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The Choice in Christianity
The Choice in Christianity

The Choice in Christianity

Article

SOURAN MARDINI Ph.D

The choice in Christianity

The notion of the choice in the Evangel

The notion of the choice in the New Testament (the Evangel,

the Gospel), offers man three different types of choice. The

first choice is between belief and disbelief in God, Son of God

and the Holy-Spirit; the Doctrine of Trinity. The second is the

choice between belief and disbelief in the discourse of Christ.

The third is the choice between obeying and disobeying the

message of Christ, according to the Gospel.

John precises the purpose of the Gospel, in the following

terms:

But these are written so that you may believe that Jesus is the

Messiah, the Son of God, and that by believing in him you

will have life.' John 20: 31.

Temptation of Jesus-Christ by the Devil and the choice of

Christ:

The Gospel informs us of the three temptations administered

by the Devil to Jesus and that Jesus resorted to the choice

between obeying and following the Devil's temptation and not

succumbing to the temptation.

In the Book of Matthew and after the Baptism of Jesus by

John the Baptist in the Jordan River we read the following

verse:

Then Jesus was led out into the wilderness by the Holy Spirit

to be tempted there by the Devil.' Matthew 4: 1

The three temptations were administered by the Devil after

forty days of fasting where the trial became hardest:

For forty days and forty nights he ate nothing and became

very hungry.' Mat. 4: 2

The first temptation

Temptation of bread:

The Evangel of Matthew informs us:

Then the Devil came and said to him: "If you are the Son of

God, change these stones into loaves of bread." Mat. 4: 3

Jesus had the choice between changing the stones into bread

or not to change them into bread. He chose to disobey the

Devil and not to change the stones into bread rejecting the

commandment of the Devil:

But Jesus told him, No! The Scriptures say,

People need more than bread for their life; they must feed on

every word of God.'" Mat. 4: 4

The second temptation of Jesus and the second choice:

Matthew tells us of the second temptation of Jesus by the

Devil and the choice he had made:

Then the Devil took him to Jerusalem, to the highest point of

the Temple, and said, "If you are the Son of God, jump off!

For the Scriptures say, He orders his angels to protect you.

And they will hold you with their hands to keep you from

striking your foot on a stone.'" Mat. 4: 5-6

Jesus reacted to the second temptation by choosing to disobey

the Devil:

Jesus responded, "The Scriptures also say, Do not test the

Lord your God.'" Mat. 4: 7

The third temptation of Jesus and the third choice:

Matthew informs us of the third temptation of Jesus by the

Devil and his third choice to disobey the Devil:

Next the Devil took him to the peak of a very high mountain

and showed him the nations of the world and their glory. "I

will give it all to you," he said, "if you will only kneel down

and worship me." Mat. 4: 8-9

Here the Devil offers Jesus a pact of precised conditions, the

kingdoms of the earth and their glory in exchange for

prostration to the Devil and worshipping him. This means

denial of prostrating before God and denial of worshiping

God.

But Jesus refuses the offer of the pact offered by the Devil and

chooses to reject the worship of the Devil and chooses to

worship God and serve God:

Get out of here, Satan," Jesus told him. "For the Scriptures

say, You must worship the Lord your God; serve only him."

Mat. 4: 10

Although the offer of the Devil was precised in terms of

terrestrial gains the purpose was to dissuade Jesus from

worshipping God.

We observe that at every temptation the devil offers the

freedom of choice and the will to accept or to reject it. No

compulsion is exercised in any of the three temptations. Only

two options were proposed and Jesus chose for himself one of

the two.

Jesus, in the three temptations was alone by himself to receive

the temptation, to understand the conditions of the temptations

and to think about the offer made by the Devil. He alone had

to deliberate his final decision with all the responsibilities and

consequences of his choice. The example of Jesus, addressed

in terms of the specific particular, is addressed to every man,

in absolute terms. It is denotative of the Devil's role in the

temptation of Man, man's decisive decision and the facility of

dismissing the Devil who has no power unless given that

power by man himself. If man refuses the temptation and

chooses to demand of the Devil to get away then Man has the

power to do so. It is when man succumbs to the temptations of

the Devil that the Devil has the mastery of Man. The Devil is

an expression, according to the Evangelic text, of all evil and

bad actions which he is set out to do.

In all these three temptations there is no reference to divine

intervention, or to other human aid.

