CHRISTIANITY Part I
by Pravin K. Shah
Founded:
Christianity began about 2,000 years ago in Palestine.
Founder:
Christianity is based on the teaching of Jesus of Nazareth (Jesus Christ), believed to be the Son of God.
Major Scriptures:
The Christian Bible which consist of the Old Testament (39 Books of Hebrew Bible) and the New Testament (27 Books). Some sects (Catholic and some Protestants) also recognize an additional 7 Books of the Apocrypha. It also contains a collection of early Christian writings proclaiming Jesus as lord and savior.
Sects:
Christianity is divided into three main sects; Roman Catholic, Eastern Orthodox, and Protestant. Among Protestants there are over 2,000 smaller sects, including Lutherans, Presbyterians, Baptists, Methodists, Congregationalists, and Unitarians.
Adherents:
Over 1 billion, largest of religions.
Goals:
The goal of Christianity is eternal life with God in heaven, a perfect existence in which God's glory and bliss are shared. It is also a personal life, enjoyed differently by individuals according to the amount of grace received and accepted in life.
Path of Attainment:
Man's plight is caused by disobedience to God's will as revealed in the law of God found in the Bible. God's justice demands that a penalty must be paid for that disobedience. That penalty was paid by God himself taking on human flesh in the person of Jesus and dying the ignominious and completely undeserved death of a criminal on a cross. By this sacrificial act, God, out of sheer grace and love made it possible for all those who believe in the saving power of this act to have credited to their account the complete and perfect obedience of Jesus so that God regards them the same as if they had never sinned.
Jesus' resurrection from the dead is proof of God's power over sin and death and proof that he can save in this way. Those who accept God's gift of salvation are empowered by the Holy Spirit to begin to live a life of increasing virtue and obedience to God and in this way show their gratitude to God for freeing them from the guilt of their sins.
The good Christian lives a life of virtue and obedience to God out of gratitude to God for sacrificing Jesus for the sins of all who come to accept Jesus Christ as personal Savior and Lord. Jesus is to return again to judge the world and bring God's rule to the earth. Through following the law of God as found in the Holy Bible and through God's grace, man attains salvation.
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