Saturday, January 8, 2011

Some Christianity 101

Christianity 101

Do good people go to hell?

This is a question that gets asked a lot and some people struggle with this one. How can a loving God send people to Hell? People always hear about God’s love, kindness, patients, and forgiveness. The thing to remember here is that God is also righteous. God cannot simply let sin go because he is so loving. What justice would there be if there was no punishment for rape, murder, and so on. God makes it clear in his word that we are all sinners regardless if we murder, steal, or simply tell a lie. The penalty for that one sin is eternal death in a literal place called Hell. Here are a few verses that show that all man is guilty of sin:

Romans 3:9-11 For we have already charged that both Jews and Greeks are all under sin; as it is written, There is none righteous, not even one; There is none who understands, There is none who seeks for God.

The above verse is where the apostle Paul is speaking about there is no distinction in humanity. It doesn’t matter who you are, all are under sin and all are sinners.

Romans 6:23 For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

The above verse is simply stating, sin is sin and the end is death. The free gift of God is eternal life only in Jesus.

Why did Jesus have to die on the cross?

Once sin entered the world, humanity was in big trouble. The penalty of any single sin is eternal death in Hell. God is so holy that he cannot simply allow any sin to go unpunished. Yes, God knew that man would sin before he created them but he also knew that he would pay the penalty himself to save them. God loving made us and lovingly saved us if we chose to accept it. God became a man and lived on this earth. He fulfilled OT prophecy by living sinless and paying for the sins of the world. He willingly died on the cross and God the Father poured out his wrath on his son on the cross. 1 Corinthians 5:21 states, “He made him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, so that we might become the righteous of God in Him. When Jesus died on the cross he yelled out, “it is finished” (John 19:30) meaning the work of the cross.

What do I have to believe to be a Christian?

There is one simply prayer that a person has to pray to be a Christian. This unifies all Christians. This is the fundamental doctrine of the Christian faith: Romans 10:9 that if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be save. The breakdown of this verse is like this:

  1. I am a huge sinner and can do nothing to save myself from hell.
  2. I believe Jesus is God.
  3. I believe that Jesus died on the cross and took my punishment that I deserved.
  4. I believe that Jesus resurrected from the grave proving everything he said was valid.
  5. I confess the above verse and I am now a Christian saved from Hell and headed for Heaven. Some people have an emotional response when they become a Christian but one is not require. Being a Christian is not about emotion but about your faith in Jesus saving you from your sins.

How do I know that I am saved?

If confess Jesus as Lord, he died on the cross and rose from the grave, you will be saved (Romans 10:9). Being assured of your salvation means being sure you confessed Jesus. For me the biggest assurance of my salvation is that Jesus rose from the grave. He even claimed he was going to rise from the grave. The resurrection is so important that if it didn’t happen, Christianity wouldn’t have happened. Only God has the power to restore life after death. Paul states, “If Christ has not been raised, then our preaching is vain, your faith also is vain” (1 Corinthians 15:14).

I prayed the prayer of accept Jesus as my savior, now what?

Go to church, be built up in your faith and try to please the Lord.

Mike