The Good News of Jesus Christ

[Gandalf]

While most users here are probably already Christians, we thought it might be helpful to post a thread here explaining the basics of what Christianity is, for any of you who might have been influenced to look into Christianity, whether through Third Day’s music or conversations with other users.

A basic description of the gospel (good news) of Christianity is as follows:
Background:

• God created everything that exists.
• He created people to have relationship with Himself.
• All worship and praise are due to Him, and He is to be obeyed as the King over all creation.
• We have all sinned (disobeyed God), following our own selfish wills rather than doing what pleases God. This path leads to death and eternal separation from God and His kingdom (Romans 2:7-8).
• We are unable to earn our way back into God's favor.

Good News:

• God the Father, out of His great love for every person, sent Jesus (the eternal Son of God, who is one with God the Father) to earth as a man to pay the price (death) for our sin, so that we can be restored into fellowship with Him. Jesus is the Christ/Messiah whom God had promised to send to save humans from our own sinful self-destruction.
• Jesus was executed on a cross; the people who carried this out did this because of His claim to be God. God brought this about so that Jesus’ death would pay the penalty for our sin and reconcile us to Him.
• Because of Jesus’ crucifixion and Resurrection, we can be pardoned and accepted back into God’s kingdom, and through His Holy Spirit, He will transform us into the good people He created us to be: His children.

This salvation offered through Jesus is a free gift – it is God’s grace, given to all who have faith in Jesus and put their trust in Him. If the Holy Spirit has given you faith to believe that this is true, the Bible tells us what is necessary to be a Christian. (Romans 10:9-10)

First, we are told to confess with our mouths that Jesus is Lord. This means that we openly acknowledge that He reigns supreme, and that we will obey Him as Lord. There are various ways in which Christians practice this. Some publicly confess and repent at an “altar call” service; others confess their faith when being baptized; others say a “sinner’s prayer” to God, etc. Most do more than one of these things. There’s no particular formula we’re given for what words we must use, but generally the chief components are an admission that we have sinned against God, that we will put our trust in Jesus for our salvation to restore us to proper relationship with Him, and that we intend to repent (turn away) from our former life of rebellion and sin and begin to obey Him. This obedience is not something we’re expected to be able to accomplish on our own, before coming to Him – rather, it’s something that the Holy Spirit helps us to do (and enjoy!) once we’ve become Christians. An example of a "sinner's prayer" might be something like the following:

God, I know that I have sinned against you, and deserve to die and be separated from you for eternity. But I believe that you sent your Son, Jesus, to die on the cross in my place, so that I may repent and live. I confess that I will place my trust in Jesus and obey Him as my Lord. Thank you for forgiving me and sending me your Holy Spirit to guide me and help me obey You. Amen.

Repeating the words to any particular prayer isn’t what makes anyone a Christian, but rather what is required is that we have faith in God and confess Jesus as Lord.

Second, we are told that we must believe in our hearts that God raised Jesus from the dead. God knows what’s in our hearts, and He is more concerned with who we are than He is with outward appearances. We must believe that the gospel (what the Bible says about Jesus) is true, and have faith in Jesus’ death and resurrection, so that we can be raised to new life through Him, both spiritually and later physically. Since God knows our hearts, it doesn’t matter if we have smooth, refined words when praying, as in the above step. Even the example that Jesus gave us of how to pray (Matthew 6:5-13) was very simple. Fancy words don't impress God. Use your own and be honest with Him.

As for what we must believe, to put it simply: what the Bible says. But many find concise creeds (statements of belief) helpful. One of the earliest creeds used by the Church is the Apostles’ Creed, which dates from around the 2nd Century (around 50 years after the New Testament portion of the Bible was finished).

I believe in God, the Father Almighty,
the Maker of heaven and earth,
and in Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord:
Who was conceived by the Holy Ghost,
born of the virgin Mary,
suffered under Pontius Pilate,
was crucified, dead, and buried;
He descended into hell.
The third day He arose again from the dead;
He ascended into heaven,
and sits on the right hand of God the Father Almighty;
from there he shall come to judge the quick and the dead.
I believe in the Holy Ghost;
the holy catholic church;
the communion of saints;
the forgiveness of sins;
the resurrection of the body;
and the life everlasting.
Amen.

