Christianity has a number of basic beliefs that separate it from other religions and cause believers to have great hope. We hope you will accept this invitation to take a look and consider what a life lived for Christ might mean for you.
Christianity:
“Christianity is not, and never has been, about finding the right combination of words! It is about encountering the living and loving God.” –Alister E. McGrath (1953- )
Of all the world religions Christianity stands out as a personal relationship with a living God and Savior- Jesus Christ. It is not a religion about what one needs to do to get to God; rather it is a faith about what God has done to get to you. It is a living faith that is built upon trust in the saving acts of a God who came into this world through Jesus Christ: living a holy life, dying an unholy death, resurrecting to new life and ascending into heaven as the supreme power in heaven and on earth. Broken lives are healed, troubled souls find peace, and sorrowful burdens are comforted as believers grow in their relationships with Jesus.
Bible:
“The Holy Scriptures are our letters from home.” —Saint Augustine of Hippo (354-430 AD)
The Bible is a book that Christians value as a personal message from God sent to direct our thoughts, words and actions. It is an ancient book made up off sixty-six individual books that include historical events, poems and love songs, forecasts of future events, letters to believers in ancient times that offer us direction in our lives, and gospels- the good news stories of Jesus Christ. The Bible, or Holy Scripture, is believed to be a book that is composed of inspired writings from many generations long ago. Over thousands of years, the Bible has come to be a trustworthy and authoritative source to help believers understand who God is and what He desires for each one of us.
Sin:
“As a very little dust will disorder a clock, and the least sand will obscure our sight, so the least grain of sin which is upon the heart will hinder its right [affection] toward God.” —John Wesley (1703-1791 AD)
Sin is an undeniable characteristic of what it means to be human. More formally, sin is anything that does not meet the will of God. The Bible declares what God’s will is for our lives, and as we come to a better understanding of God’s will we also come to a deeper understanding of how far short we come in meeting it. Separation from God is the primary effect of sin. Just as a criminal may do everything in his or her power to keep from being caught, so too do we strive to ignore our sin and stay hidden from the holiness of God. We gain a clearer picture of our sin as we come to a better understanding of God’s will for our lives.
Salvation:
“The concept of substitution lies at the heart of both sin and salvation. For the essence of sin is man substituting himself for God, while the essence of salvation is God substituting himself for man.” —John R.W. Stott (1921- )
Imagine falling into a deep pit, suffering multiple bone fractures and being unable to scale the muddy walls to gain freedom. Your surroundings are cold, damp and hopeless. The only possible way is for someone else to rescue you. Salvation arrives when another risks him or herself to come to your aid and pull you out. Jesus accomplished this and so much more for each of us. In Christ, God took the guilt of our sin upon Himself and suffered an anguishing death. He descended into the depths of Hell to remove the punishment that was due each one of us. Then He came back to life to offer us a life worth living. He not only died our death and suffered our hell, He also came back to life and gave us His Holy Spirit to prove we are His. The Holy Spirit is God’s promise that we are saved by His grace for Him alone. There is nothing we could do to earn God’s grace, and there is nothing we can do to undo what He’s done.
Forgiveness:
“Be not angry that you cannot make others as you want them to be, since you cannot make yourself as you wish to be.” —Thomas ŕ Kempis (1380-1471 AD)
Forgiveness is a rare commodity that each human being needs to live a life of peace. No one is able to live without contradictions. As noted above, sin is a characteristic of humanity. Therefore, forgiveness becomes the fertile soil that allows one’s soul to stretch out of the decay into a higher reality. Forgiveness is a two-way street. We each need to be forgiven the sins we commit and be forgiving towards others who have sinned against us. Through the sacrifice and resurrection of Jesus we are able to receive God’s forgiveness for our sins. Through our ability to chose not to retaliate against a wrong perpetrated against us, we are able to extend that same forgiveness. Forgiveness means release.
Faith:
“To one who has faith, no explanation is necessary. To one without faith, no explanation is possible.” —Thomas Aquinas (1225-1274 AD)
Everyone believes in something. You believe the ground you stand upon will hold your frame and not give way. Why do you believe that? How are you so sure that a hole might not crack open and swallow you up? Experience tells us that certain things can be trusted and believed; therefore, we function according to our belief. Having faith in God is putting your belief in His existence and care over your life. You have experienced God’s goodness by the light that warms the day, the food that is placed before you, the air that you breathe, the steady rhythm of your heart, etc. The blessings quickly begin to mount as you consider the evidence of God. When you place your faith in God as a Christian, you totally trust that He has your well-being in mind. The Christian faith sets you free to experience life’s richness no matter if circumstances are full of joy or diminished into struggles. In all seasons of life, God becomes the greatest strength you have. Faith in Jesus as your Lord and Savior offers an abiding strength in this life and the next.
Grace:
“The most powerful idea that's entered the world in the last few thousand years—the idea of grace—is the reason I would like to be a Christian. Though, as I said to [U2 guitarist] The Edge one day, I sometimes feel more like a fan, rather than actually in the band. I can't live up to it. But the reason I would like to is the idea of grace. It's really powerful.” —Bono, lead singer of rock band U2 (1960- )
There truly is something amazing about grace! Grace always surprises even the harshest critics. It takes into full account all that is wrong and unlovely about you, and then reaches out to restore you and show you a love like nothing this world can offer. Grace gives value to those who believe they aren’t worth anything. Grace sets your feet on higher paths without any effort of your own. Grace means this: God loves to forgive those He loves so much.
