WHAT IS THE REAL MEANING OF CHRISTIANITY ? THE CHRISTIAN CONSTITUTIONAL CODE

The word religion in its true sense is understood as the relation between God and humans. Modern societies have misunderstood religion. They believe it is something obsolete, cold, something that confines and restricts humans, and so, most individuals run away from it because they believe it limits their freedom.History has played an important role to that, as well as the fact that extreme religiousness has initiated some of the worst crimes against humanity. Unfortunately, humans, instead of adapting their lives according to their religious beliefs, whatever they might be, they manipulate and translate religion according to their perverted nature and self-interest. This however should not undermine the least its true value.

Apostle Paul writes in one of his letters: "Everything that God has created is good; nothing is to be rejected, but everything is to be received with a prayer of thanks" (1Ti 4:4).Nothing in this creation is to be rejected; on the contrary, everything is to be enjoyed based on logic and common sense.Religion, therefore, emancipates human life more than it confines it. It provides us with the means to free ourselves from our own self-destructive passions and impulses.If we really want to examine ourselves, we will see that there are harmful forces within us we had better get rid of. Science for instance says that anger releases toxins in our blood that literally kill million of cells in our body and cause serious chronic health problems. Worrying also can be a potentially grave health risk; an excessively distressful situation can even lead to sudden death. These and others are urges and passions that reside deep into our soul and pose a fatal threat to our very existence. They are the Devil according to the Bible.According to it, the Devil was the first in hierarchy angel after God. He was in charge of all heavenly powers before he felt jealous of the first human created in the image and likeness of God. He was then turned to a demon that has no other purpose than to lead humans to mortality and death. He was almost unknown to humans until the coming of Christ.Christ clarified the nature and works of the Devil when he said: "From the very beginning he was a murderer and has never been on the side of truth, because there is no truth in him. When he tells a lie, he is only doing what is natural to him, because he is a liar and the father of all lies" (Joh 8:44).The Devil plays an important role in the development of human life. He works as an educator that provides us with all kinds of adversities, contradictions, and obstacles that activate and stimulate intelligence and creativity and provide us with experience and self-realization.Historically, however, we have not yet managed to ascend to the level of being true humans. Due to our poor judgment and limited nature that is driven by mortal thoughts, we are unable to see reality as it truly is.

True Religion Is an Eternal ConstitutionTrue religion on the other hand is an eternal constitution, brought to humans by God at first through the prophets and later by Christ himself.As a code this constitution has:

The universal love. If we love the whole world but one person, we are not in God's love. John writes in his first letter: "Whoever does not love does not know God, for God is love... No one has ever seen God, but if we love one another, God lives in union with us, and his love is made perfect in us... If we say we love God, but hate others, we are liars. For we cannot love God, whom we have not seen, if we do not love others, whom we have seen. The command that Christ has given us is this: whoever loves God must love others also" (1Jo 4:8,12,20,21).

Love is the eternal symbol of God's presence in human societies, regardless of the fact that we do not know how to love our own life and that of others. Love for others, even our enemies, springs from the fact that they also posses life and our love should be directed towards it with logic, impartiality and wisdom.

The inner peace, which in turn allows the creation of a universal one. When humans are within the framework of this constitution, they pacify themselves first, and then make peace with God and every fellow human.

Peace is not the product of a treaty or an agreement. It is not something that can be traded. It cannot be used as a bargaining chip to serve the welfare of one part of the world against another. Legislation or law enforcing power cannot guarantee it. It is the fruit of getting to know one's true nature. Christ himself symbolizes peace, and He is the Prince of Peace. Without him, there will never be true peace on earth. He said: "Peace is what I leave with you; it is my own peace that I give you. I do not give it as the world does" (Joh 14:27).There is only one real peace and that is universal. It starts from within us and expands to our environment. It seeks the benefit of humanity as a whole and not that of an individual, interest group, nation, race, ideology, or religion. It is universal and non-negotiable.Moreover, the eternal justice of God as well as the incorruption and the

eternal life.God's justice consists of the material, or social justice as we call it, and the spiritual one.Material justice is based on the fact that humans are equal but not the same. In reality, God gives to them whatever people can or cannot do, and they should freely exercise and express their abilities and personality, so that they can enrich through them their community. Thus we have an ethical competition that seeks not the benefit of certain individuals or groups of interest, where malice and conflict obstruct development and prosperity, but that of the many.This way, we can have a balanced distribution of material goods and freedoms based on ethical values. The excesses of the one supplement the needs of the other, fulfilling thus the ideal of equality and material justice among humans, where every individual has the same value.

The spiritual justice is that of Christ when He said: "If you forgive others the wrongs they have done to you, your Father in heaven will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive others, then your Father will not forgive the wrongs you have done" (Mat 6:14,15).Forgiving others' flaws and shortcomings, being patient with them, and tolerating their mistakes is true justice.The realization that we all have our inner anomalies, and thus it is impossible to be agitated by someone's flaws unless we are annoyed by our own first, makes all excuses for blaming others groundless.Spiritual justice is the first step to understanding our true nature, the beginning to a more balanced life.

God Is love

Many people believe that God punishes those who do evil. The Bible contains a lot of passages that underline this belief: "'Vengeance is Mine, I will repay,' says the Lord. And again, 'The Lord will judge his people.' It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God" (Heb 10:30,31).Others claim that God does not exist because if he did, he would stop all injustice in the world - e.g., the killing of innocent children in wars or accidents, etc. - from taking place. Both claims make a very fine point of how little - if any at all - we understand God's nature. The Bible is a very complex book, and it is so for a reason. It appears to be full of contradictions. A thorough analysis of it would clarify a very simple fact: God created and introduced spiritual and material laws and gave to humans the freedom of choice to use them for good or for bad.In the first book of Genesis, in the garden of Eden, right after the

transgression of Adam and Eve, God said: "Behold, the man has become like one of Us, to know good and evil" (Gen 3:22).God designed the human brain to develop in time between these two poles of evil and good. Freedom is the regulator of this system that one way or the other always takes humanity one step forward - more scientifically, it is called evolution. Our times reveal the truth of these words.

Humans always bear the responsibility of their actions. Understanding of the limitations of the human nature is supposed to give us the time we need to change and improve. Nonetheless, responsibility lies always with the individual or their community's use - or abuse - of freedom.

Faith and love towards God are two properties that naturally attract -He wants it or not- God's blessing, love, and mercy. When we don't believe, understand, and love God, we are overwhelmed by guile and corruption that naturally attract God's fury, in a figure of speech.

Yet, at the same time, the Bible claims that God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does he tempt anyone: "Let no one say when he is tempted, "I am tempted by God'; for God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does He Himself tempt anyone" (Jam 1:13).Therefore, it is I alone that find my way to salvation or peril. It is like we blame God for making the natural law of gravity, when we willingly go on and jump off the top of a tall building despite God's repeated warnings that if we do so, we will lose our life. God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does he tempt anyone. He is merciful and compassionate. He is the generator of love and its product, life. Apparently, evil and death are only a temporary, necessary evil until humans mature enough to understand the value of life and the natural and spiritual laws that govern it.

God wants the salvation of every single human soul: "God desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth" (1Ti 2:4).He is the creator of mankind. He created the first human with these words: "You are My Son, today I have begotten You" (Psa 2:7). He has so much love that we cannot comprehend. How can we then claim that he is an avenger and that he punishes those who do not listen to him? Our life - good or bad - is the result of our decisions and actions and those of our community as a whole. Because we fail to understand this very point, the Bible allowed different wording in its context to make sure that human freedom - the very attribute that defines our humanity - is not violated.