How Christians Belief about Jesus Guides them to Confront Evil - Essay Example

How Christians Belief about Jesus Guides them to Confront Evil Christians believe that Jesus is the attainment of the Messianic expectation of the Old Testament and the bringer of salvation. It is proclaimed in Acts 17.3 and 18.5 that Jesus is the Messiah. Christians believe that Jesus is their redeemer. He is their Redeemer through his teachings and actions. Christians are expected to lead a righteous life. It is, however, impracticable for the man to be righteous. It is indicated in Romans chapter three verse twenty-three, that, “for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God”. In Isaiah chapter sixty-four verse six, the Bible says that “all of us have become like one who is unclean, and all our righteous acts are like filthy rags” (Isaiah 64:6). People are prone to sin, and temptations, but they need to be righteous to be finally with God. Every Christian wants that. God knew that no man shall be able to stand in his sight as righteous. Through his mercy and grace, therefore, he decided to bring Jesus Christ, to be the savior of humanity. Through Jesus Christ, humanity has the precious gift of righteousness. Christians, therefore, act according to the teachings of Christ. This is how Christians have been able to deal with evil in the world. The Application of Religious Beliefs Christians strive to live by the ways of Jesus since these are the only paths that lead to God. The ways of Jesus are against evil. Christians are expected not to revenge. In Romans chapter twelve verse seventeen, Christians are told; “repay no one evil for evil, but give thought to do what is honorable in the sight of all” (Rom 12: 17). When abiding by this command, in real life, Christians choose to forgive and forget. Take an example of this situation. Jane and Catherine have been friends since childhood. They live together and share expenses. They contribute the same amount to pay rent, do some shopping and buy other household items. One time, the two decided that it was time for them to live separate lives. To help each other, they agreed to buy the household items in two phases, using the money they had saved. Jane was to receive the first batch, and Catherine the last. This, however, never happened since Jane bought the first batch and left with all the money to an unknown location. This is a painful experience for Catherine, and naturally, she may feel the urge to revenge. The Christian way, however, advocates for forgiveness. They use so many of Jesus’ teachings and others from the Bible to justify forgiveness. In this case, they could argue, that the “wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Jesus Christ, our Lord (Romans 6:23).” This is according to Romans chapter six verse twenty-three. If one is a believer in Christ, he or she should refrain from acting against his teachings. Doing so is a sin, and that means death. Evil is not only through revenge. Evil is multi-faceted and dealing with it is also complex. This is why Christians are given various teachings to guide them through understanding what life presents them. Take an example of Jesus teachings in Matthew chapter thirteen verses 24-30. These verses present Christians with the consolation that it is beyond their control that evil exists, but they should always strive to remain righteous. It shows that the kingdom of God will still survive in the presence of evil. They are told; "The kingdom of heaven is like a man who sowed good seed in his field” (Matthew 13; 24). Here, Jesus tells the parable of sowing good seed on a neutral ground. A man sowed good seeds, but when he was asleep, his enemy came and sowed weeds. The ground had the capability of harboring both the good seeds and the weeds. Before they mature, however, the weeds cannot be removed since they may root up the wheat. They are left to grow together until harvesting time. The weeds will then be separated from the wheat and burnt while the wheat will be taken to the Lord’s barn (Mathew 13; 24-30). This is Jesus’ teaching about the existence of evil. It is an explanation of Christians’ existence in this world. Jesus then explains the meaning of the parable to his disciples. God’s people are represented by the good seeds. The one who sows good seeds is Jesus, and the weeds are the sons of the evil one. The one who sows weeds is the devil. When harvesting time comes, the virtuous will enjoy the kingdom of God while those who do evil and sin will perish in the fiery furnace (Matthew 13; 36-43). Through this one teaching, Christians understand that evil exists, but it is an enemy of God. It is therefore against God to sin and do evil. They, therefore, lead their daily lives acting according to the ways of Christ, who is the sole path to God’s Kingdom. Remember God brought Jesus to save mankind from the sin committed by Adam and Eve, and remain righteous. Conclusion Christians’ belief about Jesus shows that they recognize the existence of evil. Their belief also shows that they recognize Jesus’ power over evil. They commit to living with it but strive to avoid it to live according to the ways of Christ. Jesus Christ is the governess to dealing with evil. Works Cited The Holy Bible: Containing the Old and New Testaments: New Revised Standard Version. New York: Oxford UP, 1989. Print. Read More