TITLE : THE CHRISTIAN LIFESTYLE AND THE IMPACT ON THE

SOCIETY, A CASE STUDY OF LAFIA TOWN

CHAPTER ONE

1.0 BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY

The Christian life begins with receiving the Lord Jesus Christ, the gift of
God’s love and forgiveness by faith. It result to a life of total commitment to the
person of the Lord Jesus Christ. It is a commitment to him of your intellect,
emotions and will. The Christian life is a personal intimate relationship between
one and Christ.

This life begins in faith according to Eph. 2:8 -9 (and can only be lived by
faith). Faith is another word for trust. We entrust our lives to Christ hands
because he has proven himself trust worthy by his life, his death, his
resurrection, and abiding presence, his unconditional love. The Christian life
from onset is meant to be a life lived by faith. It is by faith that we enter into the
Christian life and it is by faith we lived it out.

Once we began the Christian life by coming to Christ for forgiveness of

sin, we understand that what we seek cannot be obtained by another means than
by faith. We cannot work our way to heaven, because nothing we could ever do
will would be sufficient. Those who believe they can attain eternal life by
keeping rule regulations, a list of dos and don’ts deny what the bible clearly
teaches. “But that no one is justify by the law in the sight of God is clear, for the
just shall live by faith” (Gal. 3:11)

The Pharisees of Jesus day rejected Christ because he told them this very
truth that all their righteous deeds were worthless and that only in the Messiah
will save them.

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 In Romans 1, Paul says that the gospel of Jesus Christ is the power that
saves us, the gospel been the good news that all who believe in him have eternal
live. When we enter the Christian by faith in this good news, we see our faith
grow as we come to know more and more about the God who saved us. The
gospel of Christ actually reveal God to us as we live to grow closer to him each
day. Rom 1:17 says, “For in the gospel, righteousness from God is reveal in
righteousness that is by faith from first to last, just as it is written. The righteous
will live by faith. “So part of the Christian life is diligent reading and studying
of the word, accompany by prayer for understanding and wisdom and for a
closer, more intimate relationship with God through the Holy Spirit.

The Christian life is also supposed to be one death to self in order to live
by faith. Paul told the Galatians, “I have been crucified with Christ and I no
longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I lived in the body, I live by faith in
the son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me “(Gal 2:20). Being
crucified with Christ means that our old nature has been nailed to the cross and
has being replaced by a new nature which is Christ’s (2 Cor 5:17).

He who loved us and died for us now lives in us, and the life we live is by
faith in him. It means sacrificing our own desires, ambitions, glories and
replacing them with those of Christ. We can only do this by his power through
the faith that he gives us by his grace.

The Christian life is also supposed to preserve to the end. Hebr. 10:38 -39
address this issue by quoting from the Old Testament Prophet Habakkuk “Now
the just shall by faith: but if anyone draws back, my soul has no pleasure in
him”. God is not please with anyone who “draws back” from him after making
a commitment, but those who lived faith will never drawback, because they are
kept by the Holy Spirit who assure us that we will continue until the end ( Eph.
1:13 -14). The writer of Hebrews goes on to verify this truth in verse 39. “But

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we are not of those who drawback to perdition, but of those who believe of the
saving of the soul’. The true believer is one who believes to the end.

So Christian life is one lived by faith in the God who saved us, empower
us, seals us for heaven, and by whose power we are kept forever. The day to day
life of faith is one that grow and strengthen as we seek God in his word and
through prayer and as we unite with other Christians whose goal of Christ
likeness is similar to our own.

The Christian life in society is a manifestation of the Holy Spirit in a

Christian. This means, among other things, that Christian life society does not
exist only by the will of a few who decide to associate, but rather because of
special grace of the Holy Spirit which created it so that the Christian can grow.
In the life of the life of the Christian, all Christians receive, discern, and identify
the action of the Holy Spirit and because of that we are free to associate and
take initiatives.

But a necessary task and duty of the hierarchy is to discern beyond the
individual emotions and particular circumstances and recognize the more
permanent manifestation of the Holy Spirit which waves together in more
consistent and unfolding ecclesial design. It can then point these manifestations
as clear possible ways of participating in life and mission of the church.

Christian life society exist not merely by the will of the members to carry
out a common project, or by the will of a charismatic priest in a particular place,
time, or circumstance. It exist by the explicit will of the hierarchical church for
the good of the whole church and it mission. In this sense it is a public not
private association of the faithful in the church. It is an international association,
a world community. In it, priest and religious rulers have an approved, genuine
way of sharing with the laity. These called them together beyond any particular
group or personal charisma to form a part of an ecclesial trend which does not

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exist merely as a spontaneous creation but also part the church’s own
programme. In a Christian community in which by baptism we all participate
equally in the mission and are equally called to holiness, the old models of the
“state of perfection” or those which define the apostolate of the laity as they
“long arm” of the hierarchical apostolate, or as “ collaborators” of religious
congregations, do not help much. They fall into disuse of these concepts is a
result of ear deafening and an enriching the relationship between the laity,
hierarchy, and priests and religious present in the association. Many lay people
may be called to collaborate and even received a mandate from the hierarchy or
a religious congregation, but their vocation and mission cannot be perceived as
an extension or a functional and efficient asset.

1.2 STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM

It is well to understand just what is meant in the scripture by the world

regarding which Jesus warned. Then the “world” is the whole value system,
which dominate whatever form of society. May be our lot to experience, and it
is contrary to the ways of God. The world which we are not to love is that self-
centered way of human life which ignores God, and operate by selfish
principles and lives by ungodly standards. The philosophy of the world says that
the only important thing in this life. The principles of the world are false, greed,
selfishness, ambition, and pleasure. The “world” in the Greek cosmos is a
system that comprises a way of life, which according to fleshly human value, is
seen as exciting and colourful and seductive sweet and wonderful. As a result
Christians are constantly in-danger of getting involved and entangled in it to a
degree that spiritual values could be given second place. The apostle John
enables believers to more clearly identify worldliness by explaining that it has
three parts.

Worldliness includes the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eye, and the pride
of life (1 John 2:16 -17). The lust of the flesh might be termed sensualism. The

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lust of the eye may be termed materialism. The pride of life is putting on an air
of be somebody avail display of who we are.

