Curious about Christianity?
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Christianity is about knowing and following Jesus Christ. This begins with understanding and responding to the Gospel, or good news. Here is a brief 4-part summary of the Gospel.
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God, who revealed Himself through the Bible, is the all-powerful creator of everything, including us. Our lives did not begin by chance, luck, or fate. Rather, a good God intentionally created us in His image to know Him and live for His glory. God’s moral perfection or holiness demands that we are perfect to fully know Him.
Revelation 4:11
“Worthy are you, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honor and power, for you created all things, and by your will they existed and were created.”
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All people disobey God or fail to glorify Him through their words, actions or thoughts. The Bible calls this sin. Our sin makes us guilty before God and separates us from Him. Certainly, we can do good or be moral. But all of our good is insufficient to overcome our guilt which separates us from a holy God. Since God is fair, just, and perfect He must punish our sins, no matter how big or small, through eternal death which will forever separate us from God. However there is hope in Jesus.
Isaiah 59:2
“…your iniquities have made a separation between you and your God, and your sins have hidden His face from you so that He does not hear.”
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God is also loving and merciful. That is why He sent His Son, Jesus Christ, to die in our place. When Jesus died on the cross, He received the punishment which we deserved for our sins. Jesus was fully God in human form; therefore He was able to satisfy God’s demand for perfect justice since he lived a sinless life. Jesus Christ proved that His death was sufficient for us when He rose bodily from the dead.
1 Peter 3:18
“For Christ also suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, that He might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh but made alive in the spirit.”
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Just knowing these facts is not enough to be saved from eternal death. We must personally respond by repenting and believing. Repenting is turning away from trusting in ourselves to overcome our sins. Believing is placing our complete trust in Jesus as our substitute for our sins. God changes those who repent and believe in Jesus. This is called salvation. After God saves a person from their sins, they can grow to personally know Him, live for His glory and one day be with Him forever in heaven.
John 3:16
“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life. “
Want to explore more?
Christianity Explained is a 6-week course exploring who Jesus is and what it means to follow Him. Everyone is welcome, whether you are curious about Christianity, skeptical, or simply want to learn more. Over the 6 weeks, you will read an account of Jesus’ life in the Gospel of Mark and discuss it with others in a relaxed, welcoming environment. Topics include:
Session 1: Jesus [Son of God]
Session 2: Jesus [His death on a cross]
Session 3: Jesus [His resurrection]
Session 4: God’s Gift [Not our works]
Session 5: Repenting [What is a Christian?]
Session 6: Believing [What is a Christian?]