Christianity and its beliefs
HISTORICAL BACKGROUND
Jesus was born around 5-4 B.C. of the Holy Spirit of the Living God and his virgin mother Mary into a humble poor Jewish family: “Now the birth of Jesus Christ was as follows: After his mother Mary was betrothed to Joseph, before they came together, she was found with child of the Holy Spirit. . . So all this was done that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the Lord through the Prophet, saying: Behold the virgin shall be with child, and bear a Son, and they shall call His name ‘Immanuel’, which is translated ‘God with us’ (Matthew 1: 18, 22-23). “And she brought forth her firstborn Son, and wrapped Him in swaddling cloths, and laid Him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn” (Luke 2:7; 1: 26-38). Jesus was born in a cave at Bethlehem, a small village in southern Palestine.He was raised in a pious Jewish family, and lived the religious life of a pious adult Jew. He was a native of Nazareth, a small town in northern Palestine. Before his active ministry, it is thought that he worked with his hands as a common laborer, probably in carpentry. He lived among the poor and identified with them. His disciples were simple folk. The twelve apostles constituted the inner group of his disciples. During Jesus active ministry of about three and half years, the twelve apostles accompanied him everywhere he went. They heard all his teachings. They had private discussions with him. They saw all his miracles. After he ascended into heaven, he sent them to preach the gospel to the world. All of them except two were martyred because of their Christian witness. Of these two, one died of old age in exile (the apostle John), and the other betrayed him (Judas Iscariot).
He started his active ministry when he was about thirty years of age (Luke 3:23a). Although Jesus’ ministry lasted only a short period of nearly three and a half years, it had a world-shattering effect. With the exception of a brief visit to the towns of Tyre and Sidon (Matthew 15:21), Jesus ministered in Palestine. His ministry encompassed two major aspects: preaching and teaching, and mighty miracles, some of which are unique in the history of humankind. His favorite method of teaching was by using parables. Jesus’ life and behavior were radically consistent with his teaching.
The prophet Isaiah prophesied about the mission of Jesus Christ more than seven centuries before his birth saying: “The Spirit of the LORD is upon Me, because He has anointed Me to preach the gospel to the poor; He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to set at liberty those who are oppressed; to proclaim the acceptable year of the LORD.” (Luke 4: 18-19; Isaiah 61: 1-2). The portrait of Jesus Christ is the portrait of pristine divine love; a love that has no end; a love that knows no bounds; a love that exceeds our human understanding and comprehension. He loves us more than a mother loves her nursing baby: “Can a woman forget her nursing child, and not have compassion on the son of her womb? Surely they may forget, yet I will not forget you” (Isaiah 49:15). The essence of Jesus Christ’s message to us is love: "God is love" (1 John. 4:8b; John 3:16). Our response to his unlimited sacrificial love for us is that we love him back: "We love him because He first loved us" (1 John. 4:19). True love strives to please the beloved: "If you love Me, keep my commandments" (John. 14:15). What are these commandments? His commandments are that we love both God and our neighbor: "You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like it: you shall love your neighbor as yourself. On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets" (Matthew 22:37-40).
He was reluctant to declare that he was the prophesied Messiah, because in his day the understanding of the Messiah’s mission was distorted and reduced to the role of an earthly king, which he refused to accept (John 6: 15). He became despised and rejected by many of his own people (the Jews), who were more interested in earthly power, and dead tradition. After the humiliation and agony of his cross, his historic earthly existence ended in the triumph of his resurrection and ascension to heaven in 30-33 A.D.
The period preceding Christ was characterized by political instability in Palestine involving endless bloody bitter wars, barbaric military campaigns, imperial changes, conspiracies, assassinations, and at times political chaos. The predominant world power at the time of Christ was the Roman Empire. From 6 AD to 41 AD six Roman procurators ruled Judea (southern Palestine) from Caesarea Maritima, the first of whom was P. Quirinius, who began his administration by ordering a census. This led to armed rebellion in Judea by people fearing higher taxes and labor. The best known of the procurators was Pontius Pilate, who succeeded Gratus in 26 AD. Like his predecessors, he gave little attention to the Jewish traditions, which led to discontent. The wide-spread Jewish discontent prompted the Jews to seek the Messiah. Amidst this desperation and the darkness of that long night that seemed to have no end, the light of Jesus shone bright.
