Basics of Christianity
Contrary to what you may have come to believe, Christianity is not the solution
for life's problems. It is not the miraculous healing from sickness, it is not performing
miracles to get through life's difficulties, it is not about experiencing strange
feelings and behaviors, and it is not even telling others about God. It is rather,
the solution for life itself. The problem with life is the broken relationship with
God. Christianity is the restoration of this relationship with God through Jesus
Christ.
Man's relationship with God is broken as a result of sin. Anything that separates
us from the presence of God is sin or in lay terms disobedience to God's commandments
is sin. Jesus Christ, the son of God, died on the cross to restore this relationship
between God and man.
To explain in detail, God created man in his own image. Man was the crown of creation.
He enjoyed a direct relationship with God, his maker, but not for long. As a result
of his disobedience of God's command, man was driven out from the presence of Holy
God. Eventually, the wickedness of man increased and every imagination of the thoughts
of his heart became evil. It grieved God that he had created man.
But God did not destroy man completely from the face of the Earth. He wanted to
restore the relationship with man, whom he had created in his own image. To bridge
this gap, God sent his only son, Jesus Christ, as a sacrifice for the sins of the
world. Jesus Christ became the only way to God.
Here's how it works. When we realize that we have sinned and confess our sins and
believe that Jesus Christ died for our sins, God forgives our sins and remembers
them no more. This is salvation, the free gift of grace to everyone who believes
through faith. When we are saved, we give up our sinful nature and accept the new
life that Jesus Christ gives. This is the born-again experience. In lay terms, it
is living like how Jesus Christ would live and not like our self.
When we are born again, we will start living like Christ because technically, Christ
lives through us. Many �Christians� struggle with simple biblical concepts because
of lack of the born again experience. Only through this experience can believers
start giving fruit.