Nine Reasons Why Christianity is The Only True Religion, Part 5: Jesus is the Best Teacher and Example

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There is no other religious leader like Jesus Christ.

I do not have a respect for authority in and of itself. In general, I don’t care what a person’s position is, I will respect them only if they are worthy of respect. Just because his title is “boss” doesn’t mean that I will blindly follow his directives or do what he says.

I do not care how many titles a person has, I will only listen to their teaching if I am convinced they are intelligent and trustworthy. That’s why Christ’s credentials as a teacher are so important to me.

What makes a good teacher? I submit the following:


  1. His teachings are true, and he can prove it.

  2. He follows his own teaching.

  3. He cares for those he teaches.

  4. His teachings make a difference in the world.


(Please note that I do not think a person must be male to be a good teacher. I use the masculine pronoun out of convention.)

We have an accurate set of historical documents that describe the events of Christ’s life. Christ showed up on earth claiming to be God, teaching people how to live their lives, and giving us facts about God. I can believe His teachings about Himself and about God because of His miracles. The fact that He did miracles proves that God placed a stamp of approval on His message.

Miracles are contrary to the normal operation of the universe. They cannot be explained by known natural laws. Only a God who is powerful enough to bring about the universe from nothing could possibly perform them. God would not perform miracles on behalf of a false teacher.

Jesus Christ, as both God and man, is the only completely true teacher. He can no more lie that God Himself could.

Christ follows his own teaching. No one, even His enemies, could accuse him of sin. He lived a perfect life, the only man ever to earn the rewards of heaven through His own efforts.

Now we get to the last issue for discussion in this post: did Christ care for those He taught? No teacher has ever done for His followers what Christ has done for us. He took our sins upon Himself and suffered God’s wrath for those sins when he didn’t deserve it. He rose from the dead to show His triumph over our greatest enemy: death itself. He makes it possible for those who have faith in Him to take credit for His perfect Life and have their sins paid for by His death.

Christ’s life, teachings, and love make Him the only teacher worth following without reservation. I thank God for what He accomplished for me in Christ each day.

Did Christ’s teaching make a difference in the world? That question is so significant that it deserves a post of its own.

Comments

Anonymous said…
If Christ had not died for our sins, was resurrected and ascended to Heaven, would his teachings be worth following? The reason I ask this question is that without his death, burial and resurrection, Christ's teachings have no impact on my salvation.
August 30, 2007
J. K. Jones said…
Steve,

Short answer: NO.

Long answer: He would then fail to meet the tests I outlined for a leader worth following.

His teachings would not be true, and even if they were, he would have provided little proof.

He would not follow his own teaching in that He clearly teaches that one must be justified before God by faith. He did say, “He who believes has eternal life.”

He would not care for those he teaches because his clear teaching of the moral law would not help them meet the law's requirements even one little bit. “The law is powerless to save.”

His teachings would make no positive difference in the world. The morality he taught would merely condemn us all because we do not follow his moral teachings.

I was trying to make this clear in the post. I just stated it positively, not negatively, to save space. Perhaps that was a mistake.

I would profoundly disagree that Christ’s moral teaching would have no impact on my salvation. His moral teachings would condemn me. They would leave me (everyone else too) without excuse before a Holy God. They would have a profound negative impact on our salvation.

You always leave good comments. Thanks!
August 31, 2007
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