JESUS CHARACTER
The wonderful portrait of Jesus is presented herein from the Holy Bible. All biblical quotations are from the NKJV (New King James Version translation of the Holy Bible).Love of Jesus
Jesus loved all kinds of people: including sinners, marginalized people, tax collectors, the sick, women and children. In fact, he used to eat with notorious public sinners in order to guide them to repentance. The love of Jesus is declared in many ways.Relieving the Weary:
“Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light” (Matthew 11: 28-30).
Feeding the Hungry
At least on two occasions, Jesus fed a multitude of hungry people
who were following him. On one occasion, he fed about five thousand
men besides women and children by blessing five loaves of bread and
two fish (Matthew 14:13-21; Luke 9:11-17). On the other occasion, he
fed about four thousand men besides women and children by blessing seven
loaves of bread and a few fish (Matthew 15: 32-39). On both occasions,
he did that upon his own initiative: “I have compassion
on the multitude, because they have now continued with Me three days
and have nothing to eat. And I do not want to send them away hungry,
lest they faint on the way” (Matthew 15:32). Healing the sick
Jesus healed many people afflicted with a variety of ailments. He healed the leper (Luke 5: 12-15; 17: 11-19), the paralytic (Luke 5: 16-26), the paralyzed (Matthew 8: 5-13), the blind (Matthew 9: 27-31), a bleeding woman (Luke 8: 43-48), and those with a variety of diseases: “Then great multitudes came to Him, having with them the lame, blind, mute, maimed, and many others; and they laid them down at Jesus’ feet, and He healed them. So the multitude marveled when they saw the mute speaking, the maimed made whole, the lame walking, and the blind seeing; and they glorified the God of Israel” (Matthew 15: 30-31).Freeing the demon-possessed from demonic power
Jesus set many people free from demonic powers that possessed and tormented them. Demons knew that he was the Christ (Luke 4: 41; 8: 26-39; Mark 9: 17-29; Matthew 8: 16, 28-34; 9: 32-33; 12: 22-23). “Now in the synagogue there was a man who had a spirit of an unclean demon. And he cried out with a loud voice, saying, ‘Let us alone! What have we to do with you, Jesus of Nazareth? Did you come to destroy us? I know who You are—the Holy One of God!’ But Jesus rebuked him saying, ‘Be quiet, and come out of him!’ And when the demon had thrown him in their midst, it came out of him and did not hurt him. Then they were all amazed and spoke among themselves, saying, ‘What a word this is! For with authority and power He commands the unclean spirits, and they come out” (Luke 4: 33-36).When they accused him of casting out demons by Beelzebub, the ruler of the demons, he declared that he cast out demons by the power of the living God: “But Jesus knew their thoughts, and said to them: “Every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation, and every city or house divided against itself will not stand. If Satan casts out Satan, he is divided against himself. How then will his kingdom stand? And if I cast out demons by Beelzebub, by whom do your sons cast them out? Therefore they shall be your judges. But if I cast out demons by the Spirit of God, surely the kingdom of God has come upon you. Or how can one enter a strong man’s house and plunder his goods, unless he first binds the strong man? And then he will plunder his house” (Matthew 12: 25-29; Luke 11: 17-23). In fact, Jesus terrified demons. They feared that he might send them to eternal torment before the time (Matthew 8: 29).
Jesus's Compassion
“And when Jesus went out He saw a great multitude; and He was moved with compassion for them, and healed their sick” (Matthew 14: 14).Lamenting over the impending destruction of Jerusalem
Jesus foreknew the then future destruction of Jerusalem by the Romans, which took place in 70 AD. He wept over it with compassion: “Now as He drew near, He saw the city and wept over it, saying, if you had known, even you, especially in this your day, the things that make for your peace! But now they are hidden from your eyes. For days will come upon you when your enemies will build an embankment around you, surround you and close you in on every side, and level you and your children within you, to the ground; and they will not leave in you one stone upon another, because you did not know the time of your visitation” (Luke 19: 41-44).Raising the widow’s son from the dead
Jesus had compassion for the weeping widow who lost her only son. Therefore, he raised her son from the dead upon his own initiative: “And when He came near the gate of the city, behold a dead man was being carried out, the only son of his mother; and she was a widow. And a large crowd from the city was with her. When the Lord saw her, He had compassion on her and said to her, ‘do not weep.’ Then He came and touched the open coffin, and those who carried him stood still. And He said, ‘Young man, I say to you, arise.’ So he who was dead sat up and began to speak. And He presented him to his mother” (Luke 7: 12-15).Raising Lazarus from the dead
Lazarus and his two sisters were dear friends of Jesus. When Lazarus died, Jesus went to console his sisters and raise him from the dead. When Jesus saw Lazarus’ sister and friends weeping, he wept for their anguish and pain: “Therefore, when Jesus saw her weeping, and the Jews who came with her weeping, He groaned in the spirit and was troubled. And He said, ‘Where have you laid him?’ They said to Him, ‘Lord, come and see.’ Jesus wept” (John 11: 33-35).
