What is Christianity? Explained in 2 Minutes
What Makes Christianity Different from Other Religions?
Why is Christianity right?
How do you know that Christianity is the one true worldview?
Exclusivity is one of the most popular charges leveled against the Christian faith. Here, author and apologist Ravi Zacharias and RZIM speaker John Njoroge challenge the assumption that Christianity is alone in making exclusive claims. Click here for the entire presentation: http://ow.ly/a29bx
Christianity is the number one world religion by number of adherents. Members of the religion are called Christians. It is a monotheistic religion, meaning it has only one God.. It is the largest religion in the world and is based on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth.
Deity Or Deities: Holy Spirit; Jesus; God
Includes: Protestantism; Eastern Christianity
Founding Figures: Jesus
Texts: Bible; New Testament; Old Testament
What is Christianity
What is Christianity – A Common Definition
What is Christianity? One dictionary defines Christianity as “a
monotheistic system of beliefs and practices based on the Old Testament
and the teachings of Jesus as embodied in the New Testament and
emphasizing the role of Jesus as savior.” This is certainly a good
definition, but we need to go further.
Even though Christianity relates to the Old Testament as well as the New
Testament, the word Christian did not exist until after Christ’s time.
Christians got their name based on being followers of Christ.
What is Christianity – Doctrinal vs. Denominational
One of the important distinctions is between the doctrinal religion of
Christianity and the denominational religions of Christianity. Once the
canon was complete and the scriptures identified, the definition of
doctrinal Christianity was based upon the literal interpretation of
Scripture. One problem in the early church was that Scripture could not
be easily duplicated so Christians did not really have direct access to
the Scriptures. This gave the denominational Catholic Church the job of
interpreting the Scriptures for the common folk. Although today everyone
has access to the Scriptures, the fact is that individual denominations
still interpret the scriptures for their parishioners.
What is Christianity – Bible-Believing or Pick-and-Choosing?
During the very early apostolic period, the apostles had to continually
clarify the Christian doctrine that seemed to get corrupted often.
Today, even with our well-documented Scriptures that are accessible to
all, the belief in true Christianity (the literal interpretation of the
Bible) has been corrupted to an even greater extent. The current percent
of Christians who believe in the literal interpretation of Scripture,
and do not pick and choose Scriptures to their liking, is about nine
percent (Barna).
Most of Christianity today has embraced many humanistic and
anti-theistic beliefs. The Christian denominations have accepted many
cultural ideas and blended them into their doctrine. Generally, many
concepts of sin, judgment, and the wrath of God have been put aside in
favor of a religion of love, unity, and tolerance. One example is the New Tolerance philosophy.
In many churches today, Christianity is a doctrinal buffet, including selections from both the biblical and secular menus.
Christianity: Simple Truth
Christianity rises to
the top when you earnestly investigate the other theories,
philosophies, movements and religions of the world. Yes, as hard as it
is to hear in our pluralistic world community, Christianity is different
than all the others. That may sound terribly dogmatic and
narrow-minded, but the simple truth is that Christianity is the only true religion.
Christianity: Why Believe It’s the Only Way
Christianity is not based upon evidence…but it is backed by evidence.
Obviously anyone could “claim” to be God. The difference with Jesus is
that His life completely backed those claims. Check out the history,
check out the claims – it’s an absolutely phenomenal study.
A primary focus for your study is that Jesus fulfilled over 300 messianic prophecies written in the Old Testament scriptures. With the discovery of the Dead Sea Scrolls and the reliability of the Septuagint
version of the Old Testament, both of which have been proven to exist
prior to the time Jesus walked on the earth, you can be assured that
these prophecies were not “conspired” after-the-fact. They were truly
fulfilled by the Messiah, Jesus Christ. Examine the probability of one
man fulfilling just a handful of the most specific prophecies, and
you’ll be amazed. “And He [Jesus] said unto them, These are the words
which I spake unto you, while I was yet with you, that all things must
be fulfilled, which were written in the law of Moses, and in the
prophets, and in the psalms, concerning Me.” Luke 24:44
Another focus for your study is to understand what Jesus said and did as
a historical figure. No legitimate scholars today will deny that Jesus
lived about 2,000 years ago, was a great teacher and doer of good works,
and that he was crucified on a Roman cross for the crime of blasphemy
among the Jews. The only dispute is whether Jesus rose from the dead
three days after his crucifixion and that He was, in fact, God incarnate. This is where everyone must test the evidence for the resurrection, examine their hearts, and make a decision about who Jesus really was.
