Our Faith Explained

Many people in our society believe themselves to be Christians, but have hardly begun to understand the Christian faith.

Being a Christian is not something vague and private but something definite and public. Jesus makes it clear that he expects us to stand up and be counted.

No-one is born a Christian (although you may have been born into a Christian family). No-one is too bad to become a Christian (we all need to be forgiven). No-one becomes a Christian by accident either.

You become a Christian by making a deliberate decision to follow Jesus Christ. Jesus calls us to wholehearted commitment.

THE MESSAGE OF CHRISTIANITY - GOOD NEWS!

1. GOD - HIS LOVE.
God made us.
   He loves us.
      He wants the best for us

2. OUR NEED.
We were created to know God.
   But we have turned away from him.
      We have rejected his love.
         We stand separated from him.

3. JESUS - GOD'S SOLUTION.
God sent his son, Jesus to draw us back to him.
   Jesus lived a life absolutely as his father intended.
      He died on the cross - taking our rejection on himself.
         He rose from the dead - giving us hope for new life.
Through Jesus, God offers to everyone:-
          - forgiveness for all they have done and a new start.
          - a new relationship with God.
          - the gift of new life, fulfilling and eternal.

4. OUR RESPONSE.
We need to make a response to God's gracious offer,
our response is fourfold:-
- Repentance - to turn away from those things which are wrong.
   - Faith - to put our trust in God, as he has shown himself to us in Jesus.
      - Baptism - to become a full member of God's people, the church. (A brief explanation can be found here)
         - Receiving the Spirit - accepting God's gift to "seal" his work in our life.

A prayer which could be used as a personal act of commitment can be found here.