Despite the significant presence of Christianity in the society, there is

growing concern that the values and principles of Christian faith are not being
effectively translated into transformative action, resulting in a disconnect
between the Christian life style and its potential to positively impact societal
issues such as moral decay, social injustice, and cultural erosion, thereby
undermining the creditability and relevance of Christian in contemporary
society.

1.3 OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY

The following are the objectives of the study:

* To know the impact of a Christian life style on the society (Lafia

town).

* To promote true Christian life style among Christian.

* To encourage the influence of Christian life style on art, music, literature,

mass media, education, entertainment sector, health sector and in the
entire seven mountain of influence in Lafia town

1.4 RESEARCH QUESTIONS

1. How can one live a Christian life?

2. How can Christians promote Christians life style in the society (Lafia
town)?

3. What are the impact of the Christian life on the society (Lafia Town)?

1.5. RESEARCH HYPOTHESES

HO: There is significant impact of the Christian life in Lafia

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HI: There is no significant impact of the Christian life in Lafia

1.6 SIGNIFICANT OF THE STUDY

Christianity is responsible for the way Lafia is organized and for the way
we currently live. So extensive is the Christian contributions to laws, our
economy, our politic, our arts, our calendar, our holidays, and our moral and
cultural priorities. We could none of us today be what we are if a handful of
Jews nearly 2000 years ago had not believed that they had known a great
teacher, seen him crucified, dead, and buried, and then risen again.

1.7. SCOPE OF THE STUDY

The study examines Christian’s life style in Lafia town as a society. This
study center on the Christian life and society.

1.8 LIMITATIONS OF STUDY

1. Financial constraint: Insufficient fund tends impede the efficiency of the

researcher in sourcing for the relevant materials, literature or information
and the process of data collection (internet, questionnaire, and
interviews).

2. Time constraint: The researcher will simultaneously in the study with

other academic work. This consequently cut down on the time devoted
for the research work.

1.9 DEFINITION OF TERMS

Christian: A person who has received Christian baptism or is a believer in

Jesus and in teachings.

Life style: Has to do with the totality of everything concerning a person

way of life. Everyone on earth has a way he or she lives their life. Yes it true but
is also true that the life of a person is completely influenced by his culture,

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society, religion, and environment. For example the life style of the people
living in Arabia is greatly influence by Islam. While the life style of people
living in Europe is greatly influence by Christianity. The Christian life style is
the character of Christ being develop and perfected in the character of a
Christian on a daily basis.

Society: The aggregate of people living together in more or less ordered

community.

Christian life style: The Christian life is a personal intimate relationship

between one and Christ.

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 CHAPTER TWO

2.0. LITERATURE REVIEW

Introduction: This chapter gives an insight into various studies conducted by

outstanding researcher, as well as explained terminologies with regards to
Christians life style on the society. A chapter also give a resume of the history
and present status of the problem delineated by concise review of previous
studies into closely related problems.

2.1 BRIEF HISTORY OF CHRISTIANITY:

The history of Christianity unfold organically through times. It is

commonly understood to begin with Jesus, who was born 2000 years ago.
However, because Jesus was Jewish, some date Christianity’s roots much
further back to the beginning of Judaism. To illustrate the vast sweep of
historical development, this section proceed in four parts. First, it addresses the
root of Christianity in the first through third centuries C.E ( common era,
dating from the time of Jesus birth), second, it describe Christianity
development through the middle ages, third, it explores the protestants
reformations in the 1600’s and their continuing influence today: fourth,
focusing on the United State, it summarizes several aspect of America
Protestantism.

2.1.1. THE BEGINNINGS OF CHRISTIANITY (1 – 300 C.E):

Christianity began as a moment within Judaism during the first century

C.E. At this time, the Jewish Rabbi now known as Jesus of Nazareth undertook
a public teaching ministry in which he preached about the imminent coming of
the kingdom of God. As reported in the Christian scriptures (commonly known
among Christians as the New Testament) Jesus assembled a core group of
twelve Jewish disciples, along with many other followers. Together they
minister to the poor and outcast in present- day Israel and Palestine. Around
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the year 33 C.E, Jesus was arrested and executed by the Roman governor.
However, Jesus followers claimed that He rose from the death; they came to
believe that He was the son of God and that He death and resurrection saved
them from their sins. As their conviction grew, they named Jesus the “Christ”
meaning Messiah or Anointed One – according to the prophecies of the Jewish
bible, the Hebrews scriptures (commonly known among Christians as the Old
Testament). This origin of the name “Jesus Christ” and led to Jesus’ followers
being called “Christian”. After Jesus’ death, “Christians” become identified as
a particular sect within Judaism. These Jews believed that Jesus was the
Messiah foretold in their Hebrew scriptures, whose coming they held long
anticipated. However, as time went on, the majority of Jews did not believe
that Jesus was the Messiah, and their differences with “Christian” Jews
increased. Further, many non - Jews people did not come to believe Jesus. In
this way, “Christianity” gradually become a religious movement distinct from
Judaism, as it is practiced today.

Over several generations, Christian complied their collective memories

of Jesus; teachings and sayings in various documents. Best known among
these today are the four narratives of Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection that
now appear in the Christian scriptures, the Gospels’ of Matthew, Mark, Luke,
and John. During these early years, many letters were also circulated among
Christian communities about their belief in Jesus as the Messiah and the way
Christian should lived and worship. The letters of Apostle Paul and a few other
authors were eventually included in the Christians scriptures along four Gospel
Christians debated for centuries over which document to include in their
scriptures; the first known list of the 27 documents now accepted as the
Christian scriptures did not appear until the year 367 C.E, and it may have take
even longer before Christian universally accepted this list.

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2.1.2. FURTHER DEVELOPMENT (300 – 1500 C.E)

Since their religious practices were distinguished from Judaism only

gradually, Christian of the first and second centuries worshipped in small
pockets throughout the Middle and Near East, and their religious practices
differed from town to town. Moreover, Christian was often outlawed under
Roman law; many believers were persecuted and executed for professing their
faith. In the year 313 C.E, the Roman Emperor Constantine converted to
Christianity and illegalized it, virtually ending the persecutions noticing that
Christians disagreed with one other on many important points such as the
relationship of Jesus to God, and that these debate were causing unrest and
confusion in his empire, Constantine called Christian leaders (Bishops) from
across the empire to a council at the Nicaea in 325 C.E. The first major council
of the Christian churches clarified key points of Theology, Trinity, Divinity of
Jesus (See discussion below).

