What is Christianity

What is Christianity?

Coming to Christ is not the end of a search, it’s the beginning of an adventure! Jesus challenged His disciples to make a difference in their world when He said:

"Ask and it will be given to you; Seek and you will find; Knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; He who seeks finds; And to him who knocks, the door will be opened." Matthew 7:7-8

Jesus wanted His disciples, or those who had chosen to live their lives according to His ways, to move beyond rites and rituals to a dynamic, daily relationship with Him. That is what Christ wants of us today. To Jesus, faith was - and still is - an essential for daily life as a Christian! True faith learns. It asks, seeks and knocks. Faith asks about the nature of God and what He has to say to life as we find it. Then it seeks to show God’s love in a world that is far from Him by knocking on the doors of opportunity found in daily life. Faith takes the initiative! It wrestles with such questions as:

What is a godly marriage?
How does God want me to raise my children?
What is Christ’s church?
How do I serve it?
How would Christ run a business?
How should I relate to my community? schools? government?
Where should I stand on the "burning issues" of society?

For answers to these and many other questions, join a Bible study in an Assemblies of God church or a full gospel believing church near you.

In short, disciples, or followers of Christ, wrestle with what it means to become a "godly influence in their world." This is what true faith and true discipleship are all about - daring to ask the hard questions. It is giving our best effort with God’s help to live a godly life and be a godly example in a world that desperately needs Him. It is living our lives for God and for others all around us.

Are you going to heaven?

If you were to ask 100 people at random about the economy, politics, or pollution, you would get fairly definite opinions from most.

But ask the same 100 people, "Are you going to heaven when you die?". The vast majority would answer with varying degrees of doubt "I don't know"..."I'm working on it"..."I have no idea"..."I'm not sure".

What's your answer?

Uncertainty about one's final destination comes from a misunderstanding of what is involved in attaining heaven. If you were to ask the average person what one must do to have eternal life, his or her answer would probably include one of the following:

Live a good life.
Obey the Ten Commandments.
Join a church and attend regularly.
Love your fellow man.
Be baptized and/or confirmed.
Follow the teachings and example of Christ.

These answers, though important aspects of the Christian life, reflect the popular idea that eternal life in heaven is a reward to be earned. But the Bible states it is a free gift: "The gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord" (Romans 6:23). "For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith–and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God-not by works, so that no one can boast" (Ephesians 2:8,9, NIV).

The Only Way

God sent His Son, Jesus Christ, to pay for our sins by His death on the cross. Having paid our sin penalty, He rose from the dead and now offers eternal life as a gift. By recognizing our need for a Savior and by accepting Christ's payment for our sins, the matter of our eternal home is immediately resolved.

Assurance

Do you have this assurance? If not, you can gain this assurance right now. How? The Bible says, "To all who receive Him (Christ), to those who believed in His name, He gave the right to become children of God" (John 1:12).

Jesus said, "Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with him, and he with me" (Revelation 3:20).

Why Do We Worship God?

Because we have confidence in Jesus Christ

When confronted by any doubt that may challenge your standing as a Christian, remember your acceptance of Jesus. This is the only question that matters: Do I have the Son? Or, asked the other way, does He have me? If you’ve accepted His gift of salvation, you have life forever.

Because we have confidence of forgiveness

You’ll need forgiveness! Remember Romans 3:23. The gift of salvation includes the forgiveness of all sin. Sin isn’t only wrong actions or behaviors, but is also wrong attitudes, thoughts or speech. Sin can even be failing to do something we know we should do (James 4:17). When we ask for forgiveness, we have the assurance that He forgives us and that He will help us do the right thing in the future.

Because we have confidence in prayer

Prayer is talking to God. You don’t have to speak in a "stained glass voice" or use terms that you are not familiar with to speak to God. In fact, it’s better if it is just honest communication - speaking to God from your heart. It is like a trusting boy talking to a really great Dad.

 Prayer is simply:

Talking to the Lord about your feelings
Telling God what you appreciate about Him
Confessing anything that needs to be forgiven
Expressing your concerns and desires

Because we have confidence in God’s guidance

Throughout the Bible, as well as in everyday life today, God is active in guiding people - the choices they make, the people they meet, even the thoughts and desires of their minds. The Holy Spirit will guide you into all truth. That’s a great promise. Discuss issues that you are seeking guidance from God about with a friend or your pastor after you have prayed about them. God’s guidance will be confirmed when the answer is consistent with the Bible. We have an inner peace and God’s guidance is also confirmed by others.

Because we have confidence in victory over temptation

God wants to build a new character within us that is like Jesus’ character. He is faithful to help us. He will help us escape temptation and claim victory daily. 1 Corinthians 10:13 says, "No temptation has seized you except what is common to man. And God is faithful; He will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, He will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it."