"What Is Christianity?"

Before we deal with the "deeper" questions of the faith, we need to start at the top!  As a participant in New Beginnings, you want to live your life as a Christian (or you are at least considering it).  So "what is Christianity?"  One short answer is this:  "Christianity is the life and salvation God has given in and through Jesus Christ."  Another way to say the same thing is this:  "Christianity is a life shaped entirely (that is, in every way) by the truth that Jesus Christ is the Savior and Lord of all the living."

There are a couple things you need to notice in this definition right off the top:

1.  First of all, if Jesus Christ is the Savior and Lord of ALL the living, that doesn't leave room for anyone else. Jesus Himself said, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me." (John 14:6) He also said the same in John 17:3: "This is eternal life: that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom You have sent." And Jesus' first followers said the same about Him: "Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved." (Acts 4:12)

2.  Second:  As Savior, Jesus saves us FROM something.  And that something is sin and death.  You see:  God made us to live forever in a particular way and in communion with Him.  But when we decided we didn't want to live that way (that is sin), we broke that communion and separated ourselves from the Author of life (hence, we die).  But you and I can't "unring that bell" - we can't make things right - it's up to God Himself to restore our relationship, to save us from our sin and death.  That's what Jesus does.  He is our Savior.

3.  As our Lord, Jesus leads us in the life God planned (and still plans) for us, because that life obviously looks a little different now that the whole world has fallen into sin.  Now following God's will and plan has different consequences.  For example:  Jesus followed the will and plan of His heavenly Father, and He was crucified (i.e., killed) for it!  (We'll come back to that when we cover the Apostles' Creed.)

Now I realize that not every reader buys into all of that already!  You should still be on this blog with us!  But you need to understand that these are the backbone of everything I write on this blog.