In Pursuit of Truth: A Journey Begins

By Greg Grandchamp

Imagine you knew the truth. The absolute truth. It could change your life. When we are armed with the truth, we see things more clearly. We are in better position to reach our own conclusions instead of simply accepting the noise that invades our hearts and minds. Christianity today is often viewed by others as judgmental, hypocritical, and condemnatory. Too often people are turned off by what they see as a religion bound by the rules and regulations that seem to dominate the Christian landscape.

In Pursuit of Truth dispels these false assumptions and shows that true Christianity is nothing more—and nothing less—than a relationship with Jesus Christ. What were the claims of Jesus? What did he teach? What do Christians really believe? Why do I need him in my life, anyway?

Whatever your question, In Pursuit of Truth helps you find the answer—especially to one of the most important questions of all, Who is Jesus Christ?

• Language: English
• Publisher: WestBow Press
• Release date: Jul 24, 2019
• ISBN: 9781973663454

Greg Grandchamp

Greg Grandchamp and his wife, Norma, have been together thirty-five years, and with four now-adult children and five wonderful grandchildren. Greg and Norma split their time between Colorado, which they call home, and California. After more than forty years in corporate management in the financial services industry, Greg is now a Christian freelance writer and blogger, as well as a certified personal financial coach. He is an accomplished public speaker and trainer, who most loves teaching the Bible in a way that touches hearts.

Book preview

Chapter 1

What Is Christianity—Really?

A s we get started, I think it’s important to clear the air on what Christians believe. I mean, really believe. Oh, I know, there seem to be so many different variations of Christian belief that it’s hard to figure out who believes what and why. For certain, there are a great many misconceptions among those who don’t believe. Frankly, even those who do believe often operate under misconceptions because they simply follow what they were taught as children.

Christianity is one thing and one thing only: heartfelt belief in the person and work of Jesus Christ. Christianity is confessing with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believing in your heart that God raised Him from the dead. (Romans 10:9) It is not something achieved through works, but proven through a life reflecting Christ’s love for us by loving others. It is freedom from sin, but not freedom to sin. Grace alone through faith alone through Christ alone. Christianity is not a philosophy. It is not there so we can step back in judgment of others because we are holier than thou (although many who call themselves Christian do exactly that). No fingers of blame are to be pointed at the behavior of others. Whatever you do, I have done—and have sometimes done either as bad or worse.

Christianity has nothing to do with rules. Neither is it a moral code. It is not an agreement you sign promising to behave well. Christianity is not church driven; it is not behavior driven. You can’t earn it, and you don’t have to work for it. You can never be good enough. You can never be rich enough to buy it. It doesn’t matter what you’ve done—ever. Nothing could ever be too bad. In actuality, the heroes of the Bible are a who’s who of evildoers, murderers, cutthroats, and thieves. The man who wrote more of the New Testament than anyone else spent years tracking down, arresting, and helping to annihilate the Way—namely Christianity.

Simply saying you are Christian doesn’t make you one any more than me saying, I’m president of the United States makes it so. You either believe it in your heart or you don’t. You either live it or you don’t. You can’t inherit it from your parents or grandparents. Christianity is now, always has been, and always will be a relationship with our Creator—a very personal relationship with our Savior, Jesus Christ.

At its core, its very core, Christianity has a single theological message: the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Nothing more. Nothing less. Nothing else.

Truth—the Gospel is simple. So simple and yet so powerful. Simple, but that doesn’t mean easy. Simple, but made to be complicated … by humans.

God’s grace alone; through faith alone; through Christ alone. A message you will hear more than once from me. It is the escape from the prison of religion, rules and systems.

You’ll often hear the word Gospel referred to as the Good News. It actually is what the word means, but more importantly, Good News is what the message brings, what it delivers to the lost. This is a rather simplified definition, but it is widely accepted because indeed, the Gospel of Jesus Christ is good news. In fact, it is wonderful, amazing news.

In just a few words, the Gospel is the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ, the Son of God. Through His life are the lessons He chose to leave with us, through His death on the cross, the debt owed for our sins is forgiven for all eternity, and through His resurrection, He showed that death was defeated and we were granted eternal life.