The primary written contribution of this council was the Nicene Creed.
More debates followed in the succeeding years, and the second great council,
held in Constantinople in 381 C.E, expanded this Creed into a longer statement
of faith that members of many Christian churches still recite (for the full text
of the Creed, see appendix).

Although lively debates over key Theological points continued,

Christianity underwent further unification in fourth century under the reign of
Emperor Theodosius and through the Theology of Bishop Augustine of Hippo
(B.356 – D. 430). Almost seventy years after the Constantine legalized
Christianity, Theodosius established the Christian faith as the official religion
of the Roman Empire. From then on, Christianity spread rapidly, some
converted to Christianity to advance in Lafia town or out of fear of Roman
authorities, but many converted willingly. These conversion catapulted

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Christianity forward as leading religion of the Roman Empire, which then
encompassed most of Europe and North Africa.

Shortly after Theodosius’ decree, Augustine become Bishop of Hippo in

North Africa. An adult convert to Christianity, Augustine came to be one of
the most influential theologians in the history of Christian beliefs were
Contested so Augustine articulated much of his theology in response
competing interpretations of the faith and to non – Christian faiths of the
fourth and fifth centuries. Through these conflicts, Augustine provided
significant explorations of the Trinity and human sinfulness, as well as the
relationship between churches and state. Augustine’s numerous writing greatly
influence Christian through from the fifth centuries to the protestant
reformation of the sixteen century and beyond.

Despite his powerful influence, Augustine did not end the disputes
within Christianity at the church councils, which continued to take place every
50 – 100 years, questions about Jesus’ humanity and divinity- that is , His
identity as the son of God – proved an ongoing source of controversy as
Christian of different areas of the world drew on the philosophical traditions of
their cultures to reflects upon these questions the most mark differences arose
between Christian leaders of the Latin West and those of the Greek East. In
the year 1054 C.E, these disagreement culminated in the “Great Schism” that
divided Christianity into two major strands, Western and Eastern. Today,
Eastern Christianity include orthodox churches, while Western Christianity
include the Catholic and Protestants churches. Because the orthodox in
America accounts for only about 1% of Christian in the United States, this
primer considers only Western Christianity from this point on. Western
Christianity flourished during the high Middle Ages of eleventh to thirteenth –
century Europe. Christianity inspired exquisite art, music, architecture as the
first universities were established, Christian theology become highly

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 systemized, most notably in the works of Thomas Aquinas (B.1225 – D.1274).
The leader of the Western Christian church, the Pope, was a major figure in
Europe politics. During the fourteenth and fifteenth centuries, however, the
papacy lost some moral authorities due wide spread corruption in the church,
and many Christian began to question the power of Rome.

2.2 IMPACT OF CHRISTIANITY ON THE VALUE OF HUMAN LIFE:

Human right: The concept of universal human right and equality comes
exclusively from the biblical idea that all people are created in the image of
God.

Women: In ancient culture, a wife was a property of the husband

Aristotle said that a women was somewhere between a free man and a slave.
According the book Reasons for God by Tim Keller (Page 249), “ It was
extremely common in the Greco- Roman world to throw out new females
infants to die from exposure, because of the low status of women in the
society. The church forbid his members to do so.

Greco- Roman society saw no value in an unmarried women and

therefore it was illegal for widow to go more than two years without
remarrying. But Christianity was the first religion to not force widows to
marry. They were supported financially and honored within the community so
that they were not under great pressure to remarry if they didn’t want to. Pagan
widows lost all control of their remarried, but the church allowed widows to
maintain their husband’s estate. Finally, Christians did not believe in
cohabitation. If a christen man wanted to live with a woman he had to marry
her, and this gave women far greater security. Also, the pagan double standard
of allowing married men to have extramarital sex and mistress was forbidden.
In all these ways Christian women enjoyed far greater security and equality
than did woman in the surrounding culture. See Rodney Stark, “The rise of

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Christianity”. In India, widows were voluntarily or involuntarily burned on
their husbands’ funeral pyres Christian missionaries were a major influence in
stopping these century- old practices and ideas. Also see misconceptions item.

Children: in the ancient world, for example in classical Rome or Greece

infanticide was not only legal, it was applauded. Killing a Roman was murder,
but it was commonly held in Rome that killing one’s own children could be an
act of beauty. Through a higher view of life, it was the early Christian church
that ultimately brought an end to infanticide. The modern pro-life movement in
largely Christian. This pro-life view has been true from the very beginning of
Christianity. A Christian document called the Didache, dated from the late first
century or early second century, contained instructions against abortion.

Slavery: while it is true that Christians have owned slaves in history, it

is clear that this was a distortion of biblical teaching. Early Christianity
elevated the roles of those oppressed in society, by for example, accepting
women and slaves as full members. Slaves participated equally in worship and
the community and were afforded contract and property rights. According to
historian Glenn sunshine in his book why do you think the way you do.
“Christians were the first people in history to oppose slavery systematically.
Early Christians purchased slaves in the markets simply to set them free. “it is
also true that slavery was ended in great measure by Christian activists. For
example, historians credit the British evangelical William Wilberforce as the
primary force behind the ending of the international slave trade (which
happened prior to the American civil war). Two-thirds of the members of the
American abolition society in 1835 were Christian ministers.

Gladiators: A 5th century monk, Telemachus is credited as being the

pivotal force ending the gladiator spectacles. Cannibalism: Missionary
followers of Jesus are credited with stopped cannibalism in many primitive
societies.

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2.2.1 COMPASSION AND MERCY

Kennedy and Newcombe in their book detail the rise of charity in the
name of Jesus over the centuries. This is in stark contrast to history before
Jesus. Historians record that prior to Jesus the ancient world left little trace of
any organized charitable effort.

An important aspect of Jesus’ ministry was his emphasis on helping the

neediest and lowliest in society. For example, his parable of the good
Samaritan (Luke 10: 30-37) is a classic illustration that is still part of our
language today. While there are good charitable efforts outside of the name of
Jesus, Kennedy and Newcombe argue that Christian charities stand out. They
point to Mother Theresa, the Salvation Army, religious hospitals, and church
supported soup kitchens and thift shops in every community. Jesus has had
such an enormous impact on charity that one wonders how different things
would be if he had never been born.