The choice of Jesus to reject the offer of the Devil terminated

by the departure of the Devil:

Then the Devil went away.' Mat. 4: 11

The Evangelic reference to the Devil indicates the role of the

Devil to sway man from the path of God. It is expressed in

terms of a Pact with the Devil', where the Devil proposes to

Man an offer to acquire his soul in exchange for worldly

benefits. These benefits as the terms of the pact of temptation

namely, position, power, dominance, glory, status, riches and

possessions; in short, everything that goes with kingship and

rule, wealth and worldly gains.

Responsibility of Man:

The New Testament gives the freedom of the choice as well

as the will to choose to Man himself, charging him with the

responsibility of his choice. Man, according to the Evangel,

produces good or bad words, signifying good or bad deeds.

He is held responsible for his good or evil deeds (sins). The

Evangel indicates a day of judgment where every individual

shall be held to account for his own deeds. The consequences

of one's deeds are precisely dictated. The Evangel

admonishes mankind to take heed. It fixes a day of judgment

where all people shall be resurrected, held in account for their

deeds and then, as a consequence, be rewarded or punished.

In the Evangel we are told, in the words of Jesus:

"A good person produces good words from a good heart, and

an evil person produces evil words from an evil heart. And I

tell you this, that you must give account on judgment day of

every idle word you speak, the words you say now reflect

your fate then; either you will be justified by them or you will

be condemned." Mat. 12: 35-37

In the following verses we have a global vision of belief in

terms of the responsibility of the individual choice and the

subsequent consequences that follow resulting from men's

actions:

"All right," he said. "I, the Son of Man, am the farmer who

plants the good seed. The field is the world, and the good seed

represents the people of the Kingdom. The weeds are the

people who belong to the evil one. The enemy who planted

the weeds among the wheat is the Devil. The harvest is the

end of the world, and the harvesters are the angles. Just as the

weeds are separated out and burned, so it will be at the end of

the world. I, the Son of Man, will send my angels, and they

will remove from my kingdom everything that causes sin and

all who do evil, and they will throw them into the furnace and

burn them. There will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. Then

the godly will shine like the sun in their Father's Kingdom.

Anyone who is willing to hear should listen and understand!"

' Mat. 13: 37-43

The Evangel offers, in these terms, a concrete reality of the

consequences of man's choice and actions. It predicts an end

of the world, a final judgment and punishment and reward

according to one's own actions. These verses express clearly

the notion of the choice given to everyone. Two categories of

people are produced by their own choice, whether following

the good example or following the bad example. The

consequences of the choice, which is free and willful, have a

persuasive-dissuasive function on the decision of choice taken

by the individual.

The principle commandments of the Christian belief:

A Jewish Scribe asked Jesus the following question, during a

discussion about resurrection:

One of the teachers of the religious law was standing there

listening to the discussion. He realized that Jesus had

answered well, so he asked him, "Of all the commandments,

which is the most important?" ' Mark 12: 28

Jesus responded:

Jesus replied, The most important commandment is this:

Hear, O Israel! The Lord our God is the one and only Lord.

And you must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all

your soul, all your mind, and all your strength. The second is

equally important: Love your neighbor as yourself'. No other

commandment is greater than these.' Mark 12: 29-31

The message of admonition that Jesus administered

concerning the choice of man between good deeds and bad

deeds is associated primarily with the message of love, which

is the fundament of Christianity as the purpose of man'

namely to love God' and to love others'. In the Book of

John we are informed of the second fundamental

commandment in Christianity addressed to the Jews in

particular and ultimately to all mankind:

So now I am giving you a new commandment: Love each

other. Just as I loved you, you should love each other. Your

love for one another will prove to the world that you are my

disciples.' John 13: 34-35

The choice between belief and disbelief:

The messianic message of Jesus-Christ to humanity is

resumed in the following Evangelic verse:

"At last the time has come!" He announced. "The Kingdom

of God is near! Turn from your sins and believe this good

News!"' Mark 1:15

Jesus invites mankind to take the right path and to avoid the

way of perdition. The choice between the two ways is clearly

demonstrated in the following verse:

You can enter God's Kingdom only through the narrow gate.

The highway to hell is broad, and its gate is wide for the many

who choose the easy way. But the gateway to life is small, and

the road is narrow, and only a few ever find it.'

Mat. 7: 13-14

The choice between belief and disbelief in Jesus is precised in

the following verse:

If anyone acknowledges me publicly here on earth, I will

openly acknowledge that person before my Father in heaven.

But if anyone denies me here on earth, I will deny that person

before my Father in heaven.'