3. Jesus: the Good Shepherd
Jesus said: “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd
gives His life for the sheep. My sheep hear My voice, and I know them,
and they follow Me. And I give them eternal life, and they shall never
perish; neither shall anyone snatch them out of My hand” (John
10: 11, 27-28). Jesus searches for the lost sinner: “What
man of you, having a hundred sheep, if he looses one of them, does not
leave the ninety-nine in the wilderness, and go after the one which
is lost until he finds it. And when he has found it, he lays it on his
shoulders, rejoicing. And when he comes home, he calls together his
friends and neighbors, saying to them, ‘Rejoice with me, for I
have found my sheep which was lost!’ I say to you that likewise
there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over
ninety-nine just persons who need no repentance” (Luke 15: 4-7);
“For you were like sheep going astray, but have now returned to
the Shepherd and Overseer of our souls” (1 Peter 2: 25).We pray with the psalmist: “The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. He makes me to lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside the still waters. He restores my soul; He leads me in the paths of righteousness for His name’s sake. Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil; for You are with me; Your rod and your staff, they comfort me” (Psalms 23: 1-4).
The Holiness of Jesus
From the above discussion it is apparent that Jesus did all goodness
to all people. In addition, Jesus lived a pure holy life. He was blameless
without sin: “Which of you convicts Me of sin?”
(John 8: 46a); “Who committed no sin, nor was deceit found in
His mouth; who, when he was reviled, did not revile in return; when
He suffered, He did not threaten, but committed Himself to Him who judges
righteously” (1 Peter 2: 22-23); “And you know that He was
manifested to take away our sins, and in Him there is no sin”
(1 John 3: 5); “Knowing that you were not redeemed with corruptible
things, like silver or gold, but with the precious blood of Christ,
as of a lamb without blemish and without spot” (1 Peter
1: 18a, 19).
The Humility of Jesus
Jesus was a very humble person: “Take My yoke upon you
and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will
find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light”
(Matthew 11: 29-30). When Jesus entered Jerusalem He was riding
a young donkey, which symbolizes peace; he never used a horse that symbolizes
war and conquest: “Then Jesus, when He had found a young
donkey, sat on it; as it is written: ‘Fear not, daughter of Zion,
behold, your King is coming sitting on a donkey’s colt”
(John 12: 14-15). Jesus befriended the sinner and the outcast in order to bring them to repentance: “And when the Pharisees saw it, they said to His disciples, ‘Why does your Teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners? When Jesus heard that, He said to them, ‘Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick; For I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners, to repentance” (Matthew 9: 11-12, 13b).
Jesus washed the feet of his disciples in order to teach them a lesson in humility: “After that, He poured water into a basin and began to wash the disciples feet, and to wipe them with the towel with which He was girded. So when He had washed their feet, taken His garments and sat down again, He said to them, ‘Do you know what I have done to you? You call Me Teacher and Lord, and you say well, for so I am. If I then, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another’s feet. For I have given you an example, that you should do as I have done to you” (John 13: 5, 12-15).
Peaceful and Non-violent Nature of Jesus, the Prince of Peace
Jesus never carried a sword or any weapon whatsoever. Jesus never asked anyone to kill somebody for him. In fact, when Peter, one of his chosen apostles, pulled his sword to prevent them from arresting Jesus, Jesus asked him not to use his sword: “And suddenly, one of those who where with Jesus stretched out his hand and drew his sword, struck the servant of the high priest, and cut off his ear. But Jesus said to him, ‘Put your sword in its place, for all who take the sword will perish by the sword. Or do you think that I cannot now pray to My Father, and He will provide me with more than twelve legions of angels? How then could the Scriptures be fulfilled, that it must happen thus?” (Matthew 26: 51-54). Subsequently, Jesus healed the ear of the servant of the high priest who came to arrest him (Luke 22: 51).Jesus never organized an army, never invaded a country in the name of God, and never asked any of his disciples to do so for him. He did not come to establish an earthly kingdom or a state. In fact, he refused to become an earthly king: “Therefore, when Jesus perceived that they were about to come and take Him by force to make Him king, He departed again to the mountain by Himself alone” (John 6: 15).