D’souza points out: “this is our culture’s powerful emphasis on

compassion, on helping the needy, and on alleviating distress even in distant
places. If there is a huge famine or reports or genocide in Africa, most people
in other cultures are unconcerned. As the Chinese proverb has it, “the tears of
strangers are only water, but here in the west we rush to help… part of the
reason why we do this is because of our Christian assumptions… The ancient
Greeks and Romans did not believe this. They held a view quite commonly
held in other cultures today: Yes that is a problem, but it is not our problem…
However paradoxical it seems, people who believed most strongly in the next
world did the most to improve the situation of people living in this one. “the
mythical character of Santa Clause points back to Christ. St Nick
unquestionably arose within the Christian tradition.

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2.2.2 MARRIAGE AND FAMILY

As explained by D’souza, before the Christian era, pederasty and

homosexuality were not considered wrong. “Christianity exalted heterosexual
monogamous love, which would provide the basis for a lasting and exclusive
relationship between husband and wife, oriented towards the rearing of
children. We take the family so much for granted it remains such a powerful
ideal in our society. Even when actual family life falls short that we forget the
central premises on which it based. Those premises were introduced into a
society to which they were completely foreign”

2.2.3 EDUCATION

From the beginning Judaism from which Christianity is derived, there

was an emphasis on the written word. But the phenomenon of education for
the masses has it root in the protestants reformation.

In order to promote bible literacy, Christian has been leaders in

education. This trend was accelerated with the advent of the printing press at
about the same time as the protestants reformation. Many of the world’s
languages were first set to writing by Christian missionary in order for to read
the bible. In America the first law to require education of the masses was pass
by the puritans. The law was called “THE OLD DELUDER SATAN ACT’.
This name was a reference to the devil, who Christian believe get his foot hood
into people’s lives because of their of the scriptures.

For the first 200 years in America, children reading text emphasis
biblical literacy. The emphasis on literacy was so intense in colonial America
that John Quincy Adams said in the early 1800’s that the literacy rate was only
4/10th of 1%. By comparison, it has be estimated that in America today, 40
million people are functionally liberate.

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 All but one of the first 123 colleges in colonial America were Christian
institutions. While these universities has lost their Christian identities, it is
interesting to read the founding statements of these schools. Harvard, for
example, was founded on this statement: Let every students be plainly
instructed, and earnestly pressed to consider well, the main end of his life and
studies is, to know God and Jesus Christ which is eternal life John 17:3.

2.2.4 GOVERNMENT OF THE PEOPLE

While America’s constitutional government is not specifically Christian,

it can be argued that its roots are taken from bible doctrines. Here are just a
few possible argument in this regard:

* America’s first constitution was the fundamental orders of connection. The

puritans farmers of this document required that each aspect of it be grounded
in scripture. Other constitution to follow contained many similarities to these
one.

* At least 50 of the 55 signers of the US constitution were Orthodox Christian

* There is no doubt that the concept of our constitutional checks and balances
system is a direct result of the biblical doctrine of the sinfulness of mankind.
All of our founders understood the importance of this doctrine to social order.

* America’s fundamental idea of The Rule of Law rather than the authority of
men traces back to the Old Testament, beginning the Ten Commandments.

* The idea that all men are created equal as enshrined in the declaration of
independent is a biblical doctrine.

* The notion of the sovereign authority of God (as mentioned in the mayflour or
compact, the declaration of independence, all 50 state constitutions, our
currency, etc) – rather than the sovereignty of the state – is certainly biblical.

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* The existence of moral absolutes (a biblical concept) is an important idea.

2. In our declaration of independence specifically, self –evident truths and

unalienable rights from the creator.

* Many other aspects of our law’s come directly from the bible for example the
judicial, legislative and executive branches trace to Isaiah 33:2.

* Fair trails with witnesses have numerous Old and New Testament support.

* Regarding civil liberty, founding father John Adams (and others) emphasized
2 Corth. 3:17 as the basis for American civil liberty. The slogan on the Liberty
Bell is “ Proclaim Liberty throughout the land unto all the inhabitants there of”
is from Leviticus Kennedy and New Combe argued that Jesus himself was the
greatest civil libertarian of all time.

2.2.5 SCIENCE

Kennedy and Newcombe also argue that science has its roots in
Christianity. They point but that other world religions may express a world
view of fatalism (everything is fatalistically determined) or of illusion (that the
physical world is an illusion) Science could not have arisen from these world
views.

Christianity on the other hand, is based on the notion that there exists a
rational God who is the source of rational truth. This they argue, gave rise to
the possibility of scientific laws. Evidence of this view is that nearly all the
founders of modern science were Christians. These include men such as
Keppler, Boyle, Pascal, Pasteur, Newton, etc.

2.2.6 ENTERPRISE AND THE WORK ETHNIC

Private property rights can be traced to the ten commandments in Exodus

20:1 -5, 17 (Thou shall not steal? Thou shall not covet) as well as to other

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passages from the Old and New Testaments. Interestingly, there are over 700
references to money in the Bible it is not worthy that Adam Smith wealth of
Nations was written in 1776, the same year as the birth of America. But many
historians credit theologian John Calvin from 200 years earlier as the person
who is most responsible for putting together the principles that were always in
the bible into a system adapter by the America founders. For example, the
American founders. For example, the biblical doctrines of self-reliance and
self –denial are the foundation of the famous “protestant work ethic”.

These doctrines are at the heart of our economic (and political) way of
life. A distinction can be made between biblical capitalism and evolutionary
capitalism. The emphasis on biblical capitalism is on the importance of
servant-hood a key teaching of Jesus. Evolutionary capitalism, on the other
hand, relies solely on the survival of the fittest. See our blog article biblical
capitalism in uncertain economic times.

Anyone who doubts the relationship of biblical ideas to free enterprise

need only to note the stark contrast with communism. Communism is
specifically an atheistic system that relies on the non – biblical notion that all
men are good (thus will work for the common good). But communism has
been an object economic failure.