Another good summary is the Nicene Creed, from the 4th Century:

I believe in one God,
the Father Almighty,
maker of heaven and earth
and of all things visible and invisible.

And in one Lord Jesus Christ,
the only-begotten Son of God,
begotten of His Father before all worlds,
God of God, Light of Light,
very God of very God,
begotten, not made,
being of one substance with the Father,
by whom all things were made;
who for us men and for our salvation came down from heaven
and was incarnate by the Holy Spirit of the virgin Mary
and was made man;
and was crucified also for us under Pontius Pilate.
He suffered and was buried.
And the third day He rose again according to the Scriptures
and ascended into heaven
and sits at the right hand of the Father.
And He will come again with glory to judge both the living and the dead,
whose kingdom will have no end.

And I believe in the Holy Spirit,
the Lord and giver of life,
who proceeds from the Father and the Son,
who with the Father and the Son together is worshiped and glorified,
who spoke by the prophets.
And I believe in one holy catholic and apostolic Church,
I acknowledge one Baptism for the remission of sins,
and I look for the resurrection of the dead
and the life of the world to come. Amen.

Note: in both of the above, the word catholic is used to mean the entirety of the Christian Church, which includes but is not restricted to the Roman Catholic denomination that exists today.

Also, Jesus, when He sent out his disciples after His resurrection, gave them this command:

Matt 28:18-20 (New King James Version)
"All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age."

Making disciples here involves two things: First, baptism, which Jesus commands for all new believers; Second, teaching them to live in the way that Jesus taught His disciples (students) to live.

Christianity, while it does emphasize the importance of the individual’s relationship with God and responsibility for his own actions, is not a solitary endeavor. We become part of the Church, or the body of Christ, and we become students who are learning how to be more like Jesus. So, the next step, apart from believing and confessing that, would be to seek out a local church, so that you can be baptized and find people who have been Christians for longer to teach you how to be a disciple (student) of Jesus.

There are certainly a variety of denominations of churches out there, within the Church at large. It could be a daunting task to figure out which one God would have you join. I think C.S. Lewis describes this issue well in the Preface to his book Mere Christianity. (The book is a description of the beliefs that are held by all Christians, hence “mere” Christianity, as opposed to a focus on the particular distinctions.) He presents the issue thus: When you become a Christian, you’ve entered the foyer or hall of a great house, in which there are many rooms (various denominations):

I hope no reader will suppose that 'mere' Christianity is here put forward as an alternative to the creeds of the existing communions - as if a man could adopt it in preference to Congregationalism or Greek Orthodoxy or anything else. It is more like a hall out of which doors open into several rooms. If I can bring anyone into that hall I shall have done what I attempted. But it is in the rooms, not in the hall, that there are fires and chairs and meals. The hall is a place to wait in, a place from which to try the various doors, not a place to live in. For that purpose the worst of the rooms (whichever that may be) is, I think, preferable. It is true that some people may find they have to wait in the hall for a considerable time, while others feel certain almost at once which door they must knock at. I do not know why there is this difference, but I am sure God keeps no one waiting unless He sees that it is good for him to wait. When you do get into your room you will find that the long wait has done you some kind of good which you would not have had otherwise. But you must regard it as waiting, not as camping. You must keep on praying for light: and, of course, even in the hall, you must begin trying to obey the rules which are common to the whole house. And above all you must he asking which door is the true one; not which pleases you best by its paint and panelling. In plain language, the question should never be: 'Do I like that kind of service?' but 'Are these doctrines true: Is holiness here? Does my conscience move me towards this? Is my reluctance to knock at this door due to my pride, or my mere taste, or my personal dislike of this particular doorkeeper?'

When you have reached your own room, be kind to those who have chosen different doors and to those who are still In the hall. If they are wrong they need your prayers all the more; and if they are your enemies, then you are under orders to pray for them. That is one of the rules common to the whole house.

So, we would encourage you to find a church in "real life" - find a Christian friend or a pastor and talk to them about your conversion and about joining a church. Visit some churches near you. Even ask others here who might live in your area for suggestions. Just don't try to muddle through in isolation: it won't work. We all need more mature Christians to help teach us, and we all need fellowship with other Christians to encourage and support us. Once you've found a church, your pastor and other Christians will be able to help you with resources for learning more about what we believe and how to live as a Christian.

We pray that God would bless you all and draw you to Himself,
The Third Day Boards Staff