There are many witnesses in the Holy Bible on the peaceful non-violent nature of Jesus. The following are a few of them: “He will not quarrel nor cry out, nor will anyone hear His voice in the streets” (Matthew 12: 19); “Because He had done no violence, nor was any deceit in his mouth” (Isaiah 53: 9b).
Authority of Jesus, the Christ
Many mighty miracles and works performed by Jesus are recorded in the books of the New Testament. These acts demonstrate his power and authority.
i. Authority to heal the sick
ii. Authority over demonic powers
iii. Authority to forgive sins
Jesus performed both physical healings and spiritual healings. The latter was effected mainly by forgiving the sins of the person: “When He saw their faith, He said to him, ‘Man, your sins are forgiven you.’ And the scribes and the Pharisees began to reason, saying, ‘Who is this who speaks blasphemies? Who can forgive sins but God alone?’ But when Jesus perceived their thoughts, He answered and said to them, ‘Why are you reasoning in your hearts?’ Which is easier, to say, ‘Your sins are forgiven you,’ or to say, ‘Rise up and walk?’ But that you may know that the Son of Man has power on earth to forgive sins’—He said to the man who was paralyzed, ‘I say to you, arise, take up your bed, and go to your house. Immediately he rose up before them, took up what he had been lying on, and departed to his own house, glorifying God” (Luke 5: 20-25; 7: 36-50). Jesus healed the paralytic man, but did that after He forgave his sins. He declared that He had the power to forgive sins. Jesus proved that he had the authority to forgive sins because, if he had committed blasphemy, He could not heal the paralytic man, which He did with ease. He did not speak on behalf of God. He spoke as God himself in self-revelation, saying: “I say to you …” (Matthew 5: 20, 22, 28, 32; etc.).iv. Authority over human life
We know of three miracles of raising the dead (Luke 8: 41-42, 49-56; 7: 12-15; John 11: 1-44). The most powerful of these miracles is raising Lazarus from the dead four days after his death after his corpse began to decompose in his grave (John 11: 1-44).v. Authority of creation
The miracles of multiplying the few loaves of bread and fishes to feed the hungry multitudes of people with plenty of left-over food which they collected in baskets are miracles of creation (Luke 9: 11-17; Matthew 15: 32-39).Jesus created two new eyes for a man born blind (John 9). This man was born without eyeballs. Jesus created in him a pair of new eyeballs from clay that He anointed the blind man’s eye sockets with. This miracle reminds us of God’s creation of Adam from clay (Genesis 2:7).
vi. Authority over nature
Jesus rebuked the stormy wind and the raging sea, and they obeyed him (Matthew 8: 23-27; Mark 4: 36-41; Luke 8:22-25). He was able to command the forces of nature and they obeyed Him! In addition, Jesus walked on the raging sea as if it were dry land (Mark 6: 45-52).COROLLARY
People saw the glory of God in the loving compassionate attitude of Jesus, his teachings, and his mighty miracles. “The people who sat in darkness have seen a great light. And upon those who sat in the region and shadow of death, light has dawned” (Matthew 4: 16). They loved Jesus in great numbers drawn to him for his charismatic powers, and for his compassion and love. He equally responded to them.In his first advent, Jesus Christ came to heal and regenerate spiritually those that would accept him, not to judge and condemn those who reject him, and not to build a world empire. He said: “And if anyone hears My words and does not believe, I do not judge him; for I did not come to judge the world but to save the world” (John 12: 47). He came to build, not to destroy. In his second advent, he will come back in glory and power to judge the living and the dead.
In his first advent, Jesus Christ has obtained the greatest victory in human history. He defeated both sin and spiritual death, the true enemies of humanity. His kingship is spiritual and universal but is not to be imposed on anyone. It is not associated with any earthly political power. In the Gospel, God offers eternal life with Christ to all who accept him as their Lord and savior. This offer remains in effect till the second advent of Christ. “Behold, He is coming with clouds, and every eye will see Him, even they who pierced Him. And all the tribes of the earth will mourn because of Him. Even so, Amen. ‘I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End,’ says the Lord, ‘who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty’” (Revelation 1: 7-8).
Jesus loves you. He searches for you saying: “Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and dine with him, and he with me” (Revelation 3: 20). Would you open the door of your heart for him? Please, contemplate it.