Mat. 10: 32-33

And the verse,

Anyone who isn't helping me opposes me, and anyone who

isn't working with me is actually working against me.' Mat:

12: 30

The ultimate choice

The Evangel makes reference to belief and the consequences

of both belief and disbelief in terms of perdition:

And as Moses lifted up the bronze snake on a pole in the

wilderness, so I, the Son of Man, must be lifted up on a pole,

122

so that everyone who believes in me will have eternal life.'

John 3: 14-15

The Evangel invites men to believe in God, admitting at the

same time the possibility of doubt in the human heart. Jesus

Christ invites mankind to believe in God and to believe in

him. No proof for God's existence is given in the Evangel.

Belief is founded on man's own convictions. The Evangelic

argument of the existence of God, the Day of Judgment,

reward and punishment and eternal life, is based only on the

word (the Gospel) administered by Christ.

But the choice between belief and disbelief can be identified

in the Evangelic text. The pledge is founded only on trust in

belief:

Don't be troubled. You trust God, now trust in me.' John 14:1

Philip, one of the two Disciples of Christ who doubted the

proclamations of Jesus, asked him for confirmation of his

belief to see the Father:

Philip said, "Lord, show us the Father and we will be

satisfied.' John 14: 8

The response of Jesus was in the negative:

Jesus replied, "Philip, don't you even yet know who I am,

even after all the time I have been with you? Anyone who has

seen me has seen the father! So why are you asking to see

him? Don't you believe that I am in the Father and the Father

is in me? The words I say are not my own, but my Father who

lives in me does his work through me. Or at least believe

because of what you have seen me do."' John 14: 8-11

In the reply of Jesus there is no sign of evidence, or proof,

offered in support of the existence of God. Even Philip, who

has witnessed, according to the Gospel, the miracles

performed by Jesus-Christ , had his doubts for

lack of evidence. Jesus did not comply by what Philip had demanded.

It is the opposite; he re-questioned the faith of Philip and

demanded him to believe in the unseen'. The argument of

Jesus rests entirely on his confirmation that there is God. The

terms of belief are founded on the word of Jesus, "Anyone

who has seen me has seen the Father."

The Evangel continues to affirm the idea of the end to the

world' where every individual shall be held to account for his,

or her, deeds and the consequences of such a final judgment

shall be then administered:

All the nations will be gathered in his presence, and he will

separate them as shepherd separates the sheep from its goats.

He will place the sheep at his right hand and the goats at his

left. Then the King will say to those on the right, "come, you

who are blessed by my Father, inherit the Kingdom prepared

for you from the foundation of the world"Then the King

will turn to those on the left and say, "Away with you, you are

cursed ones, into the eternal fire prepared for the Devil and his

demons!" Mat. 25: 32-34, 41

Choice between obedience and disobedience

Jesus, confirming his mission to accomplish the Law,

declares:

Don't misunderstand why I have come. I did not come to

abolish the Law of Moses or the writings of the prophets. No,

I came to fulfill them.' Mat. 5:17

Jesus gives the choice to the Israelites between following, by

obeying, the Law and not to follow, and to disobey, the Law:

I assure you, until heaven and earth disappear, even the

smallest detail of God's law will remain until its purpose is

achieved. So if you break the smallest commandment and

teach others to do the same, you will be the least in the

Kingdom of Heaven. But anyone who obeys God's law and

teaches them will be great in the Kingdom of Heaven.' Mat.

5: 18-19

The choice given by Jesus to the Jews is clearly depicted with

the subsequent consequences.

The effort of the believers to obey the commandments must

excel that of the Scribes and the Pharisees who merit entering

the Kingdom of Heavens:

But I warn you- unless you obey God better than the teachers

of religious law and the Pharisees do, you can't enter the

kingdom of Heaven at all!' Mat. 5: 20

In the following verse we have ample example of the

individual choice between listening and obeying, on the one

hand:

Anyone who listens to my teachings and obeys me is wise,

like a person who builds a house on solid rock.' Mat. 7 : 24

And disobeying, on the other hand:

But anyone who hears my teaching and ignores it is foolish,

like a person who builds a house on sand.' Mat. 7: 26

The choice is given by Jesus to every individual between

committing sins, and grave sins like blasphemy against the

Holy Spirit, and not to commit these sins, with the

consequences of committing blasphemy against the Holy

Spirit. In the following verses the choice of sins, even

blasphemy, is clearly indicated:

Every sin or blasphemy can be forgiven- except blasphemy

against the Holy Spirit, which can never be forgiven. Anyone

who blasphemes against me, the Son of Man, can be forgiven,

but blasphemy against the Holy Spirit will never be forgiven,

either in this world or in the world to come.' Mat. 12: 31-32

life, and those who have continued in evil will ris

Day of Judgment and the consequences of choice:

The Evangel invites to believe in God, Son of God and the

Holy Spirit, in the Trinity. The Evangel considers God as the

creator of the world and that there shall be a day of judgment

at the end of worldly life.

