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What is
Christianity?
Christianity is a religion based upon the teachings and miracles of
Jesus. Jesus is the Christ. The word "Christ" means anointed
one. Christ is not Jesus' last name. Jesus is the
anointed one from God the Father who came to this world, fulfilled
the Old Testament laws and prophecies, died on the cross, and rose
from the dead physically. He performed many miracles, which were
recorded in the Gospels by the eyewitnesses. He is divine in
nature as well as human. Thus, He has two natures and is
worthy of worship and prayer.
Christianity teaches that there is only one God in all existence,
that God made the universe, the Earth, and created Adam and Eve. God
created man in His image. This does not mean that God has a body of
flesh and bones. Image means the likeness of God's character,
rationality, etc. Because we are made in the image of God,
every person is worthy of respect and honor. Furthermore, this
means that we did not evolve through random processes from a single
celled organism into rational, emotion
beings.
God created Adam and Eve and put
them in the Garden of Eden and gave them the freedom to choose
between right and wrong. They chose to sin. Sin is doing that which
is contrary to the nature and will of God. For example, God
cannot lie; therefore, lying is sin. The sin of disobeying God
that Adam and Eve committed resulted in them being expelled from the
Garden of Eden as well as suffering the effect of
death.
As a result of their sin, their
children and all of us inherited a sinful nature. In other
words, our offspring are not perfect in nature -- we don't have to
teach children to be selfish. They know it naturally.
That which is sinful cannot produce that which is not
sinful.
Christianity teaches that God is a
Trinity (Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, not three Gods),
that Jesus Christ is second person of the Trinity, that Jesus died
on the cross and rose from the dead physically, that all people are
under the righteous judgment of God because all people have sinned
against God. It teaches that Jesus is the only way be saved
from the coming judgment of God and that salvation is received by
faith in the work of Christ on the cross and not by anything that we
can do to please God.
Where all other
religions in the world teach that we must do some sort of good in
cooperation with God in order to achieve the right to be in God's
presence, Christianity is the only religion that teaches salvation
by grace. This means that we are not made right before God by
our efforts, sincerity, or works. Instead, we are made right
before God by faith in what Christ did on the cross.
Christianity further teaches that once
a person is "born again" (becomes saved) that the Holy Spirit lives
in that person and the person is changed: "Therefore if any
man is in Christ, he is a new creature; the old things passed away;
behold, new things have come," (2 Cor. 5:17). This means
that God actually lives in the person and the Christian then
experiences a true and living relationship with
God.
Therefore, "What is Christianity?"
is best answered by saying that it is a relationship with the true
and living God through the person of Jesus Christ by whom we are
forgiven of our sins and escape the righteous judgment of
God.
Salvation
Why do
I need to be saved?
God leaves no doubt
about our condition. While we set our standards of right and wrong
by society's values, God’s standard is His own holiness. How do we
measure up? "All have sinned and come short of the glory of God"
(Romans 3:23). It is only fair that God demands holiness; that is
how He first created mankind. We have rebelled against Him as a race
and as individuals.
Our pathway away from
God has brought its consequences. "The wages of sin is death"
(Romans 6:23a). The Bible compares sin to a cruel slave master.
There is no mercy in suffering, no freedom from bondage, no lasting
joy, no hope for the future. Most frightening is the final
consequence of sin. The Bible warns that without God’s salvation,
death is the doorway to eternal punishment (Hebrews 9:27).
It is from this that we
need to be saved. From our own sin. From its bondage. From its
consequences. "How shall we escape if we neglect so great
salvation?" (Hebrews 2:3).
What is
salvation?
Salvation is being saved from the righteous judgment of God upon the
sinner.
A lot of people think that salvation means being saved from yourself
or the devil. But that is not accurate. All who have
sinned against God are under the judgment of God.
This judgment is known as damnation where God condemns to eternal
hell all those who have offended Him by breaking His Law.
This does not mean that God is
unfair. It shows that God is holy. God must punish the
sinner. But, He has provided a way of escape so that people
will not face His righteous judgment. This means that God is
both holy and loving. He must manifest each quality
equally. So, being saved from the wrath of God is called
salvation.
Salvation is found in
Jesus, and only in Jesus, who is God in flesh (John 1:1,14), and who died for our sins and rose
from the dead. 1 Cor. 15:1-4 says...