As put by D’spouza, “The system of modern capitalism arose in the

west. To some it is surprising that capitalism developed so easily in
conjunction with a Christian ethic. But capitalism satisfied the Christian
demand for an institution that channels selfish human desire toward the
betterment of society. Some critics accuse capitalism of being a selfish system,
but the selfishness is not in capitalism it is in human nature. While profit
remains the final goal, entrepreneurs spend the better part of each day figuring
out how better to serve the needs of their actual and potential customers. They

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are operationally, if not intentionally, altruistic.. one may say that capitalism
civilizes greed in much the same way that marriage civilizes lust”.

2.2.7 ARTS, MUSIC, AND LITERATURE

The influence of Jesus on Art music, and literature is enormous. For

example, the Christian faith has influenced literature in such Christian writers
such as Dante, Chaucer, Donne, Dostoevsky, Shakespeare, Dickens, Milton,
etc.

Had Jesus never been born, music would likely sound very different from
what we are use to. There may never have developed the cantata, the concerto,
or the symphony. Handel, Vivaldi, and Bach were Christian who worked to
honour God with their work. Bach, for example, signed all his works with soli
Dea Gloria (“Solely to the glory of God”).

Art has likewise been magnificently impacted by Jesus. While much

modern arts seems to debase the human spirit, classical Christian arts tries
pointing us to a higher plane. This is certainly a tribute to Jesus.

And think of all the incredible architecture through the years. Especially
noteworthy at the beautiful cathedrals in Europe.

2.2.8 CONTARY EVIDENCE

Kennedy and Newcombe address the criticism of some who point to

atrocities in history committed in the name of Christianity – specifically the
crusade, the inquisition, the Salem witches hunts, and anti-semitism. The
authors acknowledge the sinful nature of these evident. But they argued that
those who committed them were acting contrary to the teaching of Christ, who
taught to love even your enemies. The blame for committing such act should
be placed on those who perverted Jesus’ teachings not at the feet of the prince
of peace.

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 However, it should also be mentioned that many historians say that
Christians have gotten a bad rap from the above events. For example, it can be
said that all of the crusades were defensive in nature – in the same way that
one can accurately say that America’s current war on terrorism is defensive in
nature. America is responding to unprovoked attack first made upon us. Our
goal in this war is simply to protect our citizens and our property. This is the
same thing that the Christians crusaders were doing, acting in self defence
against aggressors.

And in the case of the inquisition, Kennedy has stated that he is

convinced that the people leading the inquisition were not Christians at all. “In
every case in which Christians are blamed for violence, a closer look largely
exonerates Christians”.

Further, they point out that when Christian’s restraints have been
removed from society, the atrocities are magnified many times over. For
example, the regimes of Hitler, Mao, Stalin, and Pol Pot were essentially
atheistic blood baths. This 20th century dispute alone account for well over
100,000,000 murders. The evidence is strong that when the restraining
influence of Christianity has be removed from a country or culture,
unmitigated disaster will naturally follow. As admitted by Existentialist
Philosopher Jean-Paul Sartre “(without God) all activities are equivalent.

2.3 SUMMARY

An overarching theme giving to the world by Christianity is the equality

of human beings and preciousness and worthy of every human life. As put by
the D’souza, “this Christians idea was the propelling force behind the
campaign to end slavery, the movement for democracy and popular self-
government, and also the successful attempt to articulate an international
doctrine of human rights. My celebration of Christianity’s role in shaping this

20
great social changes comes with a sober corollary. If the west gives up
Christianity, it will also endanger the Egalitarian values that Christianity
brought into the world. The end of Christianity also means the systematic
erosion of values like equal dignity and equal right that both religious and
secular people cherish”. If secularism continue to gain, so will the restoration
of infanticide, demands for the radical redefinition of the family, the revival of
Eugenic theories of human superiority, the suppression of freedoms of religion
and expression, etc, as well as political tyranny.

The spirit of Christmas embodies many wonderful qualities – love,

sharing, tolerance, hope, and peace.

21
 CHAPTER THREE

RESEARCH METHODOLOGY

3.0 INTRODUCTION

This chapter discusses the method and procedure employed in data

collection. Methodology is best described as the system of research work. It
described in detail the research method used for collection of data and also the
instrument used in data collection which will be subjected to analysis in order to
arrive at the conclusion in this project work.

The main objective of this research were achieved through quantitative methods
to measure the level of accuracy and validate response from the respondents in
accordance to the objectives of the research.

3.1. STUDY AREA

The study was conducted in Lafia town, Nasarawa state in Nigeria it is

located in North central part of the country lying between Latitude: 8° 29'
38.04" N and Longitude: 8° 30' 55.15" E. Lafia is a town in central Nigeria. It
is the capital city of Nasarawa State and has a population of 330,712 inhabitants
according to the 2006 census results. It is the largest town in Nasarawa state. it
has many educational institutions which include Federal University Lafia, Isa
Mustapha state Polytechnic Lafia, college of Agriculture, science and
Technology Lafia. School of Nursing and Midwifery etc. They also have many
commercial centers such as Lafia modern market, Neighborhood market, etc.
the town has two major religion which are Christianity and Islam. Christian has
296,087 followers with Roman Catholic being majority (2021).

3.2. RESEARCH DESIGN

22
 The research design used for this study was the descriptive research
design. Since data characteristics were described using frequencies and
percentages and no manipulations of data or variables were necessary, the
researcher discarded other alternatives such as caused and explanatory research
designs, because accurate findings and data analysis may not be achieved.

3.3. Population of the study

The population for this study covers the entire Lafia Town. It is from this
population that a sample for the study was drawn.

3.4. Sampling Technique

Sampling is very important in any theological studies and research because,

since the population of the study is usually too large, we need to select a portion
of the population. This portion must be representative of the total population.
There are two sampling technique, systematic and random sampling technique.
systematic sampling technique has been adopted for the purpose of this
research.

3.5 Sample Size

An important aspect of any research work is the sample size chosen, in

this work, the sample size is chosen based on the Christians of four
geographical zones of Lafia. We are interested interested in the sample size of
100 person with an interval of 5. As a result of this, one hundred questionnaires
are all together administered across the district. 50 questionnaires were
administer in Lafia East, 50 in Lafia North, 50 in Lafia south, 50 in Lafia west.

