Maybe you visited this website and you’re a Buddhist, Hindu, Muslim, an atheist,
or an agnostic. Or, you may be unsure about what you believe about religion and the
afterlife. Here are some questions we will address on this page:
We at FresHope are devoted to sharing the GOOD NEWS about Jesus Christ. But what is the GOOD NEWS?
The
Christian life is a life of love and sacrifice. Christianity embraces all people,
believing that every person is created in the image of God, and is loved by God.
We believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God. He
came to the earth 2000 years ago with a mission: to restore man to a right relationship with God.
Why do we need a Savior?
God is a loving and tender God. He created us
to be in relationship with Him. He created us with the intention that we would spend
eternity in heaven with Him.
Why? Because
He loves us!
God is also holy. There is no evil in His nature
or “dark side” to His personality. God is so good, so loving, and so opposed
to evil that He cannot just “accept” sin and look the other way. Unfortunately,
every single human being on the face of the earth, from Adam until this very moment, has sinned. We all do it. No matter how hard we try, we have all lied, cheated,
spoken unkind words, or been less than loving. Sin is a weight that feels like a bag
of rocks on our backs. It is something we can’t get rid of by ourselves. Because of this sin, we have been separated from God.
And that’s why Jesus came to earth. He came
to live among us and show us the nature and character of our Heavenly Father. But,
primarily, He came to die. Jesus lived a life of love and sacrifice on earth, a life
free from sin. He was both fully God and fully man. Because of this, He alone is qualified
to pay the price for our sins, the price that we ourselves deserve to pay, but cannot. Jesus
gave His life for us on the cross, and He took all our sins with Him.
The GOOD NEWS is this: Through faith in Jesus, our sins are washed away, and we are restored
to a right relationship with God! Our loving Father has declared that our debts of
sin have been paid in full!
God raised Jesus from the dead on the third day after His crucifixion. Today, as Christians, we have a very real relationship with God, through our Savior, Jesus Christ. We love God, and we know and feel God’s love for us in a very real way.
Because of that, we have chosen to live for God. We try to set aside our selfish
desires, and instead live the way Jesus lived – full of love for our fellow man. And,
relying on God’s power, we try not to sin. But, sometimes we still do. However, when we do, we humbly repent, and ask God to forgive us. And God sees the blood that Jesus Christ shed for our sake, and He declares us to be totally forgiven, and restored
to a close relationship with Him.
What makes Christianity unique?
There are many religions in this world, many with good suggestions on how to live. So why would anyone become a Christian? What makes
Christianity unique? The claims of Christians:
1) Jesus Christ is the Son of God.
2) He was crucified and rose again, living today in heaven.
3) Through Jesus, all people can be close to God and receive the blessings of
God when they accept Him as their Savior.
4) He is the only way to God.
If you examine all religions, you find a common thread: religion is an attempt by mankind
to feel close to God, to be “righteous”, (that is, to be a “good person”, to be in right standing
with God, or to be accepted by God) and to spend the afterlife (if you believe in one) in peace instead of torment.
In many other religions, your “goodness” is based on how many good works you
do and how many bad things you avoid. But how do you know when you’ve done enough
good deeds? How can you be sure you’ll go to heaven when you die?
The uniqueness of Christianity is this: Christians believe that through the shed blood
of Jesus Christ, all people can come to God, live a life and peace and joy, and live with Him forever in heaven. Man can be made completely “righteous” by accepting the fact that Jesus paid our debt for us. This is the Christian’s Good News --not a message of condemnation, but one of love
and hope.
The claims that Jesus made about himself were very unique. He not only claimed to be a
messenger from God, He claimed that He is the Son God, and that He and God are One.
Those are very strong claims! Now, some religions teach that Jesus was a great teacher,
maybe even a prophet, but not the Son of God, and not the Savior. Let’s examine
that argument. Jesus Himself said that He was the Son of God, and He said that the
only way that man can find the Heavenly Father is through Him. That leaves us with
the following possibilities: He was either completely insane, a liar and a con artist
out for personal gain, OR, He truly is the Son of God. The idea that Jesus was only
a great moral teacher just doesn’t hold water. You can’t be a great moral
teacher AND a fraud at the same time. And if you think about the idea that Jesus was a fraud, a con artist, that doesn’t
make sense either.
Jesus clearly derived no personal earthly gain
from His ministry. By His own choice, He wandered from place to place with no permanent
home and few of the comforts of life. Why? Because He sought out the poor, the sick,
and the lost. He loved them, taught them, healed them, and helped them.
Because of His message of grace and works of love,
He was despised and rejected by the leaders of His day, and ultimately was beaten, taunted, and cruelly executed like a criminal. His “crime”? Claiming to be the Son
of God. Jesus never sought personal gain in the form of wealth or political power. These are not the actions of a con artist.
When Jesus was executed, his followers knew that they too were in danger. They went into hiding, discouraged and afraid for their lives. But then
they saw the risen Lord. They walked, spoke, and ate with Jesus, who had risen from
the dead. Their lives were forever changed. Suddenly,
instead of hiding in fear, they began to travel all over the known world, telling everyone that Jesus Christ is the Savior. The first Christians who believed in and told others about their Lord and Savior faced
all kinds of persecution and hardship. They often lost everything they had –
their jobs, their families, their homes, and sometimes even their lives. Why would
they voluntarily suffer all that for the sake of a religion? Because it is REAL! Because they had come to know, in a very real way, the risen Savior, Jesus Christ.
A Brand New Life!
We can know Jesus today, in
just the same way! When we come to believe in Him and trust in Him as our Savior,
God gives us a brand new life! The sin and pain of the past are washed away, and we
are new creations in Jesus Christ. God fills us with His love. He brings healing and restoration to our lives. He sets us free from
from whatever shackles us - such as drugs, alcohol addiction, or depression.
God wants to do the same things
for you! He loves you so much! He will
show you that YOUR LIFE HAS PROFOUND MEANING AND PURPOSE!!!
Therefore, if anyone is in
Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come! (2 Corinthians 5:17)
Then, you will be able to live a new life. The
key is that you must believe in Jesus -- believe that He paid for your sins and then ask for forgiveness for your sins, and
commit yourself to living for Him.
If you would like to accept Christ as your Savior, pray this prayer:
Jesus, I thank you that you love me so tenderly.
I believe that you are the Son of God and that you died on the cross as payment for my sins and rose again on the third
day. I repent for my sins, and I ask You to forgive me. I trust only in Your shed blood for my forgiveness. I want to be born
again and to be changed into a new person. Jesus, come into my life, fill me with
the Holy Spirit, and give me the assurance of eternal life. Today I make You the Lord
of my life. Amen.
If you prayed this prayer and meant it in your heart, you are now a new person in Christ. Your life will never be the same!
If you would like to learn more about Christianity, we would like to help.
Some books from your local Christian store
that might help include:
The Holy Bible
For Christian Apologetics, i.e. evidence for the resurrection
of Jesus, the authenticity of the Bible, and more:
The Case for Christ by Lee Strobel and
The New Evidence that Demands a Verdict by Josh McDowell.
For more in-depth discussion about making Jesus your Savior,
and the new-birth experience: The Most Important Decision You’ll Ever Make by
Joyce Meyer (www.jmministries.org)
To find your peace, joy, and security in Jesus rather than in other people's opinions
or your own performance: The Search for Significance by Robert McGee
For emotional healing and growth, Changes That Heal
by Dr. Henry Cloud. Also Boundaries by Cloud and Townsend.
Mere Christianity by C.S. Lewis (for more on what Christians believe and why.)