Christianity proclaims, like Judaism and in Islam, the idea of

resurrection of the dead and that humans shall be brought to

judgment before God according to their choice between good

and evil, obedience and disobedience, in their worldly life.

The record of deeds ends at the individual's death. This record

will be the criterion of one's judgment. The responsibility is

man's own responsibility and the choice is a free choice with

the will that is determined by reason. The Evangel informs us:

Don't be surprised! Indeed, the time is coming when all the

dead in their graves will hear the voice of God's Son, and they

will rise again. Those who have done good will rise to the eternal to

judgment.' John 5: 28-29

The Evangelic concept of the Day of Judgment where humans

shall be judged according to their deeds appears as a reality

followed by the consequences in terms of reward and

punishment:

God did not send his Son into the world to condemn it, but to

save it. There is no judgment awaiting those who trust him.

But those who do not trust him have already been judged for

not believing in the only Son of God. Their judgment is based

on this fact: The light from heaven came into the world, but

they loved the darkness more than the light, for their actions

were evilBut those who do what is right come to the light

gladly, so everyone can see that they are doing what God

wants.' John: 3: 17- 19, 21

Two categories of people are created by the very choice of

men between belief and disbelief:

All the nations will be gathered in his presence, and he will

separate them as a shepherd separates the sheep from the

goats.' Mat. 25: 23

Then, two types of reward and punishment will be

administered according to the choice of men between belief

and disbelief:

And all who believe in God's Son have eternal life. Those

who don't obey the Son will never experience eternal life, but

the wrath of God remains upon them.' John 3: 36

The criterion of judgment and the criterion of reward and

punishment are founded on the choice between belief and

disbelief left to man. The Evangel precise this very choice:

Anyone who believe and is baptized will be saved. But

anyone who refuses to believe will be condemned.' Mark 16:16

Precision of reward and punishment in terms of the

choice:

The Evangel informs us that on the Day of Judgment all

humans will be judged according to their choice.

Reward by eternal life in felicity:

The Evangel tells us of this reward accorded to those who are

righteous:

"Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the

Kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world"

Mat. 25: 34

But the righteous will go into eternal life.' Mat. 25: 46

Punishment by eternal fire in hell:

Those who have chosen to disbelief and do evil will be judged

according to their choice and will be punished by eternal fire

of hell.

The idea of punishment in the Evangel is an eternal torture in

eternal fire for those who chose disbelieve and to perform evil

deeds:

It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your

whole body to be thrown into hell.' Mat. 5: 30

The Gospel informs men that they ought not only believe in

God, serve and love him, but to fear him as well. God, in the

Evangel, as well as in the Torah and the Qur'an, is made an

object of love and fear at one and the same time. The idea of

the absolute power of God is emphasized and the eternal hell

fire is displayed as a persuasive-dissuasive factor in the

making of the choice:

But I'll tell you whom to fear. Fear God, who has the power

to kill people and then throw them into hell.' Luke 12: 5

Don't be afraid of those who want to kill you. They can only

kill your body; they cannot touch your soul. Fear only God

who can destroy both soul and body in hell.' Mat. 10: 28

The Evangel specifies the term of punishment in hell fire:

That is the way it will be at the end of the world. The angels

will come and separate the wicked people from the godly,

throwing the wicked into the fire.' Mat. 13: 49-50

And all who do evil, and they will throw them into the

furnace and burn them.' Mat. 13: 41

The study of the Evangelic text, and according to the meaning

spelled out by the four Books, indicates clearly the motive of

choice. The choice to either believe in God or to believe in the

devil is offered to Jesus-Christ himself. Then Jesus offers this

very choice to mankind. Man has the freedom of choosing

between belief and disbelief, obeying and disobeying the

divine message and doing good or doing bad. The role of

Jesus-Christ is to admonish the message and invite mankind

to believe in God and the Day of Judgment.This choice between belief and disbelief is

left to the individual himself. The consequences of such a

decision results in the promised consequences of the choice.

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