Jesus said that He alone was the way to the Father (John 14:6), that He
alone revealed the Father (Matt. 11:27; Luke 10:22). Christians do not
go around saying Christianity is the only way because they are arrogant,
stupid or judgmental. They do so because, based on the evidence, they
believe what Jesus said. Christians believe in Jesus, who claimed to be
God (John 8:58; Exodus 3:14), who forgave sins (Mark 2:5; Luke 5:20;
7:48), and who rose from the dead (Luke 24:24-29; John 2:19f). Jesus said that He
was the only way. Jesus is unique. He was either telling the truth, He
was crazy, or He was a liar. But since everyone agrees that Jesus was a
“good man,” how then could He be both good and crazy, or good and a
liar? He must have been telling the truth. He is the only way.
Buddha didn’t rise from the dead, nor did Confucius or Zoroaster.
Muhammad didn’t fulfill detailed prophecy. Alexander the Great didn’t
raise the dead or heal the sick. And though there is far less reliable
information written about these “religious” leaders, they are believed
in and followed by millions.
Christianity: Not Religion – A Relationship
Christianity is not really a religion; it is a relationship with God. It
is trusting in Jesus and what He did on the cross for you (1
Corinthians 15:1-4), not on what you can do for yourself (Ephesians
2:8-9). Christianity is not about ornate buildings, flamboyant
preachers, or traditional rituals. Christianity is about truly accepting
Jesus as your Lord and Savior.
Become A Christian
Become a Christian Today!
How do I become a Christian? Once you have asked all your questions,
weighed all the evidence, and tested all the arguments, you will
ultimately be confronted with the basic question Jesus asked his own
disciples in Matthew 16:15
‘But who do you say that I am?’
Simon Peter replied:
‘You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.’
What is your reply?
If you have come to the same conclusion as Simon Peter, you are a few
steps away from having a personal relationship with our loving God. It
is our sincere hope and prayer that each of you reach this conclusion,
for we know that true happiness, joy and peace only come when we
recognize our purpose for existing and yield our wills to our Creator.
As you will see, Christianity is not based on a religious building,
formula or ritual, it’s a matter of what you truly believe in your
heart.
Become a Christian: Step through the Gospel
First, you can be sure that God loves you unconditionally and desires to have a personal relationship with you.
“For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son,
that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting
life” (John 3:16).
Second, you need to admit your sinful nature to God, because this is what separates all of us from Him.
“For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23).
Third, you should stop trying to please God through your own efforts,
and realize that salvation through the blood of Jesus Christ is a gift
that none of us deserves.
“But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us” (Romans 5:8).
Finally, you just need to step in and truly accept God’s gift — His Son, Jesus Christ.
“But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name” (John 1:12).
So, now you know the basic steps to become a Christian. As a result, if
you desire God’s gift of eternal life and fellowship with Him, you are
as close as a sincere act of faith.
Jesus says,
“I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me” (John 14:6).
Jesus also says,
“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).
Receiving Jesus is a matter of truly asking Him to come into your life,
to forgive your sins, and to become your Lord and Savior. It’s not
merely an intellectual undertaking, but rather, an act of sincere faith
and heart-felt will.
If you want to receive Jesus now, and accept His gift of salvation, it’s
a matter of believing in Jesus Christ, repenting of your sins, and
turning the rest of your life over to Him. This is not a ritual based on
specific words, but rather, a prayerful guideline for your sincere step
of faith.
“Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost” (Acts 2:38).
If you decided to become a Christian today, welcome to God’s family. Now, as a way to grow closer to Him, the Bible tells us to follow up on our commitment.
- Get baptized as commanded by Christ.
- Tell someone else about your new faith in Christ.
- Spend time with God each day. It does not have to be a long period of time. Just develop the daily habit of praying to Him and reading His Word. Ask God to increase your faith and your understanding of the Bible.
- Seek fellowship with other Christians. Develop a group of Christian friends to answer your questions and support you.
- Find a local church where you can worship God.
Did you become a follower of Jesus today? Please Click YES! or NO
Are you already a follower of Jesus? Please Click Here
WHAT DO YOU THINK?
– We have all sinned and deserve God’s judgment. God, the Father, sent His only Son to satisfy that judgment for those who believe in Him. Jesus, the creator and eternal Son of God, who lived a sinless life, loves us so much that He died for our sins, taking the punishment that we deserve, was buried, and rose from the dead according to the Bible. If you truly believe and trust this in your heart, receiving Jesus alone as your Savior, declaring, “Jesus is Lord,” you will be saved from judgment and spend eternity with God in heaven.
What is your response?
Yes, today I am deciding to follow Jesus
Yes, I am already a follower of Jesus
I still have questions
What is Christianity?
VIDEO: What is the Bible About?
Originally posted on March 1, 2018 @ 9:54 pm
