Ayaan Hirsi Ali is a Stanford Hoover Institution research fellow and a former senior fellow at Harvard Kennedy School. She speaks six languages and has written numerous best sellers. She lived for many years as an atheist, but recently declaring she had become a Christian. She stated, “I ultimately found life without any spiritual solace unendurable – indeed very nearly self-destructive. Atheism failed to answer a simple question: What is the meaning and purpose of life?” How does Christianity answer such a question?
The word Christian is found only three times in the Bible (Acts 11:26; Acts 26:28; 1 Peter 4:16). However, the word disciple is found 261 times in the Gospels and the book of Acts alone. The word disciple means a student and follower of a teacher, leader and/or school. Thus, a disciple is both a learner (student) and one who applies in life what s/he has learned (follower).
Thus, a true Christian is one whose faith is shown in obedience – in following Jesus. Jesus tells us those who love Him will obey His teaching (see John 14:23). Saving faith involves repentance, belief and following. Repentance is a term for a complete change of mind, direction and purpose. It is a recognition that, in our natural state, sin permeates our being and that we place ourselves above God (see Romans 3:10-18). The good news is that righteousness from God (forgiveness for sin and right relationship with Him) comes through belief in Jesus Christ – in His sacrifice of atonement in our place and His triumph over death through His resurrection. This spiritual rebirth results in a new creation, a new nature which results in following (obedience to) His teaching. (Romans 3:21-26; 5:1-2; 8:1-17 explains this more fully.)
It is in abiding in Christ and in following Him that we find meaning and purpose in life — we find life itself. Jesus tells us He came that we may have life to the full.
Without Christ, there is no meaning and purpose to/in life no matter how hard one may try to find such meaning and purpose on one’s own. Society/culture’s attempts has resulted in a variety of ideologies and -isms in which people are used to advance a political narrative or become a means to someone else’s personal achievement/power. Even among many claiming the name of Christ, the idea of faith in Jesus is often isolated from following Him. Such isolation is irreconcilable with faith.
As we enter this Thanksgiving week, may we remember that life and meaning/purpose is found in Christ. In Christ, we have much for which to be thankful:
- In Christ we have redemption and forgiveness of sin (Ephesians 1:7)
- In Christ we become a new creation (2 Corinthians 5:17)
- In Christ we are created for good works (purpose) He has prepared for us to do (Ephesians 2:10)
- It is Christ in us that is our hope of glory (Colossians 1:27)
- In Christ are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge (Colossians 2:3)
- Through Christ we are adopted as children of God (Ephesians 1:5)
- In Christ we have an eternal inheritance which can never perish, spoil or fade (Hebrews 9:15, 1 Peter 3-5)
- In Christ we have eternal life to be lived with God (John 3:16; Revelation 21:2-4)
“May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope.” (Romans 15:13)
Ants in the Pants of Faith 