Other information was collected from textbooks, journals and other secondary
sources of data.

TABLE 1.0 List of all selected areas of study in Lafia town.

23
Area Area Name Total Population Percentage (%)
Code
01 Lafia East (Sabon Pegi, 74,000 24.9
Lowcost, project quarters)
02 Lafia North (Bukan Sidi, 74,087 25
Millionaires Quarters, Ombi
1 &2
03 Lafia West (Tudun 74,000 24.9
Gwandara, Sabon Gari,
Shinge, Tudun Amba, Emire
Palace)
04 Lafia South (Tudun Kawori, 74,000 24.9
Nasarawa Estate, Gandu)
Total 296,087 100

3.6 SOURCES OF PRIMARY DATA

Data collected directly from the field investigation. Since this data is collected
from the original sources, it is considered first-hand information. Data for this
research work was obtained from interviews, measurements and observations.
Questionaires were administered based on accessibility and sample size,
obtaining the views of respondent on the Christian Lifestyle and it impact on the
society, a case study of lafia town.

3.7 SOURCES OF SECONDARY DATA

This data was collected for other purposes and found relevant to this research as
a second hand information. They include geographical information, commercial
information and political record of the study area.

24
3.8 INSTRUMENT OF DATA COLLECTION

These are the tools that were used in the collection of the data, they include the
following

3.8.0 PHYSICAL INTERACTION

These were in the form of structured and organized questions. Information/ data
was collected through social interaction in session of questions and answers
between the interviewer and the interviewee. This was involved alongside the
questionnaires because of the illiteracy level of the respondents, which led to
their inability to fill in the questionnaires.

3.8.1 QUESTIONAIRES

These are carefully designed questions for the respondent to answer. These
questions were also designed to avoid lengthy and unnecessary discussions.
Block spaces were provided to be filled in and objectives questions asked with
optional answers to select from, information was obtained on the Christian
Lifestyle and the impact on the society, a case study of Lafia town.

3.8.2 OBSERVATION

A visit to the study area led to critical observation of the town accessing the
level of impact of Christian lifestyle in the area.

3.9. TECHNIQUE OF DATA ANALYSIS

Various analytical tools and software such as pie charts, bar charts, tables.
Data collected were analyzed using frequencies and percentages. These
frequencies and percentages enabled the researchers to clearly represent true
data characteristics and findings with a great deal of accuracy. Interpretation
25
and analysis of data was also used to describe items in tables and charts used for
this study.

3.10 TECHNIQUE FOR HYPOTHESIS TESTING

Percentages was employed for the testing of hypothesis showing difference in

the analysis and result.

3.11. Limitation

Since this study is a descriptive research, validation of characteristics and

variables described may be limited to some extent as other statistical tools such
as arithmetic mean, variance, standard deviation and the central limit theorem
were not applied to further move the accuracy of findings in this study. The
researcher only used descriptive statistical tools such as frequencies and
percentages to describe data characteristics and findings.

26
CHAPTER FOUR

DATA PRESENTATION ANALYSIS AND INTERPRETATION

This chapter is devoted to the presentation, analysis and interpretation of

the data gathered in the course of the study. The data are based on the number
of copies of the questionnaires completed and returned by the respondents. The
data are return by the respondents. The data are presented in tables and the
analysis is done using the chi-square test.

Table 1 Sex of respondents

Sex Numbers of Responder Percentage %

Male 54 54
Female 46 46
Total 100 100

Source: Filed survey, May, 2025

Table 1 above shows the gender distribution of the respondents used for this
study, 54 percentage of the population are male while the remaining 46
percentage of the population are female.

Table 2 Age grade of respondents

Age Frequency Percentage

10 – 20 years 11 11
21 – 40 years 63 63
41 – 60 years 25 25
61 years above 1 1
Total 100 100
27
Source: Filed survey, May 2025

Table 2 above shows the grade of the respondents used for the study. 63
percentage of the population is 21- 40 years, while 25 percentage of the
population are between 41 – 60 years.

Level of Education Frequency Percent

` Primary 00
Secondary 29 29
Tertiary 56 56
Mon 15 15
Total 100 100
Source: Field survey, May, 2025.

Table 3 above shows the educational background of the respondents used for
this study.

Out of the total number of 100 respondents, 29 percent of the population are
SSCE/WASSCE holders.10 respondents which represent 31.2 percent of the
population are OND/HND/BSC holders.10 respondents which represent
31.2percent of the population are MSC/PGD/PHD holders while the remaining
8 respondents which represent 21.0 percent of the population have other types
of certificate.

28
Table 4 Marital status of respondents
Cumulative
Frequency Percent Valid Percent Percent
Valid single 10 31.2 31.2 31.2
Married 20 62.5 62.5 93.8
Divorced 1 3.1 3.1 96.9
Widowed 1 3.1 3.1 100.0
Total 32 100.0 100.0
Source: Field survey, August, 2016.

Table 4 above shows the marital status of the respondents used for this study.

‘Out of the total number of 32 respondents, 10 respondents which represent 31.2

percent of the population are single.20 respondents which represent 62.5 percent
of the population are married.1 respondent which represent 3.1 percent of the
population is divorced while the remaining 1 respondent which represent 3.1
percent of the population is widowed.

Table 5 position of respondents

Cumulative
Frequency Percent Valid Percent Percent
Valid junior 20 62.5 62.5 62.5
staff
senior 12 37.5 37.5 100.0
staff
Total 32 100.0 100.0
Source: Field survey, August, 2016.

Table 5 above shows the level or position of respondents used for this study.

29
Out of the 32 respondents, 20 which represent 62.5 percent of the population are
junior staff while 12 which represent 37.5 percent of the population are senior
staff.

Table 6 years of service of respondents

Cumulative
Frequency Percent Valid Percent Percent
Valid 0-2 years 8 25.0 25.0 25.0
3-5 years 11 34.4 34.4 59.4
6-11 years 10 31.2 31.2 90.6
Above 12
3 9.4 9.4 100.0
years
Total 32 100.0 100.0
Source: Field survey, August, 2016.

Table 5 above shows the years of experience of the respondents used for this
study.

