What Is Christianity?

Storm

Picture: Storm cloud forming above the central highlands, Tasmania.
(photo ｩ 2004 by Fabienne G. Durdin)

WHAT IS CHRISTIANITY?

God is almighty, eternal, and self-existent. He is Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, three persons but one God, who created out of nothing all there is in the universe (Genesis 1, Psalm 8:1-3; 147:4,5), and who is sovereign over all of it. He is not an impersonal "force" or "fate".
God has revealed Himself to us by His creation (Romans 1:19-20; Acts 14:17), by His Word (Psalm 119:18; John 17:14,17) and by His son Jesus Christ (John 1:1; Hebrews 1:2-3).
The canonical Scriptures (that is, the Bible containing the sixty-six books of the Old and New Testaments) are inspired by God Himself and therefore are true and without error (Psalm 119:37-138; 119:160). They are also relevant for all times (Psalm 119:89-91; Matthew 24:35). There is no situation for which God's Word has no answer (2 Timothy 3:16-17). Because the Scriptures are God's Word they are unlike any other literature in that they are active and life-changing (Jeremiah 23:29; Hebrews 4:12). This is true no matter how people might try to distort them - they are still His Word and He is in control of them. One cannot abuse God's Word with impunity.
God created human beings who had a perfect relationship with Him (Genesis 2), but the first man and woman broke that relationship by disobeying God (Genesis 3, Romans 5:12f), thus bringing about the Fall of mankind into sin. All human beings are born with a sinful nature which gives us a tendency to choose evil rather than good and which separates us from God. There is nothing we ourselves can do to change ourselves or to restore that relationship with God (Isaiah 64:6; Romans 3:23).
The Fall of mankind also resulted in God's perfect creation, over which mankind had been given dominion, coming under the curse of sin (Romans 8:20). Thus the world we live in is full of things that go wrong. At the end of time God will do away with the old creation and create a new one (Revelation 21:1)
God loves us so much that He has provided a way to restore our relationship with Him (Matthew 1:21; John 3:16; Romans 3:20-26).
Jesus Christ who is God Himself became a man (that is, a male human being), born of a woman named Mary who was a virgin and who conceived by the Holy Spirit (Matthew 1:18; Luke 1:30-37; John 1:14). He lived for some thirty years among the people of what was then the Roman province of Judea (in the days of Caesar Augustus and Caesar Tiberius), was killed by being nailed to a cross by order of the Roman governor Pontius Pilate, and three days after his death He rose bodily from death.
Jesus Christ, in His death, took upon Himself the entire penalty for the sins of mankind and because of His death and resurrection, and through His blood poured out for us, delivers from slavery to sin and death all who believe and put their trust in Him. To those who come to Him He gives eternal life and the power to live righteously (Romans 10:11-13; John 1:12-13; 15:5). Salvation through Jesus Christ is a gift from God -- we can do nothing to earn it (Isaiah 64:6; Ephesians 2:1-10; Titus 3:3-7).
When we are saved we are given a new nature ("born again") (John 3:5-7; 13-18; 2 Corinthians 5:17) and we are baptised in the Holy Spirit who henceforth dwells in us. Baptism in water is the external sign of this change in our nature: the dying to sin (being crucified with Christ - Romans 6:6; Galatians 2:20) and being born again to eternal life in Christ (Colossians 2:12).
Being filled with the Holy Spirit results in sanctification, an increasing transformation of the believer's life and character into Christlikeness. The evidence of being filled with the Holy Spirit is the fruits of the Spirit, especially unconditional love for others (Romans 12; Galatians 5:22-23; 1 Corinthians 13:4-8). I believe the Holy Spirit gives His gifts to the church today, but only according to His own purposes and to the glory of Jesus Christ, and always without confusion or disorder (1 Corinthians 14; Hebrews 2:4).
Jesus Christ will return physically to earth at the end of time. When this will happen no one knows except God the Father (Matthew 24:36; 25:13; Luke 12:40), but Jesus did give indications of events pointing to the nearness of His return (Matthew 24:1-30). That most of these things are happening in our day suggests His return is not far off. However, He did also say that the Gospel would be preached to all nations before the end would come.
The Church, the Body of Christ (1 Corinthians 12:12f), is made up of all those people around the world who have been saved from slavery to sin and death by faith in the atoning death of Jesus Christ who is fully God and fully human, and who believe that He rose physically from death.

These are the basics of what I believe. I realise there are many details that I have not gone into, but if I were to do that I would have to produce a book, or more likely, a whole library! However, if you would like to know more, you can send me an email on sonataatdurdinfullstopnet, or check out some of the links on my Links page. Even better - read the Bible for yourself.