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Christian theology is expressed in ecumenical creeds. These professions of faith state that Jesus suffered, died, was buried, and was resurrected from the dead, in order to grant eternal life to those who believe in him and trust in him for the remission of their sins. The creeds further maintain that Jesus bodily ascended into heaven, where he reigns with God the Father, and that he will return to judge the living and dead and grant eternal life to his followers. His ministry, crucifixion and resurrection are often referred to as "the gospel", meaning "good news". The term gospel also refers to written accounts of Jes
Christianity began as a Second Temple Judaic sect in the mid-1st century. Originating in Judea, it quickly spread to Europe, Syria, Mesopotamia, Asia Minor and Egypt and by the end of the 4th century had become the official state church of the Roman Empire. Following the Age of Discovery, Christianity spread to the Americas, Australasia, sub-Saharan Africa, and the rest of the world through missionary work and colonization. Christianity has played a prominent role in the shaping of Western civilization.
Worldwide, the three largest branches of Christianity are the Catholic Church, the Eastern Orthodox Church and the various denominations of Protestantism. The Roman Catholic and Eastern Orthodox patriarchates split from one another in the schism of the 11th century; Protestantism came into existence in the Reformation of the 16th century, splitting from the Roman Catholic Church.
Christians believe in a loving God who has revealed himself and can be known in a personal way, in this life. With Jesus Christ, the person's focus is not on religious rituals or performing good works, but on enjoying a relationship with God and growing to know him better.
Faith in Jesus Christ himself, not just in his teachings, is how the Christian experiences joy and a meaningful life. In his life on Earth, Jesus did not identify himself as a prophet pointing to God or as a teacher of enlightenment. Rather, Jesus claimed to be God in human form. He performed miracles, forgave people of their sin and said that anyone who believed in him would have eternal life. He made statements like, "I am the light of the world; he who follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life."1
Christians regard the Bible as God's written message to humankind. In addition to being an historical record of Jesus' life and miracles, the Bible reveals God's personality, his love and truth, and how one can have a relationship with him.
Whatever circumstances a Christian is dealing with in their life, the Bible teaches that they can confidently turn to a wise and powerful God who genuinely loves them. They believe that God answers prayer and that life takes on meaning as they live to honor him.
How distinct are these major religions?
In looking at these major belief systems and their views of God, we find tremendous diversity:- Hindus acknowledge multitudes of gods and goddesses.
- Buddhists say there is no deity.
- New Age followers believe they are God.
- Muslims believe in a powerful but unknowable God.
- Judaism is a monotheistic religion that believes in God.
- Christians believe in a God who is loving and approachable.
Are all religions worshiping the same God?
Let's consider that. New Age teaches that everyone should come to
center on a cosmic consciousness, but it would require Islam to give up
their one God, Hinduism to give up their numerous gods, and Buddhism to
establish that there is a God.
The world's major religions (Hinduism, New Age, Buddhism, Islam, Judaism
following Jesus Christ) are each quite unique. And of these one affirms
that there is a personal, loving God who can be known, now in this life.
Jesus Christ spoke of a God who welcomes us into a relationship with
him and comes along side us as a comforter, counselor and powerful God
who loves us.In Hinduism a person is on their own trying to gain release from karma. In New Age a person is working at their own divinity. In Buddhism it is an individual quest at being free from desire. And in Islam, the individual follows religious laws for the sake of paradise after death. In Jesus' teaching, you see a personal relationship with a personal God -- a relationship that carries over into the next life.
Can a person connect with God in this life?
The answer is yes. Not only can you connect with God, you also can know that you are fully accepted and loved by God.
Many world religions place an individual on their own, striving for spiritual perfection.
Buddha, for example, never claimed sinlessness. Muhammad also
admitted that he was in need of forgiveness. "No matter how wise, no
matter how gifted, no matter how influential other prophets, gurus, and
teachers might be, they had the presence of mind to know that they were
imperfect just like the rest of us.Jesus Christ, however, never alluded to any personal sin. Instead, Jesus forgave people of their sin and he wants to forgive us of our sin also. We all are aware of our faults, the areas of our lives that may cause others to think less of us, areas that we ourselves wish were not there...maybe it's an addiction, a bad temper, ".
impurity, hateful remarks. God loves us but hates sin, and he has said that the consequence for sin is separation from knowing him. But God provided a way for us to be forgiven and know him. Jesus, the Son of God, God in human form, took all of our sin on himself, suffered on a cross, and willingly died in our place. The Bible says, "By this we know love, that he laid down his life for us
God is offering us complete forgiveness because of Jesus' death for us. This means forgiveness for all our sins...past, present and future. Jesus paid for them all. God, who created the universe, loves us and wants to be in a relationship with us. "This is how God showed his love among us: he sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him".