"Now I make known to
you, brethren, the gospel which I preached to you, which also you
received, in which also you stand, 2 by which also you
are saved, if you hold fast the word which I preached to you, unless
you believed in vain. 3 For I delivered to you as of
first importance what I also received, that Christ died for our sins
according to the Scriptures, 4 and that He was buried,
and that He was raised on the third day according to the
Scriptures,"
This is how salvation works: All of us have sinned against God
and deserve judgment. But Jesus never sinned (1 Pet. 2:22). He lived the Law of God
perfectly. In this He has a perfectly righteous standing
before God. When the corrupt Jewish leaders forced Rome's hand
into crucifying Jesus, God used this crucifixion as the means to
place the sins of the world upon Jesus (1 Pet. 2:24; 1 John 2:2). This is when Jesus
became sin on our behalf. 2 Cor. 5:21 says,
"He made Him who knew
no sin to be sin on our behalf, that we might become the
righteousness of God in Him."
The crucifixion became the place where Jesus bore our sins in His
body and suffered in our place. "But He was pierced through for our
transgressions, He was crushed for our iniquities; the chastening
for our well-being fell upon Him, and by His scourging we are
healed," (Isaiah 53:5). Remember, it no sinner
could please God perfectly and no sinner could offer a perfect
sacrifice to God. Only God in flesh, Jesus, could do
that.
So, since there is nothing
we can do that is righteous before God (Isaiah 64:6 says our righteous deeds are
filthy rags), then we cannot please an infinitely holy and righteous
God by anything we do. But, Jesus who is perfectly righteous
before God the Father, died in our place. What we could not
do, He did.
If you want to escape the
righteous judgment of God, then you need to trust in the sacrifice
of God. You need to be made right before God, by God. This
righteousness of Christ is given to you if you accept it, if you
trust and belief in what Jesus did. This is why the Bible says
that we are saved by grace through faith. "For by grace you
have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the
gift of God," (Eph. 2:8).
When
you trust in what Christ has done on the cross, and in no works of
your own (since they aren't good enough anyway), then the
righteousness of Christ is given to you -- even as your sins were
"given" to Jesus. It’s like a trade. He gets your
sin. You get His righteousness.
Once you have trusted in
what Christ has done, then you possess eternal life and you will
never face the judgment of God.
“My
sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me; 28
and I give eternal life to them, and they shall never perish;
and no one shall snatch them out of My hand,"
(John 10:27-28
How
does God say I can be saved?
God is holy and God is
love. His holiness demands that our sin be punished in full. His
love provides a way for us to be saved from this punishment. How is
this possible? Someone was willing to suffer what we deserve. Our
substitute had to be a sinless man, able to suffer the full wrath of
God against our sin. The only one able to take our place was God’s
Son.
The greatest display of
God’s love unfolded as His Son left heaven to become a man. Born of
a virgin 2000 years ago, the Lord Jesus Christ lived with His
creation. He was unable to sin, yet He showed compassion to sinners
all around Him. Men hated Christ because His holiness exposed their
sinfulness. They decided to remove Him by crucifying Him. He
willingly allowed them to nail Him to a cross of wood outside
Jerusalem. They suspended Him so they could sit and watch Him die.
The climax of God’s plan of salvation had arrived as God covered the
earth with darkness. The Bible tells us that for three hours He laid
on His Son the full punishment we deserve to receive for our sin.
The darkness was broken when Jesus Christ called out with a loud
voice, "It is finished". He had accomplished the mighty work, God’s
great plan of salvation.
After three days in
death, Christ Jesus rose from the dead. This is evidence to all who
saw Him and to all who read God’s word that Christ’s suffering
completely satisfied His father. He was victorious over death itself
– the ultimate consequence of our sin.
God’s plan of salvation
brings us into the good of Christ’s suffering, death, and victory.
"For when we were yet without strength, in due time, Christ died for
the ungodly" (Romans 5:6). "For God so loved the
world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth
in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life" (John
3:16).
How do I
become a Christian?
How do you become a
Christian? First of all, you don't become a Christian by
joining a church, adopting a creed, or by believing in God.
There are lots of false churches, false creeds, and even the devil
believes in God. Becoming a Christian means you need to
understand what the real issues are. Let's take a
look.
Jesus
Hopefully, you've already read the page on Jesus. But by way
of review, Jesus is the most important figure in all of human
history. He is God in flesh (John 1:1,14; Col. 2:9), physically risen from the dead,
Lord (Luke 24:34; John 2:19-21) and Savior (Acts 5:30-32). He came to die for
sinners (Rom. 5:8) to deliver people from the
righteous wrath of God upon us.
Are you a
sinner?
I ask you, are you a sinner? Have you ever lied, stolen,
lusted, coveted, or been angry with someone unjustly? If so,
then you have broken the Law of God. God has said "You
shall not steal; You shall not lie; You shall have no other gods
before Me; You shall not murder, etc.," (Exodus 20). He has given the standard
of righteousness and if you have broken any of God's commandments
then you have fallen short of that standard and are under the
inevitable judgment of God. When you die you will face Him and
on the Day of Judgment He will punish all
sinners.
