the problem. The only reasonable position to take was either agnosticism or atheism. I couldn’t be an atheist – for the same reason I couldn’t believe in God. There was as much a lack of evidence in there being No Creator as a Creator. Agnosticism seemed to be the only option.
But all this was to change.
I have attempted to offer these 3 Questions as a run-up to, really, the nub of the matter, the question hiding behind all these questions: What is a Christian?
What is a Christian? is the title for posts in this category on www.unlessaseed.com . Finally it’s time to nail one’s colours to the mast and actually attempt to sketch out a working answer. It’s not complicated BUT the answer really is a complete surprise to many…in the next post.