Out of the 32 respondents, 8 which represent 25.0percent of the population have

had 0-2yrs experience at work.11 which represent 34.4 percent of the
population have had 3-5yrs experience.10 which represent 31.2percent of the
population have had 6-11yrs experience while 3 which represent 9.4 percent of
the population have had more than 12yrs experience.

TABLES BASED ON RESEARCH QUESTIONS

30
Table 7 CHRISTIAN LIFE POSITIVELY INFLUENCES THE LAFIA
TOWN

Frequency Percent Valid Percent Cumulative Percent

Valid strongly
18 56.2 56.2 56.2
Agree
Agree 10 31.2 31.2 87.5
Undecided 2 6.2 6.2 93.8
Disagree 2 6.2 6.2 100.0
Total 32 100.0 100.0
Source: Field survey, August, 2016.

Table 7 above shows the responses of respondents that Christian life positively
influences the Lafia Town

18 respondents which represent 56.2 percent of the population strongly agreed

that Christian life positively influences the society.10 respondents which
represent 31.2percent of the population agreed that Christian life positively
influences the Lafia Town. 2 respondents which represent 6.2 percent of the
population were undecided while the remaining 2 respondents which represent
6.2 percent of the population disagreed that Christian life positively influences
the Lafia Town.

31
Table 8 BIBLICAL LITERACY IS HIGH IN NIGERIA
Cumulative
Frequency Percent Valid Percent Percent
Valid undecided 2 6.2 6.2 6.2
Disagree 20 62.5 62.5 68.8
Strongly
10 31.2 31.2 100.0
Disagree
Total 32 100.0 100.0
Source: field survey, August, 2016.

Table 8 above shows the responses of respondents that biblical literacy is high
in Nigeria.

2 respondents which represent 6.2 percent of the population were undecided

20 respondents which represent 62.5 percent of the population disagreed that

biblical literacy is high in Nigeria while the remaining 10 respondents which
represent 31.2 percent of the population strongly disagreed that biblical literacy
is high in Nigeria.

32
Table 9 THERE IS A SIGNIFICANT IMPACT OF CHRISTIAN LIVING
ON THE LAFIA TOWN
Cumulative
Frequency Percent Valid Percent Percent
Valid strongly
15 46.9 46.9 46.9
Agree
Agree 10 31.2 31.2 78.1
Undecided 3 9.4 9.4 87.5
Disagree 2 6.2 6.2 93.8
Strongly
2 6.2 6.2 100.0
Disagree
Total 32 100.0 100.0
Source: field survey, August, 2016.

Table 9 above shows the responses of respondents that there is a significant

impact of Christian living on the Lafia Town.

15 respondents which represent 46.9 percent of the population strongly agreed

that there is a significant impact of Christian living on the society.10
respondents which represent 31.2 percent of the population agreed that there is a
significant impact of Christian living on the society. 3 respondents which
represent 9.4 percent of the population were undecided. 2 respondents which
represent 6.2 percent of the population disagreed that there is a significant
impact of Christian living on the Lafia Town while the remaining 2 respondents
which represent 6.2 percent of the population strongly disagreed that there is a
significant impact of Christian living on the Lafia Town .

33
Table 9 CHRISTIAN LIVING SHOULD BE ENCOURAGED IN
NIGERIA

Frequency Percent Valid Percent Cumulative Percent

Valid strongly
15 46.9 46.9 46.9
Agree
Agree 10 31.2 31.2 78.1
Undecided 3 9.4 9.4 87.5
Disagree 2 6.2 6.2 93.8
Strongly
2 6.2 6.2 100.0
disagree
Total 32 100.0 100.0
Source: field survey, August, 2016.

Table 9 above shows the responses of respondents that Christian living should
be encouraged in Nigeria

15 respondents which represent 46.9 percent of the population strongly agreed

that Christian living should be encouraged in Nigeria.10 respondents which
represent 31.2 percent of the population agreed that Christian living should be
encouraged in Nigeria. 3 respondents which represent 9.4 percent of the
population were undecided. 2 respondents which represent 6.2 percent of the
population disagreed that Christian living should be encouraged in Nigeria
While the remaining 2 respondents which represent 6.2 percent of the
population strongly disagreed that Christian living should be encouraged in
Nigeria.

RESEARCH HYPOTHESIS

Ho: There is no significant impact of Christian living on the Lafia Town.

Hi: There is a significant impact of Christian living on the Lafia Town.

34
Level of significance: 0.05

Decision rule: reject the null hypothesis if the p-value is less than the level of
significance.

Table 10 Test Statistics

There is a significant impact of Christian
living on the society
Chi-Square 15.250a
df 2
Asymp. Sig. .000
a. 0 cells (.0%) have expected frequencies less than 5. The minimum expected
cell frequency is 10.7.
Conclusion based on the decision rule:

Since the p-value (0.000) is less than the level of significance (0.05), we accept
the null hypothesis therefore concluding that there is a significant impact of
Christian living on the Lafia Town.

CHAPTER FIVE

SUMMARY, CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATIONS

5.1 Summary of Findings

The objectives of the study were;

 To know the impact of the Christian life on the Lafia Town.

35
  To exalt heterosexual monogamous love, this would provide the basis for
a lasting and exclusive relationship between husband and wife, oriented
toward the rearing of children.
 To promote Bible literacy in the Lafia Town and to make Christians
leaders in education.
 To encourage the influence of Jesus on art, music, and literature.

Findings from the study revealed that majority of the respondents were of the
opinion that Christian life positively influences the society and that there is a
significant impact of Christian living on the Lafia Town.

5.2 Conclusion

An overarching theme given to the world by Christianity is the equality of

human beings, and the preciousness and worth of every human life. As put by
D'Souza, "This Christian idea was the propelling force behind the campaign to
end slavery, the movement for democracy and popular self-government, and
also the successful attempt to articulate an international doctrine of
human rights. My celebration of Christianity's role in shaping these great social
changes comes with a sober corollary: if the West gives up Christianity, it will
also endanger the egalitarian values that Christianity brought into the world.
The end of Christianity also means the systematic erosion of values like equal
dignity and equal rights that both religious and secular people cherish." If
securarlism continues to gain, so will the restoration of infanticide, demands for
the radical redefinition of the family, the revival of eugenic theories of human
superiority, the suppression of freedoms of religion and expression, etc., as well
as political tyranny.