Through Christ, God offers us real freedom
from our sin and guilt. He does not leave a person's failures on their
shoulders, with a dim hope of becoming a better person tomorrow.
In Jesus Christ, God reached toward humanity, providing a way for us
to know him. "For God so loved the world that he sent his one and only
Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish, but have eternal
life".God wants us to know Him
We were created by God to live in relationship with him. Jesus said, "He who comes to me will never go hungry, and he who believes in me will never be thirsty...and whoever comes to me I will never drive away". Jesus called people not only to follow his teachings, but to follow him. He said, "I am the way, and the truth and the life". In claiming to be the truth, Christ goes beyond mere prophets and teachers who simply said they were speaking the truth.Jesus identified himself as Son of God, and even gave proof. Jesus said that he would be crucified on a cross and that three days after his death, he would come back to life. He didn't say he would reincarnate someday into a future life. (Who would know if he actually did it?) He said three days after being buried he would show himself alive to those who saw his crucifixion. On that third day, Jesus' tomb was found empty and many people testified that they saw him alive again. He now offers eternal life to us.
Unlike many world religions...
Many
religions focus on a person's spiritual efforts. With Jesus Christ it's
a two-way interaction between you and God. He welcomes us to go to him.
"The Lord is near to all who call upon him, to all who call upon him in
truth". You can communicate with God, who will answer your
prayer, give you greater peace and joy, provide direction, show you his
love, and transform your life. Jesus said, "I came that they might have
life, and have it more abundantly. It will not mean that
life will become perfect and free of problems. But it means that in the
midst of life, you can relate to God who is willing to be involved in
your life and faithful in his love.
This is not a commitment to a method of
self-improvement like the Eight Fold Path or the Five Pillars, or
meditation, or good works or even the Ten Commandments. These seem
clear, well-defined, easy-to-follow paths for spirituality. But they
become a burdensome striving for perfection, and connection with God is
still distant.
Our hope is not in following laws or standards, but in knowing a
Savior who fully accepts us because of our faith in him and his
sacrifice for us. We don't earn our place in heaven by religious efforts
or good deeds. Heaven is a free gift to us, when we begin a
relationship with Jesus Christ.Would you like to be totally forgiven and personally come to know God's love for you?
Beginning a relationship with God.
You can begin a relationship with God right now. It is as simple as sincerely asking God for his forgiveness of your sin and inviting him to enter your life. Jesus said, "Behold, I stand at the door [of your heart] and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come into him. Would like to begin a relationship with the God who created you, who deeply loves you? You can do so right now, if it is your heart's desire: "God, I ask you to forgive me and invite you to enter my heart right now. Thank you Jesus for dying for my sins. Thank you for coming into my life as you said you would."The Bible tells us that "as many as received him, to them he gave the right to become children of God. If you sincerely asked God to come into your life, you have begun a personal relationship with him. It is like you have just met God and he wants to help you grow to know him better, to know his love for you, to guide you with wisdom in whatever decisions confront you. The book called "John" in the Bible is a good place to learn more about a relationship with God. Perhaps you might want to tell someone else about the decision you have made to ask Jesus into your life.
In the world's religions a person has a relationship with teachings, ideas, paths, rituals. Through Jesus, a person can have a relationship with the loving and powerful God. You can talk with him and he will guide you in this life now. He doesn't just point you to a path, a philosophy, or a religion. He welcomes you to know him, to experience joy, and to have confidence in his love in the midst of life's challenges. "See what love the Father has given us, that we should be called children of God.
| ► | I just asked Jesus into my life (some helpful information follows)... |
| ► | I may want to ask Jesus into my life, please explain this more fully... |
(2) Erwin W. Lutzer, Christ Among Other Gods (Chicago: Moody Press,1994), p. 63
(3) 1 John 3:16
(4) 1 John 4:9
(5) John 3:16
(6) John 6:35
(7) John 14:6
(8) Lutzer, p. 106
(9) Psalms 145:18
(10) John 10:10
(11) Revelation 3:20
(12) John 1:12
(13) 1 John 3:1