We have been tarnished with the stain of sin. Regardless of how you act or how much good you do, it is impossible to live up to the standards of our Creator because of that stain. While we may try to let God know what we think He ought to do or how He ought to deal with our stain, it remains. In His infinite love, however, God did not leave us to fend for ourselves or try to overcome the stain by ourselves. Instead, He sent his Son—Jesus Christ—in the form of a human to take our stain onto Himself, removing it from us. By His death on the cross, He paid the price that we were fated to pay.

Once we believe in our hearts and state with our mouths that Jesus died for our sins on the cross, the Spirit of Christ lives within us. We grow in him. We act as He would have us act. We love as He would have us love—not because it’s the rule (we don’t even think about rules), but because we allow him to direct our thoughts and actions. It is surrendering our hearts to him. Surrendering our lives to him.

The phrase born again comes from the story in the gospel of John, chapter 3, where a man named Nicodemus came to visit Jesus in the night. Nicodemus was a member of the religious group known as Pharisees, and he did not want to be seen going to Jesus during the day, or perhaps found Jesus surrounded by too many people during the day.

Now there came a man of the Pharisees whose name was Nicodemus, a member of the council. He came to Jesus at night and said to him, Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher who has come from God. For no one could do the miraculous signs that you do unless God were with him.

Jesus replied, I tell you the solemn truth, unless a person is born from above, he cannot see the kingdom of God.

Nicodemus said to him, How can a man be born when he is old? He cannot enter his mother’s womb and be born a second time, can he?

Jesus answered, I tell you the solemn truth, unless a person is born of water and spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. What is born of the flesh is flesh, and what is born of the Spirit is spirit. Do not be amazed that I said to you, ‘You must be born from above.’ The wind blows wherever it wishes, and you hear the sound of it, but do not know where it comes from and where it is going. So it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit. (John 3:1–8)

We indeed have two births: one of the flesh, our bodies, and one of the spirit. Our spirit is born when we acknowledge that we are spiritually bankrupt and need Jesus to heal us.

That is Christianity. Heart, not dogma. Christianity is a person, and it is a relationship with that person. It is a personal passion and commitment to that person. It is being a devoted disciple of that person. And that person is Jesus Christ. Our sin has caused a cavernous gap that we cannot—in our own effort—bridge. Christ is that bridge that reconciles us with God. All we need do is choose it.

Christianity is Jesus Christ.

Admit. Repent. Believe. Receive.

Admit that you are morally bankrupt and in need of a Savior.

Repent. Turn away from the condition of sin that inhabits each of us.

Believe in the One whom God sent as the light and salvation of the world.

Receive life eternal through Jesus Christ.

Yes, we believe in the three natures of God; Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Yes, we believe that God the Son took on truly human nature without ceasing to be God. God in the flesh. Are these things that I can explain? No I cannot. They are mysteries. Far too wonderful for me to fully comprehend or ever explain in my humanness, but I believe them to be true. And as any mystery, I know the answers will be revealed to us in time.

One more very important thing we believe—Jesus is coming a second time. We have no idea when, but we know it is going to happen. How do we know? Well, since we find in the Old Testament more than three hundred accurate predictions of His first coming, we can pretty much count on what we are told about when He comes back.

This time, it is not going to be quite as peaceful as the last.

Chapter 2

Faith of Childhood

S o, how is it that so many of us were brought up in the church yet fall away at some point in our later years? We learned about God when we learned about Santa Claus—and in pretty much the same way. Oh sure, our parents or grandparents were churchgoing believers, but that simply doesn’t seem to have passed its way down to us, or we grow up and realize that that what we have been taught simply doesn’t hold up:

• All of us believed in God. Believed in a Creator.

• God is good.

• God punishes evil and rewards good.

• God answers prayer.

Then it doesn’t happen—and faith fades. The longer we stay away, the more faint our un-exercised faith becomes until it simply disappears. Then what is left is simply life. We were taught the Bible is the Word of God, but we were never taught what that really means. But the Bible says command is simply not adequate for true, lasting faith. It never was intended as the starting point. Christianity began long before we had the New Testament—by about three hundred to three hundred and fifty years. As we grow into adulthood, the faith of childhood often leaves us with more questions than