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Christianity
Christianity is why we have made this site......is what changed
this world....is abstract and complex and difficult to explain but
comforting and the Truth. Here is an excellent introduction to
Christianity
There is a universal moral code that exists in all humanity,
which God has placed in our hearts. You know this code as well as I
do- it is in your heart too. Nowhere is it considered noble, right,
or good to lie, cheat, steal, or to be excessively selfish. These
are just a few of the unwritten rules, which reside in your God
given conscience. We are born without blemish, yet given a short
period of time, our human nature gets the best of us and we rebel
against God's way- we sin. There is no one who can escape sin, as no
one is perfect and therefore we are all doomed to fail and rebel
against God in our sin.
In this God was presented a dilemma; where will our souls go when
our physical bodies pass away? Do we profane God's company with our
sinful presence, or are we doomed to separation from God and justice
for our wicked deeds? God knows this predicament and has provided a
way through Jesus, God in the flesh. Jesus died in order that our
sins and rebellion might be paid for. Through this substitutionary
sacrifice and death God's justice was satisfied. It also made a way
for man to come back to God. That way is Jesus. He, Himself, said:
"I am the way, the truth, and the life; No man comes unto the
Father, but by me" (John 14:6).
God is a just God, and sin cannot go unpunished. God sent Himself to
die on our behalf, as one who could pay for our sin, since we could
not. Now a question arises- God has paid for our sin, but how do we
receive this gift? Is it forced upon all or given to a select few?
It is dealt with simply as you deal with any other gift. You receive
it, you deny it, or you ignore it. Can God force upon us this
decision or this gift? Not if He is a loving and just God. If you
believe in Him and pray with a genuine heart to receive His gift and
allow Him to change your life, He will embrace you and forgive you.
If you reject Him outright, or pretend you don't need Him, He will
let you have your way.
Neither can He deny it to any, as a loving God would not create
beings destined to go to Hell without hope. By accepting Christ's
gift into your life you acknowledge that you are imperfect and need
God in your life to help you. You submit to Him and are no longer
rebellious. However, a soul that never acknowledges need for God
remains in rebellion against Him. Hell is where the rebellious souls
go when they die, and heaven is for those who have repented of their
sin. Hell is eternal separation from God in a place where there will
be great pain and suffering. Those in heaven enjoying God's presence
will rejoice eternally having full knowledge of what they deserve,
and basking in what joy they experience in God's awesome presence.
They will be so overwhelmed with joy, love, peace, and happiness
that they will have no other desire than to praise God for
eternity-, which they will of course choose to do.
The way a Christian leads his life is derived from the Bible
The Bible teaches us that God is deeply concerned with issues of
social justice, with caring for the poor, the oppressed, and the
outcast. We must also recognize that the Bible teaches us about the
reality of supernatural forces, events and experiences. Most
evangelicals accept this in the level of doctrine, but many live in
practice as if the supernatural were only of occasional and
superficial relevance. But the Bible teaches us about a world in
which the supernatural affects and permeates every aspect of the
physical and natural existence we are familiar with. And finally, if
we want to understand the Bible, we must recognize that it is not
primarily a book of doctrine or principle. It contains laws and wise
sayings, but it is a book of stories, songs, poems and letters. It
is a book about God, true, but it is also a book about people and
how they have discovered and related to this God. In the New
Testament, we are clearly shown that Jesus is the central figure
around which everything else revolves - in both the Old and the New
Testaments.
So the Christian faith is not a set of doctrines. It is a set of
moral teachings, and examples to live up to. While all these things
play their part, the Christian faith is fundamentally about Jesus.
Christians are people who follow Jesus, who have discovered in Him a
new life and a new way of living - a new way of being human.
The Bible reveals from the beginning God's love and purpose for man
and his lost state. God delivered up His Son for us (Romans 8:32),
that we might be reconciled to God and live-forever.
By belief in God and faith in His Son, Jesus, we receive the gift of
eternal life (Ephesians 2:8). Because of faith in Jesus we pass from
death to life and become new creations (2 Corinthians 5:17). "He
that hears my word, and believes on him that sent me, has
everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is
passed from death unto life" (John 5:24). Jesus' sacrifice and
resurrection made this possible.
The fundamental attitude of a Christian is one of faith in God, as
revealed to the world in Jesus and to each of us by the Spirit of
his love in the people we meet. This faith was transmitted through
the scriptures and was expressed in the creeds as the Christian
doctrines. These are: Creation; Salvation; Incarnation; Trinity;
Church.
Put your trust in Jesus, God's Son. Believe that He died for you;
that through Him you have forgiveness of sins. Invite Him into your
heart and confess His name and receive God's gift of eternal life
(Romans 10:9, 10). Become His child through faith in the Son of God
(Galatians 3:26).
The bottom line is this- there are four simple laws that govern our
relationship with God-
1. We were created by God to know and love Him personally.
2. Man is sinful and is separated from God by sin.
3. God sent Jesus, His Son, to pay for our sins and offer us the
gift of redemption.
4. We now have the choice of either accepting this gift or rejecting
it.
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