5.3 Recommendations

We live in a time of rapid change and of deteriorating moral values. The fear of
God is disappearing and, with it, personal humility. Nonetheless, it is our duty

36
and desire as Christians to publicly express our understanding and the values
that we hold. This we can do without apology. We want to do so because we
love our countries and people and because we believe that respect for God's
Word and observance of its teaching will also gain God's blessing for our
nations. We want to yet hold in our hearts the timeless truths of God's Word.
The Prophet Micah has written words that seem to provide a foundation for our
value system. "He hath shewed thee, O man, what is good; and what doth the
Lord require of thee, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly
with thy God?" (Micah 6:8) The child of God is on a journey through life. Jesus
said of this journey that it is on a narrow way that leads unto life. (Matt. 7:14)
The destination is heaven. To find this way and to remain on it, a person must
receive God's grace. God is gracious. He gives His grace to the humble. (I Peter
5:5) We humbly ask God that He would hear the prayer of His Son also on our
behalf and keep us from evil. We ask, as the psalmist David did, "Search me, O
God, and know my heart: try me and know my thoughts; and see if there be any
wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting." (Psalm 139:23-24)

REFERENCES

Aquinas, Thomas. Summa Theologica, 5 volumes. Christian Classics, 1981.

Augustine. Confessions. Henry Chadwick, trans. Oxford University Press, 1998.

Augustine. The City of God. Modern Library, 1994.

The Bible. Recommended translations are the New American Bible, New
American Standard Bible, or New Revised Standard Version. Some versions
offer helpful material in addition to the text; for example, the Catholic Study
Bible (Oxford, 2006) contains extensive reading guides that give background
and context for each book.

37
Calvin, John. Institutes of Christian Religion. John T. McNeill, ed.; Ford Lewis
Battles, trans. Westminster John Knox, 1960. Detailed overview of Christianity
from its origins to the present.

Chadwick, Henry. The Early Church. Penguin, 1993.

Gonzalez, Justo. The Story of Christianity. Prince Press, 1999; originally

published in two volumes by HarperSanFrancisco, 1984/85. Overview of the
first five centuries of Christian history.

Lynch, Joseph. The Medieval Church: A Brief History. Longman, 1995.

Overview of Christianity during the medieval period.

Corrigan, John, and Winthrop Hudson. Religion in America. Prentice Hall,

2003. Overview of Christianity in the United States from 1607 to the late
twentieth century.

Flannery, Austin, ed. Vatican Council II: Constitutions, Decrees, Declarations.

Costello, 1996. [Vatican II documents also online at
[Link]

Gonzalez, Justo, and Zaida Maldonado Perez. An Introduction to Christian

Theology. Abingdon, 2002. Introduces theology topically (by major doctrines)
from a Protestant perspective.

Lewis, C. S. Mere Christianity. HarperSanFrancisco, 2001. A classic

presentation of the “essentials” of Christian faith for non-Christians. Classified
as “apologetics,” meaning that it argues for the reasonableness of Christianity.

Luther, Martin. Martin Luther: Selections from His Writings. John Dillenberger,
ed. Anchor, 1958.

38
McGrath, Alister. Christian Theology: An Introduction. Blackwell, 2001.
Introduces theology topically (by major doctrines) from a Protestant
perspective.

Noll, Mark. Turning Points: Decisive Moments in the History of Christianity.

Baker Academic, 2000. Brief overview of Christianity from its origins to the
present.

Placher, William. A History of Christian Theology: An Introduction.

Westminster John Knox, 1983. Introduces the development of Christian
theology chronologically (as it developed through history) from a Protestant
perspective.

Placher, William, ed. Readings in Christian Theology, Vol. I: From Its

Beginnings to the Eve of the Reformation and Vol. 2: From the Reformation to
the Present. Westminster John Knox, 1988. Rausch, Thomas. The College
Student’s Introduction to Theology.

Michael Glazier, 1993. Introduces theology topically (by major doctrines) from
a Roman Catholic perspective. Simons, Menno. Complete Writings. Herald
Press, 1956.

APPENDIX

QUESTIONNAIRE

Department of Bachelor inTheology,

Threshing Floor International school

39
 of Ministry & Biblical Studies,

Lafia.

Dear Respondent,

QUESTIONNAIRE

I am a student of the above named Institute of learning in the department of

Theology and I am carrying out a project research work on the topic " THE
CHRISTIAN LIFESTYLE AND IMPACT ON THE SOCIETY, A CASE
STUDY OF LAFIA TOWN ". Please be obliged to fill in the questionnaire
below. Supply all the information to the best of your knowledge as any
information given will be use mainly for academic purposes and your
information will be treated with confidentiality.

Thanks

Abimiku Enoch Arikpa

TFISMBS/BTH./001

40
SECTION A: Personal Information/Data

1. Gender
a. Male [ ] b. Female [ ]
2. Age grade
a. 10- 20yrs [ ] b. 21-40yrs [ ] c. 41-60yrs [ ] d. 61yrs above [ ]
3. Educational qualification
a. Primary [ ] b. Secondary [ ] c. Tertiary [ ] d. Non [ ]
Marital status
a. Single [ ] b. Married [ ] c. Divorced [ ] d. Widowed [ ]
4. Do you live in lafia town for more than 15 years?
a. Yes [ ] b. No [ ] c. yes but not up this the years mentioned [ ]

SECTION B: Questions on the Christian life

5. Are you a Christian?

a. Yes [ ] b. No [ ]
6. Christian life entail living according to the biblical standard
a. Strongly agreed [ ] b. Agreed [ ] c. Undecided [ ] d. Disagreed [ ]

7. Should Christians promote Christians life style in Lafia town

a. Yes [ ] b. No [ ]

8. Christian lifestyle promote peace and unity in lafia town

a. Strongly agreed [ ] b. Agreed [ ] c. Undecided [ ] d. Disagreed [ ]

9. Christian lifestyle promote socialization, Education and cleaniness in lafia

environment

a. Strongly agreed [ ] b. Agreed [ ] c. Undecided [ ] d. Disagreed [ ]

41
10. There is significant impact of the Christian lifestyle in Lafia town.

a. Strongly agreed [ ] b. Agreed [ ] c. Undecided [ ] d. Disagreed [ ]

42