If you do not like this
teaching, then throw away your Bible and turn from Christ, for this
is the message of God's word -- that Jesus came to die for sinners
and to save them from the wrath to come. God is holy and
righteous and He must deal with those who sin against
Him.
Jesus is the One you need. He
alone. Not your works (Rom. 3:10-12; Isaiah 64:6). Not your
sincerity. Not your goodness. You have nothing to offer
God except your sinfulness. It is only by the love and grace
of God found in Jesus and His sacrifice that you can be delivered
from the righteous wrath of God upon all who have broken His
law. Jesus saves you from God.
God's wrath on the Day
of Judgment is upon sinners
On the Day of Judgment God will judge all people for their sins
against Him. He will judge all who have lied, stolen, cheated,
lusted, dishonored their parents, etc. He will do this because
He is holy and righteous. God must punish the sinner.
God cannot and will not ignore the person who has broken His
righteous law. The Law is a reflection of the character of
God. Therefore, to break God's law is to offend God and deny
the holiness of His character. He will be vindicated. He
will judge.
The Bible says that all have
sinned and fallen short of the glory of God (Rom. 3:23). That means that your sins
have caused a separation between you and God (Isaiah 59:2) and the result is death (Rom. 6:23) and wrath (Eph. 2:3). The only way to be saved
from the wrath of God, is to be saved from it by faith in Christ (Eph. 2:8-9; Rom. 5:1). You must trust in what
Jesus did on the cross to forgive you of your sins and not trust
anything else, not even your own sincerity or works. It is
Jesus and only Jesus who can turn away the righteous judgment of God
upon the sinner.
The
Gospel
The gospel is that Jesus died for sinners on the cross, was buried,
and rose from the dead (1 Cor. 15:1-4). His death was a
sacrifice that turns away the wrath of God (1 John 2:2). This is the only way to
be saved.
Jesus is the one who died for
the sins of the world (1 John 2:2). He is the only way to
the God the Father (John 14;6). He alone reveals
God (Matt. 11:27). He has all
authority in heaven and earth (Matt. 28:18). It is only through Him
that you can be saved from God's wrath (Eph. 2:3). He can forgive you of your
sin (Luke 5:20; Matt. 9:2). He can remove the guilt
that is upon your soul. Jesus can set you free from the
bondage of sin that blinds your eyes, weakens your soul, and brings
you to despair. He can do this because He bore sin in His body
on the cross (1 Peter. 2:24) that those who trust in Him
would be saved.
If you are not a
Christian, and want to be delivered from the righteous judgment of
God upon you due to your sin against Him, then come to the One who
died for the sins of the world. Come to the One who died for
sinners (Matt. 11:28). Turn from your
sins. Believe and trust in Jesus. Receive Jesus, who is
God in flesh, who died and rose from the dead (1 Cor. 15:1-4) as your Lord and Savior.
Ask Jesus to forgive you of your sins. Receive Christ
(John 1:12). Only He can wash you
clean from your sins and only Jesus can deliver you from the
righteous judgment of a holy and infinite God. Pray to
Jesus. Seek Him. Ask Him to save
you.
He will.
Here is a sample prayer you can offer
to Jesus. It does not have to be exact, but you will get the
idea.
Lord Jesus, I know that I have sinned against you. I know that
I am not perfect and that I cannot please you through my own
efforts. I know that I deserve to be judged according to my
sins. And, I know that I have nothing to offer you.
Lord Jesus, I ask you to forgive me of my
sins. Please cleanse me and make me right before you. I
trust in what you have done on the cross. I do not rely on
myself but only on you and I receive you as Lord of my life and as
savior of my soul. Lord Jesus, save me. I look to you
alone.
I
would like to note, that the Jesus of Mormonism (the brother of the
devil), the Jesus of the Jehovah's Witnesses (an angel made into a
man), the Jesus of the New Age (a man in tune with the divine
consciousness), etc., cannot save you from your sins. Faith is
only as good as who you put it in. Only the Jesus of the Bible
can do that. Jesus is God in flesh, the creator. God is
a trinity and Jesus is the second person of
the trinity.
If you have prayed and asked Jesus to deliver you from your sins and
save you from God's wrath, then please email
us at CARM and let us know.
Words above are
copied and protected from Christian Apologetics & Research
Ministry, www.carm.org, Matt Slick
Links:
www.saved.com
http://www.carm.org/index.html | 
