Christianity 101: Who, What, Why, How – What you need to know to get it right
Introduction: Christianity Is an Invitation
“I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.” – JOHN 14:6
Christianity is not primarily a religious system, a list of rules, or a program for becoming a nicer person. It is the true story of the living God who created us for relationship and purpose, pursued us when we rebelled, came to rescue us through Jesus Christ, and now calls each of us to return, trust Him, and follow Him.
Getting Christianity right begins with getting the foundation right. General belief that God exists is not the same as knowing Him. Admiring Jesus is not the same as trusting Him. Agreeing with Christian ideas is not the same as repenting, submitting to Jesus as Lord, and following Him. Biblical faith moves from awareness to understanding, from understanding to trust, and from trust to a surrendered and transformed life.
“But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.” — Hebrews 11:6
This article follows the Bible’s basic storyline and answers the key questions:
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- Who is God?
- What is He accomplishing?
- Who are we, and why are we here?
- What went wrong?
- What has God done to rescue us?
- Who is Jesus, and why should we trust Him?
- What did He accomplish?
- How should we respond?
- What happens if we refuse?
- What happens when we respond?
- And what does following Jesus actually look like?
The Purpose of this article is to build a solid foundation for understanding who God is, why Jesus should be trusted, and why each of us should respond to His call and diligently follow Him.
Every part of the Christian story depends on the character of the One who initiated it. So we must begin with the most important question: Who is God?